TBS Sunday Theatre's " Diamonds Sleeping in the Sea " (Sundays at 9pm) starring Ryunosuke Kamiki will have its final episode broadcast as a 2-hour special (56 minutes extended) on December 22nd. Before the final episode, we asked Nobuko Miyamoto, who plays "Izumi" aka Asako Ikegaya, to look back on the filming so far.
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, and produced by Junko Arai, the team behind the dramas "Unnatural" and "MIU404" (same series) and the movie "The Last Mile."
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--Looking back on the five months of filming, how do you feel?
It's rare to find such a pleasant set. We were happy to be able to act because we could feel the careful work and attention to detail of the wonderful staff, who never cut corners. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to play a woman like Izumi at this age, and to have had the opportunity to meet this role.
--What was it like acting with Kamiki-san, who plays Reo? Please tell us if there was anything that made an impression on you.
We chatted in a taxi while waiting for filming on location in Nagasaki. It was a lot of fun. Kamiki-san comes to the set in the morning with a carefree demeanor, and when filming is over he leaves with the same carefree demeanor. He plays two roles and is on set the whole time, but he never complains or grumbles. It's amazing. When I asked him, "Are you feeling okay?" he replied, "I'm still fine," again with a carefree smile. He is polite and flawless.
--Please give a message to the viewers as we approach the final episode.
I'm glad that you look forward to watching every episode. Thank you! And finally, we've reached the final episode. I'm sure you're all having fun speculating in your heads. It would be fun if you got it right (laughs). I wonder what will happen in the final episode. Please look forward to it.
