It was revealed on September 27th that actress Mayu Hotta Hotta will be the new MC of the Nippon Television travel show "Google Pixel presents ANOTHER SKY" (Saturdays at 11pm). She will take over from Maika Yamamoto and will appear on the show from the October 4th broadcast.
Based on the concept of "There is an unforgettable sky," the program is a documentary that follows guests as they visit places associated with them, digging deep into their roots and outlook on life. It began airing in 2008 and has continued for many years, with the program name and broadcast time changing. It ended in September 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was revived in October 2022.
The show has two MCs, with comedian Koji Imada serving as the host since it began, and the other MC has previously been Miyao Shuntaro, Miori Takimoto Miori, Ayami Nakajo, and Alice Hirose.
Hotta won the WOWOW Drama Award at the Amuse Audition Festival in 2014 and made his acting debut the following year in 2015. He gained attention in the NHK morning drama "Warotenka" in the second half of 2017, and has since appeared in numerous dramas and films. In the 2022 taiga drama "The 13 Lords of the Shogun," he played the role of Hina, the second wife of the protagonist, Hojo Yoshitoki (played by Shun Oguri), which drew much attention. He also worked as an exclusive model for the women's fashion magazine "non-no" (Shueisha) for five years, from January 2020 to May this year.
In the October 4th broadcast, Hotta will visit her hometown of Shiga. She will reunite with her former ballet teacher, who she attended for 10 years from her childhood until she left Shiga, for the first time in nine years. She will also visit the high school she attended, where her best friend from high school will reveal some surprising details about Hotta's true nature.
◇Full comment from Mayu Hotta
--You've been selected as the MC for "Another Sky." How did you feel when you found out?
I was really surprised, like, "No way!" I had just been to Paris this spring as a guest and sat on the guest side, but if I were to accept the MC role, I would be sitting on the MC side from autumn onwards, so I was overwhelmed with surprise. I had been wanting to discover more about myself in a new field, and I thought that an opportunity like this would never come again, so there was no way I could not accept it. I also asked my family, "If there was an opportunity to work as an MC, would you want to do it?" They said, "I definitely want you to do it." If it was a job that made my family that happy, I felt even more determined to do it.
--The first MC will be Hotta's Another Sky. What are your thoughts on Shiga?
My last trip to Paris was a place where my way of thinking and approaching work changed after I started working as an actor. This time, I'm back in my hometown of Shiga, where I was born and raised, and it's where I grew up before I became an artist, so I think this episode will allow viewers to see the roots of the path I took to become an artist. It's different from when I was in Paris, more like myself, and while everything is still me, I think viewers will get to see the origins of "Mayu Hotta herself," without the title of actor. When I'm acting, I become a character, and I don't get to dig deep into myself, so I'm a little nervous about showing my true self.
--What are the highlights of the location shoot?
It's a scene from my high school. The moment I entered the classroom, I felt more emotional than I had imagined. I've always been told I'm "calm," and I'm usually someone whose mood swings are fairly stable, so I was surprised to find myself getting so emotional, sentimental, and moved. I hope that people will be able to see my relaxed, uncomplicated side, completely different from my work life, brought out by friends I've known since high school.
-How do you feel about recording with Imada-san?
I've met Imada-san a few times on shows he hosts, like Another Sky, but this will be our first time working together as a regular, so I'm looking forward to building a relationship from now on. I personally get a little nervous when I go to a different field, like a variety show, but I feel more relaxed when the show has a relaxed atmosphere, so I hope to create an atmosphere where guests can feel comfortable sharing their thoughts. With Imada-san being a veteran, I hope to be able to act as a bridge between us, feel the right balance, and gradually incorporate something myself.
--Please tell us about your enthusiasm for taking on the role of MC of the program and your message to the viewers.
Through the guests' travels, I feel I have been given a wonderful opportunity to come into contact with the charms of the places, the stories behind their visits, the language, and their way of life, and all sorts of other aspects of their lives. Even though I am the MC, I am excited and looking forward to being able to see things from the same perspective as the viewers and be taken to a world I have never been to through the guests' travels. I will do my best to contribute, however small my contribution may be, to creating a new program that is uniquely my own, while preserving the long history of Another Sky.
