Kenshiro Kawanishi stars in the TV drama "Taigan no Kaji ~Kore ga, Watashi no Ikiru Michi~" (TBS, Tuesdays at 10pm). He plays Ryohei, the husband of Reiko Nagano (played by Noriko Eguchi), who struggles to balance work and childcare. Ryohei works at an event company and often comes home late at night, so he leaves all the housework and childcare to Reiko. We asked Kawanishi how he played the role of Ryohei.
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The story is based on the novel "Taigan no Kaji" (Housework on the Other Side) by Akeno Kiko (Kodansha Bunko). It depicts the never-ending task of "housework" through Shiho (Tabe)'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 found out you would be appearing in this film.
First, the manager gave me a rough outline of the story and themes. It's an issue that's been discussed a lot in Japan right now, but has not made much progress. For example, the old structure and constitution of women doing housework and men going out to work. I thought it was a good drama that confronts the state of society and themes that need to be addressed now, and tries to express them in a pop way. Of course, this is based on the premise that Akano Kayoko created such an original work. I was happy to be involved in the production.
--What did you feel when you actually read the script?
Dramas are constrained by the time limit, aren't they? Within that, I felt that the show was trying to shine a spotlight on people in various positions, such as those who juggle work and family life, marital relationships, and the difficulties of raising children. I felt that the show was trying to portray as many diverse perspectives as possible.
-Was there anything about the character you played, Nagano Ryohei, that you empathized with?
Rather than empathizing with him, I thought, "There must be a lot of people like this." I think Ryohei is a type of man that there are many in the world. Even if he cares about his family, he is busy with work and can't find the time. In fact, there are still many companies where people work a lot of overtime. In that sense, Ryohei may be a symbol of modern men.
-Was there anything you kept in mind when acting?
I think that there haven't been many scenes in which Ryohei appears, but he becomes firmly involved in the story from the middle of the story. He is also one of the causes of Reiko's suffering and conflict at home, so I was conscious of the "gap" in his behavior that changes how he is viewed from inside the family and from the outside, and there were requests to do so on set. Within that, it was necessary to depict him in a way that was a bit on the nose for the viewers. I thought that the timing of that "on the nose" would lead to the changes in the Nagano family in the second half, so I devised my own way of doing it.
-Please tell us your impression of Eguchi.
I had always thought of him as a "real, amazing actor," but when I actually worked with him, he was just as amazing. The character of Reiko has such a tense expression and overall atmosphere that it made me think, "Wow, he can play so many different characters."
When I was having trouble expressing my emotions in a scene, Eguchi-san casually added the line, "Yes, if you say that, it will be easier to act." I felt that I got a glimpse of his consideration for those around him and his ability as an actor.
--The Nagano family has two children. Was there anything that stood out to you during the filming?
I thought the children were really amazing. The moment they stood in front of the camera and their character names were called, it felt like a switch had flipped. In fact, the makeup artist said, "They had been fussy up until then, but as soon as the camera started rolling and their character names were called, they stopped crying right away."
Nagano Hoshina-chan (Yoshitama Honoka-chan) naturally rubbed her eyes when I put her on the bed in a sleepy scene. I was honestly surprised by the perfect timing, to the point that I thought, "Eh, is she really sleepy? Is that acting?" Nagano Atsumasa-kun (Kotobuki Shoma-kun) was always asking, "Was it OK on the first try?" (laughs). We should learn from his attitude of having fun while also feeling like "I'm going to give it the OK!"
-What is your impression of the lead actress, Tabe?
I thought it was amazing when I saw the first episode. Even though there was some manga-like direction, she gave a realistic and heartfelt performance at the end. She was able to ride both sides of the spectrum and properly convey what she needed to convey. Her switching was amazing. She left an impression of being "cute," and she's a wonderful actress with a strong core.
--Episode 5 will feature a scene where the three families, the Murakami, Nagano, and Nakatani, go to a barbecue together.
For me, who has shot a lot at the Nagano family home, the way he interacts with another family member who he doesn't usually have contact with seems like a real father, and there were some parts that linked with Ryohei's feelings. I think it's a scene that can be seen from a perspective that allows you to organize the colors of each family.
--There's apparently a scene where Reiko and Ryohei clash.
Thanks to that scene, the Nagano family gradually begins to change. They are able to try to understand each other because they had a serious conflict once. I felt that this gradation was an important part of this drama.
--Ryohei also said, "I do (housework) on my days off too."
From Reiko's perspective, she would probably think, "You're not doing it, are you?" and I'm sure many people in the world would think the same. However, from Ryohei's point of view, he works overnight at the office and often goes on business trips, so he can't go home very often. In this kind of lifestyle, when he carves out a little time to do some housework, he feels like he's "doing it." But then, later on, he looks back and wonders, "Did I really do it then?" Maybe your thoughts will change if your perspective changes. That kind of multifaceted perspective is what makes this drama so interesting.
--It seems like there would be sympathy from men too.
I feel like there are a lot of men behind me saying, "Say more, Ryohei!" (laughs). But I'm sure there are many more housewives who think, "That's not enough..." (laughs). In fact, I heard that in a production team meeting, among the many women, one of the few male staff members said, "I carry Ryohei's feelings on my shoulders!"
--For viewers, there is something about every character that they can relate to.
Of course, the characters you empathize with will be different depending on your gender and position, but I think each of us has something that we can relate to or that we felt but couldn't say.
In this drama, no one is to blame. Reiko, Ryohei, the company, and society all have their own situations and circumstances. So, rather than just blaming someone, I hope it will be an opportunity to think, "So, what should we do?"
--The film depicts characters struggling with housework, but what do you personally find difficult about housework?
The basic idea is that housework is something that absolutely cannot be avoided in life. If you don't eat, you can't live, and if you don't clean, your living environment will become unlivable. Of course, there are individual differences, but it's something that must be done. So, there is a perception that "housework is difficult" to begin with.
Among those, I think cooking is the most difficult. You can't just do it tomorrow because it could damage your health. Also, if you're cooking for someone, they'll get bored of the same menu over and over, and they might not eat it. To do that, you have to plan the menu and think about what to buy. You can't go to the supermarket every day, so you have to buy things several days in advance. On top of that, when you start thinking about what's cheap today to save money, it's not just about cooking, but all sorts of other things that come with it. So, personally, I think cooking is the hardest part.
-Finally, please tell us what the highlights are.
There are many different characters in this drama, each with their own story. I think there will be many men who see themselves in Ryohei. This is a drama that has a clear "compromise," so if you project yourself onto one of the characters, I hope you will watch it through to the end from that perspective. Also, this drama has words that gently reach out to you, so I'm sure some people will find it comforting. When you meet someone new because of changes in your child-rearing, work, or family environment, it can be difficult to find common topics to talk about from scratch. I hope this drama will be an entry point for everyone to talk about.
