Yuriko Yoshitaka stars in the NHK Taiga drama "Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)" (General TV, Sunday 8pm and others). In the 46th episode "Invasion of the Toi" that aired on December 1st, Mahiro (Yoshitaka) reveals the true reason why she left Michinaga (Emoto Tasuku) and set out on a journey, saying "I have nothing left" in front of Shumei (Matsushita Kohei), whom she met again for the first time in about 20 years. Yoshitaka, who plays Mahiro, reflected on the scene, saying, "There are things I can talk about because I don't know, and because I'm not connected to the people around me, I think there are parts of myself that are revealed honestly."
In episode 46, Mahiro sets off on her long-awaited journey and arrives in Dazaifu, where her late husband worked. There, she reunites with Shumei, whom she had separated from in Echizen, and is told the truth about his disappearance.
Afterwards, Mahiro visits the government office accompanied by Shumei, who works as an interpreter. There, he discovers Sojumaru (played by Kentaro Ito) among the warriors training. He is then told by the Dazai Gonsoushi Takaie (played by Ryo Ryusei) that Michinaga (played by Tasuku Emoto) has given him certain instructions regarding Mahiro.
Meanwhile, a nation-shaking emergency unfolded...
One night, Shumei correctly guesses that the current Taiko (Michinaga) is the one she loves. When Shumei asks her why she couldn't become his wife, was she just played with? She expresses her gratitude, saying, "He (Michinaga) gave me the ability to write. He gave me the joy of having my writing read by many people. He gave me the meaning of who I am." However, she says she feels empty being by Michinaga's side, who has become great just as she said he would. "I can't be of any use to him any more, and I don't have a place in the capital anymore. I'm finished. I'm finished, but he won't acknowledge it..." she says, revealing the feelings she has been keeping bottled up.
Yoshitaka said, "I think there are a lot of things you can't say to someone you know or have known for a long time," and speculated, "Mahiro has been through a lot, and I think the biggest thing that hurts her is that she doesn't have the strength to do anything, but it's probably because she was hurt that she was able to trust Shumei and tell him what was in her heart." She continued, "I think it was a conversation where she wasn't trying to show what was in her heart, but she was just overwhelmed and it just spilled out, and she didn't want to admit it anymore, but she had these feelings all this time, and it just spilled out during a casual conversation with Shumei."
"Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)" is the 63rd taiga drama. Set in the aristocratic society of the mid-Heian period, the protagonist is Murasaki Shikibu (Mahiro), who later wrote "The Tale of Genji," said to be the world's oldest novel written by a woman. The script was written by Oishi Shizuka, who is writing a taiga drama for the second time since "Koumyou ga Tsuji" in 2006, and depicts the glittering world of the Heian aristocracy and the life of a woman who lived, wrote, and loved with all her heart.
