The 21st episode of the NHK Taiga drama "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" (NHK General, Sundays at 8pm, etc.), starring Taiga Nakano, titled "Turbulent Times! Takeda Castle," aired on May 31st, and Nakano's father, actor Hideo Nakano, made an appearance as Terunobu Otagaki. Nakano's appearance was a surprise and was not announced in advance. He also had the opportunity to act alongside his son, who plays Koichiro, and he reflected, "I only had one line to exchange with Koichiro, but at first, it was a little awkward to act while looking each other in the eye so seriously. I was still a little awkward during rehearsals, but during the actual filming, I could really feel the connection."
The character played by Nakano was Terunobu Otagaki, the lord of Takeda Castle in Tajima, which had jurisdiction over the Ikuno Silver Mine, and to whom Koichiro was entrusted with his first siege as a general. His role was to find himself in a desperate situation when Koichiro's strategy cut off his water supply line.
This was Nakano's first appearance in a historical drama series.
"The Taiga drama is a show I've wanted to be in for decades. To be able to appear in it, guided by my son Taiga, is like a dream come true, so when I was asked, all I could say was 'I'm so happy.' However, there was one thing I was hesitant about, and that was not wanting to get in the way of the work. I'm sure there are people who will enjoy seeing 'father and son acting together,' but I was worried that if I appeared, it would be difficult for them to concentrate on the story, or that it would give viewers some strange preconceptions. I also suspected that Taiga might not really want me to be in it, but was holding back out of consideration for me. But when I finally mustered the courage to talk to him, he said, in his usual tone, 'Go ahead and do it,' so I decided to take him up on his offer and appear in the show."
When taking on the role of Terunobu Otagaki, I felt that "since he is the lord of Takeda Castle, which Koichiro conquers as a general for the first time, I needed to make a certain impact."
"When I read the script, I thought about whether I should play a completely over-the-top 'villain' like the ones I've played in direct-to-video films up until now, or a slightly detached, cool performance. I thought about various things like how to use my voice and what kind of atmosphere I should have, and went into filming, but the director on set told me, 'Use a low voice and go for a really evil, menacing feel,' so I trusted him and did just that."
In the play, he gets Tekken by his son, Koichiro, played by Nakano.
"The moment our eyes met, I didn't feel like he was my son at all; as Otagaki, I thought, 'You little brat!' (laughs). I was so happy that we were able to face each other as fellow actors and have a proper dialogue as actors. Combined with the emotion of finally being on the set of a historical drama, which had been my dream for so many years, I started to tear up a little. When I told the director, 'I feel like I'm going to cry by myself,' he replied, 'You can't cry now' (laughs)."
He reiterated, "I would be happiest if the viewers enjoyed watching Koichiro conquer the 'Sky Castle' without realizing that I was in it."
"I think it would be just right if, after watching it, people were surprised and thought, 'Wait, that was (Taiga Nakano's) father?' (laughs). I've always been a fan of the drama ' BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）'. I only read the script for the episode I'm in, but I don't want to know what happens next, so I haven't asked my son either (laughs). Once this week's broadcast is over, I'll go back to being a regular viewer and enjoy the drama with everyone again."
