The 20th episode of the NHK Taiga drama " UNBOUND (Berabou) " (General TV, Sunday 8pm and others), starring actor Ryusei Yokohama , "Nebokete Soro", will be broadcast on May 25th. From this episode, Kenta Kiritani will appear as Ota Nanpo/Shikata Akayoshi.
Ota Nanpo was a shogunate samurai who was born and raised in the Okachigumi residence in Ushigome. He made a name for himself with his collection of rhapsodies "Nebo Sensei Bunshu" (Collection of Rhapsodies) when he was in his teens, and later, under the mad name "Shiho Akara", he became a leading figure in Tenmei kyoka poetry. He also had many different sides to him, including as a critic and a comic book writer, and his relationship with Tsutaju (Yokohama-san) began after reading Nanpo's yellow-covered review "Kikujusou". He was also an avid drinker.
Kiritani reveals, "Minamiho is a very cheerful person, so I have a lot of fun working with him. On recording day, for some reason we all end up applauding (laughs). That kind of thing is nice, too."
Although the dialogue in Kyoka is unique, Kiritani says he "does it in his own way."
"Nanpo was someone who really played with words, so I tried to match his lines to the sounds and do it in my own way, but each line stuck in my head, or rather, it stuck in my mind. There is no one left who actually knows how he recited and sang, so I think I've been able to recite his lines in my own way, relying on my intuition and the atmosphere of the moment, in a way that feels right to me."
Nanpo was "a shogunate official, Edo's foremost intellectual, and the star of Tenmei Kyoka poetry."
"I hope people will enjoy watching Nanpo's heartwarming story of trying to brighten up the world during turbulent times while always saying 'thank you, thank you, thank you.'"
"UNBOUND (Berabou)" is the 64th taiga drama, depicting the life of Tsutaya Juzaburo(or "Tsutajyu" for short), who is said to have built the foundations of Japan's media industry and pop culture. The script was written by Yoshiko Morishita, known for "Drama 10 'Ooku'" which was broadcast on NHK two years ago and became a big hit.
