Shinichi Tsutsumi stars in the TBS Sunday drama "GIFT," which premieres on April 12th (Sundays at 9 PM). Tsutsumi plays a genius astrophysicist, Fumito Gotetsu, who, by chance, encounters the wheelchair rugby team "Blaze Bulls." As he works to find answers to the difficult problems facing the underdog team, he learns the importance of friendship and family through genuine physical and emotional confrontations, in a story of bonds and redemption. Yuki Yamada plays Ryo Miyashita, the solitary ace of the "Blaze Bulls," who strongly opposes the amateur Gotetsu, while Kasumi Arimura plays Hitoka Kiriyama, a lifestyle magazine reporter who encounters wheelchair rugby through her reporting. Tsutsumi, Yamada, and Arimura, who play the three characters deeply involved in wheelchair rugby, the central theme of the story, talked about behind-the-scenes stories and highlights of the drama.
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This new series features a completely original story, with the script written by Tomoki Kanazawa, who has worked on Netflix dramas such as "Sanctuary" and the network's ongoing drama series "Who saw the peacock dance in the jungle?". This marks the first appearance of Yamada and Arimura in a Sunday drama series.
◇"This is a different kind of Sunday drama than previous ones." (Arimura)
--Please tell us your honest feelings when you received the offer to appear in this film.
Tsutsumi: Focusing on wheelchair rugby and depicting the lives of the players is something that hasn't really been seen in dramas before, and I felt it was worth taking on as an original story without a source material.
Yamada: Regardless of whether I had a disability or not, my first thought was, "I want to play sports."
Arimura: I'm someone who has been deeply moved by sports, so I was very happy to be a part of this project. I also found it interesting to play a character with a slightly different perspective than the others.
--Please tell us your initial impressions when you first read the script for this film, which features a completely original story.
Tsutsumi: At the initial stage, there were some things I questioned about the characters' words and actions, so I worked with the staff to reconcile my image of Wu Tetsu with theirs. As a result, I think the overall content has become even better.
Yamada: I also had the impression that, regarding the initial character portrayal, "If I were to play the role now, I could probably take a slightly different approach," so, as Tsutsumi-san said, I thought I would discuss it with everyone on set and come up with an idea.
Arimura: It's interesting to see people of all ages coming together towards a common goal, and I thought it was a very refreshing show, quite different from previous Sunday dramas. As the two of you said, we consult with each other whenever something comes up, and it feels like we're all creating it together.
◇Tsutsumi: "This time I'm Yamada's subordinate (laughs)."
--Please tell us about your individual impressions that you gained from this photoshoot.
Tsutsumi: I'm not playing a wheelchair rugby player, so on set, Yamada-kun, who plays the team's ace, is taking on a great leadership role. Watching him, I feel like I'm the subordinate this time, whereas in our previous collaboration we were in a superior-subordinate relationship (laughs).
Yamada: No, no, that's not true (laughs).
Tsutsumi: She really does a great job of keeping everyone together, so she's very reliable. This is my first time working with Arimura, but since we're both from the Kansai region, we're having fun working together, sometimes teasing each other (laughs).
Arimura: Yes (laughs).
Yamada: I had the opportunity to work with Tsutsumi-san on the movie "The Army on the Tree" (2025), so he consults with me more often than before, asking things like, "Should we do it this way, or what do you think?" and I'm happy that he seems to be relying on me. On this set, I really feel like I want to support Tsutsumi-san if I can be of any help. With Arimura-san, we can discuss even the smallest details, including how to bridge the gap between Ryo and Hitoka, so she's very reliable.
Arimura: My first day of filming was the same as Tsutsumi's, and I was shocked by how he made the entire set his stage and acted accordingly. I strongly thought, "I want that skill!" (laughs). I get great inspiration from him every day. Yamada is a colleague I've been working with in this industry since my twenties, and I have a great deal of trust in him, not only as an actor but also as a person. He's a very rare person with whom I can share all sorts of worries.
◇Yamada: "It's a role with a huge change from the beginning to the end."
-- How do you perceive and portray each of the characters, Wu Tie, Liang, and Ren Xiang?
Tsutsumi: Wu Tetsu finds joy in exploring the mysteries of the universe through mathematical formulas, and he's the kind of person who lives in numbers. He's terrible at interacting with people and was isolated from those around him, but after meeting the (Blaze) Bulls, he thought he was providing the formulas for winning, but instead, the team members gave him what he was lacking, and he gradually began to change.
Yamada: Ryo has suffered deep emotional wounds, and he's stuck there, so he doesn't realize that what he really loves more than anything is wheelchair rugby and the Bulls. But through receiving various words and "gifts" of support from Gotetsu and Hitoka, he's able to take one step at a time. I think it's a role with a huge transformation from the beginning to the end.
Arimura: I got the impression that Hitoka is someone who, while somewhat bound by past trauma, also has a small desire to brighten someone else's tomorrow, the kind of feeling you get when someone helps you. I'm approaching the filming while thinking about what kind of emotional changes will occur in Hitoka when she encounters wheelchair rugby.
◇Tsutsumi: "A truly 'flat world'"
--What surprised you, what did you find appealing, or what aspects of wheelchair rugby did you discover when you actually experienced it?
Tsutsumi: Of course, the speed and the sounds of impact are incredible, but even more than that, the strategic aspect of the game is very strong. Players are divided into classes based on the degree of their disability, so it's impossible to fill the team with only strong players, and women are also included in the team, and they all compete with all their might. In many ways, there are no barriers at all, and when I saw them playing in a way that made me not feel that they had disabilities at all, I was shocked, or rather, I felt that it was a truly "flat world."
Yamada: As Tsutsumi-san said, the world of wheelchair rugby is truly equal. The fact that you can compete with all your might, regardless of gender, is wonderful and I think it's one of its attractions.
Arimura: I actually went to watch some of the matches, and each player had their own unique personality, and the intensity was incredible. I also found it fascinating and interesting to see how different the playing styles were from team to team.
--Finally, could you tell us what you think are the highlights of this film?
Tsutsumi: If I had to pick one thing to highlight, it would be "wheelchair rugby." I think it really clearly shows that "everyone is different," and the relationships between these different people influencing each other are wonderful. I hope that viewers will get to know that this kind of world exists.
Yamada: The active players who have been coaching us since practice have expressed their hope that this drama will help spread awareness of wheelchair rugby to the public and inspire children with disabilities to take an interest in the sport, and I feel the same way. I want to continue playing wheelchair rugby, and I want to share the enjoyment of this sport that I've come to know through this experience.
Arimura: I was surprised that admission was free when I watched the match, and I got a glimpse of the reality of wheelchair rugby, so I think it would be very meaningful if I could contribute to wheelchair rugby even a little. I feel the strength that only the players possess, and I would be very happy if people become interested in wheelchair rugby through this work.
◇The sensibilities of the three individuals add further depth to the story.
The three of them saw, touched, and felt wheelchair rugby firsthand, and it seems they fully appreciated the appeal of the sport and the players who live and breathe it. The sensibilities of these three add further depth to the story of bonds and redemption, which begins on April 12th.
