Suzu Hirose plays Susumu Someda, the owner of a ramen stand, in the TV drama series "Who saw the peacock dance in the jungle?" (TBS, Friday 10pm) starring Suzu Hirose. In the fourth episode, which aired on February 14th, Someda's past was revealed. We asked Sakai about his impression of Someda and what we can look forward to from the show.
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--How did you create the character Someda?
When I heard that he was the owner of a ramen stand, I thought it would be a heartwarming role, but I was surprised to find out that he had a lonely past. When I played Someda-san, I decided to leave it to the director's plan.
However, because it was a ramen shop, they made time for me to practice draining the water. However, I'm still not very good at draining the water. I've tried making it myself, but it's difficult. The ingredients were prepared for me, so if I made it exactly like that, it should be Someda's ramen, but it's different when I make it from scratch, and ramen is very complex.
--In episode 4, Someda's past was revealed.
I felt so sorry for him that I cried. I read both the original novel and the script, and I wondered if Someda-san's life would end like this. I'm sure there were many people who suffered like Someda-san when the bubble burst. My family was more or less like that. I felt that it was really sad to live alone in an apartment like Someda-san.
--You put a lot of emotion into the character of Someda.
I also lived alone for a while. It's really lonely when you come home and say "I'm home" and there's no one to say "Welcome home". And I think Someda-san was still thinking about his son Satoru even after they left. It's unclear whether Someda-san's end was an accident or a crime, so I wonder if there is anyone who will mourn him.
--Did seeing the Yamashita family remind you of the feelings you have for your own son?
I think it shows us the continuation of the family that Someda had imagined.
--What did the Yamashita family look like to you from Someda's perspective?
Yamashita (Lily Franky) is a single father who is carefully raising his daughter Kokoro Mugi (Hirose). It's lovely to see a young daughter and her father go to eat ramen at a food stall together. An incident tears this father and daughter apart in one night. I thought that was a bit cruel.
--Hirose-san, Lily-san, what was it like on set?
They get along well. And you both eat a lot of ramen (laughs). During breaks in filming, Lily and I both had back pain, so we were saying, "As you get older, all kinds of places start to hurt." They really were a close parent-child pair, so I wish I could have been closer to them.
-- Belief is a key point in this drama, but what do you personally consider important when believing in something?
I don't know if it directly translates to believing, but I think it's important to enjoy it. For example, when you see Shohei Otani playing baseball, even though there are difficult moments because it's baseball, you can see that he's enjoying even those moments, right? This time, I was allowed to participate as a member of the team for this production, and it was a lot of fun working together to create a good image. So, although the role of Someda is sad, I believe in him and I'm following him.
--Please give a message to everyone who is looking forward to the film.
The fourth episode ends without us knowing if Someda really forged Yamashita's letter, but it makes you wonder, "Can this really end in this season with this development?" When I first read the script, I also thought, "Maybe this won't end in one season?" The story is so interesting that I can't stop thinking about it. Every time I read the script, I often find myself exclaiming, "Eh!" at the end of the story. It's going to get even more interesting from now on, so I hope you'll look forward to it.
