Rinka Kumada stars in the TBS Friday drama " DOPE " (Fridays at 10pm), co-starring King & Prince member Kaito Takahashi and actor Tomoya Nakamura . She plays Izumi Ruka, a former member of the Special Investigations Division and a direct subordinate of the "strongest" narcotics enforcement officer in the division, Hikaru Watanuki (Yuko Araki). As the drama enters its second half, we spoke to Kumada, who is taking on her first full-scale action role through her role as Izumi, whose presence has been highlighted.
◇The villainous side that wasn't in the image
The drama is based on the novel of the same name (Kadokawa Bunko) by Kizaki Chiaki, who made her debut as a novelist after winning the Grand Prize at the 20th Dengeki Novel Awards for her work "Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens." Set in a near-future Japan where a mysterious new drug called "DOPE" is rampant, the action drama follows rookie drug enforcement officer Saiki Yuto (Takahashi), who is transferred to the secretly established Special Investigation Division of the Narcotics Control Department, commonly known as the "Special Investigation Division," and his trainer, Jinnai Teppei (Nakamura), as they team up with the unique members of the Special Investigation Division to solve the mysterious cases caused by DOPE.
Izumi, played by Kumada, is a mysterious woman who appears around the members of the special investigation unit with a certain purpose, although her whereabouts after leaving the unit are unknown. She plays a villainous role, which is not what Kumada has portrayed up until now, and Kumada herself revealed, "The biggest joy for me was that I was entrusted with a role like this."
Another distinctive feature of Izumi's role is that it makes use of Kumada's trademark smile, and she reflects, "I think I was able to relax and get into the production, knowing that I didn't have to try so hard to look bad."
"When I was fitting the costume, I had a chance to talk a little with producer Hasegawa (Haruhiko), and he said, 'I want to make the character a mysterious woman that makes use of Kumada's usual smile,' so the role of Izumi came to me surprisingly easily, and it was also an opportunity for me to look at myself objectively and think about how people usually perceive me. It made me realize once again that I really do have a strong impression when I'm smiling."
◇Classical ballet experience is a plus
Regarding her first attempt at full-scale action, Kumada began practicing before filming began and seems to have become quite absorbed in it, saying with a smile, "I hope I can use this opportunity to make use of my action skills in the film."
Kumada originally "loved" watching foreign spy action movies like the "007" series, and had an "admiration for cool women" like the "Bond girls" who are an essential part of the series.
"I love things like kicking around in a dress with a slit. That's why I wanted to try my hand at action. This time, I had just told my manager that I wanted to try my hand at action, so I was really happy when I heard about the role."
Kumada has experience in classical ballet and "loves to move her body," so she says, "I also really enjoy practicing." She says that one of the reasons she became so into action dance was that her experience in classical ballet, including training her core, had a positive effect on her.
On the other hand, at first I sometimes felt that I lacked physical strength.
"There were scenes that required a lot of physical exertion. I had lines to say and action movements to do, so when I first started practicing, I felt like I might collapse on the spot. I normally go to the gym, but instead of just doing what was necessary to keep in shape, I had the gym change its menu to get a bit more in shape for fighting. After that, I started to get out of breath later and I think my stamina has improved a lot."
◇I hope to show the "new Rinka Kumada" more and more.
During filming, while feeling both the compatibility with action and the difficulty of acting, the presence of Iura Arata, who plays Jiu, the leader of the crime syndicate "Hakua," was a great support. Iura, who has a wealth of acting experience, expressed his gratitude, saying, "For every one I ask, he gives back 100. He's a great senior who is easy to be around."
"Iura-san sometimes gives me one-on-one advice on the movements in action scenes. He checks me in front of the monitor, telling me things like, 'In these situations, it's better to deliberately move slowly,' or 'On the contrary, it would be better to move faster,' and he tells me how to vary the speed and tempo, and if he notices anything that concerns me, he tells me. It's very reassuring, and I'm very grateful."
Regarding Izumi's performance in the film, Kumada said, "As we approach the final episode, my actions become more intense, so I hope to show you the new Rinka Kumada as a final sprint, so I hope you'll look forward to it."
As an actor, he firmly stated that he would like to continue doing action roles in the future.
"I don't think the public has really thought of me as someone who does action, so that's the most important thing right now. For that reason, I hope to be able to overturn the image that has existed up until now through this work, and I would be happy if many people think, 'Wow, I can do action, I can move around.'"
