First Summer Uika plays the role of Kikyou/Sei Shonagon in the historical drama "Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)" (NHK General TV, Sundays at 8pm and others), starring Yuriko Yoshitaka. She first appeared in the sixth episode, "Two Talented Women" (broadcast on February 11th), and it seems that she has continued to contribute to the excitement of the drama more than her appearances. As the story approaches its final stages, we spoke to First Summer Uika, who said that over the past year she "always tried to impose the role of the historical drama on myself."
◇The "divergence" from the role of Kikyou/Sei Shonagon, which was "almost me"
The drama wrapped up filming on October 25th. First Summer Uika, who had already finished playing the role, looked back and said, "It went by so quickly."
"It really felt like a year had passed by faster than ever before in my life. I was nervous every time, and I felt the weight of each shoot. Every time I appeared, I got older and the story progressed a lot, so I had to be more conscious of how to respond to that and the weight of the filming. So it was a year of constant tension and excitement."
First Summer Uika said in a previous interview that she felt a strong affinity with the role of Kikyo/Sei Shonagon, saying that she was "almost me." But what does she think now that she has played that life to the fullest?
Kikyou's sadness after the death of her loyal Sadako (Takahata Mitsuki) turned to hatred for Michinaga (Emoto Tasuku), and in the process, she destroyed her friendship with Mahiro (Yoshitaka) with her own hands.
"Through Kikyo, I began to feel more strongly about how to live after losing the light that was important to me," she said, but also confessed that "the affinity I felt at the beginning faded away."
"I think Kikyou is an open and unrestrained character, but people are never one-tone, and they change over time, so I think Kikyou also changed. There were times when I thought, 'I might not behave like that,' but I think that's because I haven't lost a 'shining prince' in my life who is comparable to Sadako-sama for Kikyou. That's what I thought."
◇ "The hardest part" was breaking into a waka poetry gathering...
The hardest part of playing Kikyou, who changed over time, was the scene in episode 41, "Yuragi" (broadcast on October 27), where Kikyou breaks into a waka poetry gathering at Akiko's (Mikami Ai) Fujitsubo.
Although she acted with Emperor Ichijo (Shiono Akihisa) and Teishi's first son, Prince Atsunaga (Kataoka Sennosuke) in mind, Kikyo unilaterally criticized Akiko, saying, "You've already put Prince Atsunaga's past behind you."
"It was the hardest part. I almost didn't want the day of filming to come. The next scene was Mahiro's diary, so I wanted it to be more memorable than ever. It was difficult, but I hardened my heart and cried in my heart as I took on the challenge."
First Summer Uika also praised the screenwriter Oishi Shizuka, saying, "As expected."
"After Sadako passed away, Kikyou was sometimes described on the Internet as having "fallen into darkness," but with the death of Sadako, who was Kikyou's "shining prince," she lost her light. I interpreted it as not falling into darkness, but being enveloped in darkness and unable to see anything. And because of her unwavering belief and sense of mission in Sadako, she struggled in the darkness, her sadness turning into resentment, which grew and grew, and she became like that, so I faced Kikyou with a feeling of sympathy." ◇There was not a moment when the Taiga drama did not cross her mind. Kikyou was so hostile, but in the 43rd episode (broadcast on November 10th), she suddenly "declared the end of the war," saying, "I have supported my own life by holding grudges, but I think I will stop doing that now." First Summer Uika said, "To put it simply, I would say that I have lost my fangs and have been liberated." "There are moments when the thread suddenly snaps. When you've been working hard at something, it snaps and you think, 'I can't do this anymore, I'm done.' It's a similar feeling of giving up, or even 'retiring.' This isn't in the script, so it's just my imagination, but I think that's how the resentment and anger just disappeared."
First Summer Uika, who showed her presence not only in the aforementioned scene but in every scene, describes her time as Kikyou/Sei Shonagon as "a year of living without putting down the burden of Kikyou."
"There was not a moment when the Taiga drama did not cross my mind, and because of that, I even cut my hair in a "hime cut". That way, wherever I went, people would ask me, "That's kind of Japanese," and I would reply, "Right now, the Taiga drama is for peace." That's how I spent the year constantly trying to impose the Taiga drama on myself. There were moments when it felt good, but it also felt like a burden, but I also felt like I couldn't do it without it, and that if I forgot, it would be over. The experience I gained here was special, and if I ever write an essay in the future, I'm sure I'll definitely write about this Taiga drama "To You Who Shines" as a chapter, and it's so engraved into my body that I'm sure it will come to mind in my mind when I die."
