Akari Takaishi will play the heroine in the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake " (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times) which will air in the second half of 2025. In the 10th episode (broadcast on October 10th), Toki (played by Takaishi), who has been looking for a husband, finally marries, and viewers pay attention to Kanichiro , who plays Ginjiro Yamane , who becomes Toki's husband. Hashizume Kuniomi, who is the production manager for this work, and director Murahashi Naoki talked about the reasons for casting Kanichiro and his appeal.
◇In the end... "We want to become a couple that can think, 'That was one life we could have.'"
Ginjiro, played by Kanichiro, was born as the second son of a poor foot soldier in Inaba, Tottori Prefecture, and grew up in extreme poverty. Under the strict upbringing of his father, he continued to live the life of a samurai, even as times changed. His hobbies are Joruri and ghost stories. He hit it off with Toki, who also loves ghost stories, and after an arranged marriage, they became husband and wife.
Hashizume prefaced his remarks by saying, "This will be a spoiler for what comes next..." and then revealed, "Ginjiro marries Toki at one point, but looking further into the story, of course he ends up with Professor Heaven (Tommy Bastow) in the end, so the characters end up breaking up at some point."
"But still, I want her to live a wonderful life with Toki. I didn't want to say that they broke up because he was a nasty man, and I wanted to portray a couple that would show that that kind of life was possible. I wanted to show that they broke up because a combination of various circumstances and the times wouldn't allow it. I wanted to make him a man that everyone could like."
When thinking about which actor would be perfect for the role of Ginjiro, the choice fell on Kanichiro, who could play an honest man without being annoying and who seemed like he would be able to work well with Takaishi.
Regarding the reason for casting him, Hashizume said, "I thought that Kanichiro's honest aura would make him a character that everyone would love, so I asked him to play the role." He also gave his stamp of approval to Kanichiro's charm, saying, "I think everyone will really love Ginjiro. I would be happy if there were lots of Ginjiro fans."
◇ "He really is a man from that era" - a brilliant portrayal of the role
On the other hand, Murahashi recalls, "Kanichiro's natural talents are directly connected to the role, so we filmed the role in a way that didn't kill that charm."
"The characters in period dramas may seem a little abnormal to people today. In modern times, we live our lives by making choices from a variety of information, even from childhood. However, many of the characters in period dramas live by values that have been determined for them without any options, so from a modern perspective they seem straightforward and innocent. There are very few people in the modern era who can portray that."
However, Kanichiro embodied the role so perfectly that he "thought he really was someone from that era."
"Kanichiro san has such a straightforwardness and innocence that you would think he could be from any era, whether it be the Heian period, the Nara period, or the Sengoku period. He has a feeling of something pure and innocent... That's the kind of aura you can smell coming from him. So I continued directing without saying anything so as not to ruin that."
How will Ginjiro, played by Kanichiro, spend his time with Toki as a married couple, and what kind of separation will come? I'd like to watch over the two of them, who are in perfect harmony.
