Minami Tanaka is currently appearing in the TBS Friday drama "Fake Mommy" (Fridays at 10 PM), co-starring actors Haru and Rina Kawaei. She plays the modest Motohashi Sayuri, who is wary of her husband Shingo (Kasamatsu Masaru). In episode 6 (broadcast November 14th), she is shown ignoring the greeting of her mom friend Kaoru (Haru), with whom she had been close until then, and viewers exclaimed, "Yes! This is how Minami Tanaka should be." We spoke to Tanaka about what she kept in mind when playing Sayuri and some stories she shared with her co-stars.
◇ Sayuri's role: "It's important to have a slightly airy air about you"
The drama is a serial adaptation of the winning work by Sonomura Mitsuru, who won the grand prize at the first TBS NEXT WRITERS CHALLENGE screenplay competition. After suddenly quitting her job and struggling to find a new one, Hanamura Kaoru meets Hidaka Makie (Kawaei), the company 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 kind of response have you received about this work?
I often get messages from friends who have children saying things like, "The story is really interesting," and "What will happen next?" A friend whose child is about to take entrance exams also said, "The clothes look so realistic."
--Please tell us how you prepared for the role of Motohashi Sayuri.
As the day of the entrance exam approached, I got the impression that the parents were looking more nervous than their children. Many of the parents were listening intently to what the teachers had to say, eager not to miss even the slightest bit of information. This work depicts mothers, including Sayuri, becoming nervous as they wonder whether their children will be selected as scholarship students for the Genius Study Abroad Program, so my experience of seeing such situations up close gave me hints for playing the roles.
During the costume fitting, I was amazed at the sheer number of beautifully lined up navy blue clothes, thinking, "Wow, there's so much navy blue clothing out there!" I learned that there are many detailed rules, such as black stockings are officially prohibited, and that heel heights and blunt-toed shoes are preferred. It was interesting to learn about these unspoken rules.
--This is your fourth time playing the role of a mother, but is there anything you are particularly conscious of when playing Sayuri?
I am preparing carefully, thinking it is interesting that the sense of distance between mother and child is completely different in each work. In the Motohashi family of "Fake Mummy," Keigo's character was clearly formed under the influence of his father who constantly puts pressure on his child, so the role of Sayuri, the mother, and the way she interacts with Keigo were decided naturally.
As for Sayuri's character, I felt that she was a young lady from a good family who had grown up pure and loved, so I tried to give her a gentle, or, to borrow the director's words, ``slightly naive'' air, as if she had lived her life without being exposed to the malice of others.
--In episode 6, there is a scene where Sayuri begins to have doubts about Kaoru and Maika, and the story will show her pursuing the two of them. How do you deal with this gradual change in her character?
I don't think Sayuri has a mean side, so she probably won't suddenly change like you'd expect. I also don't think she'll suddenly change when a dispute arises between her mom friends. For Sayuri, who doesn't usually open up to many people, being betrayed by people she trusted and finding out things that only she didn't know weighs on her heart not as anger but as a sense of loss. I think that the hurt, the feeling of betrayal, the pressure from her husband, and everything else have driven her into despair, leading her to do things that she never would have expected.
Sayuri is a very good person at heart, and she can't be mean. Even though she feels like she's being crushed by her own emotions, she behaves coldly towards Kaoru in a situation where she has to stand up, and I wanted to carefully portray that conflict, so I often discussed with the director how to present and how to look at it.
--What specifically did you discuss with the director?
I told them, "I understand that you want to make it seem like Sayuri has undergone a sudden change, but considering her feelings and personality, it might not be right to make her obviously become mean."
-What kind of person do you think Kaoru is to Sayuri, Mr. Tanaka?
I think she probably admires her. She can clearly say what she thinks, isn't intimidated by peer pressure, and can say "different is different." I think her righteousness and dignified appearance are a source of hope for Sayuri. Kaoru may be something like a hero to Sayuri.
◇What are your impressions of Haru and Rina Kawaei? Also, exchange stickers with Ikemura Aoi
--What was the atmosphere like on set? What were your impressions of your co-stars, including Haru and Kawaei?
My first impression of Haru was, "There's someone so beautiful?" and even after all this time has passed, I am still amazed by her beauty every day. She is truly astonishingly beautiful. We have many scenes together, so Haru is the one I talk to the most on set. She is intelligent and knowledgeable, and the more I get to know her, the more fascinating she becomes. I personally think that the role of Kaoru is perfect for the dignified Haru.
