NHK's evening drama "Kaedama Bravo!" (General TV, Monday to Thursday, 10:45 p.m.) kicked off with a shocking plot twist in which the protagonist exposes himself completely naked (only the upper half of his body) to the world. The lead role in the drama is played by Kana Kita. Kita made waves for her excellent performance as the governor's daughter, "Oriyo-sama," in the same station's Asadora(serial television drama) "Bakebake," and in this evening drama she also displays her comedic prowess throughout. Comments such as "It's funny" and "I can't wait to see the next episode" have been heard. But what is the source of Kita's charm and comedic sense that never ceases to captivate viewers?
◇What happened to the main character? He acts suspiciously in front of a girl he doesn't know.
The drama is an original work by playwright and director Ayuka Kishimoto. It is a slightly dark comedy for adults that combines friendship, ramen, and classical ballet. Kita plays the main character, Karina Senbon, who works at an advertising agency and loves ramen.
Karina was in charge of the new product launch for a ballet wear brand, and on the day of the event she took to the stage as a substitute and performed a dance, but due to a problem the string of the wear tied behind her neck came undone, leaving her upper body exposed at the moment of her final pose.
As the recital was being live-streamed online, Karina thought her life was over and fled the venue. When she arrived at a park, she behaved suspiciously as if she was a stranger, lecturing a crying girl who had fallen over, about the harshness of adult society, frightening the child and confusing her mother.
Karina is taken home by her best friend Yumi (Amano Hana) and eats her favorite ramen made by Yumi, which calms her down a bit, but when her boyfriend (or so she thinks he is) Mitsuo (Komagine Akita) arrives out of concern, she just keeps picking on him. It turns out that he's just taking out his anger on her, and Yumi ends up breaking off all ties with him.
◇The perfect timing and dialogue neutralize the "poison" and turn it into "humor"
Although Karina had become desperate due to the misfortune and shock that had befallen her, her actions and words were (or at least seemed to be) not exactly commendable. However, Kita-san portrayed Karina in a truly charming way with her exquisite timing and delivery of lines. Just like "Oriyo-sama" in "Bakebake," her comedic sense was apparent in the way she neutralized the "poison" and elevated it to "humor."
Of course, this is also due to the excellent "character creation" in Kishimoto's script and the "ingenious" direction. In fact, Kita said about Karina, "She's someone who has no rational brakes on her emotions, so she can go anywhere; when she falls, she falls forever, and when she's having fun, she rises forever. I was fascinated by this breadth of character while playing her. She's a character that works even if you express your feelings as you wish, so I had a lot of fun playing her, and I could empathize with her to some extent. I thought, '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 attractive, and she's become a character I really like."
However, there is still a certain "good intuition" that cannot be ignored, and Kita herself confessed that when playing Karina this time, "I valued the feeling of 'getting into the zone.'"
"Director Nakajima Yuki said, 'Karina gets into the zone.' She gave me instructions on set 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 in a way that didn't feel out of place. Of course, I felt it was rewarding, and one of the things that gave me a sense of accomplishment was when my co-stars and staff laughed at the comical parts I wanted to express, and when the director said, 'That's good.' It was my first time to play such a unique role as the lead in such a long-term shoot, so it was a challenge for me," she recalled.
◇The source of his comedic sense? His true identity is a die-hard comedy fan
Kita is also a big fan of comedy, saying, "I visit the theater in my free time, and sometimes go to theaters in Osaka to see my favorite comedians. I also go to small live shows that only young comedians are performing, and I try to discover the next generation of young comedians." He is such a die-hard fan that he reveals, "I think that the comedians' banter and their perfect timing sometimes serve as inspiration for my acting. I wonder if my hobby of watching comedy shows naturally helps me study acting as well? I hope so."
Kita-san is conscious of "pushing hard and if that doesn't work, push harder" when performing in comedy. "If you act defensively, the people around you will also pull back, so that's something I keep in mind when performing comedy," he explained. "Also, it's about reading the atmosphere. I personally love comedy, so I think that anticipating what to say that will be funny is something I learned from watching it. I also tried my hand at comedy sketches on stage last year, so I think I learned something there as well."
Kita analyzed herself by saying, "I don't think of myself as a comedienne, but if you do feel that way, it's probably because I love comedy at the core of it all." Her charm and comedic sense are sure to remain a focus of attention.
