Actor Kana Kita will be starring in the NHK evening drama "Kaedama Bravo!" (General TV, Monday to Thursday, 10:45 PM), which starts on January 5th. The drama is a slightly dark comedy for adults that combines friendship, ramen, and classical ballet, and Kita plays the protagonist, Senbon Karina, a ramen-loving ad agency worker. Kita, who displays her comedic talent in a "strong-willed" character, what were her thoughts as she approached this production? We spoke to her about the appeal of the drama and her character, and what she keeps in mind when acting.
◇When I first read the script, I thought, "What is this story?"
The drama is an original work by playwright and director Ayuka Kishimoto, who Kita says was originally a fan of Kishimoto.
"The slightly embarrassing, foolish and silly parts of women are expressed in a very comical way, making you think, 'Women really have these kinds of sides, don't they?' I think that's the appeal of Kishimoto's scripts."
When he first read the script for this film, he revealed, "It was a new sensation, and I was surprised, thinking, 'What is this story?'"
"The fact that it doesn't have a beautiful conclusion gives it a sense of realism, and at first Karina's eccentric character is portrayed in a humorous way, but as the focus shifts to the other characters, they all become a little strange in their own way (laughs). It's well balanced, and I thought it was an interesting piece."
Kita's character, Karina, is hit by various misfortunes throughout the film, including her best friend of 20 years, Yumi Futaki (Amano Hana), suddenly announcing that they are no longer friends. How did she play Karina, who goes "out of control" each time this happens?
"Karina is someone who has no rational brakes on her emotions, so she can go anywhere; when she falls, she falls forever, but when she's having fun, she goes forever. I was fascinated by this range of emotions while playing her. She's a character that works just by expressing her feelings as she pleases, so it was a lot of fun to play her, and I could relate to her to some extent. 'I understand, everyone just lives their lives hiding things' (laughs). But Karina doesn't hide her emotions, and the way she just goes for it as she is is also appealing, so she's become a character I really like."
When playing the role of Karina, she said that it was important to have the feeling of "getting into the zone."
"Director Nakajima Yuki said, 'Karina gets into the zone.' On set, she would give me instructions like a signal, saying, 'I'm in the zone here,' so it was like a switch flipped on all at once, and I was conscious of acting out the parts in a way that didn't feel out of place. Of course, it was rewarding, and one of the things that gave me a sense of accomplishment was seeing my co-stars and staff laugh at the comical parts I wanted to express, and having the director say, 'That's good.' It was my first time to play such a unique character as the lead in such a long shoot, so it was a challenge for me."
◇The love of comedy is at the heart of his comedy acting
Kita has attracted the attention of viewers by brilliantly portraying eccentric characters, such as Jasmine, a Chinese girl who speaks Bakebake Japanese in the TV Tokyo series Byplayers, and Orio-sama, a rich lady character in the currently airing Asadora .
In "Bravo! The Substitute," she shows off her natural comedic skills to the fullest, but is there anything she keeps in mind when performing comedy?
"I always value the saying, 'If pushing doesn't work, push harder' (laughs). If I pull back, the people around me will pull back too, so that's something I keep in mind when performing comedy. I also have to read the mood. I love comedy, so I think that's something I've learned from watching it, so I can imagine what I might say that would be funny. I also tried my hand at comedy sketches on stage last year, so I think I learned something there too. I don't think of myself as a comedienne, but if you feel that way, then it may be because at the root of it all is my love of comedy."
Kita is a die-hard comedy fan, and reveals, "I visit theaters in my free time, and sometimes go to theaters in Osaka to see my favorite comedians.I also go to small live shows where only young comedians are performing, and try to discover the next generation of young comedians."
"I think I do take inspiration from the dialogue and exquisite timing of comedians when I'm acting. I wonder if my hobby of watching live comedy shows has naturally become a way for me to study acting. I hope so."
Finally, when asked about the highlights of the drama, he replied, "The theme of this work is 'stupidity'."
"I'm sure everyone has those feelings, but there are also parts that we want to hide. I hope that through this work I can send encouragement to people to live their lives as they are, within their limits. Karina has an unconventional personality, so you may be surprised at times while watching, but I hope that people don't give up and watch until the end. If you keep watching, I'm sure you'll be able to empathize. Even if you can't empathize, I think you'll enjoy it as a black comedy. I would be happy if you can stay with this work until the end."
