Kanna Hashimoto stars in the currently airing NHK morning drama " Omusubi " (General Asadora , Monday to Saturday 8:00am and others). In the 18th week " Omusubi Becomes a Registered Dietician" that will be broadcast from February 3rd, Yui (Hashimoto) will be working in the nutrition department of Osaka Shin-Yodogawa Memorial Hospital and becoming a registered dietician for the fourth year. Hashimoto looked back on the filming so far and talked about what to look forward to in the future.
"Omusubi" is a "Heisei youth graffiti" in which the heroine, born in 1989, connects people's hearts and futures as a nutritionist, with the "gal spirit" of valuing one's individuality at all times.
--Looking back on the first half, what was the most memorable thing?
In the scenes with the Yoneda family, it was impressive to see Yukiya (Kitamura Yukiya, who plays Masato), Kumiko (Aiko Kumiko Aso, who plays Aiko), and Riisa (Naka Riisa Naka) all talking right up until the very last minute as if they were a real family (laughs). Kumiko is such a great mother that being with her makes me feel like a child again, and Riisa is a really fun person. Yukiya is usually cheerful, and he helps to keep everyone together by talking. Even when filming gets busy and difficult, seeing the faces of everyone in the Yoneda family is a relief and gives me a sense of security.
Filming the nutrition school episode was so much fun that I struggled to contain my laughter. I think Kote (Shinya)-san's own cuteness really came out as Morimori (Morikawa Manabu). Kote-san is good at keeping a distance that is neither too far nor too close in his acting, and he is able to be funny even in emotional scenes. I think the balance between Morimori, Sacchin (Yabuki Sachi, Yamamoto Maika), Kasumin (Yugami Kasumi, Taira Yuna), and Yui, the four members of J-team, was really good.
The members of the Seikawa Electric cafeteria were also great at highlighting the story. Tachikawa-san (Hiroki Miyake-san) was cold at first, but in reality he was always talking about saunas with Miyake-san (laughs). Hagiwara Riku-san, who plays Haraguchi-san, has been my best friend since we were teenagers. We often meet up in private, so I was really happy to be able to act with him. The part where Haraguchi-san and Yui team up to change the cafeteria was very easy to create a sense of a good pair.
--About her marriage to Shoya and Yui becoming a mother.
The reverse proposal scene is a part that changes Yui's life. It's a scene that makes you think that this relationship is only possible because of Yui and Shoya (Sano Hayato), so I wanted to play it carefully and discussed it thoroughly with director Noda (Yusuke) before I approached it. Although not as much as Ayumu, Yui also realizes that she wasn't caring about Shoya while she was doing what she liked freely, and the reverse proposal scene is when she becomes a step more mature. To tell the truth, I cried a lot just at the preparation stage, and I was so emotional that I thought it was dangerous! I stayed quiet until the actual shoot, and it seems that Haya-chan (Sano) thought I was different from usual (laughs). During the actual shoot, I was impressed by how I got really teary-eyed when I saw Shoya's determined eyes.
Shoya and Yui's relationship is not something that changes just because they're a married couple, so I want to embody the fact that nothing has changed since the days when I called him Kappa at the port of Itoshima. I've been close with Haya-chan for a long time, and he's Shoya himself, so when I'm with him, I can become Yui and it's really easy to work with him. It's amazing how even though he's busy, he's polite to everyone, has the time to relax and lighten the mood. He always says, "I'm normal," but I want him to be aware that he's a total airhead (laughs).
It's a new experience for me to play the role of a mother. I've previously played sisters with Miyazaki Ririsa, who plays 7- or 8-year-old Hana, so this time we're mother and daughter! I was surprised (laughs). I thought that if I didn't act like a mother, we wouldn't look like mother and daughter, but Ririsa called us "Mom" and "Dad" on set, which made it easier to work with and I'm really grateful for that. When acting, I keep in mind that "my child comes before me," and I try to think of Hana in my heart in every scene. I think that by doing that, I might act unconsciously.
--About Yui, who has a new dream of becoming a registered dietitian.
When she was suffering from morning sickness, Saijo-san (Fujiwara Norika-san) came to her side and asked her, "What can you eat?", which made Yui think that she wanted to help people, and she decided to become a registered dietitian. I have never actually been treated by a registered dietitian, but I thought that if there was someone like Saijo-san, she would be really reassuring, as she would not feel closed off even in the hospital room.
Although she opens up to Yui, she doesn't come over in her dirty shoes, and that balance is something only Norika can bring out. She naturally makes you feel like it's okay to open up to her. I was overwhelmed by Norika's first performance, and I felt like she brightened my mood just like Yui did.
--What are the highlights of the second half of the drama?
From now on, Yui will be a registered dietitian and will be close to patients. A registered dietitian is in a position to guide patients, but I learned from Saijo that it is important to stand on the same level as the patient and be close to them, rather than looking down on them, so I would like to play the role of a registered dietitian in a way that is convincing because Yui-chan has done many things up until now, such as being a gal and doing calligraphy.
"Omusubi" is not a story about someone who accomplished something great, but it is a work that conveys that everyone has an influence on someone else's life and that no one can live alone. It is wonderful that Yui is not the only one who influences everyone, but everyone, including the mother and father, has a background and they all influence each other, and the charm of the story is that while each person's world branches out, they are connected as one tree. I love Nonji Nemoto's script, which conveys the desire not to let the little joys of everyday life slip away or spill them, and there are many lines that I think are wonderful, so please watch until the end. There are also many unique characters, so look forward to it!
