Yuki Inoue is currently appearing in the NHK morning drama "Wings on a Tiger" (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m., etc.), starring Sari Ito, as Tomokazu, the eldest son of Koichi (Masaki Okada), Torako's (Ito) new husband. We talked to Ito, who plays Torako as a mother, and Okada, who plays her father Koichi, about what it was like on the set. (Part 1 of a two-part series)
◇Offer received during the broadcast of "Wings on a Tiger": "I'm happy to be in the drama I watch every day"
Inoue was born on June 6, 1996 in Hiroshima Prefecture. In 2019, he made his first drama debut in the special effects drama "Ultraman Taiga" (TV Tokyo), and has starred in the NHK night drama "Graduation Time Limit" (2022) and the serial drama "unknown" (2023), among others. He appeared in last year's Taiga drama "What Will Ieyasu Do?" in the role of Honda Masazumi.
This was Inoue's first time appearing in a morning drama, and he said, "I was happy. It's always been my goal to appear in a morning drama and a Taiga drama. I was able to appear in a Taiga drama last year ("What Will Ieyasu Do?"), and then when it came time for a morning drama, it was decided not long after the Taiga drama."
The offer to appear in the role came while "Tora ni Wings" was already on air. "I auditioned before the broadcast started, and nothing happened at the time, but after a while they called me and I was offered the role," he said.
Regarding "Wings of the Tiger," which she had been watching as a viewer up until then, she said, "I generally look forward to watching morning dramas every season. I liked "Toto Neechan" and "Amachan." I think the subject matter this time is law, and although there are times when you hit various obstacles and feel like giving up, seeing Torako, a female judge, looking forward and moving forward really gives you the push you need. Also, not only Torako, but various dramas happen in various places, and I found myself fascinated by them, so I'm happy to be in a drama that I enjoy watching every day."
◇ Lead actress Ito Sari "stands firmly in the middle"
She said that Ito, who plays Torako, her father's new wife, "seems fine" on the set.
"I think she probably pretends to be energetic in some ways. She's a real pro. She's probably really tired. It's unfathomable to me. But she never shows any signs of tiredness, and as Torako and the leader of the troupe, she's firmly in the center, so we can relax and concentrate on the performance."
Okada, who plays the father, Koichi, also said, "From my perspective, Ito-san has a lot in common with me."
"Of course, Ito is the leader, but to me, Okada is also a senior and in terms of roles, they are like father and mother. I try to communicate with Ito in the same way. Of course, they treat me as a parent and child during the play, but when the cameras are not rolling and in the dressing room, they treat me like an older brother and sister."
Okada seems to get along well with Inoue, the "cooking guy," and says, "Okada is a gourmet and he cooks. He presented me with some really delicious rice, and I was quite drawn to it. I haven't tried it yet, but I've put it on my online wish list because I want to buy it."
The members of the Hoshi family "like alcohol," he says, "Everyone in the Hoshi family drinks alcohol. That's why we talk about alcohol. Apparently everyone drinks every day. Everyone said that the day doesn't end and the day doesn't start without drinking."
◇ Playing Tomoichi was "difficult"
Inoue's character Tomoichi was a good boy who seemed like an honor student at first, but he was a person with inner conflicts.
"I think he's a boy who is carrying a lot of things inside, so I felt it was difficult and difficult to play him. His emotions were easy to understand, so I could easily imagine him, and the lines were easy to get into."
Tomoichi, who came to the Hoshi family as a second wife, said, "At first, I was like, as long as my father is happy, it's fine, and I was like, do as you like, but Torako kept invading our territory, and new frustrations kept building up. But when it came down to it, Torako kept invading us, so Tomoichi was able to say things about his father that he hadn't been able to say before. I think Tomoichi was able to change in a way, so I think it was good."
Following his appearance in a taiga drama last year, Inoue has steadily achieved his goals with a morning drama this year, so what are his future goals?
"Next, I want to appear as a regular in a taiga drama or a morning drama. I've achieved one thing by appearing, so my next goal is to appear for the whole year, or for half a year. After that, I want to become an actor who can play the leading role in a taiga drama," he said, setting a big goal.
In the second part, he talks about working again with Matsuyama Kenichi, who played his father in "What Will Ieyasu Do?", and about the kind of actor he aspires to be.
