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, "Monogatari no Saaki ni (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 Nobunori, the younger brother of the main character Mahiro (Murasaki Shikibu), and Takasugi Mahiro, who played the role.
◇ There are many comments that deliberately ignore the atmosphere.
This is Takasugi's first appearance in a taiga drama in 12 years since "Taira no Kiyomori" (2012). He appeared in the role of Koreki from the second episode "Meguriai" and played the role of a "brother who cares for his sister" who is not good at studying and is nonchalant, but always cares about Mahiro.
His way of speaking is close to modern language, and perhaps due to his laid-back personality, he often speaks in a modern style with long sentence endings. He is a character with a "lightness" in a good sense, and just being there brightens up the atmosphere and improves the sense of distance. He is an indispensable character to the series, more than just his appearances, and he has become a "lovable presence" for Mahiro and his family, and for the viewers.
There were many scenes in which Korenori was talking to his "older sister" Mahiro, and he often made comments that were "to the point" and deliberately did not read the atmosphere.
Regarding his role, Takasugi said, "Even when I talked about the time I saw Nobutaka (played by Sasaki Kuranosuke) cheating on my wife, I spoke and acted with my sister in mind. Family is the most important thing after all. There were times when the things I said out of consideration for my family brought about trouble, but I think the biggest reason was that it was for my sister and my father's sake."
◇ There is also a scene where she is passionate about love with someone of a different social status.
One thing that should not be forgotten about Korenobu's achievements (?) is his love romance with Saiin no Chujo, which was depicted in the 35th episode, "Tears of the Empress Dowager."
When his secret rendezvous with his lover is discovered and he is put in danger, he avoids this by composing a song. Although Takasugi himself considered this turn of events to be a comedy, it also provided a glimpse of the passionate side of Korenobu, who is consumed with love for someone beyond his social status.
Even more shocking was the sudden separation that occurred in episode 39, "Unbreakable Bonds."
In the same episode, Koreki watches the "dressing ceremony" of Mahiro's daughter, Kenko, and then heads to Echigo with his father, Tametoki, to Tametoki's new post, but on the way, his health suddenly worsens. Koreki somehow manages to reach the provincial capital of Echigo, but he loses strength, even though he leaves behind a song saying, "There are many people I love in the capital, so I want to return alive no matter what."
Mahiro was moved to tears after receiving Korenori's death song, and Ito, who had doted on Korenori since he was a child as his wet nurse, broke down and sobbed. Shinkawa Seijun, who played Ito, described Korenori as "someone who was really loved by people, and who loved people", and lamented his death, saying "It's just so unbelievable. It's such a shocking event," and viewers were likely feeling the same way.
The final episode of "Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)", "Monogatari no Saki ni (Beyond the Story)", will be broadcast on December 15th with an extended 15 minutes.
