Nishino Nanase will be appearing in the TBS Tuesday drama "Mirai no Musuko" (Tuesdays at 10pm), starring Shida Mirai. She plays Imai Saori, Shida's character, who has been Shiokawa Mirai's best friend for 10 years and has a good understanding of her. We spoke to Nishino about her impressions of Shida and some anecdotes from the set.
◇What do you keep in mind when playing the role of Saori?
The drama is based on the popular manga "My Future Son: A Son Came Down From Heaven After 10 Years of Singles!" written by Kumiko Aso and illustrated by Hajime Kuromugi. Mirai, who is unsatisfied in love, work and dreams, suddenly becomes a mother. Through raising a child, she learns about the importance of living and supporting others, and starts living again. This is Shida's first role as a mother in 20 years, since the 2006 drama "14-Year-Old Mother" (NTV).
-What were your impressions after reading the script for this film?
I thought the relationship between Mirai and the people around her was really wonderful. Mirai gets involved with many people, but in return, the people around her help Mirai. That feeling was a heartwarming point while reading, and I thought it was great.
-What kind of character do you think Saori is?
They originally worked together at the call center where Mirai works part-time, and while Mirai tends to do what she wants without giving up, Saori seems to be someone who has given up to a certain extent. That's why I think she's been influenced by watching Mirai from nearby. I get the impression that because of Mirai's existence, she has decided to try her best at what she loves, and is currently in the midst of moving forward.
She is the eldest daughter with siblings, so she is very caring, and although she is the same age as Mirai, I think Saori has a relationship with her that is a bit like an older sister.
-When playing the role of Saori, was there anything you did to prepare or keep in mind?
I am conscious of facing my precious best friend, Mirai, head on. If you think about it in real life, it's a situation that doesn't really make sense, like Mirai suddenly becoming the mother of a 5-year-old boy, but if I didn't have such strong feelings, I don't think it would be strange to think, "Maybe I should distance myself a bit."
But I think that for Saori, Mirai was a key person in her life. That's why I want to believe in her, and I want to believe in her. I cherish those feelings. I think the word "best friend" has many shades of meaning, but for Saori, Mirai is someone she truly wants to cherish from the bottom of her heart.
-What kind of communication do you have with the director and producer regarding character development?
In the materials I was initially given, the character was described as "reliable and caring," so I kept that in mind while fine-tuning each scene on set. The scenes between Mirai and Saori have a slightly different tone than when Mirai is with the other characters, so it's difficult to strike a balance between being serious but not too dark. On the other hand, if I force it to be too bright, it might look like she's not thinking about anything. I'm fine-tuning the tension in that area. I want to create an atmosphere that feels like two real best friends are talking, so I'm very conscious of that.
◇Shida Mirai is "a very skillful person" - a motivation for herself
-How do you spend your time with Shida, who plays your best friend?
On filming days, we chat naturally. It's not like I'm trying too hard to talk, I just casually ask questions that come to mind or talk about what I'm feeling at the time. Shida-san is very easy to talk to, and since we're close in age, we have fun chatting. I hope that this atmosphere comes across in the video.
-Please tell us your impression of Shida-san.
I usually call her "Mirai-chan," but I'm still getting to know her, so I spend my time thinking, "Oh, so this is the kind of person she is." I was really happy to find out that we have similarities, like how we both get home early.
For me, Mirai-chan is both soothing and incredibly skillful. She has been acting since she was little, so she responds to any request from the director with precision. Seeing her like that makes me feel like I have to do my best too. Saori is a character who appears at key moments, so I approach each and every one of her scenes with the determination to do my best.
--Please tell us what Amano Yu, who plays Souta, is like on set.
Yu-kun is very free-spirited (laughs). He moves as he pleases on set, and even though he doesn't seem to listen to the instructions from the staff saying "do it like this," he actually listens. What's more, even though he's still too young to even learn how to read and write, he practices his lines diligently with his mother at home and is able to say them properly on set. I think that's really amazing.
-Is there anything that left an impression on you from the scenes you co-starred in with Shida-san and Yu-kun?
There's a scene where Mirai, Sota, and Saori are all together at the supermarket, and at that time, Yu-kun was very particular about where he put the candy bags (laughs). It seems like he had a set spot in the store that he was like, "This is definitely it!" He always puts them back there, and if they were even slightly off, he'd say "That's not right" and correct them. Personally, I discovered that he has a surprisingly meticulous side to him (laughs).
Also, the scene where we communicate with Mirai through gestures while he is a little distance away from her is very memorable. The movements weren't specified in detail in the script, but the director told me, "I'd like it to be like this."
It would be more interesting if they didn't understand each other at such a distance, and Mirai-chan was so cute, confused as she kept asking "Which one?" at the gestures that were just barely clear to her. The exchange there left a lasting impression on me.
-Please give a message to the viewers.
Mirai and Saori have the kind of exchanges that only best friends can have, and it will be interesting to see how Saori takes Mirai's words and supports her. From here, the story begins to move forward, and the people around her, including Saori, begin to learn about Souta's existence. I hope you will continue to watch to see how Mirai handles things and what happens next.
I hope you will also pay attention to how Saori will support Mirai, as the only person she can talk to about anything.
