Sano Hayato plays high school baseball player Yotsugi Shoya in the NHK morning drama "Omusubi" (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 a.m. and others), starring actress Hashimoto Kanna. Sano, who will be appearing in a morning drama for the first time, talked about his thoughts when he was chosen and what to look forward to in the future.
◇Delighted at his first morning drama appearance: "I hope I can be a good son to my grandparents"
"Omusubi" is the 111th NHK morning drama. The heroine, Yoneda Yui, was born on the day the era name changed to "Heisei", and after interacting with a gal in Fukuoka, a certain opportunity leads her to aim to become a registered dietitian in Kansai... It is a "Heisei youth graffiti". It is an original work by screenwriter Nemoto Nonji, known for NHK's drama "Shojiki Real Estate", etc.
Sano, who is also active as a member of the five-member group "M!LK" in parallel with his work as an actor, revealed, "When I'm interviewed, I'm often asked, 'What is your dream for the future?' and I've always answered that the group's dream is a dome tour, and my personal dream is to appear in a morning drama."
"My grandparents have always watched morning dramas, and I used to watch them with them when I visited them. I always remembered them saying, 'I want you to appear in this,' so I thought it would be great if I could repay them for their kindness. I have a strong desire to make my family and those close to me happy through my work. So when I was chosen to appear this time, my family was very happy."
◇ "We have a lot in common" with Shoya
Shoya, played by Sano, is a high school baseball player from Tochigi Prefecture studying abroad at Fukuoka Nishi High School. He is called "Yon-sama of Fukunishi" because of his surname Yotsugi and his glasses. His role is that he has a practice field in Itoshima and occasionally runs into Yui (Hashimoto).
Sano says about Shoya, "Shoya is a really innocent, straightforward, lovable character, and you want to root for him."
"Shoya and I have a lot in common. Shoya writes down his goals in a notebook and works hard to achieve them, but I've also been writing down my dreams and goals in my diary for years. I even wrote in my diary that I wanted to appear in a morning drama. I also think that we're similar in that we can't lie and people around us call us stupid, and we're both quick to cry. Shoya's cuteness comes from the fact that he's so innocent that he's a bit absent-minded, so I try to act naturally without forcing myself."
Sano is from Aichi Prefecture, but in this film he plays Shoya, who is from Tochigi Prefecture, in a natural way.
"At first, I thought it would be difficult to speak the Tochigi dialect. But when I tried, I was really good at it! My teacher told me, 'You speak it so well that you'd think I was from Tochigi.' Of course, it's difficult to ad lib in the Tochigi dialect on the spot (laughs)."
In order to play Shoya, he also devoted himself to baseball practice. Sano revealed, "I was in the softball club in elementary school, and my father also likes baseball, so we often went to watch games at the Dome. So, to be honest, when I was offered the role, I thought I could do it."
"However, softball is a left-handed pitch, so when I started practicing pitching from above, it was quite difficult. Shoya is a pitcher who can throw 140 km/h, so I practiced a lot to throw the ball as fast as possible. Not only did I get instruction from my teacher, but I also played catch in between other work, and eventually I was able to throw the ball up to nearly 120 km/h."
◇When did Shoya realize that he was in love with Yui?
In the seventh week currently airing, the distance between Yui and Shoya suddenly became closer. Sano explains, "For Shoya, Yui has always been someone he is interested in and thinks about whenever he finds himself. Yui and Shoya run into each other many times, and every time they do, Shoya is very concerned about Yui, but he is so naive that he doesn't realize it's love. I think Shoya finally fell in love with her when Yui made him lunch every day even though she had injured her hand."
"Yui is a 'giving person'. In the scene where the two of them first met, Yui jumps into the sea to pick up a hat for a crying child. She is able to act for others. As an entertainer, I myself want to be someone who gives inspiration and energy to others, so I think that's a wonderful thing about Yui. Yui calls it a curse, but I think Shoya fell in love with the 'Yoneda family curse.'"
This is the second time he has co-starred with Hashimoto, who plays Yui. Sano praised her, saying, "She may not even realize it, but there is a moment when she switches from 'Kanna' to 'Yui', and at that moment, I feel like she flips a switch for me, or that she is pulling me along. Because she is the heroine, there is a lot of filming every day, but she prepares her lines thoroughly, is considerate of those around her, and creates a good atmosphere on set. It may seem like a given to her, but I respect her for the hard work she puts in behind the scenes."
Finally, he sent a message to viewers, saying, "I personally value human relationships, so I think it's great that the story values 'connections', just like the name 'Yui'. The story is easy to understand, and there are many energetic and bright characters, so I think you'll enjoy it from the morning. There is a line that Shoya talks about his dreams that will be aired this week, and it's really good. I was encouraged by Shoya while I was acting. I hope that seeing Shoya's straightforward attitude towards his dreams makes you think, 'I want to work hard too.'"
