Actor Kanna Hashimoto appeared at a press conference held in Tokyo on April 16th to announce the production of the drama series "Ameku M.D.: Doctor Detective" (TV Asahi, Tuesdays 9pm), which she stars in and will begin on April 22nd. Hashimoto, who plays the lead role of Takao Ameku, her first role as a doctor, said, "It's been about a month since filming began, and the atmosphere on set is fun, and I'm struggling with my long lines every day," she said with a smile full of satisfaction.
Regarding the role he plays, Hashimoto analyzed, "Takao Sensei's character is strong and has many elements," and revealed his feelings about creating the role, saying, "I have to make him a real person, so it's a challenge I've never taken on before. I have a really strong impression that I'm trying something new."
Hashimoto said she is enjoying this new challenge, saying, "I read the script every day and enjoy thinking, 'How would Takao-sensei act in this situation?' There's also a bit of playing around." She added, "I have affection for the role of Takao-sensei, and I've felt more and more attached to it since day one. I'm growing to like the character of Takao more and more. I think that enjoying it is leading to my own growth."
The drama is a film adaptation of the novel of the same name by Mikito Chinen, which has sold over 3.6 million copies in total. It is a medical mystery in which the buddy team of Takao Ameku (played by Hashimoto), a diagnostician with superhuman intelligence and memory, and Yu Takanashi (played by Shohei Miura), an internist, solve mysterious cases and phenomena. The first episode will be broadcast with an extended six-minute run.
Also in attendance at the press conference were Shohei Miura, Mei Hata, Nozomi Sasaki, and Toshiro Yanagiba. In addition, Sota Hanamura of the dance and vocal group "Da-iCE", who will be performing the theme song, made a surprise appearance and presented Hashimoto with a bouquet of flowers.
