The final episode of the TBS Sunday Theatre drama "The Royal Family" (Sundays at 9 PM), starring actor Satoshi Tsumabuki, will air on December 14th. The final episode will see the fateful Arima Kinen race, with the hopes of Eiji Kurisu (Koichi Sato), who inherited the will of Sanno Kozo (Satoshi Tsumabuki), and Koichi Nakajo (Ren Meguro), as well as all the other people involved in the race, all carrying the feelings of the people involved. Trainer Otake Masahiro, who served as the trainer supervisor for this series, spoke about his thoughts on the drama, behind-the-scenes filming, and highlights of the final episode.
◇ "I think Masanobu Ando, who plays the trainer Hironaka, looks like me"
--Could you tell us specifically what kind of supervision you provided as the "trainer supervisor" this time?
I was involved from the script stage, pointing out anything that seemed strange about the filming scenes that was different from reality, and supervising the scenes that involve the trainer's duties.
Did you talk to all the actors?
I hardly had anything to point out about the acting. I had always had the impression that the actors were able to properly grasp our intentions and turn them into "acting" without any input, so I was actually able to watch with ease. There were many moving parts to see everyone's performances.
Masanobu Ando, who plays the role of trainer Hironaka Hiroshi, was at a training center (a facility for training racehorses) and spent a day shadowing me as I worked. As I watched the drama, there were some scenes where I thought he looked a bit like me, and I wondered if he was using me as inspiration.
--Specifically, what do you think are similar?
It's difficult to understand the state of a horse, but what I really value is the "sense of distance from the horse." If you're too close, there are things you can't see, and if you're too far away, there are things you can't see. I get the feeling that Ando-san understands that as well, in his performances.
Also, this is just a line, but I felt that the way he honestly and properly reports to the horse owner was similar. I've also been a trainer up until now, and it's all about the horses, so I particularly sympathized with Hironaka's clear and harsh words to the horse owner Koichi (Ren Meguro) about the Royal Family in episode 9, and I thought it was similar to me.
-Was there any advice you received on set?
We paid a lot of attention to even the things that even people who are knowledgeable about horse racing probably wouldn't notice, like the items the extras were carrying and the placement of the security guards (laughs). For example, we were particular about things like where to place the people who were picking up the horse droppings.
◇ "I cried several times" I was moved to tears by Kurisu's tears
- Mr. Otake, please tell us which scene was particularly memorable for you.
The final episode will be broadcast on December 14th, but I've been able to watch all nine episodes up to now in real time. I cried a few times. The scenes of the characters celebrating their victory after the race are great. The scenes of them winning as a team really hit home. I think that's something the directors are good at. Every time I watch it, I think, "They're really good at making people cry" (laughs).
But actually, I have never cried even after winning a race. When I won the Arima Kinen, everyone thought I would cry, but rather than shedding tears, I was overjoyed.
--Are there any scenes other than the race that have left an impression on you?
There are so many that it's hard to pick just one scene, but from the first exchange between Kozo and Kurisu, the trust that builds with each episode is what has stayed with me.
There's a line where he says, "Don't ever betray me," so Kozo's "trust in people" is consistent and consistent throughout, but there's also a scene where Kurisu corrects him when Kozo himself is wavering... I felt like I was shedding tears along with Kurisu's.
Many horse racing insiders are drawn into the "human drama"
-What kind of reaction have you received since "The Royal Family" aired?
People in the horse racing industry are talking about the Royal Family everywhere. I've heard that horse owners are also watching the drama. One horse owner I met last week also said he was crying, and we've heard that the owners' wives often cry too. It's been a huge reaction.
I think there are many people who will cry along with the human drama depicted in the drama.
Even some friends who have nothing to do with horse racing told me that they finally "understand the job of a trainer," and I get the impression that, unlike previous movies and dramas that have focused on horse racing, people see this as a "human drama," and many say it's a good drama.
◇What are the highlights of the final episode?
-What do you think is the appeal of this drama?
I spoke about this when I first met you all, but when there are so many people involved with one horse, there are all kinds of different human relationships. I wanted to convey that.
I believe that the camp with the strongest feelings should be the one to win, and I think this drama expresses that properly. Even when watching, I feel like that message is already being conveyed properly.
At first, I thought that I had to pursue realism given my position as a "supervisor," but people who don't know the story won't know whether it's real or not, so I thought that the important thing was to be able to unite everyone's emotions, and I began to feel that way more and more as I worked on it.
--Mr. Otake, what do you think are the highlights of the final episode?
The phrase "plot resolution" is often tossed around in dramas and movies these days, and there was something about "The Royal Family" that made me think, "Ah, that's it."
In the world of horse racing, there are winners precisely because there are losers. A horse cannot race on its own. Everyone has the feeling of respect for the losers. The final episode will teach us all that. I think that's the highlight of the show.
