Actor Ryohei Suzuki stars in the TBS Sunday Theatre "Reboot" (Sundays at 9pm), starring Nagase Ren as Fuyuhashi Wataru, the executor of an underground organisation, and Fujisawa Suzuka as Fuyuhashi's partner, Kiriya Naoto. We spoke to them about their impressions of each other as they co-star in a drama for the first time, their thoughts on their first "dark" role that has already attracted attention, and the highlights of the drama.
The drama tells the story of Hayase Riku, an ordinary pastry chef framed for the murder of his wife, who abandons his beloved family and past to prove his innocence and find the real culprit, and reboots himself into the persona of Gido, a corrupt detective at the Metropolitan Police Department. The script is written by Tsutomu Kuroiwa, who has worked on many hit Sunday Theatre dramas such as "Grand Maison Tokyo," "TOKYO MER: Running Emergency Room," and "My Family."
◇ The difficulty of "dark acting" is the duality of "public face" and "dark acting"
--This work has also been a hot topic due to the completely original script written by Kuroiwa Tsutomu. Please tell us your impressions when you first read the script.
Nagase: It was very interesting. It was so interesting even at the script stage, so the excitement of wondering what would happen when everyone actually acted out and acted out was at an all-time high! I was really looking forward to reading the script for the next episode, and I was so curious about what would happen next that I was excited, wondering "What's going to happen!?" New mysteries unfold every episode, so I think viewers won't want to miss it.
Fujisawa: This is my first time appearing in a drama series, so I was very nervous about whether I could fully become a character in this story. The story offers a glimpse of connections between people, the movements and fluctuations of the heart, so I thought it was a story that could be read with affection for each character while empathizing with them, and so I started by facing the script.
--Your characters have two sides: a dark side as the executors of an underground organization, and on the surface, Fuyuhashi, played by Nagase, is an NPO employee, and Kiriya, played by Fujisawa, is a cheerful mood maker.What impressions did you have of them while playing the roles?
Nagase: Fuyuhashi is acting for a certain purpose, so as an executor of an underground organization, he has to suppress his own feelings. I played the role with the idea that he is a character who is very "strong" in the sense that he will do anything for his purpose, and who sticks to his own sense of justice. Also, I had never played such a dark role before, so it was a lot of fun!
Fujisawa: The character I played, Kiriya, is Fuyuhashi's buddy, so he's a character with a very strong passion and affection for him, but I also felt that he had some thoughts about his role within the organization. There were some scenes that made my heart ache, making me think, "Wow, I wonder how Kiriya is feeling?"
-Was it difficult to play a darker character?
Nagase: It's not about emotions, but about the movements, but the timing of the scene in episode 1 where I punch someone was very difficult. Of course, I don't actually punch anyone, but the person being punched is facing forward and talking, so it was really difficult to time the punch with the reaction of the person being punched.
Fujisawa: Kiriya also has a bright, mood-making side, so it was difficult to differentiate the unique nuances from his true self. However, I thought it would be good to take into account the intentions of everyone who entrusted me with that position and to multiply something like "my own personality" (in creating the character).
◇Nagase Ren: "I have someone to talk to called Fujisawa-san." Fujisawa Suzuka: "The other members also find it interesting."
--This is the first time you two have co-starred in a drama, so what are your impressions of each other?
Nagase: Fujisawa-san is easy to talk to, and there's a gentle atmosphere around him, so even on tense sets, I feel like, "I feel at ease when Fujisawa-san is there." I think the other co-stars probably felt the same way. That's how much of a calming influence he has on set.
Fujisawa: Really?! (laughs)
Nagase: At the "Reboot" launch party, when I met for the first time the people I wasn't able to work with on set, I was a bit hesitant at first because I'm quite shy, but Fujisawa was sitting next to me, and just that gave me the sense of security that "I have someone to talk to in Fujisawa."
Fujisawa: I'm really happy. I usually call Nagase-san "Ren-kun" casually, but this is my first time acting in a drama series, and there are actors of all ages playing all kinds of different roles, and I also play a buddy role of the same generation, so in that respect I feel a sense of security around Nagase-san.
It was all new to me and I was nervous, but he was right there by my side, listening to me talk about my private life and even talking to me. He really helped me to ease my tension, so I was very grateful for his presence.
-Was this the first time you two met on the set of this drama?
Nagase and Fujisawa: We would often just pass each other on music shows.
