The NHK Asadora drama series "Bakebake ," starring Akari Takaishi , aired its final episode on March 27th (NHK General, Monday-Saturday, 8:00 AM, etc.), bringing the six-month story to a close. We spoke with production supervisor Kuniomi Hashizume about the message the show wanted to convey to viewers.
In the final episode, Toki (Takaishi) recounts her memories of Heaven (Tommy Basto) to Jo (Sugita Rairin), watched over by Tsukasanosuke(Takashi Okabe Takashi) and Fumi (Chizuru Ikewaki Tommy Bastow). The words Toki speaks then become a book called "A Record of Memories"... and that's how the story unfolds.
Hashizume frankly revealed his feelings, admitting that he wasn't entirely without anxiety, saying, "The major format of Asadora has been stories about people who are struggling but overcome their problems and accomplish something. There's an expectation that they solve things on their own...and I wondered how well a story like this, where nothing happens, would be received."
"Toki doesn't change at all from beginning to end. She herself doesn't change, but her surroundings do. She happens to end up with Heaven and becomes rich. She herself doesn't change at all from beginning to end, and while I wondered how well a protagonist like this would be received, this drama was the first thing that made me want to express that kind of perspective."
"We received feedback such as requests for more ghost stories and questions about how we should view these two characters. But more than that, we received comments saying that the relationship between these two is wonderful. I'm truly glad that so many people watched it and that the story we were trying to tell resonated with them," he reflected.
Regarding Mitsuhiko Fujiki, who wrote the script, he expressed his gratitude, saying, "I think it reflects Mr. Fujiki's gentle perspective and his own personality. The message that it's okay to live happily and enjoyably in the present, rather than blindly pushing forward, is also very typical of Mr. Fujiki. I think the work really reflects Mr. Fujiki's character."
"I think Fujiki's characters and story remained consistent until the very end. There were hardly any instances during meetings where we'd say things like, 'The character's changed, hasn't it?' or 'Would this character really say something like that in this situation?' I think that consistency in Fujiki's work, and how the characters continued to speak so naturally, is what makes Fujiki so amazing," he said, once again praising the brilliance of Fujiki's script.
