"Ubai Ai, Manatsu" Interview with Marika Matsumoto, Maryjun Takahashi, and Kasumi Mori

The latest installment of the "Ubai Ai" series, which has been gaining attention for its turbulent love-hate drama and the cast's eccentric acting, is currently airing, "Ubai Ai, Manatsu" (TV Asahi, Fridays at 11:15 PM, excluding some regions). Written by series creator Osamu Suzuki, the story follows Umino Manatsu (played by Marika Matsumoto Matsumoto) as she falls in forbidden love with Sorachi Taimu (played by Ken Ken Yasuda), a married company president who looks just like her ex-boyfriend, despite her conflicted feelings.

We spoke to Matsumoto, who plays Manatsu, Maryjun Takahashi, who plays Tokimu's wife Sorachi Mirai, and Mori Kasumi, who plays Yamagami Hanabi, Mirai's younger sister who intentionally tries to cause trouble between her sister and her husband and Manatsu. These are the women who hold the key to the love triangle in the play.

--Matsumoto and Takahashi have worked together before, but this is your first time working with Mori. What are your impressions of Mori, the "Reiwa era's queen of cuteness"?

Takahashi: I had the impression that she was cunning, but she's actually quite natural.

Matsumoto: And it's cute (laughs).

Mori-san: Thank you! But fireworks are a bit cunning. It's like there's a heart mark at the end of the sentence.

Matsumoto: But I also like Hanabi! She plays a character who is obviously mean, but I love the way she just acts mean! Maybe it's because Kasumi is playing her, but I find myself rooting for her.

Mori: Even though he's being mean to Manatsu (played by Matsumoto), he says, "The fireworks are so cute! It makes me want to cheer them on" (laughs).

--Takahashi's character Mirai's memorable lines and actions are a hot topic.

Mori-san: Whenever I read the script, I think, "How will I act this out..." Sometimes the characters suddenly start singing, right?

Takahashi: I sing quite a lot (laughs).

Matsumoto: But Mary is really good at singing! She sings when (Mirai's heart) is broken, and she listens to it. I'm the one who's breaking it... but I'm going to break it even more, so I want her to sing more (laughs)!

Takahashi: Thank you (laughs). But the lines are really "weird," so I was able to be "weird." (Thanks to Suzuki Osamu's script) The characters stand out even without me trying to act strangely.

Matsumoto: I thought she couldn't do better than the previous film, but Mary does a really natural job of being "weird." I'm watching it thinking, "Wow, that's great!"

Takahashi: It's all thanks to Marika. Because Marika is so frightened, it makes me look like I'm going crazy. The subtle changes in her facial expressions are so amazing that I can't stop staring.

Mori: Even though I'm being mean, I'm also hurting inside.

Matsumoto: She's been shaking the whole time... Even though she's in the wrong (for having an affair), it bothers me that Manatsu seems like the victim (laughs). I hope you'll enjoy watching her as a victim while making comments.

--Two episodes have been aired so far. What can we look forward to from episode 3 onwards?

Takahashi: The end of episode 3 is shocking. (In the style of a fireworks line) Bang! (laughs)

Matsumoto: We delve deeper into each character, and things get explosive from episode 4 onwards (laughs).