Akari Takaishi will play the main character, Toki Matsuno , in the Asadora drama "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. Takaishi, who will be taking on the role of a wife for the first time in this work, spoke about the appeal of the role and the preparations she made to play the story of a married couple.
◇What is the appeal of playing Toki?
" 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."
Toki, played by Takaishi, is the only daughter of the Matsuno family who loves to hear folk tales and old stories. Whenever she is going through a difficult time, she always asks her mother, Fumi (played by Chizuru Ikewaki), to tell her a ghost story. She is a caring character who loves her family and loves the clam soup that Fumi makes.
Regarding Toki, Takaishi says, "He truly believes that other people are other people and that he is himself. I think that's cool."
"It's quite difficult to think like that, and I think there are many times when we want others to understand our feelings, to empathize with us, and yet we can't understand or accept the feelings of others. But Toki understands the feelings of others, and yet he is able to feel his own way, saying, 'But I'm different,' or 'I think so too.' He has the strength to respect others and the strength to protect himself, and I think Toki is a cool character. I want to be like that."
While she admires Toki, she also says, "His personality is very similar to mine."
"When I act, the first thing I do is think about the role, and I usually have to think about the role, but this time it was so close to me that I ended up overlapping the role with myself. It was an experience I'd never had before, and I hope I can deliver a kind of rawness that's different from my usual acting."
◇Use "Memories" as a reference for creating your character
This is Takaishi's first time taking on the role of a wife. Was there anything she did to prepare or expand her imagination in order to play the story of a married couple?
"This is my first time playing the role of a wife, but rather than thinking about marriage, I read a book called 'Memories' written by Koizumi Setsu, who was the model for Toki, which traces her memories of Yakumo, and imagined the atmosphere between the couple. I wanted to cherish their mutual consideration, and Setsu's feelings of love for Helne (Yakumo) and her desire to love and protect him. The book was so wonderful that I still read it in my free time while acting."
This "memory diary" is essential when playing a real person.
"Compared to the materials about Yakumo Koizumi, there are very few materials written about Setsu. When I thought about how I could learn about her personality, rather than the history of how she was born and raised, I decided to learn about Setsu through 'Notes of Memories.'"
The book is said to be "completely written" about Yakumo as seen by Setsu.
"For example, when Yakumo passed away, she wrote, 'It was so sudden.' It was a very simple statement, but I could sense Setsu's incredibly strong emotions from that sentence. There were many touching stories written in the book, and by reading it, I gradually got to know Setsu."
Although it is a story about a married couple, the early part of the film focuses on Toki and his family. The process of how Toki and Heaven (Tommy Bastow) get together, as well as the comical interactions within the Matsuno family, are also highlights.
"I would like to focus on the family in the beginning, so I would like everyone to watch. The atmosphere in the Matsuno household, how Toki feels about his family. I would like to see more of these aspects from around the second to fourth week."
