On January 10th, actress Hana Sugisaki attended the preview screening of the first episode of the NTV Wednesday drama "Winter's Something, Spring's Something" (Wednesdays at 10pm), which she stars in and which starts on the 14th, held in Tokyo. She shared her thoughts on the first episode and shared some anecdotes about her co-stars.
The drama is the first prime-time directorial work by director Imaizumi Rikiya, who has also directed "Love is Hard" and "Undercurrent," with an original script written by him. The protagonist, novelist Tsuchida Fumina (Sugisaki), has a boyfriend, but due to various past romantic experiences, she has been avoiding "falling in love properly" and "facing someone properly." In order to seriously confront her current boyfriend, Saeki Yukio (Ryo Narita), Fumina looks back on her past relationships... This is the story.
When asked about her impressions of the first episode, Sugisaki said, "I felt like it was the kind of drama that you'd want to slip into your pocket and gently stroke somewhere no one can see. It's a very personal and selfish story about love, but each character has serious worries, and the story depicts those moments in time in a luxurious and detailed manner. I'm a little biased, but I really liked it, and I thought it was a drama like this that I wanted to see."
Regarding Ryo Narita, with whom she played a married couple in the NHK morning drama "Ochoyan" (November 2020 - May 2021) and with whom she co-stars again in this work as a lover, she said, "I felt a little embarrassed, but when the Asadora ended we were talking about whether we would be able to co-star again in about five years, and now that five years have really passed, I'm really happy that I've had this opportunity."
Narita recalled, "We filmed together every day for a year, so there are many things we understand without having to say, and we have a relationship where we can say anything to each other when necessary. The first day of filming was the opening scene at the laundromat, and since it was our first meeting since the Asadora, I felt a little embarrassed. I think thanks to that, it felt like a natural first meeting."
Sugisaki said, "It may not be a work that many people can easily understand and empathize with, but it is a drama that depicts conflicts that are difficult for people to understand, worries that are not yet widely accepted in society, and the raw pain and small joys that kind people feel because they are too kind. This is a work made for every single person out there, and I hope that one of those people is someone on the other side of the television. We are filming with all our heart every day, so I hope that you will watch until the end."
Narita, Taro Uchibori, and Director Imaizumi also attended the event. Amane Okayama was absent due to poor health.
