Uesugi Shuhei is currently appearing in the TV Asahi drama series "Private Banker" (Thursdays at 9pm). He plays Mikoshiba Osamu, an assistant to the protagonist Anno Koichi, played by Karasawa Toshiaki. Mikoshiba acts like a "shadow player" in order to achieve Anno's goals, and is sometimes not afraid to take shady measures, but what is the reason for his loyalty? We spoke to Uesugi Shuhei about the series.
The drama is an original story that focuses on the "private bankers," financial professionals who advise the wealthy on asset management and asset creation. Armed with his overwhelming financial knowledge and wide-ranging connections, Anno brilliantly solves the numerous financial problems of the Tenmuji family, a wealthy clan that is shaken by inheritance disputes, mistress issues, and suspicions of secret funds, making this a "thrilling money suspense" drama.
The show is structured to teach real financial knowledge such as investment, tax savings, and inheritance, but when asked about the appeal of the series, Uesugi said, "I think everyone is interested in talking about money. However, in our country, it is not a culture of flaunting how much money you have, and people don't interfere much in other people's financial situations, so it is a somewhat difficult topic to get into. But you can get a glimpse into the things that everyone is interested in, and what's interesting is that it is portrayed as entertainment on a massive scale."
Uesugi himself said that he had never studied finance, and laughed that the technical terms that appear in the film "are all things I don't understand." "I'm still constantly learning new things, so I look up what they actually mean each time. If I don't fully understand something, it often doesn't come out (as a line)," he said, revealing that he is learning every day. "I don't think that this work will teach you everything you need to know about money, but I think it will be an opportunity to learn about money."
The story revolves around three characters: Anno, Mikoshiba, and Iida Kumiko, played by Suzuki Honami. When playing Mikoshiba, he emphasizes "the balance between the three characters."
"I told the director that I wanted to think about the balance between the three characters. There is the mysterious Mr. Anno, the slightly absent-minded Mr. Kumiko, and Mikoshiba coolly and dispassionately carries out his work. In order to further accentuate the mysterious presence of Mr. Anno as played by Mr. Karasawa, I am playing the role of a pawn who carries out work in place of Mr. Anno."
Both Karasawa and Suzuki are senior actors, but when asked if he was nervous about being in between them, he said firmly, "I don't get nervous around the actors." He added emphatically, "However, there is always pressure to make the work interesting."
Mikoshiba left the major securities firm where Anno had previously worked and has been acting like a supporting actor to help Anno achieve his goals, but why is he so loyal?
When asked for his opinion, Uesugi said, "(At this point) I don't think that there was any big incident between the two of them in the past. I think it's simply because I'm excited about what Anno is doing."
"I actually have a friend who works at a securities company, and while some people become more lively as their money increases, others end up miserable. My friend said, 'It's a job you can't do if you have to suppress your emotions.' If you think about it like that, and someone as skilled as Anno leaves the company to become a private banker, I think it would be interesting to follow him! I think I find Anno an interesting person."
Finally, he reiterated the highlights of the film, saying, "I think you'll be able to learn about what smart people with money are already doing. I hope you enjoy it as if you're peeking into a "different world" that's close to you."
