Drunk Dragon's Tsukaji, "It was scary" to succeed Osugi Ren in Kintori

On September 26th, comedian Takemasa Tsukaji of the comedy duo "Drunk Dragon" appeared at a fan appreciation event for the TV drama "Emergency Interrogation Room" (TV Asahi) held in Tokyo. He looked back on his memories with Ren Osugi, who passed away in 2018.

"Emergency Interrogation Room" is a popular series that follows the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigative Division's "Emergency Case Response Interrogation Team (commonly known as Kintori)," led by veteran interrogator Yukiko Makabe, played by Yuki Amami, as they engage in a back-and-forth psychological battle with violent criminals. The series first aired in 2014 and has since garnered popularity with four serial drama series (January 2014, April 2017, April 2019, July 2021) and two special dramas (September 2015, January 2022). The fifth season will begin airing on Thursdays at 9 PM on October 16th, and the final film of the series, "Emergency Interrogation Room THE FINAL," will be released on December 26th.

Tsukaji has been playing the role of Detective Tamagaki Matsuo since the third season. Tamagaki was a temporary member of Kintori (currently working in the Cybercrime Division) filling in for Nakata Zenjiro, who was played by Osugi. Tsukaji spoke about his feelings when he joined the show, saying, "I felt a lot of pressure because I joined mid-way through."

He also revealed that this was a project that would have been realized if Osugi had been alive, and that he was scheduled to play the roles of boss and subordinate. "I felt some kind of fate, and it felt like I was being handed the baton by Mr. Sazanami. I was nervous and scared, but everyone really welcomed me warmly. Ms. Amami even said to me, 'Thank you.' So I decided to give it my all, and that's how I got to where I am today," he said.

He also said, "I'm often the second generation or a stand-in for someone else. That means I'm always compared to the previous generation," a grumble reminiscent of "The Naked General," which drew laughter from those around him.

On this day, Amami, Tetsushi Tanaka, Hayami Mokomichi, Suzuki Kosuke, Tsukaji, Denden, and Fumiyo Kohinata held talks in front of over 400 fans who were selected by lottery.