Seiyo Uchino, starring in the drama "PJ ~Air Rescue Team~" wraps up filming

Actor Seiyo Uchino has wrapped up filming for the drama "PJ ~Aviation Rescue Team~" (TV Asahi, Thursdays 9pm). Uchino, who plays a passionate instructor who gives loving but strict guidance to students aiming to become rescuers, said, "The production was so dense that I didn't know when it would end. The phrase 'nature is unreasonable' appeared several times in the story, but doing this production made me realize once again that 'work and life are unreasonable as well.'" At the end, he shouted, "Bravo, everyone!!" just like his character Usami, and the set erupted with excitement.

"At first, both the staff and I knew a lot about the Self-Defense Forces, so we really did our best, groping around in the dark. The young people working desperately towards their dreams, and the instructors watching over them with love...I thought I had to show that seriousness, so I pushed the young people to their limits, and they may have disliked me at times, but I feel that was my biggest mission. The young people worked hard in really difficult situations, so we're proud of the fact that we made such a great watch, and I'm truly glad that I was able to take part," he said with a smile, looking back on the filming.

Among the student cast, Anna Ishii and Aoto Watanabe wrapped up filming ahead of everyone else. In front of his peers watching over him, Ishii burst into tears, saying, "I can't see everyone's faces...!"

Ishii and Watanabe rushed over to film the final scene for the remaining members, and a message was also delivered by Sergeant Nikaido Takuya of the Komaki Base Rescue Training Unit, who had been watching over the filming as a supervisor of the Self-Defense Forces since the training before filming began. He said, "I gave you all serious guidance as an instructor. I really think of you as the 65th PJ trainees," and the trainees burst into tears.

Kyoka Suzuki, who played Usami's ex-wife, praised Uchino and the student cast for their efforts in the difficult filming, saying, "As a viewer, it was heartwarming. I was always moved by the guts that you all must have acquired through your training."

The drama depicts students who aim to become rescuers of the Air Self-Defense Force Air Rescue Wing, an elite rescue unit with the full cooperation of the Air Self-Defense Force and known as the "last stronghold" for saving lives, as they undergo rigorous training under the strict and unconventional instructor Usami. The final episode (episode 9) will air on June 19th.