Comedian Hyoroku attended a press conference on May 11th at the NHK Broadcasting Center in Shibuya, Tokyo, for the completion of the NHK Saturday drama "Mushoran Mitsuboshi" (NHK General, Saturdays at 10 PM), which will start airing on May 23rd. He revealed that he lost 7 kilograms for the role.
The drama is a "social comedy-drama about prison life," depicting the story of Yoko Ginbayashi (Eiko Koike), a renowned Italian chef who, by chance, ends up working as a nutritionist in a prison, and how she overcomes troubles and commotions with the prison guards and inmates inside the walls.
Hyoroku, who plays Shigeru Mishima, an inmate working in the kitchen, and who lost 7 kilograms for the role, commented on the drama's content and his experience of losing weight: "There were so many things I didn't know, like what you shouldn't do (in prison) and what kind of things can lead to trouble, so I learned a lot. Also, living a simple life made me realize how incredibly happy it is to be able to eat. I hope everyone can enjoy the drama while learning about prison life and other related topics."
The film features many scenes of people eating, and she reflected on the filming, saying, "I hadn't been eating much because I thought I should lose weight, so the food on set was incredibly delicious. I was reminded of how tasty rice is and how sweet vegetables are. I realized that people actually in prison can't have sweets or drink juice, so I think meals are their only source of enjoyment."
Regarding his preparation for the role, he said, "Before filming began, I asked the director, 'Why did I get arrested?' and he replied, 'I don't know' (laughs). It was probably before the role had been decided. He said, 'Maybe it's okay if you play someone who sparks rumors about why he's in jail,' so I just tried not to worry about it and acted like I didn't know anything, just being in that space."
Eiko Koike, Aoi Nakamura, Reo Tamaki, and Mandy Sekiguchi also attended the press conference.
