"BLOOD & SWEAT," a Japanese-Finnish co-production drama starring actress Anne and popular Finnish actor Jasper Peakonen, will begin airing and streaming on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand from April 5th. Anne, who said she was "happy to finally be able to participate" in the overseas filming, spoke about what made her decide to take on the role, the differences in filming style, and memorable events on set.
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This drama is WOWOW's new overseas project, following "TOKYO VICE," which garnered attention as a co-production between WOWOW and Hollywood. It is a co-production between the Japanese production company "AX-ON" and the Finnish production company "ICS Nordic." Two detectives, separated by a distance of approximately 7800 kilometers between Japan and Finland, team up to investigate a series of bizarre murders that occurred in both countries, eventually uncovering an unimaginable truth.
Anne had long harbored a desire to participate in an overseas production. As a parent raising children, there were physical and practical challenges to long-term filming overseas, but she decided to participate not only because of her interest in the project, but also because of the opportunity to travel to the filming location with her family.
"Filming for a movie takes about a month, but for a TV series it takes at least several months. As someone raising children, it was difficult to take the plunge. This time, I was able to make arrangements to take all of my children to Finland, so I was very fortunate in that situation. I felt there were many intriguing elements in this mystery that connects two countries."
Regarding the filming, which was a joint production with Finland, Anne said, "In Finland, working hours are strictly defined by law, such as 8 hours a day, so it was completely different from the Japanese style."
"In Finland, the time constraints created a sense of immediacy during filming, while in Japan, we filmed in a Japanese style, so the Finnish director and cameraman were happy that they could 'shoot to their heart's content.' I think there were things we could learn from each other and aspects we envied."
◇The "incorporation" of lines in a language different from one's native tongue
The character played by Anne, Aki Suzumiya, is a detective in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division. She is a highly capable individual who has solved many difficult cases, but her unscrupulous investigative methods make her a nuisance to her superiors. Anne herself sympathizes with Aki's overwhelming initiative, such as defying her superiors' objections and traveling to Finland to investigate a certain case.
"I myself am impatient and the type to do things as soon as I decide I want to, so there might be some similarities. However, considering her position as an investigator in charge of murder cases, Aki is more daring (laughs)."
Aki's character possesses a special ability, and Anne recalls that she acted in a situation where, "While it's typical for a detective to carry a notebook or investigation documents, there were hardly any such props."
"I couldn't use anything at hand, so it was different from the detective roles I've played before. Because I was able to go everywhere empty-handed and light on my feet, I felt like I had no one to rely on, which made it a little difficult to play the role."
During the preparation phase, he revealed that he struggled with the differences in sensibilities, such as "how to start lines" and "how to break up and emphasize words," as more than half of the dialogue was in English and it contained investigative terminology that is not used in everyday life.
"I was surprised at how different the way lines sink in is between your native language and a foreign language. During line coaching, we used Shakespeare's 'to be or not to be' as an example, and the topic of how the nuance changes depending on which word you emphasize came up. It's similar in Japanese, but I was amazed at how much it can become unclear just by changing the words used in the way of expression. It's something I need to work on going forward, and I learned a great deal from this experience."
◇Inspiration from Jasper Pääkkonen
Speaking about her co-star Peakonen, Anne said, "Whenever I went to Finland, I always saw posters of Jasper. He's a national star that everyone knows," and added that she was impressed by his energetic activities in various fields, such as his efforts to address environmental issues and his management of a sauna restaurant.
"Not only is she an actress, but she's also involved in environmental activities and raising children, and I was really inspired by how she travels around to so many different places and dedicates herself to environmental activism. During filming on location, she was very considerate and even recommended saunas to us."
◇A playful filming location in Finland
When asked about her memories of filming this movie, Anne said, "I approached it with an attitude of respecting and learning the other people's cultures and languages, such as saying hello and thank you in Finnish." She replied, "A toast every 100 shots" and "Speeches that came up randomly."
"Every time we reached 100, 200, 300 shots, we'd all toast with shot glasses, using alcohol or ginger shots (juice of squeezed ginger). At that point, the staff member who gave the previous speech would nominate someone else to give a speech on the spot. When it was my turn, I performed the traditional Japanese 'ippon-jime' (a handclap ceremony), explaining it in my broken English. It's a very memorable experience. There was also a custom where anyone whose phone rang during filming had to buy the other person a beer, and I enjoyed those playful touches."
Regarding the appeal of the drama, Anne revealed that she was shocked when she saw the finished footage, saying, "Even though I knew the story, I was surprised, so I want to lose my memory and watch it again." She added, "I think viewers will be surprised after watching each episode, as it is full of unpredictable developments and surprises. I want to share the surprise with everyone, and if possible, I hope you will follow it in real time."
The Japanese-Finland co-production drama "WOWOW BLOOD & SWEAT" will consist of 8 episodes and will air and stream on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand every Sunday at 10 PM starting April 5th. The first episode will be broadcast and streamed for free. (Interview and text by Masaki Endo)
Photography: Shin Ishikawa (Sketch)
Hair and Makeup: Satoka Takakuwa
Stylist: Ayako Nakai (crêpe)
