"First Love DOGs" Na In-woo's facial expressions were "amazing" - Interview with the drama producer

The final episode of the drama series "First Love DOGs" (TBS, Tuesdays at 10pm), starring actress Kaya Kiyohara, will air on September 2nd. We spoke to producer Masako Miyazaki, who handled the first co-production between TBS and Korean production company STUDIO DRAGON, about her impressions of the cast and some anecdotes from the set.

◇ Na In-woo: "It was amazing until the very end"

--How do you feel now that filming has finished?

The Japanese-Korean production system and the participation of Korean actors, including Na In-woo, provided a different kind of stimulation than usual. That's why I'm so glad that we were able to complete filming safely. In terms of reaction, it seems that many people feel that it has a "Korean drama-like atmosphere," perhaps because it features Korean actors. When I read the comments that it's a new type of drama that can be interpreted as both a Japanese drama and a Korean drama, I thought, "So that's how people are receiving it."

-Among the cast members, has your impression of anyone changed since your first impression?

Na In-woo was particularly impressive. I'm sure it was difficult with so many lines in Japanese, but she played the role of So Ha beautifully until the very end. What's more, her facial expressions even when she wasn't speaking lines were wonderful, and I watched thinking that even if the language is different, feelings can still be conveyed through acting. It was a masterpiece until the very end.

-Across all the episodes, is there any scene that you filmed that left a particularly strong impression on you?

It was impressive how the scenes expanded thanks to the actors' freer acting than what was in the script, with the members of Shirosaki Animal Hospital, the members of Motosawa-McCarthy Law Firm led by Motosawa Keita played by Kishitani Goro, and the exchanges between Miyase Yuka played by Fukada Kyoko and Riku Hagiwara played by Hagiwara Riku. They always made the scenes even more interesting than what was in the script, so it was a lot of fun to watch on set.

The dialogue between Kishitani and Miyazaki Akito (who plays Kusakabe Ken) is also in the villain position, but there's something cute about it, and Hagiwara-kun, who is playing a rare cheerful character this time, along with Nadagi Takeshi (who plays Oshiro Takashi) and Noro Kayo (who plays Sugimoto Michiru), really expands it beyond what's in the script. Narita-san's Kai gradually opens up to this atmosphere, and I think we'll see a new Kai in the scene in the final episode where he's teased by the Shirosaki Animal Hospital members.

◇The dogs' performance was truly amazing

-What do you think about the dogs "Shogun" and "Sakura" who connect Aiko and Kai?

It was really amazing. The Shogun said "Ready! Ready!" and put on a serious facial expression, and I thought he might even start speaking his lines at the end (laughs).

This was Sakura's first video production, so at first she was restless and would spin around in circles, but by the end she was able to stay still in place. I was amazed at how much she had grown in just three months.

--Please tell us about the theme song, "Traces of Love Passing By" by SEVENTEEN (HYBE JAPAN).

In this work, I was able to decide the theme song for each episode without much hesitation. I think this is because they read the proposal carefully when I handed it over, and they were able to create the song after understanding "this is the kind of story it will be." Sometimes I struggle with where to play the song, but this time I was able to play it at a point that I knew from the beginning was "this is it!"

--This is a song written by WOOZI, but was there any other communication with him other than the request from the drama team?

The first demo I received was very good and captured the message of the drama, so I asked them to make some slight adjustments to the lyrics, and the song that is playing now has remained almost unchanged.

Aside from the proposal, I also gave him a list of keywords such as "first love, beloved dog..." I'm sure he read them. I think the phrase "spring afternoon" definitely represents "summer," and I thought it was genius! Also, personally, I really like the phrase "Unblooming flowers sway in the wake of love's passing," and when I first heard it, I was moved by how wonderful it was, as it seemed to describe the future of the characters whose first loves are complicated and they can't be honest with each other!

◇ "The present over the past" - Inspired by Korean drama-style ideas

--How do you feel looking back on your collaboration with Studio Dragon?

As expected, our bases of thinking on various things were different, and to be honest there were a lot of difficulties... (laughs), but in a good way, this led to thinking outside the box. I realized that "things that I had previously taken for granted may not be so." We all shared the same desire to "create a good work," and even though our ways of thinking differed due to differences in our environments, we were able to share important parts. Once I was able to confirm this, I felt the excitement of taking on the challenge of creating a new way of making drama.

How do you think this experience will help you in the future?

I was impressed by his way of thinking about the development of the story. For example, when I asked him why the ex-lovers don't appear, he said, "The viewers aren't that interested in things from the past. They're excited about what's happening in the present and what's going to happen in the future." It was great to hear that way of thinking early on. The emphasis on how to make the present interesting was refreshing and very stimulating.

-What do you think about global distribution?

I was always conscious of how it would be received in Korea. People who watched the series when it was streamed on "TVING" seemed to say it was "a new combination that is neither a pure Korean drama nor a pure Japanese drama." It has also started airing on the Korean cable TV channel "tvN," so I think even more people will be able to watch it, and I'm really looking forward to it.

-Please tell us what to look forward to in the final episode.

I hope you'll look forward to the culmination of how the three - a lawyer, a veterinarian, and Soha, the heir of a wealthy Korean family - will ultimately team up. I also hope you'll pay attention to the members of the law firm and the veterinary clinic, as well as the romance between Yuka and Kosuke. And of course, be sure to see how the love and friendship between Aiko, Kai, and Soha ends!