The Asadora drama series "Anpan " (NHK General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 AM and others), starring Mio Imada , aired its final episode on September 26th. Takumi Kitamura , who played Yanai Takashi Yanai , the husband of the heroine Nobu (Imada), revealed, "Nobu and Takashi have supported each other's steps like crutches." Kitamura spoke once again about his co-starring role with Imada and the final scene.
◇ "Everyone was charmed" by the positive Mio Imada
"Anpan" is based on the married couple Takashi Yanase(1919-2013) and Nobu (1918-1993). It tells the story of how the two met, overcame all sorts of obstacles, and arrived at "Anpanman," the embodiment of "unreversible justice."
He has co-starred with Imada, who plays Nobu, in various works, including the "Tokyo Revengers" movie series, and "Anpan" marks their sixth time together. Looking back on the year-long filming, Kitamura said, "The phrase 'we really support each other' is the most accurate."
"I was right beside him when he stopped and looked back, and each time that happened we would clearly put into words our thoughts and the paths we were taking together. This was true in terms of acting, and even when we were away from the acting, we would always talk about the script and the scenes."
Throughout the year of filming, Kitamura recalled, "What I felt most was Imada's strong sense of responsibility. I think that was the thing he had the most in common with Nobu."
"Imada-san is always strong-willed and brightens up the set. This hasn't changed for a year now, and just like a sunflower, the set instantly becomes brighter when she's there. This has always been the same on the sets where we've worked together until now, but even so, she has doubts, worries, and regrets. I've had those moments more often than I could have imagined a year ago. That's why we've supported each other's steps like crutches."
Although he sometimes had doubts and worries, it is precisely for this reason that Imada's attitude on the job is so memorable.
"I feel that it was Nobu (Imada) who always looked forward no matter what. I felt that strength every day, and I think that all the staff and cast were fascinated by and supported by that strength."
◇The last scene "brought me to tears"
The final scene of the final episode depicted the everyday lives of Nobu and Taka. Looking back on this scene, Kitamura smiled and said, "I think it ended in a way that was very much like us."
"The scene turned out to be one in which the two of them walk down a road, cherishing their wish that their everyday lives would continue forever. I was almost moved to tears by the triviality of that scene, but I think it was the warm days that "Anpan" has walked that made me feel that way."
Kitamura said he felt that the staff, cast, and team all came together to create "Anpan," saying, "Not only the director and production staff, but also the assistant director team, camera team, costume department, and makeup department, all discussed things on an equal footing, and it really felt like we were all weaving it together, one piece at a time, day by day."
"It was my first time acting in a Asadora, so I felt the difficulty of figuring out how to create a big beginning, development, twist, and conclusion in a week's time, and constantly putting all my effort into those 15 minutes. If there was anything I was unsure about, I never let it go, but stopped and always discussed with everyone, saying, 'We have to do this to make this work.' I think that atmosphere on set led to a final scene that was so typical of us."
