Mio Imada plays Usako Ogawa , a classmate and childhood friend of the heroine Nobu Asada (Imada), in the Asadora drama series "Anpan " (NHK General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 a.m. and others), starring Mio Sara Shida. With the 35th episode broadcast on May 16th, Nobu and Usako graduate from the Women's Normal School and go their separate ways. We asked Shida about her impressions of Imada, her "ideal heroine," and Kumi Takiuchi, who plays Yukiko Kuroi, the teacher who gave strict guidance to Nobu and Usako, as well as her hopes for the future as an actor.
◇ Impression of Mio Imada as“Nobu”: “Kuroi Sensei” by Kumi Takiuchi: “She always makes me laugh”
Regarding Imada, with whom she had more scenes together as Usako this time, Shida said, "She was just like the impression I had of her from the TV shows I've seen so far."
"I always thought she was someone with an impressive smile, but after working with her this time, I realized she actually laughs a lot. She has the most scenes and lines, so it must have been tough, but seeing her proactively communicating with us (the other cast members) and the staff, I felt she was the ideal heroine who was leading the set."
She first met Takiuchi-san, who played the role of Kuroi-sensei, the teacher Usako looked up to and who inspired her to grow, at a fan meeting held when she appeared in the drama "Ooku" that aired last year. "I remember him treating me so kindly then, so I was really looking forward to meeting him again," she revealed.
"Takiuchi-san's acting is very powerful, but I get the impression that she has a firm core, even though she usually has a soft demeanor. There may be a slight gap between the image of her character and the character she plays, but her real face is brighter than you would imagine, and she always makes me and Nobu-chan (Imada-san) laugh. She told us a lot of stories during our free time, and we both laughed out loud when we heard her stories (laughs)."
◇ "Dragon Zakura" was a turning point: "Certain words" from director Katsuo Fukuzawa
Looking back on "Anpan," Shida said, "I approached this project with an incredibly fresh feeling, so I felt a sense of accomplishment that was different from anything I'd felt before."
It has been more than 10 years since Shida began appearing in film productions as an actor, but he exudes a sense of fulfillment, saying, "I think the biggest thing is that I've been able to continue because I love it."
"I've always had a strong sense of curiosity, and up until now I've tried taking up lessons and things I'd like to try, but I'd quickly get bored of them and keep wondering, 'What should I do next?' But the reason I've been able to continue with this job without getting bored is because I love it. It means a lot to me that if I hadn't come across this job, I'm sure I would be living a completely different life than I am now. When I'm acting, I feel the most joyous in my life, and it also makes me feel very positive. At the moment, I'm thankful to be able to appear in a variety of productions, so I want to keep working hard in the future so that this time doesn't let up."
Shida, who is now 25 years old, thinks of his 20s as "a time to encounter more various works in his 30s." This is related to a "certain word" that director Katsuo Fukuzawa said to him when he appeared on the Sunday Theatre "Dragon Zakura" (TBS), which aired in 2021.
"Director Fukuzawa told me, 'You can become an actress from 30 onwards' and 'Your 20s are the time to prepare for your 30s', and thanks to those words, I'm really looking forward to turning 30. Until now, I thought that my 20s were the most dazzling period of my life, but his words made me think of my 20s as a time to enjoy life beyond that. Of course, my 20s are an important time, but Director Fukuzawa's words made me want to cherish each and every project, hone my skills and have a wonderful 30s. In that sense, 'Dragon Zakura' was a turning point for me, and I feel that when I look back on ' Anpan' after some time has passed, I will be able to call it 'my turning point'."
