Akari Takaishi plays the heroine in the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake" (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times). Episode 115 (broadcast on March 13th) depicted the farewell between Heaven (Tommy Bastow) and Nishikori (Ryo Yoshizawa Ryo). We spoke to Hashizume Kuniomi, the production manager for this series, about the thoughts behind this scene.
◇The farewell scene between Heaven and Nishikori was "discussed among the production team"
In the episode, Heaven wakes up in Matsue for the first time in a long time. However, hearing the sounds and seeing the scenery that once moved her no longer moves her. Disturbed by the changes in herself, Nishikori harshly rebukes Heaven, saying, "You can no longer feel anything in this country. You can no longer write anything." "As a writer, you're practically dead."
Moved by Nishikori's words, Heaven sits at her desk and begins to write with all her heart. As Toki (Takaishi) watches her through the shoji screen, Nishikori comes over and mutters, "I hope this helps you write... I encouraged him. This is my last job as a literary assistant. He's really a pain."
Towards the end of the film, Heaven's completed copy of "From the East" arrives at Nishikori's home. Turning the page, Nishikori finds an inscription in English that reads, "A nostalgic memory of the Izumo era. To Nishikori Yuichi." Nishikori smiles with delight. Finally, a narration by the Snake and Frog (Asagaya Sisters) announces that Nishikori has passed away.
Regarding this development, Hashizume revealed, "Based on historical facts, we knew that this would be the timing for the two characters to separate, so from the time Fujiki Mitsuhiko began writing the script, the production team discussed how to portray it."
"The thing we discussed the most was what kind of relationship Nishikori and Heaven had. Was Nishikori really someone who was just devoted to her? I think it was something more than just friendship, and we talked a lot about what that 'something' was."
Regarding the thoughts Nishikori had, he said, "If I worked with Heaven, we could leave behind some wonderful writing together. I could be her partner and put my soul into it. Maybe that was what he was thinking."
"Nishikori not only wanted to do something for education in Shimane, but I think he found meaning in life in helping Heaven become a first-class author. That's why, when things don't go well, he gets angry at Heaven, at Toki, and at the world. But he doesn't give up hope, and he tries to do something about it. I wanted to portray the life of this tragic genius. I think anyone can empathize with Nishikori's feelings, even if they aren't as talented as him."
◇The reason for creating an original storyline
The plot where Nishikori encourages Heaven is original to the drama, but the fact that he did not go to see Heaven off when she left Matsue is true to history. Hashizume explains, "It's said that he was not feeling well, but if he had wanted to go and see her off, he certainly could have, but he didn't. After that, Nishida Sentaro (the model for Nishikori) exchanged letters with Yakumo Koizumi and even visited Kumamoto, but for some reason he never met Yakumo."
"Was it just a coincidence that their schedules didn't match, or was one of them deliberately avoiding it? This is just our own interpretation, but it felt like they had been avoiding meeting in person for a long time. Taking a hint from that, we wondered if there was something behind the scenes... and cut out the episode where they exchanged letters, and turned their relationship into a drama."
According to historical records, when Yakumo returned to Matsue to complete the procedures for his family registration, Nishida Sentaro sat on Matsue Bridge and watched the boat leave until it disappeared into the distance.
"At that time, Yakumo published a book called 'From the East Country,' in which he expresses his gratitude to Nishida Sentaro. I thought that by weaving together fragments of history, it might be possible to interpret it in a drama like this... and that's how the story unfolded."
Heaven and Nishikori have overcome many hardships and deepened their friendship, but despite this, there is no indication that Heaven is saddened by Nishikori's death.
"The two are connected through literature, and the story depicts an emotional exchange between Nishikori about what he wanted to achieve in life, how he wanted to live, and how the recipient felt about that... so I didn't think it was necessary to include a sad scene. I wanted to focus on the relationship between Heaven and Nishikori."
There are only two weeks left until the broadcast of "Bakebake." What kind of ending awaits Heaven and Toki, who have overcome Nishikori's death? You won't want to miss it until the very end.
