Actor Mizutani Kaho is appearing in the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "Black Pean Season 2," starring Ninomiya Kazunari. Following on from the previous series that aired in 2018, she is reprising her role as nurse Miyamoto Ayumi. In this production, she said, "for just a moment," she was able to become a nurse handing out scalpels and other instruments to doctors, and revealed, "Personally, I was very happy about that." We spoke to Mizutani about the drama as it approaches its climax.
◇The role of Miyamoto Ayumi is...
"Black Pean Season 2" is a medical entertainment based on Kaido Takeru's "Blaze Scalpel 1990" and "Surijie Center 1991" (Kodansha Bunko). The sequel to the Sunday Theatre drama "Black Pean" aired in April 2018, Ninomiya plays a different character from the genius surgeon Tokai Seijiro he played in season 1, Amagi Yukihiko, a world-renowned expert on coronary artery bypass surgery and a money-grubber nicknamed "Diable (the Devil)".
Mizutani plays Miyamoto Ayumi, a nurse at the Tojo University School of Medicine Hospital, where the drama is set, and also appears in the original side story "I Want to Call It Black Pean... ~The Melancholy Daily Life of a Permanently Ordinary Medical Staff Member~".
"I get the impression that Miyamoto is a person who is pretty efficient at her job and does exactly what she's told. In the main story, there hadn't been any scenes that delved into her character, but this time, in the side story, I got to see her as a real, normal girl, so I think the role of Miyamoto has expanded for me."
Mizutani also incorporates the feelings she has had when interacting with nurses in her everyday life into her role.
"Everyone was really efficient at their work, and I had the impression that they spoke kindly but had sharp eyes, so I thought I could incorporate that into the role of Miyamoto. It wasn't just for this work, but when I interacted with nurses in my private life, I tried to pay close attention."
The drama is set in a medical setting where unfamiliar words are flying around, and she honestly said, "When I opened the script, it was all technical jargon and I was like, 'What is this?' (laughs)." On the other hand, she also made it a point to "seem familiar with setting up an IV drip or doing simple things in an emergency."
"For those scenes, I don't have time to practice in advance. There's a nurse there to teach me on set, so I have to be able to respond pretty quickly. So I concentrate on making it smooth, and it feels great when I can do it smoothly during the actual shoot."
◇Dozens of times more appealing than when I read the script
What is the atmosphere like on set as the drama approaches its climax?
"Everyone was thinking a lot about what this cut meant and how this scene would look when it was broadcast. We discussed each point as we went along, so even when we were just watching a monitor, it didn't feel like we were just doing it. I feel like we were really taking every single shot seriously."
When Mizutani was asked about his impression of Ninomiya, the star at the center of it all, he replied, "It really takes me by surprise."
"I wonder how he does it, like how he straightens up when he says the word 'Metzen.' He doesn't speak loudly or act in a way that's easy to understand, but I always get that feeling, and it's only Ninomiya. He makes the scene look dozens of times more appealing than when I read the script, and I think his persuasiveness is amazing."
Through the filming of this work, she smiled and said, "I was personally very happy to be able to become a nurse handing over scalpels to a doctor for just a moment."
"I've always been a nurse who goes around the room, not handing out instruments. But this time, for the first time, I was able to appear as an instrument handing out nurse for just a moment, and I was very happy about that. Since the last time, I've been wondering if an instrument handing out nurse would come, and my clothes are a little different, so I hope people can find me."
