Yuriko Yoshitaka stars in the NHK Taiga drama "Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)" (General TV, Sunday 8pm and others). The drama has only the final episode, "Beyond the Story," to air, but there is no doubt that many great performances and memorable scenes by the unique cast have been created over the past year. Here, I would like to trace the footsteps (achievements) of Fujiwara Ise, who enlivened the story as the "loser" in the "world of raw, scheming men's politics," and Miura Shohei, who played the role.
◇ Arrogance leads to a lack of popularity, which is also a disaster...
Screenwriter Oishi Shizuka said at a press conference announcing the production of the film in May 2022 that she wanted to "portray the shocking sex and violence of the Heian period." At the first preview screening in December last year, she also said, "There will be a lot of vivid, scheming and manipulative male politics," but in this "violent, scheming and manipulative male politics," it seems that Ise, played by Miura, was the one who kept losing halfway through.
Ise started out as a "brained, beautiful and confident man" and enjoyed rapid success thanks to the patronage of his father Michitaka, but after Michitaka's death, his lack of popularity due to his own arrogance also contributed to his downfall, and he lost his position like a rollercoaster.
It was unfortunate that his younger brother Takaie had to leave the capital due to the foolish act of shooting an arrow at Kazan-in, and as a result he was unable to reunite with his mother Takako alive, but this incident only spurred his stubborn personality on, and he grew to resent his rival Michinaga. After the death of his younger sister Sadako, he became obsessed with curses. However, it was to no avail, and instead it ended up shortening his own life...
◇The second half is about "Cursing is the only thing I can rely on"
One could say that Ise's downfall up to that point was a case of "he got what he deserved," but Miura's character played such a villainous role that it was impossible for viewers to sympathize with him, and he became a great spice to the drama.
Especially in the second half of the play, he passionately portrayed "the insane Ise, whose only hope was to curse others." In the 38th episode, "Dazzling Darkness," he tried to crush a wooden human figure with his teeth, and laughed maniacally in front of Michinaga while repeatedly chanting the curse, "I will sweep away Michinaga." It goes without saying that he captured the attention of the audience with his "over-the-top acting."
In the 39th episode, "Unbroken Bonds," Ise left this world uttering words that were full of points for retort: "What did I do..." Miura's appearance, who embodied the confusion and sorrow of a "fallen nobleman" with his entire body and who at one point played the role of an arrogant heel and at other times exuded a strong presence with his over-the-top acting, must have been deeply engraved in the hearts of taiga drama fans.
"Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)" is the 63rd taiga drama. It is set in the aristocratic society of the mid-Heian period, and the protagonist is Murasaki Shikibu (Mahiro), who later wrote "The Komyo 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.
The final episode, "Beyond the Story," will be broadcast on December 15th with an extended 15 minutes.
