The drama series "Crossroad ~A Promise of Emergency Medical Care~" (TV Asahi, Tuesdays at 9 PM), starring Mio Imada, will begin airing on July 7th. Mio Imada will make a guest appearance in the first episode, which will be an extended special. The 20-year-old, who won the Grand Prix at the 35th Junon Superboy Contest in 2022 and is now steadily building his acting career, shared his thoughts on this drama, in which he says he has discovered a "new self."
◇One of the themes of the first episode is "the justice of young people."
"Crossroads: A Promise in Emergency Medicine" is set on the front lines of emergency medical care, where every second counts. Though their professions differ—emergency physicians, paramedics, and police officers—they share a burning desire to save someone. This cross-disciplinary medical drama follows young people who, though inexperienced, strive to uphold their own sense of justice, struggling and growing as they grapple with the gap between ideals and reality.
Fujimoto believes that one of the themes of the first episode, in which he appears, is "the justice of young people."
"It seemed to me that the theme was about the youth's sense of justice, or what is right, but also about the fact that the world doesn't always go as planned, and whether justice is always the right thing to do."
Fujimoto played Yuto Majima, a character who embodies this "youthful sense of justice" and causes a certain incident.
"I believe that people who work hard are the coolest. This drama is the kind of work that evokes such passionate feelings and gives you a push forward. At the same time, it depicts the reality that simply saying what is right is not enough, but even so, it made me feel motivated once again."
◇ "In order to create emotions that are closer to the real thing"
In terms of igniting the hearts of viewers, not just young people, the role played by guest Fujimoto in the first episode is by no means insignificant.
"When I got this role, my manager told me, 'This is a really important role.' I'm a guest in the first episode, which airs at 9 PM, a time when many people watch. My character is involved in various incidents, and I felt that there was meaning in me, a 20-year-old, playing this role. When I read the script, I was really excited thinking about how I could capture the hearts of viewers as a guest in the first episode."
According to Fujimoto, in order to play Majima, who commits the crime with "an extraordinary resolve," he spent about three days before filming tracing Majima's emotions, including the internal conflict within him. This was "in order to create emotions that were as close to the real thing as possible" during the actual filming.
"When I saw my own face on the monitor screen on set, it somehow didn't look like me. Part of it was because my hair was short, but my honest feeling was that it was a 'new me' that I'd never seen before. Including my approach to the role, I was able to challenge myself with a different kind of acting than before, and I found it very rewarding. As an actor, I'm really happy to have had this kind of experience."
Feeling a sense of accomplishment, Fujimoto reiterated his hope that "it will really resonate with the younger generation."
"I can't say for sure that this is the right way to play the role, but I hope that viewers will be able to grasp at least a little bit of Majima's own sense of justice and courage, and I would be happy if my own passion comes across through the screen."
◇There are still many things I feel I am immature about.
Fujimoto says that this medical drama, which depicts social issues, is a different type of story from the school dramas she starred in in her first film, "Lovesick Ellie" (2024), and the 2025 TV series "Shugakuryokou de Nakayakunai Group ni Iruimashita" (ABC TV), in which she co-starred with Hideyoshi Kan. She says that she's had a lot of fun with this new approach to the role.
"I was really drawn to the human element, the very human aspects of the story, so I'd like to continue challenging myself with similar projects in the future."
It's been about three years since she joined her current agency and started her entertainment career. We asked her how she views her own growth as she steadily builds up her career with each project.
"When I first joined the agency, I had absolutely no idea what acting was, and there were times when I made everyone around me break out in a cold sweat. I feel like I've gradually grown since then. I received a lot of positive feedback for 'I Joined the Group I Didn't Get Along With on My School Trip.' I was really relieved to receive such a response by honestly facing the job of acting, and I think it's one of the results of these past three years. There are still many things I feel I'm immature about, and I think that continuing in this profession means constantly searching for answers throughout my life. I want to always aim higher without ever being satisfied." (Nozomi Rokujoyama/MANTANWEB)
