Daiken Okudaira plays Kanazawa Sui in the NHK evening drama "Someday, in Zero Gravity Sky" (General TV, Monday to Thursday, 10:45 PM). The drama is a second coming-of-age story about women in their 30s who aim to reach space with a "micro satellite." Sui is a member of a space engineering lab at university, and although her grades are outstanding, she has difficulty communicating with others and is somewhat unable to fit in at the lab. Okudaira spoke about Sui, the role that has been perfected for her this time.
◇ Sui, who likes solitude, is "a very logical thinker"
The drama features four girls from the astronomy club who, in high school, shared their dream of "going to space together." As they grow up and go their separate ways, they suddenly reunite with their forgotten dreams. "If we had a micro-satellite, maybe even we could aim for space today..." Encouraged by their "older selves," they begin their second youth.
The main character, Mochizuki Asuka, is played by Kiryu Aso, Hibino Misato Morita, whom Asuka reunites with, is played by Morita Nozomi, and Asuka and Hikari's astronomy club friend Mizuhara Shu is played by Katayama Yuki, and Kiuchi Haruko is played by Ito Marika.
Sui is a university student who works part-time at the family restaurant that Asuka and her friends often go to. He doesn't particularly mind not fitting in at the lab, and even seems to think that interacting with people is a "waste of time." Sui likes solitude, but Okudaira sees him as "a very logical person who is always thinking about what is necessary and what is not."
"There's a line that implies he doesn't like doing things with other people, but I think that's because it doesn't feel meaningful to him. He's a slightly inhuman character who has lived his life choosing only those things that are beneficial to him. He's intelligent and has a philosophical perspective, and even when everyone, including Asuka, is chatting happily, he's the type of person who thinks, 'Is this time really necessary for the project?'"
Okuhira himself is someone who believes that communication is important.
"However, if there is one thing I can sympathize with a little bit, it's that when I was a child, I didn't like it when my parents would tell me the 'premises' when they scolded me. There was a time when I thought, 'I wish they would just tell me the main points rather than the premises.' I imagine that there is a similar part of Comet as well."
◇For Sui, space is already "a part of life"
Sui's love for space is so deep that his university friends call him a "space nut."
"I think Sui is fundamentally an 'easy to understand person.' I think the other members of the astronomy club also think of him as an 'easy to understand person.' Sui doesn't hide his feelings, and doesn't think there's any need to hide them. That's why he expresses exactly what he thinks. He might not even feel awkward at all."
I always thought about how Comet would react in each situation.
"For Comet, space has become a part of his life. He doesn't consciously feel like he has to do something about it; he reads books about space, researches it, and whenever he has a smartphone, he just watches space news. Space is both a goal and something familiar to Comet."
◇I'm happy if you can see the changes in the comet
Sui meets Asuka, Hikari, Shu, and Haruko and ends up participating in the same satellite project. However, a word from his trusted lab teacher, Professor Izumi (Suzuki Anne), triggers a gradual change in his attitude.
"When it comes to satellite projects, you spend a fairly long period of time with the team. For Comet, working with someone for such a long period of time is probably something he has never experienced in his life. Over time, Comet's emotions begin to emerge and the emotions of the other four begin to resonate with each other."
Until then, Sui had always thought it was rational and tried to do everything alone as much as possible, but after working with Asuka and the others on the same project and seeing how the four of them worked, he began to realize that there were other options.
"As he observes the four of them, he begins to think about the meaning of working together, such as the 'playfulness' that may seem pointless at first glance, and the sense of accomplishment they experience together with their friends. Because Comet always thinks logically about things, he experiences firsthand the fact that 'you can't go into space without cooperating with others,' and internalizes the fact that 'this, too, is necessary.' I hope you can see this change in Comet."
The first thing Okuhira felt when playing the character Sui was that "people cannot live alone."
"In a good way, Comet is a character who makes you realize that even though we may think of ourselves as invincible and fearless, humans are weak creatures after all. I think it's beautiful to see people working together with their friends toward a common goal. No matter how old you are, if there's something you want to do, you should do it. This is a very heartwarming story that gives you that kind of courage. I would like people of all ages to see this work."
