Actor Mikako Tabe stars in the WOWOW drama "Shadow Work." This is her first lead role in a WOWOW drama series, and she takes on the challenging role of a housewife whose body and mind are consumed by her husband's domestic violence. We spoke to Tabe about her feelings when she received the offer, the behind-the-scenes story of preparing for the role, the atmosphere on set, and what she gained from filming.
◇ "It was refreshing" to see a work with a serious theme
The drama is based on the novel of the same name by Edogawa Rampo Prize-winning author Hiromi Sano. It is a human mystery that depicts the "ultimate sisterhood" of women who end up living in a shared house together after suffering from domestic violence from their husbands.
When asked how she felt when she received the offer to appear in a production that deals with the serious theme of domestic violence, Tabe said, "It was a fresh experience for me, as I hadn't had many opportunities to play the role of a woman in a sad situation or to be offered a serious mystery role." She also said that the fact that the cast was mostly made up of women was what attracted her to the role.
"I wondered what it would be like to act in an environment where the majority of the cast is female. It's not that I'm morbidly curious (laughs). I was interested to see what kind of chemistry would occur when female actors of different generations came together to act. I decided to appear in the film because I felt it would be a fresh challenge overall, including the way the story unfolds and how I empathize with the characters' decisions to live their own lives."
After reading the original work, Taba said she felt two different emotions: empathy and confusion.
"I was able to empathize with the core of the story, in which women who had lost sight of themselves because of their husbands band together and carve out their own paths in life. However, when it came to the harshness of the situation Kiko found herself in, and I'm not afraid to say this because there are people who have actually had similar experiences, I wondered, without fear of being misunderstood, whether it was really possible for someone to lose sight of themselves to the point where they could no longer sense the seasons. I found it a little hard to believe. My understanding and imagination were not up to the task."
◇Inspirational workplace where everyone shares their opinions
Tabe's character, Noriko, is an extremely quiet character. Tabe herself recalls, "Although Noriko doesn't speak, there are many scenes in which she expresses her feelings, realizations, realizations, and empathy for the other person's feelings through '...' (dots)." She said that cooperation with the director, cinematographer, lighting staff, and other staff members was essential to expressing the emotions contained in silence.
"For example, we all worked together to come up with ideas for how we would appear on screen, such as, 'If I raise my eyes a little more, it will look more determined.' The director and the other staff members were all very easy to talk to, and it was a fresh experience to come up with ideas and discover new things together."
Regarding the on-set environment where everyone shared their opinions and created the film without any barriers between cast and staff, Taba said, "It's something I haven't experienced much before. It was a learning experience for me," and revealed that she had one particularly shocking experience.
"It was a shock to see a young assistant director casually suggest to the director, 'I think we should have this cut, what do you think?' and the director listen seriously and discuss it. I guess it's the times (laughs). I think the presence of (Terashima) Shinobu, as well as the director, played a big role in creating the film together. Shinobu would ask, 'Is this really okay?' and it made it easier for me to listen. It was a learning experience, and a fresh and fun experience."
When asked about the atmosphere on set, Taba said, "Before we started, I thought it would be a quiet set because it was a serious production, but it was the exact opposite. It was an unexpectedly bright set, and I had a lot of fun filming." She expressed her gratitude, saying, "There were a lot of mood makers, and Terajima Shinobu, Ishida Hikari, and Sudo Risa really livened up the set."
"We all asked each other questions and talked about the content of the play, which gave me some hints and was very helpful. Also, rather than talking about the play, we mostly just talked about trivial everyday things like 'Where's the best rice crackers are?', family, and raising children (laughs)."
◇The deciding factor in making decisions is "intuition"
The characters in the drama are impressively forced to make decisions that will affect their lives. When asked how she makes decisions, Tabe immediately replied, "I make decisions quickly." She also said that her guideline is her own "intuition."
"I consult with two or three people I trust, but rather than seeking advice, I feel like I'm getting a "check" on the decision I made intuitively. By the time I consult them, the basics are already decided."
Tabe says she is the type who follows her intuition quickly, but she laughs wryly and says, "I often make mistakes when shopping. I don't think too carefully, so I often end up with clothes that don't fit, or I buy a storage box but it's not convenient to use." She also reveals some charming stories of failure.
Finally, when asked what she wanted to convey through this work, Taba said, "I hope people will realize that their lives can be changed depending on the decisions they make."
"It's a story about women who have painful pasts they don't want to remember, but who decide to live their lives with determination. I hope that people will see the message that if we work together, there are still times when we can make up for lost ground with our own efforts."
"Drama W Shadow Work" is a five-episode series that will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand every Sunday at 10pm starting November 23rd. The first episode is available for free streaming on WOWOW's official YouTube channel. (Interview, text and photography: Endo Masaki)
