The TBS Tuesday drama "Jaa, Anta ga Tsukutte Miro yo It" (Tuesdays at 10pm) co-starring actors Kaho and Takeuchi Ryoma will begin airing on October 7th. The story revolves around Yamagishi Ayumi (Kaho), a girlfriend who has lost sight of herself and puts her lover first, and her patriarchal boyfriend Ebiwara Katsuo (Takeuchi), who end up breaking up just before they are about to get married. We spoke to Kaho and Takeuchi about episodes from the set and their thoughts on the characters they are playing.
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The original work is a manga of the same name by Natsuko Taniguchi, which is currently being serialized in the digital comic magazine "Comic Tanto" (Bunkasha). It won the Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize New Generation Award and was ranked first in the "CREA Late Night Manga Awards."
Yamagishi Ayumi, who cooks elaborate meals for her lover and puts her lover first, and Ebihara Katsuo, who has a patriarchal mentality that is somewhat rare in the Reiwa era, have been dating since their university days. They get used to living together and things seem to be going well. Eventually, Katsuo makes the perfect proposal to Ayumi, but she unexpectedly says "no way." Through the opportunity to "cook," Katsuo reexamines the things he took for granted and grows as a person.
--It's already been two months since filming began (at the time of this interview). Have you gotten used to the role?
Kaho: Ayumi is a woman who has made an effort to be popular in order to marry a high-spec man and live a stable life. She is a different type of person to me, so I came up with my own plan for the role and went to the set, but it was more difficult than I thought when I actually started acting. But now, with the help of hints from Takeuchi-kun and my co-stars, I think I am gradually getting closer to Ayumi. It's been about two months since I dyed my hair pink, so it suits me so well that it feels strange with black hair. Ayumi will undergo many changes in the future, not only inside but also outward appearance, so I hope you will look forward to that as well.
Takeuchi Ryoma: Katsuo is a character who communicates with those around him, and comes to understand himself through what happens and the reactions he gets from them. I personally enjoy this process a lot as I act. As I repeatedly try to catch and communicate the emotions that well up inside me, the role is fitting me better and better, and a lot of interesting things are happening on set. After Katsuo breaks up with Ayumi, he tries his hand at cooking in order to understand her feelings, and as I don't cook much myself, I feel like that part is similar to me.
He had only ever watched Ayumi in the kitchen from the outside, so when he decided to cook for himself after they broke up, he had no idea where anything was. I think it's a really funny scene, as he steps into her world for the first time and realizes how uncool and powerless he is.
-What impressions did you have of the characters Ayumi and Katsuo while acting?
Kaho: Ayumi is basically passive, both when she's with Katsuo and after she meets Nagisa (Saya). When she meets Nagisa, she begins to wonder, "What do I like? What do I really want to do?" But because she has always lived her life adapting to others, she doesn't have a sense of self. That's why, even as I've acted up to this point, I've been wondering what Ayumi's "core" is, but I think that in a way, that's the right answer. I hope that as the second half of the story progresses, Ayumi will be able to find her own individuality, her "core."
Takeuchi: My impression of Katsuo may change quite a bit from day to day. I notice a lot of things every day while acting, like, "He gets surprisingly emotional at times like this." In the manga, Katsuo may come across as a bit whiny because of the way he's drawn, but the Katsuo I play hides that weak side. I think Japanese men tend to hide their true feelings, so I might try to bring that side of them closer to myself and draw the character closer to me as I play the role.
-What was the atmosphere like on set?
Kaho: I've been shooting various scenes with Takeuchi for nearly two months, but since it started with a breakup, I really feel like there's still a lot more to come. It's a strange feeling. We've each been shooting different parts in different places, and it feels like we only meet occasionally.
Takeuchi: We did shoot some fun scenes in flashbacks to when we were dating, but we broke up early on, so recently when we meet up to shoot, it's mostly awkward scenes. It really feels like we've broken up (laughs).
Kaho: There haven't been many scenes yet where we clash over our emotions, so I'm still waiting to see how the second half unfolds.
Takeuchi: This is a distance between the two of them that we haven't seen very often.
--There are many scenes where the tempo unique to comedies is important, such as Katsuo's interactions with his junior colleagues at work and the interactions between Ayumi and Nagisa. Can you tell us about any episodes from filming?
Takeuchi: I think comedy doesn't have a sense of tempo unless you give it your all.
Kaho: If you aim for it.
Takeuchi: That's right. If I try to aim for it, I'll overdo it and it won't work, and at that point people won't watch it. That's why I go on set without the intention of doing a comedy. Because I'm giving it 120%, I always want to create a situation where people can laugh when I fall down. That's why I do it with all my might and seriously.
Kaho: In my case, I play a lot of the "receiving" role in the scenes with Nagisa, so I don't really create rhythms or send out anything myself, especially in the beginning. I often get inspired by the people around me and react to that, so I feel a lot of frustration when I can't do anything on my own.
Takeuchi: So I think Ayumi will explode soon.
Kaho: That's right! I want to explode, it's about time. Up until now, I haven't really had the chance to express my feelings, so as an actor, I'm feeling frustrated. But I think Ayumi will soon realize that this isn't going to work...
Takeuchi: I think everyone will be looking forward to when Ayumi will explode.
Kaho: The script hasn't been written yet, so I don't know if I'll really be able to explode (laughs).
--By the way, this film depicts the relationship between Katsuo and Ayumi, which changes as a result of cooking. Please tell us if there is a dish you would like to make for each other.
Takeuchi: For me, curry is the only thing.
Kaho: It's my specialty dish.
Takeuchi: For me, curry is an "experiment." I decide the ingredients depending on my mood at the time, so it really shows who I am at the time (laughs). Kaho seems to love soup, so I thought I'd make it a bit soupy.
Kaho: Ah, I love it.
Takeuchi-san: The other day, I bought ingredients without paying attention to the price and it ended up costing me about 17,000 yen (laughs). It's a "relaxing curry."
Kaho: Takeuchi-kun said he likes fish more than meat, so although I don't usually cook fish dishes, I think I'll give it a try. Maybe a grilled fish set meal?
Takeuchi: That's great, that's great!
-Finally, please tell us what the highlights of episode 1 are.
Kaho: As for Ayumi, she's still a mystery in the first episode. Why did she decide to break up with Katsuo? Where is she?
Takeuchi: That's right. Katsuo begins to notice things he hadn't noticed before with incredible speed, and he gradually makes up his mind, but at the same time, Ayumi...
Kaho: The story is structured so that viewers will gradually find out where that person went in the second episode. I hope that the drama will be surprising for the viewers.
Takeuchi: Where will these two go after everything that had been building up during their relationship suddenly explodes? The series portrays the entanglements and awkward interactions that are so common in everyday relationships between men and women in a fun and cute way, so I'm sure you'll laugh at how much effort they put into it. I'd be happy if this first episode makes everyone want to root for these two. It's like saying, "Dear citizens, please support us!" (laughs).
