Her direct role in "Toyotomi Brothers!" is a hot topic. Her facial expressions and the tempo of her conversations "express her strength." She is also completely on "Koichiro's side." Why is that?

Shiraishi Sei is currently a hot topic for her role as Nao, the childhood friend of the protagonist Koichiro (played by Nakano), in the 2026 NHK Taiga drama "Toyotomi Brothers!" (General TV, Sunday 8pm and other channels), starring actor Nakano Taiga. In the third episode, "The Night Before the Decisive Battle," airing on January 18th, Shiraishi revealed about Nao, who spoke words of encouragement to Koichiro, "Nao has a tomboyish personality, so I'm trying to portray her strength through her facial expressions and the tempo of her conversation." Shiraishi spoke about her role.

"Toyotomi Brothers!" is the 65th taiga drama. It is a success story of hope and dreams, depicting the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers, Hidenaga (Koichiro) and his older brother Hideyoshi (Tokichiro), who achieve the great feat of unifying the country with their strong bond.

The script is written by Hiroyuki Yatsu, known for "Naoki Hanzawa" (TBS) and the Asadora"Ochoyan." The music is by Hideaki Kimura, and the narrator is Sakura Ando, ​​an actor.

In the first episode, when the village is attacked by bandits, there is a scene where Nao slaps the bandit with all his might.

"This scene particularly showed Nao's strength, as she was able to express her determination to say 'no to things I don't like' through her actions, even in a critical situation," recalls Shiraishi, adding, "I'm also envious of her toughness."

"I think there's something in common with Nene, played by Minami Hamabe, but I think Nene is more honest than Nao. Nao has a tendency to act tough no matter what (laughs). Nao is an original character for 'Toyotomi Brothers!', but I'm sure there were many women in that era who, like Nao, could do nothing but wait for the return of their loved ones. I imagine there was surely someone like Nao by Koichiro's side. It's a story about brothers, but I hope you can enjoy it from Nao's perspective as well."

On the other hand, Shiraishi has the impression that Koichirou is "a pacifist, and even when conflicts arise he is able to come up with a solution that satisfies both parties, which is wonderful."

"He makes me feel hopeful that if I'm with him, a peaceful world will truly come. Leaving his hometown to follow Koichiro is a huge gamble in Nao's life. When I read the script, I wondered why Nao was willing to take that gamble. But when I actually acted, I found the lively smile of Koichiro, played by Taiga, to be truly charming. Just seeing that smile made me feel like I could trust Koichiro and wanted to follow him. I think Nao has similar feelings for Koichiro. Tōkichirō, played by Ikematsu (Sōsuke), is also charming and a people-pleaser, but if I had to choose between them, I'd go for Koichiro (laughs)."

Regarding the drama, he feels that "each character is charming and interesting."

"The script is full of humor, and I particularly like the way the lines are delivered with a snappy delivery. I'm not particularly knowledgeable about history, but I think even people like me will enjoy this drama. Also, acting alongside Taiga and Ikematsu, I feel like I'm being pulled along by their passion, which is greater than I could have imagined. I really respect their attitude of facing the work head-on, and I think the wonderful relationship between the two of them is having a positive impact on the set. There are many more scenes to come that I'm looking forward to seeing completed."