Actor Nanao appeared at a press conference in Tokyo recently for the TV Asahi drama series "Munou no Taka" (Fridays at 11:15pm, excluding some areas), which she stars in and will begin airing on October 11th. When the producer told her that she "cried when she imagined filming ending," Nanao nodded with a shy smile and said, "That's true," and next to her, Shiono Akihisa said, "It was when we were filming the beginning of episode 2, so I was surprised," making the audience laugh.
When asked why she was in tears, Nanao said, "During filming the other day, I was told that the script for the final episode had been completed, and when I thought about the end, I started to feel sad." She continued, "I was trying hard not to cry, but Shiono-kun immediately caught on and announced to everyone, 'You're crying!' That's when the tears subsided."
In response to Nanao's comment, Shiono said, "The tears didn't go away. I was crying. She wouldn't admit it, but (Nanao) was looking up desperately to stop the tears from spilling out of her eyes, with her eyes red." He continued, "That was quick (laughs)," and Nanao blushed and laughed, saying, "That's right."
Kudo Asuka, Sato Honami, Takahashi Katsumi, and Iura Arata also attended the press conference. At the end of the show, each cast member improvised a bird drawing session based on the name of the character they played.
Nanao said about the drama, "The staff and cast are filming with the hope of making a production that will give encouragement to those who are trying their best even though they've become bad at trying hard or feel a little suffocated. I hope that everyone will feel relieved on Friday nights. I hope that it will become a drama that can be a source of support."
Takahashi, who plays the role of sales manager Suzaku Mataichiro, also commented, "When I think of a manager, it's been a while since I played Manager Terazaki in the drama 'Shomuni.' It's been a while since we've seen a company-related drama, and this one is as interesting as ('Shomuni') or even better. I hope you'll check it out," making an appeal by comparing it to the popular drama of the past.
The drama is a live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name by Hanzaki Asami, which is currently being serialized in the women's manga magazine 'Kiss' (Kodansha). It depicts the refreshing life of Takano Tsumeko (Nanao), a shockingly incompetent new employee who looks super competent but can't make copies or even start up a computer.
