Actor Saito Takumi stars as a kidnapper in the TV Asahi drama series "The Kidnapping Day" (Tuesdays at 9pm). Actor Sakata Risa plays Koga Ayaka, the only female member of the local police investigation team led by Detective Sunouchi Tsukasa, played by Eguchi Yosuke. What is the real face of this short-haired beauty who stands out among the mostly male investigation team? We spoke to her about everything from the drama to her special skill, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
◇ The climax of "The Kidnapping Day" is different from the Korean version
"The Kidnapping Day" is based on the 2023 Korean drama of the same name. It is a mystery about a pseudo-father-daughter duo consisting of Masamune Shinjo (played by Saito), who becomes a kidnapper to pay for his daughter's heart surgery, and Rin Nanase (Yuno Nagao), a genius girl with amnesia whose parents were murdered, as they evade the pursuit of mysterious men of unknown identities and get closer to the truth of a murder case.
Sakata plays Ayaka, a detective at Kawanaka Police Station who investigates the case. This is her first time playing a detective role, and it was her dream role.
"I'm learning Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and I've always wanted to do action, so I was happy when I heard I'd be playing a detective! However, there were no action scenes this time... (laughs). I wonder if my posture and core strength will come in handy for the role?"
To take on the role of a detective, he cut off his shoulder-length hair.
"I'm a woman in an all-male team, so I wanted a boyish look, and so I cut my hair short. It's the first time in my life that I've had hair this short. I was a little worried about whether it would suit me, but I was happy to receive more compliments than I expected. It's also easier to use a hair dryer in the summer, so I'm glad I cut it short (laughs)."
The Kawanaka Police Station investigation team, with the exception of Sunouchi played by Eguchi, has a somewhat comical atmosphere.
"The director told us, 'If it's all serious, the viewers will get tired, so I want to add more fun elements to the Criminal Investigation Team.' I think they play a role in the 'relaxed' part of a story that continues to be full of tension. I hope you continue to enjoy that 'laid-back, fluffy feeling'!"
As the story nears its final stages, she introduced, "The atmosphere will change completely from episode 7 (broadcast on August 19th)!" She also appealed, "As Ayaka, I'm tailing Shinjo's wife (played by Yumi Adachi). The climax is different from the Korean version, so I hope you'll look forward to it!"
◇She has over 150,000 followers on TikTok and has become a buzz for her resemblance to Nana Seino
His specialty is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a grappling martial art that originated in Japanese judo and developed in Brazil. He started training it about five years ago, at the recommendation of the agency he was with at the time.
"I was advised to do it because it would stand out when written in my profile, but honestly I was reluctant at first... (laughs). However, I originally played soccer and loved physical activity, so I got hooked on going to the dojo. Now I think of it as my "weapon." Even after changing agencies, I still go at least once a week, sometimes as many as six times a week."
In April of this year, he obtained the purple belt, the third of five belt levels. "It's a weapon I'm confident in, but I haven't been able to use it in my work yet, so I'd like to try my hand at action roles in the future," he said enthusiastically.
He says that once he gets into something, he's the type to stick with it for a long time, and that this doesn't just apply to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He has been posting on TikTok since his university days, and currently has over 150,000 followers.
"It may be presumptuous, but people started buzzing about my resemblance to Nana Seino, Kaho, and Non, and I gained more followers. TikTok's trends change so rapidly that I can suddenly stop being seen, so it can be difficult, but since I started, I want to continue."
He will turn 26 in October this year. "I've been getting more 'work-related' roles, like playing a JR employee in 'Bullet Train Explosion' (Netflix) and a detective this time, and it's a lot of fun to act. I'd like to try different jobs in the future, and I'd also like to try action roles!" he said enthusiastically.
