Ahead of the broadcast and distribution of the serial drama W-30 "Hustlin' Boy," starring actor Mamiya Shotaro, on WOWOW from November 1st, Mamiya, who plays Kubota Tamotsu, a university student who steps into the underworld of Ikebukuro, and Ichinose Hayate, who plays Utsuro, a mysterious young man who toys with villains in the underworld, spoke about the highlights of this work, in which they co-star for the first time, and the relationship between the two.
The original work is a manga of the same name that was serialized in Weekly Big Comic Spirits (Shogakukan) in 2018 by writers and authors Kusaka Shinya and Honda Yuki. This is a new type of crime suspense that sometimes humorously and sometimes full of tension, depicting Tamotsu (Mamiya), a dull university student who steps into the underworld of Ikebukuro as a "tool shop" that deals in illegal tools, and how he survives among tricky villains such as yakuza, half-gangsters, and Chinese mafia. Utsuro (Ichinose), who suddenly appears in the underworld, stands in Tamotsu's way as his "greatest enemy."
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--This is the first time for both of you to appear in a WOWOW drama series. How did you feel when you found out you were going to be in it?
Mamiya Shotaro: WOWOW productions are edgy, and the image quality is a little darker and more cinematic, so I thought "Hustlin' Boy" matched that image perfectly. I was also looking forward to seeing how the drama would portray parts that weren't in the original work. Before filming began, I read the script and talked to him about how the drama would portray Kujo (Tamayama Tetsuji), whose background isn't revealed that much, and how the final conflict would be resolved. The character of Tamotsu was based on the original work.
Ichinose Hayate: I was simply very happy. I had never appeared in a work that dealt with the theme of the underworld before. The characters I've played so far have either been people who live everyday lives, or conversely, characters that are quite far removed from reality. For example, I've played unrealistic roles such as time-traveling or being 200 years old, but I've never played a character that exists in the real world and is far removed from myself. This is a work that realistically depicts the underworld that is often used as a subject for movies and dramas, so I was really happy to be given such a wonderful role, and I was looking forward to filming.
--What were your impressions of each character from the original work and the script?
Mamiya: Tamotsu has to pay back his student loans, but from the perspective of those around him, he is just an ordinary student. But when an unexpected situation forces him into the underworld, Tamotsu's survival instinct becomes more and more apparent as he is cornered. He's not a special person, but I was impressed by how he lives desperately while searching for a way to survive in the situation he finds himself in. Ichinose: There were a few parts I could draw from the original work, but the director said that I didn't need to be too tied to it. Utsuro, the character I play, is the enemy of Tamotsu and the others, and because of his upbringing, he was deprived of his identity at a young age, wondering "Who am I?" He is desperately searching for it himself, and while making friends to live a strong life, he has been pushing forward on the path he thinks is right and wants to change the structure of society. I wonder about his methods, and although he is an enemy and a villain, he sticks to his own sense of justice. I felt that he was a character with a strong kind of conviction.
Mamiya: Also, when I read the original work, I thought it was new that an amateur like a university student would be the one to do it, even among works that feature tool shops. Neither Tamotsu nor Kujo were originally from the underworld, so they don't want to do bad things, but they run the tool shop purely as a business. It was a kind of matter-of-fact depiction of various scenes from the underworld, such as in this kind of scene, this kind of person requests this kind of tool... and I read on with interest.
--This is your first time acting together. What were your impressions of each other after acting together?
Mamiya-san: Utsuro has a very strong character, and is somewhat two-dimensional. When we were acting together, and when I saw the finished film, I was impressed by how well you balanced Utsuro's eccentricities with the conversation-based acting. Even during filming, I felt that you were very flexible, as you were creating Utsuro's rhythm while also changing the rhythm in the conversation to match our acting. You also responded very quickly to the director's instructions.
Ichinose-san: I'm so happy! When I heard that Mamiya-san would be playing Tamotsu, I thought that it was far from my visual image of him. When I actually saw him, the glasses suited him very well, and the contrast between his exquisite timidity and when he makes up his mind and starts running, as well as his delicate side, were all expressed so accurately that I thought, "This is it!" When I watched the film, I really felt the conflict and resolve that the character Tamotsu has, so I was sure he could play any role he wanted.
He handled the unexpected words and actions of Utsuro, a character who doesn't seem to exist in reality, as if they were happening in real life. I myself played the role of Utsuro, and I'm grateful that I was able to act to the best of my ability, with Mamiya-san's help. He was even cooler than I had originally imagined him to be. The way he approached the film, the way he interacted with people, and the sense of distance. He really paid attention to the other person, and he did things so easily and with ease. I'm always the type to get flustered, so I'd like to emulate him.
--What were you looking forward to about filming?
