Ami Touma will be appearing as Ayaka Kajita, a classmate of the main character Satori (Yamada), in the NHK Saturday drama "The Path of Lila's Blooming Beasts" (General TV, Saturday 10pm, starting broadcast on February 1st), starring actress Anna Yamada. We spoke to her about the behind-the-scenes of the filming, which took place at a university in Hokkaido, and her future goals.
◇For female college students with bright hair and flashy clothes
"The Path of the Lilac Flower Blooms" is a drama adaptation of the novel of the same name by Yoko Fujioka, winner of the 45th Eiji Yoshikawa Literary Newcomer Award. Set in Hokkaido, the story depicts the growth of a former recluse girl who faces challenges in her quest to become a veterinarian. The script is written by Fumie Mizuhashi, who has also worked on the network's serial drama "Scarlet" (2019 second half).
Ayaka, played by Touma, is a classmate and roommate of the main character, Satori. She grew up in a family of doctors, but has a complex about failing to get into medical school. At first, she dislikes Satori, who is known for being "socially awkward," but eventually she recognizes his inner strength and becomes his best friend.
Regarding Ayaka, Touma revealed, "I've never played a strong role like Ayaka before, so I found it a little difficult at first. At first, I thought the role had nothing in common with me, but I empathized with the fact that behind her strength, she harbors worries and complexes. I think she's the kind of girl that you can't help but want to support."
Touma-san dyed her hair lighter to play Ayaka. Although she often wore flashy costumes in the play, she said with a laugh, "I don't usually dress like Ayaka."
"I like clothes that are easy to move in, so I usually wear simple clothes like T-shirts and jeans in the summer and hoodies in the winter. But changing my appearance with hair and makeup made it easier to get into the character's shoes, and I was able to expand on my imagination by thinking, 'If the character has this kind of makeup and hairstyle, does that mean they have this kind of personality?'"
◇ Filming at a university in Hokkaido was a "valuable experience"
Filming began in Hokkaido in October last year, with Touma shooting at a university in Ebetsu city with student extras. "We filmed at a large university with lots of animals. It was a really valuable experience to be able to act on an actual campus," Touma recalled.
"I'm currently in my third year of high school, and I thought it would be really interesting to think that university would bring together so many people with different values from all over the world and that I'd be able to make new encounters there. I actually had the opportunity to talk with the students and hear what they were studying, what they were aiming for, and why. It was a very refreshing experience and I learned a lot."
Ayaka doesn't like animals, so she doesn't have many opportunities to interact with them. However, when she saw cows and horses up close, she said with a smile, "I was worried that I might make them angry, but they had very kind eyes, were quiet, and were cute."
Touma said, "This work not only makes you think about the preciousness of animal life, but also makes you think about the need to be grateful for the lives you have been given. As Satori, Ayaka and the others interact with animals, the story depicts them finding what they want to do and working hard at it, so I hope you will also watch that."
◇Three and a half years since your debut as an actor. What are your goals for the future?
Touma was born on November 2, 2006 and is 18 years old and from Okinawa Prefecture. He made his commercial debut in 2021 and made his first TV drama appearance in 2022 in the serial drama "My Wife Became a Primary School Student" (TBS). In the same year, he attracted attention as the 14th TV commercial character for Asahi Soft Drinks' "Calpis Water". Since then, he has appeared in a series of popular works, including the 2023 Taiga drama "What Will Ieyasu Do?", "The Best Teacher One Year Later, I Was ■ by My Student" (Nippon TV), and the NHK drama "Ke no Hi no Kekeke".
Looking back on the three and a half years since his debut as an actor, he said, "I've had the opportunity to take part in so many productions and act with so many different actors, and I've learned so much.Now I'd like to make that my own and challenge myself with something new."
When asked about his future goals, he said with shining eyes, "I want to become an actor who can challenge himself to do many different things without setting limits for himself in acting. I would like to play a wide range of roles, and I would like to continue acting while taking each project seriously and having fun."