-So this was the first time you actually spoke to each other?
Nagase: That's right. Apparently he goes to the sauna all the time (laughs).
Fujisawa: Please stop, it's embarrassing (laughs)
Nagase: On days when filming finished early, I remember having a lot of conversations like, "Are you going to work after this?" "No, I'm going to the sauna."
Fujisawa: But it's true that that's all we talked about. We had quite a lot of scenes together, and that was the only exchange we had (laughs).
--On the other hand, did you discover any new sides to Nagase, Fujisawa-san?
Fujisawa: I have the impression that Nagase is knowledgeable about food. But he also cooks at home, even if he's alone, so that was a bit of a surprise (laughs).
--Did you two go out to eat together during the filming period?
Nagase: I've never been there. Well, I'll take my time next time. I know a lot of good family restaurants (laughs).
Fujisawa: (laughs) I'd love to join you!
-What was the reaction from the other members of your group regarding you appearing in this film?
Nagase: They are really looking forward to it. I also watched "DOPE: Special Investigation Unit, Narcotics Control Department," in which Kaito (Takahashi) made his first lead role in a TBS drama, so I hope Kaito will watch it this time too.
Fujisawa: Both Omori (Mototaka) and Wakai (Koto) were very amused when they saw the footage that was released, saying, "Ryo-chan is acting!" (laughs).
◇ "Suzuki-san is amazing"
-- The main actor, Suzuki Ryohei, plays a unique role in which he plays two characters with the same face but different personalities, and I have a feeling that we'll be seeing more and more scenes with the two of you in the future. Please tell us your impression of Suzuki-san during filming.
Nagase: He often came to watch scenes that he wasn't in, and that stoic side of Ryohei made a big impression on me. So I naturally wanted to follow him, and I thought that Ryohei would be fine. He even taught me how to handle a gun, and he was so amazing that I wondered, "What can't this guy do?"
Fujisawa: As Nagase said, I think he is a very studious person. He actually went to practice how to handle a gun himself, and he would tell me things like, "There will be this kind of recoil, so you should do it like this," and he taught me each and every movement carefully. He really has knowledge about a lot of things, and as the leader of the group, he maintains a good atmosphere on set, and I get the impression that he is a very warm person towards the cast and staff.
-What is your impression of Toda Erika, who played the mysterious woman Ichika?
Nagase: I didn't have that many scenes with Toda-san, but there was one that left an impression on me. There was a scene where Fuyuhashi eats a cake with his bare hands, and when Toda-san saw me eating it with his bare hands, he started laughing like, "Oh, so that's how you do it." It seemed to hit home, and I ended up getting a bit full (from eating the cake so many times) (laughs).
Fujisawa: Toda-san is amazing at switching on and off. Even if he was chatting harmoniously until just before filming started, the moment the cameras started rolling he switched to a serious scene, and when I saw him continue the conversation the moment the cameras stopped I was amazed and thought, "Wow, this is what an actor is like!"
-What is your impression of Kitamura Yukiya, who played Goroku, the boss of the characters played by Fuyuhashi and Kiriya?
Nagase: Yukiya is a very interesting person. Goroku is a character who appears gentle on the surface but has a cold, ruthless side, so I was wondering what kind of person he was, but he was very friendly and always teasing me with a smile and a grin (laughs), so there was a big gap between his character and his personality.
Fujisawa: During rehearsals, he would play around with the lines, and the moment the camera stopped, he would start saying things like jokes using the lines, and I really laughed at that every time (laughs). But he always lightened the atmosphere on set like that, and I got the impression that he was a very bright and kind person.
◇The surprising and thrilling story continues
-Finally, please tell us what you think are the highlights of this work and your message to the viewers.
Nagase: Right from the beginning, there are a series of amazing twists and surprises that will make you go "Whaaat?", and it continues to be interesting all the way to the final episode. I think it will be really interesting to watch it again from episode 1 once you've understood everything after watching all the way to the final episode. It's a drama that "tastes delicious all the way through," and it's the kind of work that you can't wait for each week to come, so I hope you'll enjoy it while thinking about it.
Fujisawa: As the story progresses, viewers will likely find themselves wondering, "What are their true feelings? What kind of face does they really have?" and I hope that viewers will enjoy these moments with excitement every week. And above all, I think this is a work that really cherishes the love of family, so I hope that viewers will enjoy discovering the different forms of love each character possesses.