Mamiya: The relationship between the three of us, Tamayama Tetsuji and Takehara Pistol. I've always been a big fan of Tetsuji. I told him this about myself, but when I saw the movie "Letter" that Tamayama starred in, I realized for the first time that there's more to it than just "the film is interesting" - it's also "the actors' performances are amazing." I like Pistol as an artist, and I was personally very excited to be able to build a relationship with the two of them. I felt very comfortable on set.
Ichinose: I was looking forward to everything, but especially when I was facing off against Mamiya as Utsuro, it felt like Utsuro was taking the lead. I'd never been in a position where I dominated a situation, and it was a rare opportunity to toy with Mamiya (laughs). I was also looking forward to acting as the odd couple with Goto (Gohan), who is with Utsuro, and the mysterious relationship between them.
-- One of the charms of this film is the large number of unique characters. Is there anyone in particular that you're interested in? Mamiya: As a character, it's Murata, played by Pistol. He's a recluse, and I feel a different vector of melancholy from the others. He doesn't have the weight of a gang on his shoulders, or the desire to make the team bigger, or the desire to destroy something like Utsuro, but I feel a kind of resolve, resignation, and melancholy in him, which makes him stand out amongst a bunch of bad guys.
Ichinose: My role is Kengo, played by Takeda Kohei. He's convincing, like, "There are people like this!", but I think it's a very difficult role to play. He was portrayed in a very charming way, including all his pitiable and upbeat sides, and he became my favorite character.
--Kujo, played by Tamayama Tetsuji, teaches Tamotsu how to survive in the underworld. Was there any advice he gave that was helpful or that you found insightful? Mamiya: When working at the tool shop, we're taught to use "boku" as the first person pronoun instead of "ore" and to be humble. I thought it made sense that he was deliberately trying to give the impression to others that "I'm the type of person who refers to myself as 'boku'". Tamotsu himself uses different pronouns in the play, so it was difficult acting-wise (laughs). I was always checking, "Did he say 'ore' now?"
Ichinose: The advice "Act humble, but don't let people look down on you" made an impression on me. I'm the type of person who is easily looked down upon (laughs). At work, I can't help but look at other people's faces. I have to do exactly as I'm told... I was reminded that I need to have a certain degree of self-confidence and then express my opinions.
--By the way, is there anything you'd like to ask each other now?
Mamiya: Um, what do you usually do?
Ichinose: Eh? (laughs).
Mamiya: There's still so much I don't know. You said earlier that you like Disney, but that's all the information we have about you yet (laughs).
Ichinose: I like meeting people, so I often meet up with friends on my days off, but I also want some time to myself, and there are so many things I want to do right now. Aside from acting, I'm studying Chinese and Korean. I also read a lot of self-help books. I also like singing, and I want to accompany myself, so I've been practicing the guitar, and I don't exercise either. When I'm at home, I set a timer to schedule things in 30-minute increments, so I live a pretty hectic life (laughs).
Mamiya: You're so productive!
Ichinose: Probably not very good.
Mamiya: No, I think it's good.
Ichinose: Do you feel different now than when you're with someone you're close to?
Mamiya: I don't think the basics are that different. The people I meet are more or less set, and we go back and forth between each other's houses...I'm not very productive (laughs). I just talk while watching baseball games or music shows. I also enjoy bass fishing as a hobby, and I catch the fish and then let it go (laughs). I've known my friends every week since I was about 15 or 16 years old.
Ichinose: I see. I think I end up trying this and that because I'm always wondering, "What should I do?"
Mamiya: Just like with languages, I think it's really important to study and improve.
Ichinose: Is there anything you think you need?
Mamiya: Just like with foreign languages, I don't do any physical training at all. I like reading novels and books, but I don't read business books or practical books, so I think that's no good (laughs).
Ichinose: I'm always in a hurry, so I wish I could be as calm as Mamiya (laughs).
--Finally, please give a message to the viewers who are looking forward to the show.
Ichinose: I was so hooked on this show that I binge-watched it as a viewer while I was appearing. There are a lot of characters, and you might think it takes a lot of energy to watch, but it's a cohesive work and you'll find yourself drawn in before you know it. The main character, Tamotsu, is the one I empathize with the most, but all the other characters are charming, so I think it'll be fun finding your favorite character.
Mamiya: The tempo of "Hustlin'" is so good that the 30 minutes feel like a flash, and it's the kind of work that makes you want to binge watch. I hope you enjoy it, so be sure to check out the first episode!
*...The serial drama W-30 "Hustlin' Boy" consists of eight episodes. It will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Prime, WOWOW4K, and WOWOW On Demand every Friday at 11pm from November 1st. After the first episode is broadcast and streamed, all eight episodes will be streamed on WOWOW On Demand. The first episode is free.
