It has been announced that Kyogen performer Izumi Motoya will be making a guest appearance in the 13th episode, "Resilience," of the popular detective drama "Aibou Season 23" (TV Asahi, Wednesdays at 9 p.m.), which will air on January 29th. Motoya has also worked as an actor, appearing in the NHK Taiga dramas "Hojo Tokimune" (2001) and "Go: Princesses of the Warring States" (2011). This will be his first appearance in "AIBO."
Izumi plays Hirai Yoichi, a former police officer who works at a children's home. Hirai supports Ayako Wada (Akamatsu Mariko), the family member whose son was murdered in an unsolved case five years ago, and supports her as she continues to call for information.
Special agents Ukyo Sugishita (Yutaka Mizutani) and Kaoru Kameyama (Yasuhito Terawaki) begin investigating the incident five years ago, after being introduced by Kaoru's wife Miwako (Sawa Suzuki). However, Hirai immediately turns himself in, claiming to be the culprit. He also confesses that he has already killed three people. Both Ayako and the Special Agents are shocked, but the Special Agents are puzzled as to why Hirai turned himself in at this time.
Regarding his appearance in "Aibou," Motoya commented, "I was happy from the bottom of my heart. Mizutani Yutaka is one of my favorite actors ever since I saw him on a drama when I was in the lower grades of elementary school, and I'm really happy to be able to work with Mizutani, who is as charming as ever...What's more, it's a historic drama that has maintained its popularity and appeal for over 20 years!"
"When Mizutani-san enters the set, he exchanges fist bumps with everyone, so when it was my turn at first, I was a bit nervous. But thanks to Terawaki-san's encouragement, I felt very comfortable on set, I was able to reach out for some delicious snacks, and I also got to take some precious photographs," he said.
Regarding the character Hirai, whom he plays, he said, "He is a very pure person with a strong sense of justice, but his purity gets him all tangled up and he ends up doing terrible things. Also, in addition to the emotions that are visible on the surface, the character always has multiple thoughts and emotions flowing through him."
Regarding his preparation for the role, he said, "I created a timeline of (Hirai's) life history and wrote down his emotions and comments from several perspectives. After I received the script, I read it over and over again every day. So much so that I even forgot to buy my favorite magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to play such a rewarding role, and I did my best to deliver a fascinating role that will be enjoyed by viewers at home."
He continued, "Thanks to Mizutani-san and the rest of the cast, the director and all the staff, we hope you will take a critical look to see how a never-before-seen Izumi Motoya can exist in the world of 'Aibō,' which has been loved by everyone for so many years."
