The 17th episode of the NHK Asadora drama "Anpan " (General TV, Monday to Saturday at 8:00 AM and others), starring Mio Imada , was broadcast on April 22nd, and viewers were drawn to the delicate acting of Takumi Kitamura , who plays Takashi Yanai Takumi.
In the previous episode 16, Takashi overhears a conversation between Hiroshi ( Yutaka Takenouchi) and Chihiro (Motoki Nakazawa). When Chihiro says that she wants to become a lawyer instead of a doctor, Hiroshi asks, "Maybe you gave up on becoming a doctor because of Takashi? If Takashi becomes the successor, he will be treated well as the eldest son in this family. That's what you thought, isn't it?"
In episode 17, when Nobu (Imada) comes to the Yanai house to study, he can't find Takashi. While walking along the railroad tracks, Takashi remembers the conversation he heard last night between Hiroshi and Chihiro. He suddenly stops, puts his ear to the railroad tracks, closes his eyes and listens to the sound of an approaching train. When "Yam-on-chan" Kusakichi (Sadao Abe), who happens to be passing by, saves Takashi who refuses to move even as the train approaches, Takashi explodes with emotion, saying, "I'm so pathetic! I don't want to do this anymore! I don't want to do this anymore! Waaaah!"
Afterwards, Taka tells Yamu-chan about his childhood memories with Chihiro. Taka says, "I always thought that I had to protect Chihiro," to which Yamu-chan responds, "I guess our positions have been reversed." Taka nods and adds, "Like a seesaw."
Later, when Takashi returns home, Chihiro scolds him, and the two get into a physical fight. In front of her mother Tomiko (Nanako Matsushima), Chihiro tells her, "What's wrong with you, brother? You do whatever your mother tells you to do." "All he wants is to make his son a doctor and make a place for himself!"
Taku was furious and instinctively hit Chihiro, then he raised his voice and said, "What about you? Ever since you were brought here, you've been constantly watching your uncle and aunt's moods and becoming an honor student. You've done well! Even between brothers, it's like comparing moon and turtles. Deep down, you're probably wishing that your big brother would disappear!"
Kitamura's performance, which conveys the feelings of Taku, who is plagued by inferiority complex and has become desperate, has received rave reviews on social media, such as "We were treated to a wonderful performance this morning," "Takumi Kitamura really shines in a human role," "Takumi Kitamura was great as the 'boy with a complicated inferiority complex,'" "I was impressed by his eyes, which were filled with a variety of mixed emotions," "I think his acting, which expresses complex feelings, is truly one of a kind," and "He gives this drama a sense of realism."
