Akari Takaishi plays the heroine in the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake" (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times). In the 107th episode (broadcast on March 3rd), musician and TV personality DAIGO appeared in the role of the quack doctor Yabui. His appearance was suddenly announced just one hour before the broadcast, making it essentially a surprise appearance. We spoke to Hashizume Kuniomi, the production manager for this series, about how DAIGO's appearance was decided and what went on behind the scenes of filming.
◇How did you come to appear in this film?
In episode 107, Toki (played by Takaishi) loses her appetite and collapses due to poor health. Shortly after, Yabui, a quack doctor, comes to see Toki. After the examination, Yabui says, "You're just anemic," and "For now, I'd like you to rest and eat nutritious foods," before leaving.
DAIGO plays Yabui, a kind-hearted local doctor who is called a quack by the Snake and Frog (Asagaya Sisters).
The character's name, Yabui, is based on the word "quack doctor," and was chosen as a playful choice by screenwriter Fujiki Mitsuhiko.
Hashizume laughs and says, "At first, my name was Yabuta, but then I realized that if I changed it to Yabui, it would carry the "yabui" part of the name, which means quack doctor, so I changed it to Yabui. It's nothing more or less than a pun. There's nothing deeper to it."
When asked how DAIGO ended up appearing in the film, he revealed, "I wasn't told directly, but I vaguely heard rumors that DAIGO really wanted to appear in ' Bakebake'." He continued, "If that was the case, I really wanted him to play a good role. I offered him the role, and things progressed smoothly towards him appearing."
With his wife Keiko Kitagawa appearing in the show as Ushimizu Tae, DAIGO apparently enjoyed watching "Bakebake" every morning. Regarding Kitagawa's reaction to DAIGO's appearance, he recalled, "When we met during the filming of ' Bakebake', she thanked me."
◇ "He was perfect for the role of a quack doctor"
The role of Yabui was not created specifically for DAIGO, but was a character that was originally planned to appear. Hashizume revealed, "After discussing it with the production team, we decided that this role would be a perfect fit for DAIGO, so we asked him to take on the role."
"Thankfully, I've heard rumors of other actors besides DAIGO wanting to appear in ' Bakebake,' but not all of them come true, and this time, there happened to be a role that was a perfect fit for DAIGO, so I offered it to him."
Regarding DAIGO's behavior on set, he recalled, "Even though he's such a big star, he behaved like a fan, taking photos with all the performers, chatting, and having fun, saying things like, 'Amazing!'" He praised DAIGO's personality, saying, "The DAIGO we see on TV was there, brightening up the set."
"During the dry run (rehearsal without cameras), we put on our costumes and entered the set, but as a playful gesture by the costume designer, DAIGO wore gloves with open fingers. Of course, he took them off during the actual shoot, but he lightened the mood by jokingly asking, 'Are you really going to wear these?' Perhaps the gloves helped, as he seemed very relaxed and everyone was in a good mood, doing the 'wish' pose and taking commemorative photos."
DAIGO only had one scene, so filming was completed in one day. Regarding DAIGO's performance, which left an impact despite his short appearance time, Hashizume gave his stamp of approval, saying, "The important thing about that scene is the humor of being a quack doctor, and the scene itself doesn't have any great meaning, but it does serve as a palate cleanser in the story and also has the meaning of warming the viewers' hearts. Thanks to DAIGO, it became an interesting scene, and he really does look like a quack doctor (laughs). I think he was perfect for the role."
DAIGO's unexpected appearance livened up the story. There is only one month left until the broadcast of "Bakebake". What developments await us from now on, and will there be any new surprises...? I want to watch until the very end.
