It has been revealed that Taiki Sato of the dance and vocal group "EXILE/FANTASTICS" will appear in the movie " Kimi ga Tokubetsu " (directed by Ayato Matsuda, to be released on June 20th), co-starring with actress Mei Hata and Kazuya Ohashi of the popular group "Naniwa Danshi". He will play SHO, a member of the popular band "Lost in Rock" and a rival of Kota Kirigaya, played by Ohashi.
" Kimi ga Tokubetsu" is the latest work by Momoko Koda, who is known for works such as "Heroine Shikkaku", "Sensei Kunshu" and "Atashi no!", and was serialized from 2019 to January this year. It is a love story depicting the romance between Wakaume Sahoko (Hata), a dark-haired, glasses-wearing "gloomy girl" who hates handsome men due to past trauma, and Kirigaya Kouta (Ohashi), the leader of a well-known national idol group.
The appearance of actress Nako Yabuki was also announced. Yabuki will play the popular young actress Nanase Emika, who is close to Kota and the other Likere members. She is a popular character in the original work who becomes a rival in love with Sahoko, but eventually becomes closer to her after a certain incident.
◇Comment from Taiki Sato
--What were your thoughts when you were offered the role in "Kimi ga Tokubetsu"?
This is my second time reading a work by Koda-sensei. I was very happy because I've been reading "Kimi ga Tokubetsu" since it first began publication!
--What was it like playing SHO in "Lost in Rock"?
I was allowed to act freely! lol I did my best to act based on the image of SHO that I had in my mind! I was happy that I was able to spend a lot of time talking with the director and carefully filming each and every scene. I'm really looking forward to the finished product!
--For those who are looking forward to the film
The filming site was really fun, bright, and sparkling! I think this is definitely an interesting work! Especially the main actor Ohashi-kun! I think his personality and behavior as the leader of the troupe are wonderful! Personally, I'm looking forward to the singing scene of Keito, who plays Kana Sho, a member of the same group! Everyone, please go to the theater!
◇Comment from Nako Yabuki
--What were your thoughts when you were offered the role in "Kimi ga Tokubetsu"?
When I was in high school, I saw Sensei Kunshu at the cinema and I thought that I wanted to be in a romantic comedy like that someday, so when I heard about the role in Momoko Koda's work, I was very surprised and happy. When I read the original work, I laughed a lot and it made my heart flutter, and I fell in love with Nanase Emika-chan, who has a huge gap between her acting and her normal self, because she's so cute, so I'm very honored to be able to play Nanase Emika-chan.
--Try playing the role of Emika
It was fun to think about how to play the various Emika characters, whose emotions and expressions change all the time and who are different depending on who they are with, while reading the script, and thanks to the encouraging cast and staff, I was able to act happily. In any case, she is a cute and lovable character, so I studied the perfect expressions to make her look cute even when she makes funny faces!
--Message to those who are looking forward to the film
There are some funny scenes with the range of expressions on everyone's faces, and it's full of heart-fluttering moments that will allow you to empathize with the various characters, making it a film that you can enjoy no matter how many times you watch it, so I hope you will enjoy it at the theater!
