FANTASTICS Natsuki Hori:"Is it me?" in the role of a high spec handsome man　Co-starring with Momoko Tanabe for the first time in 4 years, including a love scene　TELASA drama "Kimi wa Mendou na Konyakusha"

The drama "Kimi wa Mendou na Konyakusha" currently streaming on the video streaming service "TELASA" is a hot topic. It is a live-action adaptation of the popular novel and manga (Hakusensha) by Midori Shiino and Monaka Usayama, and depicts the frustrating office love (= love that makes you feel excited) of a couple, a high-spec elite employee and the daughter of a company president, who are constantly at odds with each other. We spoke to Natsuki Hori of the dance and vocal group "FANTASTICS" and actress Momoko Tanabe, who are the co-stars, about behind-the-scenes stories and highlights of the film.

The drama is set in the long-established Western confectionery manufacturer "Kajiya Foods". The heroine, Kajiya Shino (Tanabe), is the daughter of a company president but also works in the public relations department. She is engaged to Tachibana Hajime (Hori), an ace in the sales department, who was arranged by her father as a political marriage. Even though it has been three years since their engagement, Tachibana makes no attempt to advance his relationship with Shino. Meanwhile, seeing Tachibana getting along well with a junior colleague who she has been assigned to supervise, Shino feels a sense of foreboding she has never felt before. "Diamond Edition" (6 episodes in total) is being streamed sequentially on TELASA. TV Asahi will broadcast a special edited version of "Diamond Edition" from 1:30 a.m. on March 28th, along with "Platinum Edition", which includes behind-the-scenes footage and cast comments.

◇ Momoko Tanabe is "just like in manga"

-The two of you co-starred in the drama "Yankee-kun to Hakujou Gyaru" (Nippon TV, 2021) four years ago. How was it working together again?

Hori: The production we co-starred in four years ago was my first time appearing on terrestrial television, so I'm happy and encouraged to be working with Tanabe again in this co-starring role.

Tanabe-san: I was very relieved to see that she still has the same gentle and soft impression as she did back then!

Hori-san: At that time, I really didn't know what to do and was nervous about interacting with anyone, but this time I was able to talk about a lot of things.

Tanabe: That's why we didn't have many scenes together (in the previous film), so we didn't have many opportunities to talk. I feel like we've become closer this time (laughs).

Hori-san: It's a completely different story (laughs)!

--Tachibana Hajime, the character you play, is a cool, elite person who is highly respected within the company. How did you feel when you heard about the role?

Hori-san: I'm in a group called FANTASTICS, which has handsome guys and members with unique personalities, and some of the members have played high spec handsome guys before, but I've often played "slightly unusual characters" up until now. When I heard about this role, I was surprised and thought "It's me!" and wondered how I should approach it, but I decided to act naturally because I tend to get tense if I get nervous.

Tanabe-san: It was very natural. (In a good way) It looked like there was no effort put into it.

Hori-san: If I think about too many things, I end up becoming rigid, so I tried to be conscious of not making too many rules.

-What is your impression of Shino, played by Tanabe-san?

Hori-san: She's just like in the manga. Shino-san seemed to have come out of the manga. Her emotions are intense... There was a line where she said, "I don't really understand women's hearts," but she was able to express different emotions in a way that was really amazing.

Tanabe-san: I'm so happy...!

◇ "I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be about the love scenes"

--One of the highlights will be the contrasting interactions between the innocent Shino and the cool Tachibana.

Tanabe-san: That's true. But you must have had similar thoughts in your mind, too, right? (laughs)

Hori-san: Quite a bit (laughs). As the story progresses, it becomes clear that Tachibana's imperfect side comes out, which I think is also interesting. It's unsettling to see the two of them being so mismatched, as it turns out that he was actually panicking inside.

Tanabe-san: In the TV drama version (Platinum version on the 28th), I think you'll enjoy checking the answers to see what each character's point of view was like!

--There are love scenes in the film, so did you feel nervous during filming?

Hori-san: When I finished, I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be. I had filmed other scenes before that, and I was able to communicate well with (Tanabe-san), so I think I was able to approach it without feeling strangely nervous.

--Please tell us what the highlights of this work are.

Hori-san: There are no bad people in this story. I think it's interesting, but also a little awkward, to see how people with honest thoughts are gradually misunderstood because of their purity. It's a work that will keep you excited and entertained, wondering what will happen next.

Tanabe-san: We really value the original work, and we've used every single wonderful word so much that it feels like we've adapted almost all of the original into a drama. It's a work that will give you a heart-warming and touching experience!