The TV Asahi drama series "The Cheating Husband with 3 Months to Live" (Fridays at 11:15 PM, excluding some regions), starring actor Jin Shirasu, is already generating buzz thanks to the villainous portrayal of the cheating wife by Hinako Sakurai.
Sakurai won the Grand Prix at the Okayama Beautiful Girl Contest in 2014. In 2015, she gained attention as the "Miracle of Okayama." She has often played the heroine in films such as "Marmalade Boy" (2018) and "We Love." (same year), and in the TV Asahi drama series "I Give My First Love to You" (2019), so she is not often seen playing villainous roles.
In this film, Sakurai plays Mizuki Kosaka, the wife of Aoi Kosaka (played by Shirasu), who has been given three months to live. She is having an affair with an older CEO who works as a consultant for cafes and restaurants, and is a selfish person who is confident in her looks and figure and feels no guilt about using them to her advantage. When she learns that Aoi has only three months to live, she conspires with her lover, the CEO, to try and take all of his inheritance. Far from supporting Aoi in his fight against illness, she is a monstrous wife who plots to make him stop treatment...
In the first episode, which aired on April 24th, Mizuki pretends to be worried about Aoi, but secretly grins as she investigates the insurance money. On the day of Aoi's first chemotherapy treatment, she lies and refuses to pick up the children as requested, and meets up with Kenji. She fully displays her "monster wife" nature, such as passionately kissing her lover in a stylish bar without caring about being seen.
On social media, comments such as "Hinako Sakurai's acting is brutal...a new frontier for her as a villain, it's amazing!", "She's playing a villain that's the complete opposite of her usual cute image, it's incredible," and "Hinako Sakurai's villainous performance is fantastic. A truly masterful performance" have been posted, showing that she has garnered a lot of positive feedback from viewers.
Sakurai herself commented that this is her first time playing a married character, saying, "I've never played a wife in a happy family, and now I'm suddenly playing someone having an affair... I'm honestly a little nervous (laughs)." Nevertheless, she added, "This is the first time I've played such a bad character, but to play Mizuki, I cut my hair by 20 centimeters. I'm playing this role with that much determination!" She spoke of her commitment to the project.
At a press conference held before the drama aired, she said, "For me, it's no exaggeration to say that this is my first time playing a villain. Up until now, I've mostly played happy, energetic, and brave girls. But this is a challenging role for my villain debut. It's a very rewarding role." She also revealed that she's having some difficulties, saying, "The producer and my agency told me to enjoy this role, but to be honest, I don't have the luxury of enjoying it at all (laughs)."
Meanwhile, Mitsuomi Takahashi, who plays the role of the affair partner, said, "What is this beauty? I've been calling it 'devilishly beautiful,' and she's absolutely perfect for the role. I'm completely captivated," praising her villainous portrayal.
Eleven years have passed since Sakurai first gained attention as the "Miracle of Okayama." We look forward to seeing what kind of unconventional acting Sakurai will deliver as she ventures into new territory as an actress. (MANTANWEB/Toshiyuki Ishii)