When I hear her bottomless bright laughter, "Ahahahahaha~," I know, "Oh, Kawaei-san is here today," as she is always smiling and envelops the set in a cheerful atmosphere. I don't have many scenes with her, but I would like to talk to her more once things have settled down.
(Nakamura) Ao-kun (who plays Sasaki Tomoya) is someone who carries out his role so straightforwardly that it feels like he's been there forever. He's like the earth. As an elementary school teacher, he's completely at home in the classroom, and there's nothing out of place about him being with the students, and in the parent-teacher session scene, he stood at the podium with confidence. When we worked together on "Geeks: Weirdos at the Police Station" (2024, Fuji TV), he played a detective, and even then he was so immersed in the role that it was like he was a real detective, so I think he's convincing no matter what role he plays.
Surprisingly, I have never acted with Noro (Kayo)-san (who plays Kujo Reika) before (including on variety shows), and this was the first time we had the opportunity to work together like this. Her timing and off-screen lines were perfect, and I found myself glued to the monitor, fascinated by the skill that only Noro-san could pull off.
Kasamatsu-kun gives me advice about acting, and in contrast to Shingo, he laughs a lot and is like a caring older brother. Kasamatsu-kun is younger than me, but I rely on him a lot. I always look forward to scenes with Kasamatsu-kun. I can't imagine how he'll act, so I'm always taken by surprise. It's exciting.
--It has been said that Kasamatsu and Tanaka's differences in way of thinking affect their relationship in a positive way. Do you feel the same way, Tanaka?
When I talk to Kasamatsu-kun, I can tell from every word he says that he really loves acting. Even though he has far more experience and achievements than I do, he takes the time to ask me my opinion. "What do you think?" "What do you think, Tanaka?"
When I would shy away from the question by saying, "This is really just the opinion of an amateur," he would scold me by saying, "How many years have you been doing this? (laughs)!", and when I would weakly say, "I'm just..." he would say, "Let's stop saying things like that," and "I see you as an actor," giving me confidence. He treated me as an equal actor, and I really felt like we were creating a work together. Watching Kasamatsu's realistic and detailed acting up close was a real learning experience.
-How do you communicate with Ikemura Aoi, who plays Iroha, and Takashima Ryunosuke, who plays Keigo?
Ao-chan (Ikemura-san) is an angel on the set, making everyone feel happy. When she dressed up as a witch and gave us some Halloween candy, saying, "Here you go, some candy for Halloween," I felt like I was melting.
Ryu-kun (Takashima-san) is a hard worker. He reads the script carefully and delivers his lines perfectly. In the scenes where we are alone together, he is a sweet and affectionate guy, which is very cute.
--I heard you also exchanged stickers with Ikemura-san.
When we were talking about sticker books, Ao-chan invited me to exchange them sometime. When she saw my sticker book, her eyes lit up and she said, "It's so cute! Let's exchange it with Ao-chan." I gave it to her, almost forcing her to, saying, "I'll give you everything you like," and later she brought it back with lots of her favorite stickers on it and said, "Here you go!" Even when I replied, "I can't take all of your precious things like that," she smiled and said, "No, I picked out some that look like Minami-san." I could never give the stickers Ao-chan gave me to anyone (laughs)!
Ao-chan not only talks to her co-stars, but also to each and every staff member, communicating with them by name and nickname. Needless to say, everyone on set is smitten with her.
When I still can't remember the names of the staff members, Ao-chan sometimes teaches me. However, Ao-chan calls the staff members she is close to by their nicknames (laughs).
I've talked to Haru-san a few times about how she managed to grow up to be such a good girl. Haru-san is so cute! She said things like, "I want to go to Ao-chan's Coming of Age Ceremony," "I'll probably cry," and "I want to go to her wedding too." Ao-chan captivates everyone.
-- Sayuri is a character who has difficulty expressing her feelings. What about you, Tanaka-san? How do you deal with situations when you hit a wall?
Surprisingly, I'm not very good at it. At work, I make an effort to properly communicate what needs to be communicated and make sure people understand. But in relationships outside of work, I've become unable to spontaneously express what I'm thinking. Especially since I turned 30. Expressing my feelings to someone is actually a painstaking task... So I've stopped trying to get people to understand me, except those I really care about.
-Finally, please give a message to the viewers.
Everything starts to move in episode 7. An incident at summer camp triggers a major change in the relationships that Kaoru has had with others up until now. As an uneasy atmosphere flows between Kaoru and Sayuri, a crucial truth is revealed in the final scene.
From episode 7 onwards, there may not be the sudden change that you're expecting, but each character will be experiencing more complex emotions, so please look forward to seeing how that unfolds.
