The title of the serial drama that will be broadcast in January next year, which will bring together Bakarhythm, the screenwriter of the popular drama "Brush Up Life" (NTV), and the production staff of the same drama, has been decided to be "Hot Spot" (Sunday 10:30 pm). It will be a "local alien human comedy" that begins when the main character, played by Ichikawa Mikako, encounters an alien. This is Ichikawa's first time starring in a commercial TV drama series.
The story is set in a town in Yamanashi Prefecture at the foot of Japan's proud Mount Fuji. The main character, Endo Kiyomi (41), a single mother who works at a business hotel, meets an alien one day by chance. If she were a pure girl, it would be a youthful adventure drama in which she develops a friendship with the alien and fights against evil for justice, but Kiyomi, an adult who has experienced the good and bad of the world, asks the alien to solve small incidents in her work and personal life without upsetting the alien... that's the story. The introduction states that "mysterious events may or may not occur," and that the story will be a sci-fi drama that is unique to Bakarhythm and not as straightforward as one might expect.
Bakarhythm said, "It's a human comedy about aliens coming to a local area. When I say it's a crazy story, people probably think it's not crazy at all. It's a very ordinary story." Ichikawa, the main actor, also commented, "It's so funny that I sometimes laugh out loud, and I think humans are kind of adorable creatures."
◇Introduction
An extraterrestrial lifeform is hiding in a town at the foot of Mount Fuji!
Endo Kiyomi, 41, is a single mother who works at a business hotel. One day, she happens to encounter an alien...!?
A local alien human comedy written by Bakarhythm, where strange events may or may not occur in a small rural town!
◇Comment from Bakarhythm
--What is a local alien human comedy?
It's a human comedy about aliens really coming to the local area. It's exactly like that. If I say it's a crazy story, people will probably think it's not crazy at all. It's a very mundane story. It has to do with space.
--Why "aliens" this time?
There aren't many aliens in TV series, so isn't that good? When I first submitted the setting for this drama, I only wrote about two lines. It was the bottom of three proposals. Director Mizuno thought it was the hardest to see. He said, "I can't imagine it at all, so why don't you go with this one?"
I'm thinking about it now, but I submitted it just to fill up the number of proposals, so I didn't think it would end up like this. You don't suddenly have aliens in a TV series, do you? That's why I thought it would be scrapped. As we talked about it, we decided to go with this. You know, there are things like "E.T." and "Stranger Things," and they're space hits, and I thought it would be interesting to do something like that in a very narrow-scale situation. First of all, I haven't even decided on the ending yet because I'm really thinking about it while I'm writing it. If I can lie, I'll say it a lot. A huge spaceship comes, and there's a big war. The whole thing is CG! (I'm lying)
--What are the highlights of the drama?
The highlight is not the incident itself, because nothing big really happens. If you imagine the universe as something grand, I don't think it's like that, so I really don't want to have high expectations and I want you to watch it at your own pace. Before the drama starts, they hype it up, right? We're worried about what will happen after people have watched it, so it's a struggle between the hype and the actors who can put pressure on them. We're looking for the right balance.
But I think it's interesting, so I hope you'll just watch it at your own pace. It's just plain fun. But aliens appear. Aliens appear a lot. Finally, aliens will be on TV.
--What I want to say to Ichikawa Mikako
I want you to do it at your own pace and have fun. You can change all the lines and stuff. We just talk about trivial things.
Mikako Ichikawa's comment
--What were your thoughts when you received the offer to play the lead role in this film, and when you read Bakarhythm's script?
At first I was very surprised, but when I heard the team's aspirations, "All staff and cast members eat and rest properly. We aim to create a set with a good living environment," I empathized and was happy to be invited by such a team. Bakarhythm's script is so funny that I sometimes laugh out loud, and I feel that people are somehow cute creatures.
--What kind of person is the main character, Endo Kiyomi? How do you want to play her?
Kiyomi was born and raised in Yamanashi Prefecture, and works while raising her child. She is a woman who lives her daily life with a single-minded and cheerful attitude. After a certain incident, she starts meeting her childhood friend from her hometown frequently. It's an interesting script, so I want to play the role without thinking that it's interesting.
--What are you looking forward to about acting?
Since it is a dialogue drama with a lot of dialogue, all the co-stars I meet are always saying, "Let's practice. Let's work together," and there is an atmosphere of holding hands before the show starts. I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of team we become.
--The story is about a protagonist who lives at the foot of Mount Fuji meeting an alien. What kind of existence are aliens?
I have never met an alien, but I have thought that we may already be living together on Earth. In the future, aliens may become more natural on Earth than they are now, and I thought that this drama may be a little ahead of its time.
--What are the highlights for viewers?
The conversations between the characters in this work may be similar to those that take place every day all over Japan. I would be happy if the viewers think, "Oh, maybe my daily life is actually something precious..." and look forward to it, thinking, "There's a hot spot on Sunday night!"
◇ Comment from Producer Oda Reina
First of all, I feel extremely happy to be able to create another drama series with the "Brush Up Life" team, led by scriptwriter Bakarhythm.
The catchphrase that Masuno (Bakarhythm) came up with is "Local Alien Human Comedy." Yes, this time, aliens will appear. After "time leap," "aliens"... that's crazy (lol) But! This time too, the setting is fantasy, but what is depicted is "very ordinary everyday life." Even though aliens appear, nothing dramatic happens. But that's why it's funny, lovable, and precious... it's a work that is full of the Bakarhythm world. Anyway, the script is interesting. As expected.
The main character is Ichikawa Mikako. When I imagined the main character breathing freely in a rural town, Ichikawa's face came to mind. When I read the script the other day, it was so natural that I couldn't believe she was speaking the lines, and she fit perfectly into the worldview. It's so good, I can't wait to show it to everyone.
We received many awards both at home and abroad last time, so I'd be lying if I said there was no pressure, but since we have this opportunity, the cast and staff are working hard to make an even more interesting drama. Masuno-san always says, "Lower the bar as much as possible," but let me say this: please look forward to the long-awaited second installment of the local sci-fi series, "Hot Spot"!
