Actor Toshiaki Karasawa appeared at a press conference held at TV Tokyo's headquarters in Minato Ward, Tokyo on October 10th for the network's drama series "Coach" (Fridays at 9pm, with the first episode extended by 15 minutes), which begins on the 17th. He appeared sporting the long white hair and beard that was unveiled at last month's program lineup briefing and caused quite a stir, and spoke about behind-the-scenes stories from the set.
Based on the police novel of the same name by Doba Shunichi, the series is about a group of young detectives who are stuck in their investigation when a "dull old man" named Mukai Kotaro (played by Karasawa) appears before them. Mukai is a special agent dispatched from the Metropolitan Police Department's Personnel Division 2. With Mukai's coaching, the young detectives grow as detectives and as people, making this a unique police entertainment series. This marks Karasawa's first starring role in a TV drama series in about seven years.
On this day, Karasawa appeared with her hair half-up. When the host, announcer Takezaki Yuka, introduced her by saying, "All of my hair is natural, and my makeup will be done in 15 minutes," Karasawa replied, "It doesn't take more than 15 minutes, about 15 seconds. I just tie my hair up. That's why they call me 'Karasawa the Tie-Up'. 'Omusubi-kun'," making everyone around laugh.
Regarding his role, he said, "It's fun to play a character who gives hints to troubled young people and gives them the motivation to become independent. If you ask whether he's similar to me, he's not like me at all. In terms of appearance, too. I'm usually very cool. If only he shaves his beard, he's mine," he said, drawing laughter from the audience. Speaking about the highlights of the story, he said, "There is a murder case, but I hope you enjoy watching them (the young subordinates) grow. It's a gentle drama that will put a smile on the face of viewers."
Co-stars Kana Kurashina, Atsuhiro Inukai, Mandy Sekiguchi, Nichika Akutsu, and Tae Kimura also attended the press conference.
