Akari Takaishi will be playing the main character, Toki Matsuno , in the Asadora drama series "Bakebake " (NHK General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and others), which will begin airing on September 29th in the second half of 2025. About six months have passed since filming began, and while she has been busy every day as the heroine of the Asadora, which was her dream, Takaishi says, "Every day is so much fun. This feeling of enjoyment continues all the time." We asked her to reflect on her days so far, including her thoughts on being the heroine of the Asadora and stories from the cast.
◇ The Asadora heroine "always helped me look forward"
Takaishi was selected from 2,892 candidates in an audition and achieved her childhood dream of becoming the heroine of a Asadora. Takaishi, who has been a TV addict since she was a child, said with shining eyes that seeing the Asadora heroine on TV "always made me look forward."
"I've seen a variety of works, and what I find wonderful about all the heroines is that when they hit a wall, they can see that it was that wall that led them to this future. It's not all fun and games, there are hardships as well, but it gives me the encouragement I need to see that I can look at things in a positive way every time I watch a Asadora. I hope that those who watch ' Bakebake' will also feel positive."
"Bakebake " brings together a talented and experienced cast, including Takashi Okabe , Chizuru Ikewaki as his mother, Fumi, and Fumiyo Kohinata as his grandfather, Kan'emon.
"Not only the Matsuno family, but also the Ushimizu family, including Shinichi Tsutsumi and Keiko Kitagawa Keiko, as well as the people of Matsue, including Wan Marui and Kanichiro... They are all people I had always wanted to work with, so I feel like it's fate. It really feels like a dream."
Ikewaki, who plays the mother, is a "senior" to her, having played the heroine in the Asadora"Honmamon" in the second half of 2001, and she expressed her gratitude, saying, "I guess she understands (the heroine's) feelings, because there are many scenes where she helps me out."
"Rather than directly teaching me, Chizuru-san is the type of person who casually lends me a hand and supports me. For example, she talks with the director so that I don't have to repeat scenes that require full expression of emotion... I feel that she is acting that way because she is concerned about me. Just like the actress Fumi-san, she is always warm-hearted."
◇ Surprised at his own physical strength while filming a Asadora: "I wonder if I've become a physical monster"
It's been about six months since filming began. Asadora are said to have a tough schedule, but Takaishi smiles and says, "Before filming began, many people told me it was tough and difficult, but every day has been so much fun. I thought it would get tough at some point, but the fun feeling has continued all the way through."
"I feel like I'm getting stronger with each passing day, and I'm surprised at how much stamina I have, and I think maybe I'm actually getting stronger. I think that when I finish this project, I'll be a physical monster (laughs). There may come a time when it gets tough, but I'm looking forward to it as a good experience."
She cites her trust in the staff as her motivation for filming. Before filming for "Bakebake" began, the staff of NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station sent her flowers and a heartfelt message in a book of messages on her birthday.
"I received passionate messages like, 'I'm looking forward to filming,' and 'I'll do anything for you (Takaishi-san) for a year,' and I couldn't wait to start working with everyone, so from the first day I was more excited than nervous."
He also said that as they work together, "that feeling is spreading more and more."
"Everyone's dedication to their work, and the respect and love they have for Koizumi Setsu and Yakumo, the models for ' Bakebake', are incredible. Every time I feel that, I want to do my best to deliver the best thing these people have created in the best possible way, and as filming progresses, this feeling has only grown stronger. That's why I don't want to give up, and I want to do what I can to make the set a happier and more enjoyable place."
"Bakebake" is based on the story of Koizumi Setsu, the daughter of a fallen samurai from Matsue, and her husband Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn), and depicts the heroine, who loves ghost stories, going about her everyday life with her foreign husband. The script is written by Fujiki Mitsuhiko, who has worked on NHK's "Asagaya Sisters' Relaxed Life" and WOWOW's "Shooting Break Series."
