On April 24th, popular group "Ae! group" member Richard Keita Kusama attended a cast event for the drama series "PJ ~Kokuu Renkyuudan~" (TV Asahi, Thursdays 9pm), which started that night, held in Tokyo, along with lead actor Seiyo Uchino. He revealed that although he was originally a terrible swimmer, he is currently taking on a swimming scene in the pool in this production.
The drama depicts trainees aiming to become pararescue jumpers (PJs) for the Air Self-Defense Force's Air Rescue Wing, an elite rescue unit known as the "last line of defense for saving lives." Kusama plays Randy Nishitani, a kind-hearted trainee who dislikes conflict and notices strange behavior in his teammates.
Kusama said that she underwent rigorous training even before filming began. "The training I experienced during the preparation period was really tough.... We had training from 8pm after the script reading, and we received "physical exercises" from a real (SDF) instructor, which really strengthened everyone's spirit," she said. Uchino, who played the instructor, praised her, saying, "It's strange, but the more Randy is pushed into a corner, the better his expression becomes. I felt that he had a good expression."
When asked about the training in the pool, Kusama said, "To begin with, I couldn't swim at all. I refused to get into the water even during location shoots (for variety shows)...First I had to get used to the water and be able to float, and then I had to be able to dive. To go in the water, I had to do it both with and without a wetsuit, so it was really tough. I was only able to do it because everyone (the trainee cast) helped me."
The drama depicts trainees aiming to become pararescue jumpers (PJs) of the Air Rescue Wing of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, an elite rescue unit known as the "last stronghold for saving lives," as they undergo rigorous training under the strict and unconventional head instructor, Seiji Usami (Uchino). The series will be produced and broadcast with the full cooperation of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
