Akari Takaishi plays the heroine in the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake" (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times). In the 38th episode (broadcast on November 19th), Toki (Takaishi), Nishikori (Ryo Yoshizawa Ryo), and Kan'emon (Fumiyo Kohinata) were depicted trying their hand at skipping for 15 minutes, which became such a hot topic that it became the number one trending topic on X. Throughout the eighth week, skipping scenes appeared frequently, and we asked Hashizume Kuniomi, the production manager, what the intention was behind this.
Regarding the eighth week, Hashizume explains, "Toki becomes Heaven's (Tommy Bastow) maid, and the 'story where nothing happens,' which is what screenwriter Fujiki Mitsuhiko is best at, finally begins in earnest."
"Fujiki's unique style is that we can and cannot do the little things of everyday life, and that these things are where human happiness and humor lie. This is also one of the themes of the drama ' Bakebake.' Fujiki's idea was to propose the skip as a symbol of this, something that exists overseas but not in Japan, something that is not too ostentatious and is fun."
In a previous interview, Fujiki said, "There is no historical fact that Yakumo Koizumi(the model for Heaven) ever skipped, so this is just my imagination. I thought it would be even better if Toki and Heaven's friendship grew closer as they enjoyed moving their bodies together. The 'Beer' (from episode 36) was a bit of a wordplay, so I wanted to use another Western activity to get the body moving, and it occurred to me that 'people in Japan at that time probably didn't skip.'" He also mentioned that this is an original plot development for the drama.
Heaven skips lightly. Toki tries to imitate her but can't quite do it. Nishikori's awkward skipping and Kan'emon's graceful skipping, which is hard to believe is his first time, all highlight the individuality of each character.
Looking back on the cast's skipping scenes, Hashizume said, "It's difficult to play someone who can skip but can't."
"The cast and staff all had a sort of 'I can't skip contest'. There were a few staff members who couldn't skip, so we asked them for reference, 'This is how people who can't skip do it.' In the end, everyone came up with their own 'I can't skip' that was unique to their character. Nishikori's arms and legs move forward in the same direction at the same time, which I think nicely expresses his clumsy nature as someone who isn't good at sports."
Starting with the "Beer" monologue from episode 36, and including the frequent skip scenes, week 8 was packed with comical scenes that made us laugh out loud. How will this "story where nothing happens" unfold from here on out? We can't take our eyes off it.
