King & Prince's Kaito Takahashi takes on his first period drama role in the film "Oi, Oui"

It was revealed on June 3rd that Kaito Takahashi of the popular group "King & Prince" will play an artist who hones his skills alongside Masami Nagasawa(Nagasawa) in the Fudai Geki film "Oi, Oui" (directed by Omori Tatsushi, to be released on October 17th), starring Oui Nagasawa and co-starring Masatoshi Nagase. This will be Takahashi's first foray into period drama, and he will play Keisai Eisen (Zenjiro), a student of Hokusai who paints portraits of beautiful women. A visual of his sensual character holding a brush has also been released.

The Edo period featured the unconventional painter Katsushika Hokusai (Nagase) and his daughter and Oui Katsushika Oei (Nagasawa). Oui to have surpassed her father in the art of painting beautiful women, and as Hokusai's right-hand man and one of the few female painters, she depicted the artist's entire life. Although she couldn't make tea or do needlework, Oei was a pioneering female artist who made her way through a male-dominated society with her artistic Oui and boldness inherited from her parents, and this film depicts the happiness she ultimately found in her Oui, living freely and true to her heart.

The director and scriptwriter is Omori, who has delicately depicted the depth of human nature in works such as "Every Day is a Good Day" and "Hoshi no Ko." The protagonist, Katsushika Oui, is played by Nagasawa, who has been a driving force in the Japanese film industry since coming into the spotlight in "Crying Out Love, In the Center of the World" (2004). This will be the first time that Omori and Nagasawa have teamed up since "Mother" (2020). This is Nagasawa's first lead role in a period drama.

Takahashi plays Keisai Eisen (Zenjiro), a real-life painter who lived in the same era as Oui and Hokusai and who specializes in painting beautiful women. Zenjiro was a student of Hokusai and a Oui friend and brother-like comrade of Oei. He lost his parents at a young age and is a popular painter who makes a living as a painter to support his family, but he also has a side to him that loves alcohol and women. While posing as a frivolous Edo man, Zenjiro was a man who witnessed the talents and unique bond between Oui and Hokusai up close, and Takahashi charmingly plays him as a cool man who is full of sex appeal and yet calmly observes the world.

Although this is his first time appearing in a film directed by Omori Tatsushi, he said that after watching his previous works, "there is a rawness in all of (Omori's films), and I thought it was cool that they have a beauty and punkiness to them," and expressed his joy, saying, "When I heard that I would be able to appear in a period drama, I thought, wow, I did it! And then when I heard the director's name, I remember being very happy because it was a director I had always wanted to work with."

Takahashi himself has a hobby of drawing and has a strong interest in art, and has previously shown off a variety of artworks on TV variety shows. Although there were no scenes in this film where he was drawing, the director added a scene after learning that he could draw. Before filming, he practiced drawing with a brush, just like an Edo period painter, and he shows off his skills in the film.

Regarding working with Nagasawa, who plays Oui, and Nagase, who plays Hokusai, he said, "My goal this time was to be able to act naturally in conversation without worrying about myself on screen, but Nagasawa brought that out in a natural way. She pulled me along, and I really relied on her. Nagase is a very stoic person. Seeing him discussing even the smallest details with the director motivated me to do more and more. The relationship between the three of us was very comfortable, both on and off filming." He reflected that although there were difficulties in his long-awaited first appearance in a period drama, "it was a period of learning, and every day was fresh and exciting."

◇Full comment from Kaito Takahashi, who plays Keisai Eisen (Zenjiro)

I was very happy to be involved in a period drama, which I had always wanted, and to be involved in a production directed by Omori Tatsushi, but I was also a bit nervous, so much so that before filming began I even asked if I could do a reading with Director Omori.

During the filming period, I learned a lot, including the manners unique to period dramas, and every day was refreshing.

Nagasawa-san took the lead, and Nagase-san was kind and created an atmosphere where it was easy for us to talk, making the relationship between the three of us very comfortable both during and outside of filming.

Although the character I played, Zenjiro, may seem frivolous, I think he is a realistic person who paints and changes jobs to survive and provide for his family. A scene in which he paints a picture, which was not originally planned, was added at the last minute, and I was able to have the valuable experience of painting with a brush.

I believe that this work will make you want to take on new challenges yourself by showing the strength and determination of Oei (Oui), who takes pride in doing what she loves and making a living by painting.

Enjoy the relationship between Oei (Oui) and Hokusai, who continue to paint without being swayed by their surroundings, and Zenjiro, who is at their side despite being manipulated by them.

*The "taka" in Takahashi Kaito's name is pronounced as "ladder".