Anna Yamada, an actress who plays the lead role in the NHK drama "The Path of Lila's Blooming Beasts" (General TV, Saturday 10pm) which started on February 1st. Yamada, who plays the main character, Satori Kishimoto, who aspires to be a veterinarian, talked about her experiences filming with animals and the highlights of the drama.
"The Path of the Lilac Flower Blooms" is a drama adaptation of the novel of the same name by Yoko Fujioka, winner of the 45th Eiji Yoshikawa Literary Newcomer Award. Set in Hokkaido, the story depicts the growth of a former recluse girl who faces challenges in her quest to become a veterinarian. The script is written by Fumie Mizuhashi, who has also worked on the network's serial drama "Scarlet" (2019 second half).
Satori, played by Yamada, is a student in the veterinary medicine department at Hokuno University. After losing his mother when he was in the fourth grade of elementary school, things didn't go well with his father's new wife, and he spent three years of junior high school reclusive with his beloved dog Pearl. He was taken in by his grandmother Chidori (played by Kazebuki Jun) and graduated from a challenge school for high school, but he has a terrible ability to socialize.
The location shooting took place at a university in Ebetsu, Hokkaido, and there were many scenes where the characters interacted with various animals, including horses, cows, and pigs. When asked if the filming had changed the way he interacted with animals, Yamada said, "It's depicted throughout the drama, but I felt that there are some aspects of it that can't be solved with just pretty words."
"I myself have had dogs at home since I was about 12 years old, so I thought I knew how to treat animals as pets, but this drama made me think again about how animals that are indispensable to human life, such as cows raised for food, are raised with love and the feelings of the people who raise them."
Meanwhile, while interacting with the animals, Yamada revealed, "I discovered that each animal is so cute."
She said that filming with the piglet was particularly memorable, saying with a smile, "There was a scene where I was holding a piglet, and a professor who actually teaches at the university came on screen, and we filmed it as if it were a real lecture. He said, 'If you hold the pig so that its head is in the position of a human heart, it will feel reassured when it hears the sound of its heartbeat.' I thought that was so cute."
Finally, when asked about the highlights of the drama, she said, "Through the character of Satori, I feel like I have grown as I have done through filming, and I would be happy if people can see how a character grows. I was able to film freely in the majestic nature of Hokkaido, as well as the interactions with the animals, so I hope everyone will enjoy it."
"The Beast's Path Where Lilac Flowers Bloom" will be broadcast in three episodes.
