The third episode of the NHK Asadora drama series "Kaze,Kaoru " (NHK General, Monday-Saturday 8:00 AM, etc.), starring Ai Mikami and Juri Kosaka , aired on April 1st, and attracted the attention of viewers with the first appearance of Pastor Yoshie Zensaku, played by Taizo Harada of the comedy trio "Neptune".
" Kaze,Kaoru" is based on the story of two trained nurses, Chika Ozeki and Masa Suzuki, who graduated from the same nursing school. The drama depicts how these two women struggle with how to interact with patients and doctors, grow through their conflicts, and eventually become the "ultimate buddy" duo. Mikami plays the main character, Rin Ichinose, and Uesaka plays the other main character, Naomi Oya.
Yoshie, played by Harada, is a Christian pastor who took Naomi in four years ago and has been quietly watching over her ever since. He respects Naomi's wish to be independent and they live separately, but he is always thinking about her.
In that day's broadcast, Yoshie asks Naomi, "Would you like to become an evangelist for this church?" Naomi replies, "I'm tempted by the money that comes with being an evangelist, but I can't do it," but Yoshie persuades her, "Naomi, you're well-suited to being an evangelist. You've been learning God's teachings more than anyone else since you were a child."
When Naomi replied, "Well, if you're abandoned in front of the church, you can't help it," Yoshie asked, "Did I do something to you, Naomi?" Naomi thanked her, saying, "I'm grateful to you, Yoshie-sensei. You accepted me after I'd been to so many different churches, and even helped me find a place to live..." But then she sighed, "I can't be an evangelist. I fall asleep during services. I... I hate everything. People born into good families... Yes, I hate good people too. I hate myself more than anyone." Yoshie watched Naomi, tears streaming down her face.
On social media, comments included: "Harada Taizo's facial expressions were amazing," "He's such a nice guy," "He has a great presence," "His crying scenes were really touching," "Harada Taizo gives off such a reassuring presence in Asadora," and "He must be a very kind person."
Furthermore, because the story depicted the heavy threat of cholera, comments such as "The comical pastor didn't disappoint and changed the mood," "The atmosphere brightened," and "For some reason, the heavy atmosphere was lifted" were also posted.
