"Diamonds Sleeping in the Sea" (Sundays at 9pm) is a TBS Sunday Theatre starring Kamiki Ryunosuke. The final episode will be broadcast as a 2-hour special (extended by 56 minutes) on December 22nd. A special conversation between screenwriter Nogi Akiko, Kamiki who plays Teppei and the modern-day host Reo (double role), Tsuchiya Tao who plays Yuriko, and Ikeda Elaiza who plays Rina has been released on the TBS official YouTube channel. Here we introduce excerpts from the conversation between Nogi and Kamiki.
The drama is a story of love, friendship and family spanning 70 years, set on the island of Hashima (Gunkanjima) in Nagasaki Prefecture, which developed through coal mining from the beginning of the Meiji era to the postwar high economic growth period, and in modern-day Tokyo. It is written by Akiko Nogi, directed by Ayuko Tsukahara, and produced by Junko Arai, the team behind the dramas "Unnatural" and "MIU404" (same series) and the movie "The Last Mile."
◇You were thinking of crying, weren't you? The real emotion and passion on set
Nogi: Thank you for shooting every day! What is it like?
Kamiki: Thank you! It feels like I'm actually experiencing the turbulent developments, and coupled with Director Tsukahara (Ayuko)'s directing methods, even though we've been doing tests, the actual production, and the broadcast, it doesn't feel like a drama in a good way. It really feels like it's happening right in front of my eyes. It requires a lot of energy, but it's very real because it's half my own emotion. The stage directions for the scene where the coal comes out in episode 8 just said "...!", but we all cried and rejoiced.
Nogi: It was a big event for the people of Hashima.
Kamiki: That's right. When I thought about everything that had happened on Hashima up until now, I didn't feel like "I'm going to cry" or anything, but I was so happy that tears came out of my eyes... I was reminded once again of the wonderfulness of a story that makes you feel that way, and of the wonderfulness of the filming site where the actors and staff who create it are all gathered together.
Nogi: I'm glad you were able to immerse yourself in the story so much while acting!
◇A realistic story woven with dialects and characters
Nogi: It was a line in the main story, but Hashima is an island where people come from all over, so not all the islanders speak the Nagasaki dialect. Kensho's (Shimizu Hiroya) father, Tatsuo (Sawamura Ikki), never speaks the Nagasaki dialect, so Kensho speaks the Tokyo dialect even at home. Teppei and Yuriko, who are good friends with Kensho and went to college together, were characters that spoke standard Japanese.
Kamiki: Speaking of the Araki family, I also make up my own reasons for acting. For example, Shinpei (played by Takumi Saito) speaks Nagasaki dialect because he communicates a lot with his mother, Haru (played by Tomoko Nakajima). Teppei, in addition to having left the island once, was brought up strictly by his father, Ippei (played by Jun Kunimura), so he doesn't speak Nagasaki dialect as much.
Nogi: I see. In dramas, if the dialect is too strong, the meaning of the lines can't be conveyed to the viewers at home, so finding the right balance is also a hidden difficulty when writing a script.
Kamiki: By the way, Ippei's lines make use of the dialect of Kunimura-san's hometown.
Nogi: Basically, we talked about making the lines take advantage of the actors' hometowns. In the script, Ippei speaks standard Japanese, but I heard that Kunimura originally speaks Osaka dialect. We left that up to him and let him speak freely in Osaka dialect.
◇ "Why is Reo a host?" Kamiki Ryunosuke asks Nogi Akiko directly
Nogi: As I watch the broadcast, I think it must be tough for Kamiki to have to play two roles, Teppei and Reo.
Kamiki: Regarding that...can I ask you something I really wanted to ask?
Nogi: Eh! Can you answer that? Please!
Kamiki: Why is Reo in the modern part set as a host? Some people posted on social media, "Why is he playing a host? I wonder if Nogi-san has a plan for this." I also remember that in an early meeting, we talked about how "a NEET-like character would be more likely to drift and move around freely..." so I wanted to know the reason again.
Nogi: There are various reasons, but one of them is that I wanted to see Kamiki's host (laughs). Nowadays, the world thinks that being a host is a dream job, but in reality, there are many problems with it. It is a job that did not exist when Hashima was full of vitality, so when comparing the present with the past, I thought it would be good to depict it together as an area that young people today tend to get into.
Kamiki: I see, that's what it was!
Nogi: Actually, there are other things, but I won't say anything now because it would be a spoiler. Kamiki-san shows us wonderful acting every time, but speaking of Reo's acting, in the third episode, after Izumi's grandson Chikage (Kataoka Rin) has invested 4 million yen in a host club, her mother Kanoko (Miho Jun) simply says, "I'll pay it." That was a really good performance! It was very Reo. By the way, is Teppei easier to act after all?
Kamiki: I'm glad to hear that! Teppei is definitely easier to act...! (laughs)
Nogi: It's close to the image that Kamiki-san has played so far. I'm looking forward to the upcoming episodes, so please do your best with the filming!
