TVer's original mini-drama "Otchan Kitchen," starring actor Kitamura Kazuki, began streaming on September 6th (a total of 12 episodes, with new episodes released every Friday). This is the first in a joint content production project between KDDI and TVer, and is a new attempt to stream stories from different perspectives for free, with horizontal videos on TVer and vertical videos on TVer's official SNS. We spoke to the star, Kitamura.
◇ "It's fun and refreshing to film with a variety production team"
This work depicts the young people who talk about their troubles while eating rice bowl gourmet food served to them at the restaurant run by "Otchan," played by Kitamura, with the catchphrase "Omachi Don-sama," and the taciturn restaurant owner who aims to update himself through fumbling communication with the young people.
When Kitamura received the offer, he said, "I thought it would be interesting, and as times are changing, I also wanted to try a new genre and new things, so I really wanted to participate." "I was especially interested in the fact that this mini-drama was produced by a team that usually produces variety shows. When we actually started filming, the way of thinking and proceeding with variety show production was different from that of film and drama sets, which made it fun and fresh, and I really like being able to do it in a trial-and-error state, so I'm enjoying it," he said.
On the appeal of the "old man" he plays, he said, "The old man is silent. I did that in Neko Zamurai (a 2013 drama), but (acting a silent character) is not that easy. He listens to the young man's story, and is distracted by the girl who doesn't say a word, but he gets closer to the character one step at a time. I was hoping that the story would get a little more interesting in the final episode and betray everyone," he said with a smile.
◇ "I want to lose about 5 more kilos" - does he avoid rice bowls as much as possible?
When one thinks of gourmet dramas about silent middle-aged men, "Midnight Diner" and "Solitary Gourmet" spring to mind, but when asked if he is conscious of them, he says, "No, I don't. Rather, I don't want to overlap too much with my past works." "My role is like a catcher in a baseball battery, and I simply accept the complaints and opinions that different customers throw at me every time. So if I had to say my rival, I'd say it's "Dokaben,"" he laughs.
When asked about cooking, he says, "I haven't done it recently," but proudly adds, "I make anything. I don't hate it. I can probably make all genres."
"I love it, and I've always been in charge of making lunch boxes for my children. I'm the type who puts all the ingredients in a Tupperware and separates them so they can be made quickly. I don't like to spend a lot of time, so there are many things I can make within five minutes when I want to eat them."
The "old man" serves rice bowls, but he reveals, "Actually, I try not to eat rice bowls as much as possible (laughs). Right now, I'm trying to look cool and lose about five more kilos, so I'm doing my best to avoid carbohydrates as much as possible."
◇The "true feelings" of young people are depicted
Regarding the new way of presenting the show in both horizontal and vertical formats, he said, "I'm the type of person who gets hooked on overseas vertical dramas and thinks, 'Should I pay for it?' (laughs). I get hooked right away, and I hope this show will make people want to watch the next episode right away." He continued, "As an actor, I can try out a variety of different acting styles, so if there had been a show like this when I was younger, it would have been fun. I think the show has to be interesting in the end, but I also want young actors to have fun doing it."
Finally, regarding the work, he said, "I think it's a work that depicts the 'true feelings' of young people. I don't want to deny anything, but in this age where freedom of speech seems to exist but doesn't, and where it feels difficult to live, I think young people are the ones who want to speak the most. That's why I think the words of young people are very important, and while there may be mistakes, is the 'correct answer' the only good thing in the first place? I think there is momentum, and things that make you think, so I would like to bring out those words. I think it will be a mini-drama that shows 'the true feelings of the current era,' so I would like people who want to know what young people are really thinking to watch it."
