Miricham is a Reiwa-era gal who plays the role of "Ruuri", also known as Majima Ruri, the current general representative of the "Hakata Gal Union" (Hagaren), in the NHK morning drama "Omusubi" (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 a.m. and others), starring actress Hashimoto Kanna. We asked her about her feelings on her first morning drama appearance, the joy of acting, and her future goals.
◇Selected for the role of a gal through an audition
Miricham was born on July 10, 2002, and is 22 years old and from Saitama Prefecture. She is an active gal who was an exclusive model for the gal magazine "egg". She has been active mainly in variety shows, such as attracting attention as the "strongest gal at verbal quarrels" after she was seen insulting comedians in a video project on the official YouTube channel of former TV Tokyo producer Sakuma Nobuyuki.
Miricham participated in the largest ever "Young Talent Audition," where six people were selected from 1,864 female and 391 male applicants, and was selected for the role of Luly.
"When my manager told me I was chosen for the role of Luly, I was like, 'Huh? You got me? Lucky!' and it didn't really sink in."
When the show actually started, Miricham's mother, who saw her acting, pointed out to her, "You read your first scene like a monotone, didn't you?" she laughs.
"From her mother's perspective, it seems strange to see her daughter appearing in a morning drama. She doesn't give me any particular advice, but her mother was also a gal, so she talks about it with nostalgia, saying, 'Mommy used to wear clothes like this, too.'"
◇First attempt at full-scale acting, but "It's interesting to see all the different ways of expressing yourself"
"Omusubi" is Miricham's first attempt at full-scale acting. Looking back on her feelings when she attempted the crying scene, she said, "After I filmed my own crying scene, I saw Hashimoto Kanna's crying performance and I was amazed, thinking, 'How can she cry so much?' Kanna's acting is amazing, not just her lines, but her eye movements as well, so I always learn from her acting."
On set, with many cast members of her generation, including Hashimoto, who all have a lot of acting experience, Miricham seems to be receiving a lot of inspiration. She says that as filming continued, she discovered the joy of acting, and her eyes sparkle as she says, "There are so many ways to express even one line, and it's interesting because there's no right answer."
"When I ask Natsumi Okamoto, who plays Suzurin, or Rei Matsumoto, who plays Kazami-senpai, 'What should I do here?' I get advice, which I'm grateful for. I learn that there are different ways to express things depending on the person."
When asked what she pays attention to when acting, she revealed, "Actually, I don't really remember the other person's lines when I go to filming. I realized that not knowing the lines I'm being told is what helps me react more realistically. I'm really sorry to Nonji Nemoto, who wrote the script, but I try not to remember much except for my own lines when I go to the set."
As for her future goals, she said mischievously, "I'm still a complete amateur at acting, so I wonder what it would be like to play a role that's not a gal? I'd like to try that. I'd like to play a role that's the complete opposite of a gal, a very pure character. However, I'm worried about whether my tone of voice will be okay."
◇Positive image of gals
Mirichiam, a current gal, plays a Heisei-era gal in this film. Naka Riisa, who plays Ayumi, the older sister of the heroine Yui and known as the "legendary gal," commented on her role, "I want to change the image of gals to a positive one with this work." Miricham also confesses, "In my life as a gal, I have often received cruel words, so if that could change for the better, I would feel that life would be easier and I would be happy." "I think there are still many people who have prejudices against gals, but when I looked at the reviews of "Omusubi" on X (formerly Twitter), at first there were a lot of comments like, 'I hate gals.' But by the time Fullmetal Alchemist danced Para Para at the Itoshima Festival, more and more people were saying things like, 'I hated them at first, but I feel lonely without gals.' I feel like people's views of gals are changing."
Finally, on the highlights of the seventh week starting on November 11th, she said, "From here on, Fullmetal Alchemist will also have a feeling of 'THE friendship between gals.' There won't be any big trouble like in the first half, and the highlight will be seeing the gals having fun together as they do. I hope you will enjoy watching the gals get along well."
Although she has almost no acting experience, Miricham has a natural attraction, with production manager Takashi Usagawa saying, "Miricham's acting has a unique timing, and that rhythm spreads to the other actors" (production manager Takashi Usagawa). I can't wait to see what kind of performances he will show us in the future.
