Anpan's Mio Imada interview: First attempt at "aging makeup"

Mio Imada plays the main character Yanai Nobu in the NHK Asadora drama "Anpan " (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times), which will have its final episode on September 26th. Over the course of a year, Imada played Nobu from his teens to his 70s, revealing that "I was amazed at the (age-making) technique," and talked about what he kept in mind when playing the older Nobu and what he kept in mind as the leader of the troupe.

◇ In his later years, Nobu "took inspiration from his grandmother"

" Anpan" is based on the married couple Takashi Yanase(1919-2013) and Nobu (1918-1993). It is a story of love and courage that will fill you with the joy of living, depicting how the two met, overcame all sorts of obstacles, and arrived at "Anpanman," the embodiment of "unreversible justice."

Imada lived as Nobu from her teens to her 70s. In her childhood, she was called "Hachikin" (a lively woman in Tosa dialect) and ran around energetically, but in her later years she stood tall and gave the strong impression of supporting Nobu.

"Nobu goes through a lot of experiences, and as she grows older, she gradually changes from a lively young girl to a more mature person. I struggled a lot with how to portray that change. As she gets older, there are moments when her old Nobu side emerges, so in the end, I wanted to combine the Nobu who was a hothead and the Nobu who can stop and think, and show both sides of her."

When playing Nobu in his later years, Imada said, "I imagined my own grandmother. I looked at photos and used her mannerisms as reference."

It was her first time using "old-age makeup." "In the second half, I was portrayed in my 70s, so it was fun to gradually age myself," she said with a smile.

"I was amazed at the techniques, like how they carved wrinkles into the skin or how they added blemishes. I would also discuss my hairstyle with the hair and makeup artist, and sometimes we would incorporate the trends of the time, and in my later years I cut my hair very short."

◇What is your mindset as a chairperson?

Imada-san has been the leader of the cast for a year, and filming took place surrounded by veteran and talented cast members.

"The cast was all so amazing that I didn't know what I could do, or if I was even able to do it. But what I kept in mind was that, since ' Anpan' is a very kind and warm-hearted work, I wanted the set to be a similarly kind and warm place."

She began to think this way after appearing in the Asadora"Okaeri Mone" in the first half of 2021 as Kamino Marianna Riko.

"I wasn't always on the show, and there were periods when I was filming, and sometimes I would return after a long time. At that time, I remember being very happy when they welcomed me back warmly, saying 'Welcome back,' even though it had been a long time. There are many people who appear in ' Anpan,' and some who have not been on set for a long time, so I thought it would be nice to create an atmosphere where people could feel at ease even after a long time."

Furthermore, she and Takumi Kitamura, who plays Takashi, made a conscious effort to stay in the dressing room as much as possible during breaks in filming. "In the second half, I also didn't go back to the dressing room, and instead ate lunch and dinner in the dressing room," she revealed.

"When I was there, I could always see everyone's faces, and we would all watch the afternoon reruns together. I loved that kind of atmosphere. I owe it in large part to the cast and staff for creating that kind of atmosphere, so I'm very grateful."