In the 29th episode (broadcast on May 8th) of the NHK Asadora drama "Anpan " (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00am, etc.) starring Mio Imada , there was a scene in which the second daughter of the heroine's family (the Asada family), Ranko ( Yuumi Kawai), and the young stonemason Go Hara(Kanata Hosoda), who has been sent to war, communicated their feelings, which became a hot topic among viewers. We spoke to production manager Kurasaki Ken about the acting of Kawai and Hosoda in this scene and the reason for casting Hosoda.
◇A scene that "120 million people should see"
In the 29th episode, it is the day of Go's send-off party. With a push from Nobu (Imada), Ranko gathers up her courage and heads to Go's, but they are unable to express their feelings to each other, and an awkward atmosphere prevails. Afterwards, a grand send-off party is held, and Go expresses his gratitude to the Asada family. While Nobu and the other three sisters are having a great time singing Yosakoi-bushi, Go can't help but leave his seat.
Ranko chased after Gou and told him how she really felt: "Gou-chan, you're a slow runner, so I'm worried you might get hit by the bullets. Please come and get me. Not just sure, but absolutely." Gou then proposed to her, saying, "If you come and get me safely, please marry me." Ranko replied, "I really love you. I'd like to be your wife, Gou-chan. Please come and get me," and they confirmed their feelings for each other.
Looking back on this scene, Kurazaki said, "When we on the production team saw the preview, we also burst into tears. Not just that scene, but one of the major themes of ' Anpan' is, 'How do we live in this present time that will never come back?' I think it's a theme that continues to this day, and I've always wanted to depict something like that."
"One of the symbols of this is that scene. Go has to go to war, and it's unclear whether he'll come back. For the two of them, that moment will be their 'last moment'. If that's the case, what words should they say, what should they convey? It was positioned as an important scene for the team as well, and when I saw Hosoda and Kawai's acting, I felt that the sense of distance between them was wonderful, and that it was a scene that could only have been created by these two. Every single one of their gestures, including their posture and facial expressions, conveyed directly that they were living out that one and only moment through their roles. It's a scene that I want 120 million people to see, and I felt a great sense of accomplishment."
◇Reason for casting Hosoda Kanata Hosoda as Go
Hosoda, who played Go, auditioned for the role of Chihiro, the younger brother of Takashi Yanai(Takumi Kitamura). This audition brought together dozens of young actors who could be called the "next generation of aces," and various selection procedures were carried out, such as reading the lyrics of "Anpanman's March" from verse 1 to verse 3 with a mixture of joy, anger, sorrow and happiness, just like the heroine audition.
Kurazaki said, "When I saw Hosoda's acting and demeanor, and after talking with him at length, I thought that the role of a so-called silent man would suit him. Quiet, but deep down he has solid, down-to-earth thoughts and passion. At that point, the character of Go was starting to take shape in the script, so I thought he would be perfect for the role. However, because Hosoda was already active in many areas, including leading roles in movies, I was concerned about whether he would be able to play a role with few lines."
After the audition, Kurazaki suggested to screenwriter Miho Nakazono, "I'm not sure if he'll be able to appear, but how about Hosoda playing the role of Go?" Nakazono agreed, so when they offered the role to Hosoda, he accepted.
"He's sincere, earnest and stoic. That kind of personality of Hosoda-san's own matches up with the character of Gou, and looking back at his acting so far, I'm really glad that Hosoda-san played the role."
Go is away at war and Ranko is waiting for him to return. How will their love end? Stay tuned for more developments.
