The first episode of the TV drama "PJ: Air Rescue Team" (TV Asahi, Thursdays 9pm), starring actor Seiyo Uchino, aired on April 24th, and the harsh training scenes became a hot topic.
◇The following contains spoilers
The drama is an original work that 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 line of defense for saving lives," as they undergo rigorous training under the strict and unconventional chief instructor, Usami (Uchino).
The trainees are played by Fuju Kamio, Anna Ishii, Kentaro Maeda, Aoto Watanabe, and "Ae! group" members Keita Kusuma Richard, Atsuhiro Inukai, and Oshiro Maeda. The film was produced with the full cooperation of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.
In the first episode, seven trainees who passed the extremely difficult selection test join the Komaki Air Base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and begin a year of hellish training under Usami. One day during a physical training session, Usami instructs the trainees to bend over with their arms stretched out behind them, and then performs the "Usami Special" by spraying them with water from a fire hose. The training is so harsh that even instructor Oyama (Hidekazu Mashima) frowns and asks, "Is it really necessary to go that far?"
Usami encourages him, saying, "You've got a bit of spirit now, haven't you?" When Sawai (Kamio), a trainee soaked in water, asks, "What does the water from the hose mean?" Usami responds with a grin, "It's the mood, the vibe." When Sawai mutters, "That's so unreasonable...", Usami, who has heard him, tells him, "Nature is even more unreasonable than me."
Viewers took to social media to comment on the harsh training scenes, with comments such as, "Wow, that's tough...", "It's tough. Too tough (in many ways)", "It's just too unfair to pour that much water on them and say, 'It's just the mood, it's for fun' lol", "It looks too tough, nature is unfair...that's true", "Watching it makes me motivated", and "I wonder if they do real training like this?"
Hattori Nobuyuki, general producer of this film, revealed that the training scenes were "almost... 90% done by the actors themselves," with comments such as "They did the training themselves... it's amazing..." and "It's amazing they did it without any stuntmen."
