In the NHK morning drama "Omusubi" (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 a.m., etc.) starring Kanna Hashimoto, which will air in the second half of 2024, Araki Sugo plays Koga Yota, a childhood friend and high school classmate of the protagonist Yui (Hashimoto). Sugo talked about his first appearance in a morning drama and behind-the-scenes stories from the location shoot in Itoshima, Fukuoka.
◇Surprised by the amount of script he had "never seen before"
Suga is the younger brother of actor Masaki Suda, and is 25 years old, born on August 26, 1999. He began his acting and modeling career in earnest in 2022, appearing in the drama series "Gekokujo Kyuji" (TBS) which aired last year and "Densetsu no Atama Sho" (TV Asahi) which aired in July this year. "Omusubi" will be his first appearance in a morning drama.
When Sugo was confirmed to appear in "Omusubi," she said, "It was the first time I'd ever experienced the feeling that 'this is what it means to be speechless.' I was called into the office that day, and in a room I don't usually go to, they handed me the script. I'd never seen such a long script before, so I was like, 'What is this?' (laughs). When they told me it was for a morning drama, I didn't understand, and rather than feeling happy, I felt more like, 'Really?'" she recalled.
She continued, "NHK's morning drama and taiga drama were some of the shows I wanted to appear in. My mother and my family used to watch them all the time when I was in elementary and middle school, so they were always on when I woke up in the morning, and they were a very natural part of my life, a part of my daily life. I wanted to be a part of everyone's daily lives, so I'm really happy to think that I'm now in the world of morning dramas." She added, "I really want everyone to love the character of 'Koga Yota' that I play, and I want the drama itself to be remembered by those who watched the morning drama." ◇ Yota "can't read the mood" but his feelings for the heroine are "straightforward"
When playing Yota, he said, "I imagined what I would think of as a childhood friend and thought, 'he's a nice guy' and 'I'm happy for him,' and thought about what I could bring out as the best part of Yota." He continued, "Yota can't read the mood in a good or bad way, but he's always there for her when it's important and he'll call out to her. I think he's become a part of Yui's family. I'm most conscious of that closeness when I'm playing the role."
He added, "Yota has feelings for Yui, so there are many scenes where new people appear around Yui and shake him up. I think he's a character who clearly shows his feelings of love in a straightforward way, so I think that's the point where people find Yota cute."
◇The people of Itoshima, Fukuoka are "closer than the people of Kansai"
While filming in Itoshima, Fukuoka, he spent his free time interacting with the locals who were working as extras, and "before I knew it, I felt really comfortable there," he recalls.
"The next day after we spoke, they brought their children, and the number of people gradually increased. I'm from Kansai, but the people here were closer to me than the people from Kansai, and they were all more friendly. They brought the vegetables and fish they grew, and a fisherman who actually owned a boat said, 'Come on over to my boat anytime,' and we became like relatives. I was able to feel that this is really how Yota, who grew up in the nature of Itoshima and has a bright personality, really spends his time."
"In my private time, I rode in a tuk-tuk with Matsumoto Reo. Matsumoto and I had met many times because we worked together on the previous film ('Gekokujou Kuji'), and we were one year younger than him, so there wasn't much difference, and our rooms were close, so we ate meals together every day after filming." He said that he got along well with Matsumoto Reo, who plays Kazami-senpai, whom Yui admires.
Finally, when asked about the highlights of the series, she said, "I think that the historical background and setting make this a morning drama unlike any other before. Many of the characters that appear are young, and in the first episode about Fukuoka and Itoshima, there is a family, and the rest are all teenage high school students." She added, "There is a fresher feel this time, and I think that is the strength of Omusubi."
She went on to say, "Everyone is energetic and unsettled in a good way, and I think it's a morning drama where you really don't know what's going to happen, so I hope you will enjoy that freshness as well. I think this drama will brighten up your 15 minutes in the morning and help you get your day started on a good note, so be sure to watch it."
