Season 3 of the short drama "Professional Girlfriend's Conditions" (BUMP), which depicts the fierce battle for dominance between "professional girlfriends" (or "professional girlfriends"), ordinary women who only date celebrities and athletes, has been released and is generating a lot of buzz. The main cast has been completely renewed from season 2, and the cast includes Shida Kohaku, Sakurai Reika, and Komiya Rio. We spoke to the three, who all share a common interest: having appeared in the Super Sentai series (TV Asahi).
The drama is based on the web manga "Conditions for a Professional Girlfriend: Women Who Want to Marry Celebrities" (Core Mix), written by hina and illustrated by acca. Season 1 was released in April 2024 on the short drama app "BUMP," with each episode lasting less than three minutes, and Season 2 was released in October of the same year, generating a lot of buzz. Season 3 is set on the set of a drama production, and follows a rookie assistant director who falls in love with a handsome actor, and after meeting a professional girlfriend, begins her own journey as a professional girlfriend. However, an unexpected pitfall awaits... and so the story unfolds.
--You three have experience appearing in the Super Sentai series, but is this your first time acting together?
Shida: It's the first time. Komiya-san is a senior hero from two films ago, but we did happen to be in an elevator together (at Toei's studio).
Komiya: I was told about it, but I don't remember it at all (laughs). However, I did have the opportunity to watch Shida and the others filming once.
Shida: Oh really! That's the first time I've heard that (laughs).
--Sakurai-san appeared in "Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger" last year.
Sakurai: Unlike the two of you (who were heroes), you played a role where it was unclear until the very end whether you were a friend or a villain. (The special effects set) had a really "youthful" feel to it, didn't it?
Shida: That's right. We filmed for a year, so we became close with the staff like family.
Komiya: I was 17 years old at the time, and I felt a sense of youth that I didn't get much of at school (due to the coronavirus pandemic).
What did you talk about behind the scenes?
Komiya: Actually, I didn't have any scenes with Sakurai-san...
Sakurai: Today was the first time I had a proper conversation with Komiya-san (laughs). I thought the two of you were really close. You were chatting away in the dressing room today, so I was jealous and listened intently (laughs).
Shida: Komiya-san often plays games with me (laughs)! He's a kind older brother.
--The messy, tense battles between the women are still going strong, but could you tell us about any memorable episodes from filming?
Shida: It was a role I'd never played before, and there was quite a bit of swearing even in the monologues (laughs). It was a fresh experience for me, and it made me want to continue taking on new challenges. There was a scene where I had to express despair through my facial expressions, and I think I did a good job of it.
Sakurai: I think she was good! There's a scene where I cut off the bangs of Nami Yuki (played by Shida), and even though it's a scene that ends up with a rather unfortunate hairstyle, it suited her really well! She was so cute!
Komiya: It certainly suited you.
Shida: Really?! I'm so happy (laughs). We were shooting wearing wigs, but during the rehearsal, Sakurai-san took scissors so hard that she almost took off my bangs. At the time, I was a little worried, thinking, "This is too much!" (laughs).
-Finally, what are the highlights of this work?
Shida: I hope you'll pay attention to how a serious new AD falls in love and enters the world of professional girlfriends, and how he changes dramatically! We all worked hard to live up to the expectations of this popular work, so I hope that passion can be conveyed.
