Yoshikawa Ai is currently appearing in the serial drama "My Diary" (ABC TV/TV Asahi, Sunday 10:15pm). This year, she has appeared in four consecutive dramas, starting with "Mars - Zero no Kakumei" (TV Asahi) in January. You'd think she would be extremely busy, but she said with a cool face, "I'm totally fine!" We spoke to her about her role in this work, which she said she "really can relate to!"
"My Diary" is an original work by up-and-coming screenwriter Hyodo Ruri, who made her debut in 2020. The story is structured so that the protagonist, Onomura Yuki (Kiyohara Kaya), who is in her first year of working life, looks back on her university days through small everyday events, and depicts a youth ensemble drama of five men and women. The cast includes five young, talented actors, including Kiyohara, Yoshikawa, Sano Hayato, Mikami Ai, and Mochizuki Ayumu.
Yoshikawa had already co-starred with everyone except Kiyohara. "Everyone is calm and it's a comfortable set. In this work, I think it's best for the five of us to be at the same level of excitement as much as possible, so I think being able to create that kind of atmosphere makes it a very easy environment to act in."
Shiraishi Mahiru, who plays Yuki, is a third-year student in the Faculty of Education, and her hobby is her favorite idol group. She is blown away every day by watching the video distribution channel of the male idol group "RIM-sama." "My hobby is also 'my favorite idol group,' so I can really empathize with Mahiru's feelings! Mahiru goes to concerts alone, and I do the same, so it overlaps with me, and the excitement and voice she has while she's favorite idol group may be close to my real self (laughs)."
This role is quite different from the mysterious and somewhat shadowy character she played in the previous season's "Furitsumore Kodoku na Shi yo" (Yomiuri TV/Nippon TV), but will she be able to switch roles quickly? "It can take a little time for the character's name to settle in my mind, but once I can feel the atmosphere on set, I can usually switch quickly. I didn't have any trouble this time either."
Although she appears in drama series throughout the year, she says with a smile, "I'm fine because I'm able to rest in moderation! I enjoy being busy." She has been active as a child actor since she was three years old, and acting feels like a part of her daily life.
"I've been working since I was little, so when there's a period of time when I'm not acting, I get anxious and sometimes wonder what it would be like if I wasn't thinking about my character, so I think it's not good for me to take too long of a break."
Her daily relaxation and motivation comes from her beloved dog and her "activities to support her." "I have a dog, so taking him for walks and buying him his favorite treats is the best way to relax. No matter how late I get home, I never miss a walk. He's my number one priority. I love seeing his happy face when I give him a treat," she says with a smile.
When asked who her favorite idols are, she immediately answered "TWICE," "BIGBANG's SOL," Roromiya Karuta from the anime "Inu x Boku SS (Inu Boku Secret Service)," and Nagi Seishiro from "Blue Lock." "People tend to look down on people who have multiple favorite idols, but my love for each of them is strong," she said passionately.
When asked what she would do if she didn't have a favorite idol, she laughed and said, "I might not be working." When asked what her favorite idols mean to her, she said, "It's both love and like... it's quite difficult to put into words (laughs). But to me, they're like a cloud. They enrich my heart, so I'm grateful that they even exist."
