Actor Kumiko Aso appeared on stage with her co-star Akihisa Shiono at a preview screening and press conference for the first episode of the drama "Mamono" (TV Asahi, Friday 11:15pm *excluding some regions), which started that evening, held in Tokyo on Akihisa Shiono 18th. The two, who took on a love scene, said, "We discussed a lot during the scenes," and also revealed about their physical training.
The drama is an original work jointly produced by TV Asahi and SLL, a major Korean production company that has produced global hits such as "Itaewon Class." This is a love suspense drama in which a solitary lawyer, Ayame Hanajin (played by Aso), falls in forbidden love with a murder suspect, Toya Minamoto (played by Akihisa Shiono).
The film deals with extreme themes relating to love and desire, including adultery, domestic violence, and sex, and employs an "intimacy coordinator" to support the filming of intimate scenes, including sexual depictions.
Aso said that having an intimacy coordinator "made it even easier to talk (with Shiono)." She continued, "She spoke to each of us beforehand, and we told her everything about what we could and couldn't do, so when it came to filming we both agreed on the level of acting we could do, so we didn't have to hold back. We could work comfortably." Shiono nodded in agreement, saying, "I think so too."
The two apparently underwent body makeup to show off their bodies in the love scenes, and Shiono said with a smile, "I also worked out because I was playing the role of a fencing coach. I gained 5-6 kilos, and my body fat percentage is about 5-6%. (The director is Korean, so) I didn't want Japanese actors to look skinny, so I worked hard!"
On the other hand, Aso said that she had lost weight, revealing, "Before this work, I played the role of a mother in a Asadora(Omusubi) and ate a lot of delicious food, so I ended up with a fairly healthy body (laughs). I knew I had to lose some weight, so I went to the gym and lost 4-5 kg."
SLL's production director Park Jun-seo and executive producer Seiko Uchiyama also attended the press conference.
