Wataru Ichinose stars in the TV drama series " Taigan no Kaji ~Kore ga, Watashi no Ikiru Michi~ ~" (TBS, Tuesdays at 10pm). He plays Murakami Torao, the husband of Shiho ( Mikako Tabe) who works as the manager of a chain of izakaya restaurants. How does he play Torao, who understands and respects Shiho's desire to "make housework a job for her family"? We spoke to Ichinose about it.
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The story is based on the novel "Taigan no Kaji" (Housework on the Other Side) by Kiko Akano (Kodansha Bunko). It depicts the never-ending task of "housework" through Shiho's interactions with "people on the other side" who have different positions and ways of thinking than her.
-Please tell us how you felt when you were decided to appear in this film.
I had the impression that TBS's Tuesday drama slot had a lot of dramas that depicted women. I usually play villains, so I was a bit worried about whether the viewers who enjoy watching this slot would accept me. What's more, I was surprised to find out that I was playing Tabe's husband.
-I heard that you not only read the script but also the original novel.
I was overwhelmed by the world that Akano Kaiko created. I'm sure fans of the original work will also enjoy this work. What made me personally happy was that Kaiko was perfectly suited to the role of Seki Kotaro, who she played in the "HiGH & LOW" series (Nippon TV). Furthermore, when I heard that she had given the character the name "Korou" as a result of that, I felt deeply moved by this unexpected connection.
-What kind of preparation did you do to play the character of Torarou?
Usually when I create a character, I get into the role with a feeling of "diving into" it, but this time I tried to act with a sense of "what if." "If I had continued being a kickboxer," "If I had become the manager of an izakaya," "If I had married someone like Shiho" -- it was like living "another life." The staff also requested that "in any case, please make him someone who loves Shiho and Ichigo."
--Toraaki is a very doting father, but was there any particular person you looked up to for the role?
I respect many actors because I like the way they act in certain scenes. Among them, I especially like actors who act kindly. This time, there are two actors who I looked up to in particular.
The first is Toshiyuki Nishida. I was particularly impressed by his performances as Professor Kuroi in the movie "School" and Ryuhei Aoyama in "School II," and I thought it would be great if I could act with the same warmth as Nishida.
The other is Kenta Kiritani. I lost my father when I was 5 years old and grew up in an environment where my mother was at work, so I didn't have many adult men around me. For me, "adult men" were my judo and kickboxing teachers and were just scary. But when I entered this world and acted with Mr. Kiritani, I was shocked to see that there were such kind people. He is really kind to children and always tries to make them happy. And seeing how much he cares for his family, I felt that "if I were to play the role of a father, someone like Mr. Kiritani would be ideal." I am conscious of that figure when playing Torarou.
-Please tell us your impression of Tabe-san, with whom you are co-starring for the first time.
Tabe-san is a really nice person. I usually wear sandals that cause severe pain in my feet for my health, and when Tabe-san saw that, she said, "Please be healthy (laughs)," and purposely put her weight on me (laughs). Her smile at that time was very memorable, and I felt that I had to support Shiho as Torarou, which deepened my understanding of the role.
When it comes to acting, he is truly a veteran. Even if I make a mistake in my lines, he accepts everything. He is a very reliable person.
--How do you communicate with Nagai Kana-chan, who plays Ichigo?
We were always playing during breaks in filming (laughs). Kana-chan said, "I want to cast a spell to control monsters," so I'm playing a role where I'm cast a spell and chased.
But I feel sad when I think that I won't be able to see Hana-chan anymore after filming this drama is over. Children grow up in an instant, don't they? Even if we meet again in a few years, she might not remember me. Normally, I would end the filming by saying "Let's meet again somewhere," but I don't think I can put it into words for Hana-chan. Just thinking about the time when filming has already wrapped makes me want to cry... (laughs).
-After filming this movie, how do you feel you have grown?
Until now, I didn't know how to interact with children because I wasn't mentally mature enough. However, in order to play the role of a doting father, I started to think of ways to close the gap between them. For example, I remembered that I used to do balloon art under the influence of an aunt, so I started practicing again.
At first, I made simple things like dogs, but gradually I started trying more difficult things, and I started making larger works at home. I took them to the work site and gave them to Kana-chan as presents.
Also, when I took my work to a nearby nursery school during the practice period, the children were really happy with it. It was interesting to see how the children's reactions changed as the quality of the balloon art improved.
--Do you think Torarou would be okay with Shiho being a full-time housewife?
Shiho has become the ideal woman for me, to the point that I feel like, "I want to marry someone like Shiho." However, that's not because she's a full-time housewife. I think Torarou also thinks, "If that's what she wants, I want to respect that." If Shiho says she wants to work, he'll support her. The important thing is to be considerate. I think the most important thing is to cherish each other's happiness.
--Who would you like to see this film?
This drama not only depicts the difficulties of being a full-time housewife, but also the daytime struggles of working Torarou. I think it's a work that will give many people a new perspective.
I myself became an apprentice at the gym and through the various experiences I had I realized the importance of "compassion." Whether at home or at work, if we are considerate of each other, we should be able to help each other. In fact, when I saw my cousin and his wife arguing about housework, I was reminded that "compassion is important after all." I would be happy if this work could be a catalyst for solving such problems, even if only a little.
