The right person in the right place, as seen in the selection of the voice actor for "UNBOUND"

Actor Ryusei Yokohama stars in the NHK Taiga drama "UNBOUND (Berabou)" (General TV, Sunday 8pm and others). In the 20th episode "Nebokete Soro" that aired on May 25th, singer and voice actress Nana Mizuki appeared and attracted the attention of viewers. She plays the Chienonaishi, a female kyoka poet from the Tenmei period. This casting could be said to be "the right person in the right place" as it connects Edo pop culture with the present day.

◇ "There are many connections to my work as a voice actress and singer," says Nana Mizuki

"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.

Mizuki has been a voice actress for over 20 years, but this is her first time appearing in a taiga drama. She plays Sume, the wife of the bathhouse owner Motono Mokuami(James Onoda). She also has a side to her that goes by the mad name "Chienonaishi." She leads the Tenmei Kyoka together with her husband. She meets Tsutae (Yokohama) at a Kyoka gathering that includes Ota Nanpo(Kenta Kiritani) and her husband Motono Mokuami, and they grow closer.

When her appearance was announced in April, Mizuki revealed, "I was really surprised when I was asked, 'Are you saying I'm going to be in a taiga drama?!'"

On the other hand, she also said, "Chienonaishi is one of the few female kyoka poets, and by composing sharp, humorous poems she was able to connect with many different people regardless of their social status, and together with her husband and friends she created joy and joy that would bring smiles to people's faces in an era when entertainment was scarce. Communicating words, connecting people through song, and bringing smiles to people's faces are all things that relate in many ways to my work as a voice actress and singer, so this is a role that I feel very close to."

◇ His first words were enough to raise expectations for even greater success.

The much-anticipated 20th episode of "UNBOUND" marked Mizuki's taiga debut. In this episode, Tsutae, who learned about the recently popular "kyoka" (clay poetry), is invited by Nanpo to attend the "kyoka society."

Mizuki-san appeared in the "Kyoga Gathering" scene. She said, "Today's judge is Shikata Akara (another name for Nanpo). What do you think, Sensei?" and on social media, she responded with comments such as, "Here comes Nana-sama," "It's Nana-sama!!," and "Nana Mizuki, both her appearance and her voice are wonderful." Comments such as, "Another female kyogen performer with an unusually good voice," and "Nana Mizuki sensei, your voice is just too good" were posted one after another.

In the end, her appearance in the 20th episode was limited to the one scene mentioned above, but the way she captivated the audience from her very first words was truly impressive. It was enough to make us look forward to her further success in the future.

◇ The members of Jihon Tonya who entertain fans at every meet-up

By the way, in this episode, Kazuya Nakai, Tomokazu Seki, Wataru Takagi, and Yoji Matsuda will also be appearing as the local corporation members who entertain fans every time in the meeting scenes, making it a bit of a "voice actor festival." Nakai, who plays Iwatoya, is shown interacting with Tsutae, and has more screen time than ever before.

In recent years, it is not uncommon for voice actors to appear in historical dramas. Takagi-san, who is often spoken of as one of the pioneers after his work in "Sanadamaru" in 2016, will be appearing in his third work with "UNBOUND", while Seki-san will be appearing in his second work after "The 13 Lords of the Shogun" in 2022.

Last year's "Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)" attracted attention with comedians such as Satoshi Kanada from "Robert," Tetsu Kaneda from "Hannya," and Taro Yabe playing regular roles in the show, but it seems that "UNBOUND" will be a big year for the hiring of voice actors, including one-off appearances by Inoue Kazuhiko, who appeared as the magistrate in the 14th episode.