"Talentless TAKANO (Munou no Taka)" (Fridays at 11:15pm, except in some areas), starring actress Nanao, is currently being broadcast on TV Asahi's Friday Night Drama slot, and the final episode will be broadcast on November 29th. Ahead of the final episode, Nanao looked back on her first co-starring with her "partner" Akihisa Shiono.
The drama is based on the popular manga of the same name by Hanzaki Asami (Kodansha), and is a work comedy that depicts the refreshing way of life of a new employee, Takano Tsumeko (Nanao), who seems competent but is completely incompetent at her job. Takano's colleague, Hiwada (Shiono), who has created many miracles together with Takano, is her "partner". Shiono's impression of him is that he is "very serious and calm". "He fits Hiwada's atmosphere perfectly, and I didn't have to worry about Takano and Hiwada in detail, even if we didn't have to make detailed adjustments." Speaking of Shiono, the gap between his character and Emperor Ichijo in the NHK Taiga drama "Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)" that he appeared in at the same time became a hot topic, but "When I read the comments on SNS every week, there were many surprised voices saying, 'Is Emperor Ichijo and Hibiki-kun the same person?!' But I don't think I would have known if I had watched it without knowing anything," he said with a laugh. "That's how much of a chameleon actor I think he is. Because the impression of the role is so different every time, Shiono was very worried that 'no one will remember my face!' But I think that's amazing as an actor. I really think it would be fun if we could work together in a different role in the future!"
In the latest episode 7, Hibiki-da begins to develop special feelings for Takano. When asked about the relationship between the two, he said, "We are bound by a deep bond... in a sense, I think it's like we're soulmates." "Hibata was the first person in the company to notice Takano's mysterious charm, and as they worked together to secure contracts, I felt that he trusted her even when she said strange things. I think the sense of them being buddies grew stronger with each episode." In the final episode, Takano is headhunted by a US company, and he said, "Hibata is very worried about Takano, but I think that's because he feels lonely and also because he cares about her. I feel that the two of them respect each other."
