Koji Mukai of the popular group Snow Man stars in the TBS Friday drama "Fake Kummie" (Fridays at 10pm), co-starring actors Haru and Rina Kawaei . He plays Kuroki Ryuma, vice president of the venture company "RAINBOWLAB," where Hidaka Mamie (played by Kawaei) is the president. We spoke to Mukai about his impressions of his role and his co-stars.
◇ Request: "Act coolly"
The drama is a serial adaptation of the winning work by Sonomura Hikaru, who won the grand prize at the first TBS NEXT WRITERS CHALLENGE screenplay competition. Hanamura Kaoru (Haru), who suddenly quit her job and struggles to find a new one, meets Hidaka Makie, the company's president and single mother, at an interview with the venture company RAINBOWLAB. Makie asks Hanamura to act as a substitute for her daughter Iroha (Ikemura Aoi), who is applying to a prestigious private elementary school...
-What were your thoughts when you heard about the setting of this work?
When I heard about the story, I thought it was an original drama and sounded very interesting. It's perfect for today's world, where it's difficult to raise children while working. The drama has a core message that it wants to convey, so I'm sure there will be many people who can relate to it.
-This is your first appearance in a TBS drama. What are your impressions of TBS dramas?
I have had the opportunity to go in and out of TBS for "Let Snow Man Do It," and there are drama posters everywhere. I once half-jokingly said, "I'll be on this poster someday," and now I'm happy to see the "Fake Mummy" poster with me in it.
-What kind of character is Kuroki Ryuma?
He is the vice president of "RAINBOWLAB," where Mamie (Kawaei) is the president. Ryoma feels indebted to the president for helping him, and believes that his life's mission is to support the president. In fact, he founded "RAINBOWLAB" with Mamie, and serves as a sort of right-hand man to her. He is also a character with a broad perspective and is extremely good at his job. One of the highlights of the story is how Ryoma's character gradually changes as the story progresses.
--I heard that the director and producer requested that you act coolly.
That's right. But actually, I had a misconception about what "cool" means... When I think of "cool," I imagine someone who speaks in a breathy manner, but I was asked to be cool as a person, sociable, and reliable. It's a little difficult to portray coolness in acting, so I'm currently researching it. Of course, I want to maintain my visual coolness as well (laughs).
-As you're playing the role of vice president, are there any special considerations you've made in terms of your behavior?
In "RAINBOWLAB," where everyone is free to wear whatever they want with their clothes and hairstyles, Ryoma is the only one who wears a suit. I think that's probably to give it a corporate vibe. If anything, Ryoma's suit looks out of place (laughs). Since I'm basically wearing a suit, I stand with good posture, but if I'm not careful, my back will hunch, so I try to be conscious of that.
--This time you're playing a capable man. How do you convey that vibe?
The lines are difficult, so I think that's how he comes across as a capable worker. Ryoma has the air of a capable man, but he worked hard to get to his current position as vice president, so he does have some gaps. And because he's a former delinquent just like the president, he can sometimes come off as a bit of a bossy guy. At work, he generally speaks in polite language, but when he's alone with the president, his tone changes to something a little more casual, and I think you can sense his former delinquent side. If anything, it's probably Ryoma's job to make sure the employees don't notice the president's former delinquent side, which he often comes off as.
◇ Co-starring with Haru and Rina Kawaei"There's so much to learn"
--Please tell us your impressions of Haru and Kawaei.
I thought Haru-san was surprisingly talkative. I'm quite shy and was nervous at first, so I was wondering what to say and how, but she spoke so naturally that it was fun.
Kawaei-san was quite poignant from the time of the script reading. She also laughs a lot, so the atmosphere on set brightened up instantly, and I got the impression that she was a fun person.
--Before filming began, you commented that you wanted to "keep up with Haru and Kawaei," but how did it feel to actually act alongside them?
I don't know if I can keep up (laughs). They've both appeared in a variety of productions, so they don't often make retakes and there's always something to learn from them. It's a great feeling to watch them act. So, if anything, I feel like I'm following in their footsteps.
-What was the atmosphere like on set?
The filming at "RAINBOWLAB" was requested to be "a bright scene," so we were able to film in a lively and fun atmosphere. Of course, we often chatted in between takes, and I also became good friends with Wakabayashi Tokihide, who plays the young employee Machida Daiki.
-How do you communicate with Ikemura Aoi, who plays Mamie's daughter Iroha?
I feel like the set is especially bright when Aoi is around. We chat a lot together and she's very reliable and mature. Ryoma usually has his bangs up, but there was one scene where he had his bangs down, and when I asked Aoi, "Which do you prefer (with his bangs up or down)?" she said, "I don't know" (laughs).
Also, during the promotional session on "King's Brunch," Aoi said that I was cool, which made me happy, but Haru and Kawaei, who appeared with Aoi, had a strange reaction, so I would like to ask them the reason for that (laughs).
--Your friend, Atsuhisa Tsuda from the comedy duo "Diane," also appears in this film. Did you have any conversations with him?
Tsuda-san was in front of me during the script reading, and it felt a bit strange (laughs). At the time, I told him, "You've been cast in the drama." I think I'm looking forward to seeing Tsuda-san's unique style come out. So far, we haven't had a scene together, so I haven't been able to meet on the set of "Fake Kummy," but I hope we'll have a scene together in the future (laughs).
-Did any of the members of Snow Man say anything to you about appearing in this film?
When I work with the other members, we often talk about things like "How's the drama going?" and they tease me by calling me "Fake Puppy" (laughs). Meme (Ren Meguro) is also appearing in the Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family" in the same season, so I hope we can all get excited together.
-Finally, please tell us what the highlights of this film are and your message to the viewers.
The relationship between Kaoru and Mamie becomes clearer, and while it is a story about two mothers, there are other plot developments as well. "RAINBOWLAB" is one of them. In the preview video shown before the broadcast started, there was a scene where Kaoru and Iroha are taking a photo, and perhaps this clarified what that meant.
Ryoma himself takes on the role of fake dad at the request of the company president, and although he is not very enthusiastic about it, he cooperates because the company is important to him. I hope you will pay attention to the gradual changes in Ryoma's feelings and the changes that occur in the relationship between fake dad Ryoma and fake mom Kaoru. I think there will be surprises in every episode, so I hope you will enjoy it with your family and friends.
