"Munou no Taka" will start on October 11th in the TV Asahi "Friday Night Drama" slot (Fridays at 11:15pm, excluding some regions). Shiono Akihisa plays Hiwada Michito, a weak-willed office worker who is a colleague of the main character Takano Tsumeko (Nanao), and Iura Arata plays Hatoyama Itsuki, their superior and Takano's mentor. The two, who are working together again after their NHK Taiga drama "Hikaru Kimi e" (General), talked about their roles and about episodes in which they felt a gap between their images and those of others in relation to the work.
◇Last time they worked together behind a blind, but this time they made eye contact and said, "It's so refreshing!"
The drama is a live-action adaptation of the manga of the same name by Hanzaki Asami (Kodansha), starring Nanao. This is a "super laid-back work comedy" that depicts the refreshing way of life of Takano (Nanao), a shockingly incompetent new employee who looks super competent but can't even make copies or start up a computer. It is produced by producer Sari Kijima, known for the "Ossan's Love" series (2016-24) and "On a Starry Night" (2023).
--In "To You, I Hikaru Kimi e," you co-starred as Emperor Ichijo and Fujiwara Michitaka. Do you have any memorable memories with Iura, Shiono?
Shiono: On the first day I entered the set of "To You, I Hikaru Kimi e," it was Arata who spoke to me first. He had played the role of the emperor (in the past), and I remember him teaching me manners and other things. On set, the actors were each preparing for filming, so I thought it would be difficult for me to speak to them and give them advice... I am very grateful to Arata, and I was happy.
Iura: (laughing shyly) It's embarrassing. Regardless of whether we are seniors or juniors, we have met and are doing the same job, so rather than teaching each other, it felt more like "let's share what's good." I am also inspired by how he delivers those lines, and I feel like a "meddlesome old man" who just enjoys interacting with other people (laughs).
Shiono: I wonder if I could be that kind of "meddlesome" if I were in Arata's position. I think people who can are amazing.
Iura: Thank you. But the last time we worked together, we were always acting through a blind, and we never made eye contact. We had only exchanged words, but (in this work) I felt things like, "Shiono-kun has perfected this role with this kind of expression," and "He looks like this when he's saying those lines," and it was really refreshing! It's fun to finally be able to exchange eyes.
--Please tell us about each of your roles in this work.
Shiono: Hibiki has a frail air about him, and when he gets nervous, gets attention, or feels stressed, he gets stomach aches. When he gets home, he starts frying croquettes while browsing social media for some reason (laughs). He has a weak heart, but he also has his share of stubbornness, so I think he's a role that people can see as he is. I'm playing him in a position like the "storyteller" of the work.
Iura: Just as doves are symbols of peace, Hatoyama is like a tree with roots in the earth and standing firm, and like makgeolli, he's a man who can make you feel tipsy. He's a person with a natural kindness without any cunning, and I hope to understand what lies beyond that kindness by the end of the film.
-- Hibiki gets stomach aches from nervousness, but how do you deal with it, Shiono?
Shiono: I think it's important to have the feeling that "this isn't nervous, I'm having fun" or "I'm excited." And then there's the issue of image, but when I get nervous my consciousness goes down to my chest and I get this tingling sensation around here (between my chest and stomach). I try my best to lower that feeling. I try to be very conscious of making sure my feet are on the ground.
－－Thank you! You said that Hatoyama is an overly kind boss. What would you think if you two worked at a company and had a boss like him?
Shiono: I'd want to follow him.
Iura: I think he's great too. He's so kind that he always makes mistakes and ends up losing out, and I chuckle at the sight, but I also want to support him.
◇Have you ever felt a gap between your public image and your own?
－－The main character, Takano, is a character who seems competent but is incompetent. Is there anything that you two thought you could do even though you really couldn't?
Shiono: Studying... At first glance people tend to think that you're smart, but you're not good at it at all (laughs). People have told me I look smart since I was in middle school, but I'm not smart at all, so I've always been told, "That's surprising" (laughs).
Iura: I've also been misunderstood a lot in my life, even though I'm not smart at all (laughs).
--Even from your public image, you seem like you can do a lot.
Iura: I can't do anything at all (laughs)! I do specialize in the things I like. That goes for studying too. I wish I didn't have to study at school. I really like studying in areas that interest me.
Shiono: That's true, I do research things that interest me or that I like.
--Have you ever felt a gap between the image people have of me and the image they have of me?
Shiono: For me, people often imagine me based on the image of the roles I play. That's why they're often disappointed when they get to know me like that (laughs). For example, when I play the role of Emperor Ichijo, people might say, "That costume looked great on you, but your everyday clothes are normal."
Iura: But as an actor, that's the right answer, isn't it? If you have an image based on one or two works, it may be fixed, but if you scatter many images, I think you won't have an image. In my case, after I continued to throw various images at the world through my roles, I stopped worrying about my own image. I think it's partly because I don't care much about it, but I have no idea what my image is (laughs). On the other hand, it can be refreshing and helpful for other people to see that you think that way!
Shiono: Arata has played many different roles, so it's true that your image may be quite flat.
Iura: What's interesting is when people say to me, "This role left a strong impression on me," I'm surprised and enjoy it. When people say, "This role made me want to become an actor," it makes me think about why it left such a strong impression on me, and it gives me an opportunity to think about the role again, so I'm grateful.
--Finally, please tell us what the highlights of the drama are.
Iura: It's a drama that makes you really want all the characters to be happy, whether they're biased, worried, or suffering. (For viewers) I hope that it will cheer you up a little and allow you to take a deep breath, thinking, "I'm this person." Please enjoy it.
Shiono: I think there are many parts that you can relate to. But if you don't think too deeply about it and realize, "I like this character," or "I can relate to him somehow," you'll definitely get absorbed in this drama. I think it will be very interesting if you can watch Takano's unrivaled performance in a casual and relaxed manner, so please watch it without any reservations. (Interview, text, and photography: Endo Masaki)
