The drama series "Scoop no Tamago" (TBS), starring actor Aoi Okuyama, who has been making waves in Amazon commercials and other media, will begin airing on October 7th. The live-action drama is based on the novel of the same name (Bunshun Bunko) by Osaki Kozue, who is known for her thorough interviews with major weekly magazines. The main character is Shinoda Hinako, a rookie reporter who is transferred to the weekly magazine, played by Okuyama. Okura Sorato, from the dance vocal group "Genyu wa Jibun ni Aru," will also appear. We spoke to Okura, who co-stars with Okuyama in his first lead role in a drama, about the highlights of the series.
◇Interview with a reporter working for a weekly magazine before filming
Hinako Noda, an editor in charge of PR magazines, is ordered to transfer to the weekly magazine "Weekly Sengoku," the magazine she least wanted to be involved in, in her second year at the company. While dealing with various scoops, including entertainment news, embezzlement, and suspicious deaths, she struggles to find her own answer to the meaning of the weekly magazine's existence.
"This is my first time in an environment like this, so I'm nervous," said Okuyama, who was interviewed. When asked about the image she had of "weekly magazine reporters" up until now, she revealed, "I didn't have such a positive impression of them. I had the impression that they looked at the world with a rather negative eye."
Before filming began, I spoke with a female reporter who writes articles for a weekly magazine. "The articles were written by very ordinary people, people who live lives just like us. But what impressed me was that instead of making assumptions about each and every thing, she saw it with her own eyes, made judgments, and then wrote down her thoughts," she recalled.
As he learned more about the workings of weekly magazines, he said that he also saw a change in himself. "I don't think there's any need to reach a conclusion about whether weekly magazines are good or bad. No matter what kind of event it is, instead of just saying it's bad because everyone else is saying it's bad, I think I've started to try to think about it through my own perspective first."
◇ Akutsu, played by Okura Sorato, is a "character with a strong comedy element"
Meanwhile, Okura, who plays Akutsu Kengo, a first-year member of the "Weekly Sengoku" crime unit, also said he did not have a positive impression of weekly magazines. "Sometimes people leave the industry, but when I read this script, I felt that there were other things they were pursuing besides just articles about the entertainment industry."
Before filming began, the production staff requested that "the scenes in which Akutsu appears should be a little more peaceful, so that the atmosphere changes." "I think that in the tense atmosphere (that runs through the work), Akutsu's appearance brings a warmth and relief to the character, and he is a character with a strong comedy element," he explained.
Akutsu is also a calming presence for Hinata. Okura said, "I want to support her as she works hard to solve the case, but I also want to listen to her. I hope I can become someone Hinata can feel at ease with."
According to producer Hayato Yamada, the main theme of this drama is "the significance of the existence of weekly magazines." Whether weekly magazines are necessary or not will be discussed through the eyes of Hinatako throughout the entire story.
Okuyama said, "The appeal of the show is that Hinatako looks at things from various angles and asks herself, 'Are weekly magazines necessary?' and continues to pursue what is right and what is wrong." Okura also commented, "After watching it, what are weekly magazines like? How has Hinatako grown? I think the appeal lies in the viewers and Hinatako herself finding the answers."
Drama Stream "Scoop no Tamago" will start on October 7th and will be broadcast on TBS and other networks every Tuesday from 12:58am. (*Excluding some areas. Broadcast times may be subject to change.)
