Actor Kokoro Terada plays Tayasu Kenmaru in the taiga drama " UNBOUND (Berabou) " (NHK General TV, Sundays at 8pm and others), starring Yokohama Ryusei. This is Terada's first Ryusei Yokohama drama appearance in eight years since " Naotora: The Lady Warlord" in 2017, and he embodies the young figure of Matsudaira Sadanobu, the seventh son of the Tayasu Tokugawa family, one of the "Gosankyo" (three branches of the Tokugawa clan), who later carried out the "Kansei Reforms." We spoke to Fukagawa Takashi, the director of the fourth episode and others, about Terada's appeal as an actor.
◇ He also had feelings of revenge, saying to Jisei, "You should be ashamed of yourself!" and "Just wait and see, Tanuma..."
Tayasu Kenmaru, played by Terada, was intelligent from an early age, and because his older brothers were physically weak, he was seen as the successor to the Tayasu family and the 10th Shogun, Ieharu, at a young age. He was adopted into the Mutsu Shirakawa Domain and moved away from the center of the Shogunate, but after the downfall of Tanuma Okitsugu, he became a senior councilor at the order of the 11th Shogun, Ienari, and carried out the Kansei Reforms. During the Kansei Reforms, he cracked down on public morals and imposed severe punishment on Tsutaya Juzaburo...
He first appeared in the second episode. At a banquet celebrating the birth of Toyochiyo, the eldest son of Harumori Hitotsubashi (Toma Ikuta), Harumori plays the role of a puppeteer, while Tanuma Okitsugu(Ken Watanabe) plays the role of a stagehand, livening up the atmosphere. Harumori is praised by those around him and is pleased, saying, "I might as well become a puppeteer." However, Kenmaru criticizes him in a strong tone, saying, "You should be ashamed! You are of the blood of Lord Yoshimune, and you want to become a puppeteer? Lord Hitotsubashi, you know nothing of the blood that flows in you. A samurai should devote himself to learning and martial arts. Don't you think there are things we should do before indulging in entertainment?"
After that, Kenmaru's older brother, the head of the Tayasu family, Jisatsu (played by Irie Jinji), suddenly dies. In order to protect his family, Kenmaru tries to refuse the offer to be adopted by the Shirakawa Matsudaira family, but due to a scheme by Okinobu, he is unable to return to the Tayasu family...
In the fourth episode, Kenmaru is surprised to learn for the first time of the existence of a document written by Yoshimune stating that the family line will be abolished if there is no successor. This document itself was fabricated by Okinosuke, who wanted to destroy the Tayasu family, with the help of Hiraga Gennai (Ken Yasuda Ken), but Kenmaru, who worships Yoshimune, cannot ignore it, and things go according to Okinosuke's wishes.
Kenmaru bites his lip and, as Okinobu leaves the scene, explodes in anger, saying, "Why should I be mocked to this extent by a former foot soldier?" He swears revenge, saying, "Just wait and see, Tanuma..."
◇ Proved by his role as Kenmaru, he is now "a rare presence who can express subtlety"
Fukagawa also participated in "Naotora: The Lady Warlord," in which Terada appeared when she was eight years old. "At that time, I also held 'Kokoro-kun' in my arms," he reminisces.
What Fukagawa felt from his role as Kenmaru in "UNBOUND" was that he had grown more than just physically.
"I think he was often told he was 'cute' at the time, but I feel that he has become an actor who can express such delicateness. Kenmaru was said to have been sickly as a child, and since he had an older brother, I think it was his older brother who drew the attention of those around him. However, even among them, he kept his nails sharp and was a fine young man both in the arts and in sports. I think he really embodies that Kenmaru."
Up until this point, Kenmaru has been portrayed as someone who is simply "because of his youth," but Fukagawa was also impressed, saying, "Terada's performance really does a good job of expressing his background and instability, being sent as an adopted son to the Shirakawa Matsudaira family, and not being the top member of the Tayasu family."
"I think he has the flexibility of a branch, not the trunk, and although I'm not sure how conscious he is of this, I thought he did a very good job of portraying the young Kenmaru, who isn't stiff and rigid, but bends and flexes in the wind. He hates Tanuma, but he's still weak and lonely, and you can see the conflict in his desire to stand up to him. I thought the way he wavered when he was shown the forged document was wonderful, and I think he's a rare character who can express such sensitivity."
