To make the NHK Taiga drama "Hikaru Kimi e" (General TV, Sunday 8pm and others) even more enjoyable, an interview with First Summer Uika, who plays the role of Kikyo (Sei Shonagon), was broadcast on the podcast "The Really Crazy Heian World - Making 'Hikaru Kimi e' Even More Interesting," produced by NHK Enterprises.
The podcast is distributed every Monday on "Audible" and "Audiobook," with historical experts having fun discussing the "crazy" and profoundness of the Heian period, further drawing out the charm of "Hikaru Kimi e."
First Summer Uika said that she was surprised to be chosen to play the role of Sei Shonagon in a work based on Murasaki Shikibu, but felt a sense of challenge. She only had a limited knowledge of Sei Shonagon that she learned in compulsory education, but as she continued to read "The Pillow Book," she gained a deeper understanding of her, and felt that her sharpness and humor were in line with her own public image. She also commented that the relationship with Empress Sadako, played by Takahata Mitsuki, was similar to that of "parent and child" or "favorite," and that she struggled to express the complex intertwining of loyalty and a sense of loss.
Comparing her to the main character Mahiro (Murasaki Shikibu, played by Yoshitaka Yuriko), Sei Shonagon was not only different in character, with Murasaki Shikibu being "yang" and Sei Shonagon being "yin," but also focused on the difference in their ways of expression as writers. She contrasted Murasaki Shikibu as "a person who spins stories softly" and Sei Shonagon as "a person who carves reality hard," and said that this difference is reflected in the work.
As the story reaches its climax, she urged viewers to keep an eye on Sei Shonagon's actions. She asked viewers to watch with anticipation toward the final episode, concluding with, "Don't hate Kikyou!".
