Actor Aoto Watanabe, who gained attention for his role as Tombo Oger/Yanma Gust in "Osama Sentai Sentai King King-Ohger" (2023-24), attended a cast appearance event for the drama series "PJ ~Aviation Rescue Team~" (TV Asahi, Thursday 9:00 pm), which started on the same night, held in Tokyo on April 24th, along with lead actor Aoto Watanabe Seiyo Uchino and others. He revealed that he had gained 12 kilograms in preparation for the role.
The drama depicts trainees aiming to become pararescue jumpers (PJs) for the Air Self-Defense Force's Air Rescue Wing, an elite rescue unit known as the "last stronghold for saving lives." Watanabe plays Tatsuya Hasebe, a trainee who is inferior in grades to the other trainees and has a fear of heights.
Watanabe revealed, "First of all, I have a very thin build, so in order to look more like real rescue workers I gained 12 kilograms before filming. I had never gained that much weight in my life, so it was a struggle at first." He talked about the grueling filming, saying, "We all trained together with actual (SDF) instructors, and they pushed me to the point where I couldn't even do a push-up properly. To be honest, I almost gave up many times, but I knew I wasn't alone and managed to get through it, and I'm still filming today."
Uchino, who plays the instructor, praised Aoto, saying, "Right from the start, Aoto was able to do 15 pull-ups and has incredible athletic ability. The character he plays is a bit pathetic, but in reality he is the most athletic (out of the cast). That's why he's good at bad acting!"
The drama depicts trainees aiming to become rescuers of the Air Self-Defense Force's Air Rescue Wing as they undergo rigorous training under the strict and unconventional head instructor, Seiji Usami (Uchino). The drama will be produced and broadcast with the full cooperation of the Air Self-Defense Force.
