Model and actor Airu Airu Kubozuka's first photo book "Airu Kubozuka 1st Photo Book Lila" (Shogakukan, A4 size, 128 pages, 3,850 yen) is a hot topic. The photo book captures the year 2024, when Kubota turns 21 from age 20, and was shot in Yokosuka, where he was born and raised, and in his hometown of Osaka. He shows his true face, which he doesn't usually show, at his alma mater and the diner he has been going to since childhood, and at hotels and beaches, he shows a different, more grown-up side to when he was a teenager. The book also includes photos of his family vacation to the Maldives taken by his father, Yosuke Kubota, and photos of the family dressing up for Halloween. We asked Kubota, who played Jigen Kenta, a student in class 3-2, in the TBS Sunday Theatre drama " Mikami Sensei " starring Tori Matsuzaka , about his thoughts now.
◇ "I wanted the photo book to show my normal, unpretentious self"
Kubozuka was born on October 3, 2003 in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture. He made his acting debut in the 2018 film "Crybaby Shottan's Miracle" (directed by Toyoda Toshiaki), and began working as an actor in earnest in 2021. In 2024, he made his first starring role in the film "Happiness" (directed by Shinohara Tetsuo). In the same year, he appeared in the film "We Don't Know Love" (directed by Sakai Mai) and the stage play "My Hole, His Hole. W".
Regarding his own photobook, Kubozuka laughed and said, "Before I heard about it, I had no concept of releasing a photobook while I was working as an actor." He continued, "Photobooks have an image of a slightly sparkly idol. I didn't think I was that sparkly, so I didn't even think about it," but then expressed his delight, saying, "When I heard about it, I was honestly very happy."
"Since I had the opportunity to publish this photo book," she said with emphasis, "I wanted to capture my true, honest, and true feelings in the book."
"It really shows me as I am, so it can't be summed up in the word photo book; it's more like a Airu Kubozuka's life so far."
Once production began, he recalls happily, "I communicated a lot of my thoughts. My opinions were properly understood, from the font to the logo, and everyone was very considerate of my thoughts. I never expected this photo book to become such an important one to me, and I'm truly filled with gratitude."
The book features photos of the couple in their own clothes, taken around Yokosuka, where they were born and raised, and Osaka, their hometown. It also includes photos of the couple on a family trip and at Halloween.
"The year 2024, when I was 20-21 years old (when the photobook was taken), felt like about three months... but it was a very intense year, a year of constant thought, and in a good way, my appearance and my inner self became completely different. My face looks slightly different depending on when the photos were taken. The Yokosuka shot is from when I didn't know about the stage yet, and in comparison I look a little younger, but when I'm wearing stage makeup and I'm in character, I look a little haggard, but it's completely different. I'm really glad that I took the photos that year."
It has been a tradition for the family to take Halloween photos every year in full cosplay, but last year's "Jujutsu Kaisen" cosplay was also used for the photo book, so they were pleased that "the quality was high."
"My mother was happier than my father. I don't talk to my father much because I feel embarrassed, but judging from his expression, I could tell that he probably cares about me too," he said.
◇ Won the role of Jigen in "Mikami Sensei " through his first audition
In the Sunday Theatre drama " Mikami Sensei " (TBS, Sunday 9pm) starring Tori Matsuzaka , Kubota plays Jigen Kenta, a student in class 2, 3, who is taught by Mikami (Matsuzaka). When he was chosen to appear, he looked back with joy, saying, "It was my first time winning the role in an audition, so I was so happy I could pump my fist in the air."
At the audition, he performed the lines of Kanzaki, played by Daiken Okudaira, and Jigen, played by himself. After reading the script, Kubota said, "I felt like I wasn't the right Kanzaki," and revealed, "I was more into Jigen."
Jigen is a beloved computer geek. His hobby is programming, and he created a "Lupin AI" based on his nickname "Jigen", and filled his room with "Lupin the Third" goods.
"(At the audition) I intuitively thought of the role of Jigen and approached it with the atmosphere that he actually plays in the drama. When I did that, the producer said to me, 'That character is good,' and 'We'll create (the character of Jigen) in that style.' I was really happy that the character I played in the audition became the role as it was, or rather, became the foundation (of the role)."
There were many scenes where she interacted with Kanzaki, played by Okudaira, and Tominaga, played by Aju Makita, and she honestly confessed her feelings about Okudaira, saying, "I feel a little jealous, but I admire him."
"I didn't have many scenes with Okuhira-kun in my previous work, so I was really looking forward to seeing what kind of acting he would do. I also worked with Makida-san in the movie "Happiness," and at that time we didn't communicate much on set apart from our lines. Both of us have strong images of the roles we played together in the past, so I was really looking forward to seeing what kind of acting we would get from them in "Mikami Sensei," now that we're in the same class. Other than those two, I also play a character who balances things out with the people around me, so it was really interesting to see the acting of the various classmates."
Finally, what does the role of Jigen in "Mikami Sensei" mean to you, Mr. Kubozuka?
"' Mikami Sensei' is a work that will be engraved in the hearts of people for a long time, and it is the first role I have won through an audition, so it is a 'critical moment' for me, and a role that makes me want to continue evolving without compromising," he said, appearing to have marked a turning point for the actor.
