Haruka Kodama, a former member of HKT48 who also appeared in the NHK morning drama "Omusubi" and became a hot topic, appeared in the second installment of ASICS Japan's short drama series "Work Can Be More Enjoyable," which was released on November 22nd.
The drama was produced by ASICS Japan, a company that develops working shoes, with the theme "Work Can Be More Enjoyable." It is a human drama that focuses on "on-site workers" in industries such as construction, transportation, and manufacturing, where labor shortages due to a declining and aging workforce are an issue. The first installment, released in January this year, attracted attention with its appearances by Ozawa Hitoshi, Morita Tetsuya from "Saraba Seishun no Hikari," Hama Shogo, and Ohara Yuno, and the second installment has now begun streaming on a special website and YouTube.
The story stars Nakamura Shido as Sakai (Nakamura), a veteran chief engineer working in the construction industry who is about to give up on his work, but when he meets two unique newcomers, Naito (Kodama) and Jinnai (Sunagawa Shuya), at what he thought would be his last construction site, his feelings begin to change...
Kodama said, "The characters I play are shy, clumsy and tough, and Jinnai is a joker. There are a variety of personalities in the characters, so I think there is something about each one that you can sympathize with, so I hope everyone will pay attention to that as they watch."
A behind-the-scenes video for the drama has also been released. In an interview after the shoot, when asked "Who is the person you met at work whose way of working you thought was cool?" Kodama replied, "She's a member I used to work with, but I really admire Miyawaki Sakura, who is now active in Korea. She's been active at the forefront as an idol without a break, so I think her stoicism, or the strength to keep going, is really amazing."
