Ihara Rikka: "I'll do everything I can until I'm 30!"

Actor Rikka Ihara (26) stars in the TV series "Renai Kinshi" (Yomiuri TV/Nippon TV, Thursday 11:59 p.m.). The drama is a "romance horror suspense" about people who cross the line in love, and Ihara plays Kimura Mizuho, who impulsively kills her ex-lover. Ihara says that acting is "really fun!" We asked her about her impressions on the set and her future goals.

◇ "I love people" - A realization made through acting

Ihara was born in Osaka Prefecture in 1999. During her high school years, she was captain of the dance team at Osaka Prefectural Tomioka High School, which attracted attention with its "Bubble Dance." After making her drama debut in 2018 in "Cheer☆Dance" (TBS), she has appeared in numerous productions, including the NHK Asadora drama series "Natsuzora" and "Boogie Woogie." Last year, she made her first starring role in a terrestrial TV drama series in the drama "The Wife Who Stolen Her Liver" (NTV).

"Through this job, I've realized once again that I love people," said Ihara with a straight look in her eyes. When she is given a role that is outside of her repertoire, she sometimes goes out into the city to observe people.

"I like to observe how people speak. I also like to collect things like how they nod and what they do when they're irritated. I find it really fun to think that even a simple word like 'thank you' can be said completely differently (depending on the way it's said)."

Ihara says that it feels better to actually do something with his body rather than thinking about it in his head. He says that it is often the case that his acting finally feels right just before the performance.

"At home, I memorize the script while imagining various things, but when I get to the set, I think about whether there is anything I can use (as acting movement). For example, there are some parts, like the timing of drinking water, that feel better when I use my body. I've always been active, so I think I'm better at those kinds of physical aspects."

◇ "I'm very happy" to star in "Renai Kinshi"

"Renai Kinshi" is based on "Renai Kinshi" (Kadokawa Horror Bunko/published by KADOKAWA), one of the works in Nagae Toshikazu's "Forbidden Series."

When the protagonist, Kimura Mizuho (Ihara), was in high school, she was worried about her parents' remarriage and consulted her homeroom teacher, Kurashima Takashi. The two eventually grew closer and began to fall in love, but Takashi became very controlling and violent towards her. She then left her hometown to escape Takashi and moved to Tokyo, where she lived a peaceful life, but two years later, this all came to an end when Takashi appeared. Takashi threatened to kill himself if she refused, urging her to get back together, and she impulsively killed him, which caused her fate to start going awry... The drama version has an original ending devised by the original author himself.

When I read the proposal for this production, I thought it was interesting. "Some of the producers have come to see the play (in which Ihara appears) several times. I'm very happy to be able to take part in the lead role after seeing the play," he said, savoring his joy.

Some people are surprised at how quickly the story is developing, but he commented, "The way new mysteries emerge and the timing of when characters appear keeps it interesting. I think it's going to become a very interesting drama."

Ihara celebrated her 26th birthday on June 2nd. She was also congratulated on the set of this film. When asked what kind of year she wants to have this year, she confessed, "Every year, I think about cherishing the work in front of me, but basically, I want to do everything I can until I'm 30!" She showed a positive attitude by saying, "Even if I think I'm not very good at it or I'm not suited to it, I've made it my goal to do it without being picky!"

Ihara further added with a refreshing smile, "I like the type of work that is quite down-to-earth. Things that require a bit of preparation...such as the role of a dancer, I really enjoy playing the life of someone who requires a lot of preparation, so I'm waiting for a difficult role to come my way!"