The omnibus drama series "Serial Drama W Ikeido Jun Special 'The Bag Shop'," based on the novels of Jun Ikeido, will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW. We spoke to Araki Sugo, who plays the protagonist Yamada in one of the stories, "Like Akutagawa," about his thoughts on "Ikeido's works" and the drama's theme of "work."
The series is based on Ikeido's "The Bag Shop's Inheritance" (published by Bunshun Bunko), a collection of short stories published by Ikeido between 2005 and 2008. The four-part anthology drama features a financial man as the protagonist, and stars Sugo, Keita Machida , Ito Atsushi, and Joichiro Fujiwara of the popular group Naniwa Danshi .
◇Long-awaited first appearance in an Ikeido production: "I was a bit worried about whether I could do it"
"I had always wanted to appear in a work by Jun Ikeido, whose works are so well-received by so many people," recalled Sugo. When he heard the offer, he felt a mixture of joy and anxiety.
"I was overwhelmed with joy at the thought, 'I'll be appearing in a work based on a novel by Jun Ikeido! And I'll even be playing the lead role!' But at the same time, I was also worried about whether I could handle it."
In this film, Sugo plays Yamada Hajime, a new bank employee who is assigned to a position for the first time. He is a man who tries to support Tsuchiya Toshiko (Kuroki Hitomi), the president of Tsuchiya Ironworks, who is struggling with cash flow. Sugo analyzes Yamada as a "passionate and reckless person" who is "not the kind of kid you see these days." He also says that the character is not far from himself.
"Yamada's unique energy, passion and headstrong attitude remained constant from start to finish, and I felt that this feeling was quite similar to mine. I'm also straightforward, and I try my best. Sometimes I struggle and worry about things haphazardly (wry smile), but I thought our just-for-now-charge spirit was similar."
Although the roles have many similarities, when playing the professional role of a banker, he focused on using technical terminology, as he believed that in order to pursue realism, he needed to fully understand the mechanisms behind the words in order to be convincing.
"For example, even if I don't understand the word 'tegata' (banknote), it's a 'common sense' in the industry. That's why I had to understand how it worked. There were some technical terms that were difficult to understand, but the way they were used was completely different from just knowing the meaning. I realized it was important to digest them and speak them properly."
Regarding the highlights of the drama, he said, "I think the way Yamada grows is something that all working people experience, such as obstacles with their superiors and unreasonableness with clients. I hope you will pay attention to how he faces such reality and struggles, but overcomes the difficulties with his own efforts and becomes stronger with the help of those around him."
"'Like Akutagawa' is interesting on its own, but just as I felt, after watching all four episodes of the omnibus, I think they are one. I hope everyone will look at it in the same way," he said.
◇Unforgettable "firsts" and rich experiences foster a sense of responsibility
Sugo made his full-fledged debut as an actor in 2022. He has been active in many popular works, including the NHK Asadora drama "Omusubi." As the role he plays in this work is his first as a banker, when asked about his own most memorable "first," he mentioned "First Love's Devil" (Nippon TV), which was his first appearance in a terrestrial TV drama.
"There was a scene where I had to cry. I was anxious to somehow leave a mark, and it was during the shoot in the forest at night that I cried for the first time. It was my first crying scene. It wasn't so much about how I felt, but more like a 'release' from crying. That release felt good, and I thought I could cry forever (laughs). There are many other memorable works as well, but this was a particularly memorable shoot."
Speaking like this, Sugo exudes a calmness and dignity that is even more impressive than his years of experience suggest, but he also calmly analyzes the reason for this, saying that even on the job site, "people get the feeling that I'm already doing a pretty good job,"
"I feel like I'm being entrusted with more and more important roles in productions, so I feel like I get something different out of it. Whatever the form, if I'm allowed to appear, I give it my all. That's why everything is such a rich experience."
◇My mother's words changed my values in life
All four stories are about working people. What does work mean to Sugo? He says that something a family member said to him recently changed the way he thinks about work.
"I want to continue working as an actor, and as I continue, I want to reach new heights, or aim for better expressions, so work is a big part of my life. In fact, all my desires are directed towards that. That's fine, but my mother told me, 'Work is just one part of life. Life is full of things, so there's more to life than just work,' and I felt that that was true."
Regarding the change in his stance since the beginning of his career, he said, "I've started to take full responsibility."
"Of course, I still have responsibility for my work, but before, as a new employee, I had the attitude of 'I'm counting on you.' Now, I can approach things with the attitude of 'Let's all work hard together.' It may only be a short period of time, but the change has been huge for me."
"Serial Drama W Ikeido Jun Special 'The Bag Shop Inheritance'" will be broadcast and streamed for two consecutive nights on December 27th and 28th from 10pm on WOWOW Prime and WOWOW On Demand. There will be four episodes in total: "The Tenth Christmas" and "Like a Mustard Plant" on the 27th, and "Sales Talk" and "The Bag Shop Inheritance" on the 28th. The first episode will be broadcast free of charge. (Interview, text and photography: Endo Masaki)
