Aoi Aoi Miyazaki Nakano. Speaking about her first appearance in a taiga drama in 18 years since her lead role in "Atsuhime" (2008), Miyazaki revealed, "It's truly emotional." Miyazaki spoke about Ichi and her impressions of Shun Oguri, who plays her brother Nobunaga.
"Toyotomi Brothers!" is the 65th taiga drama. The story centers around Toyotomi Hidenaga (Koichiro), who, together with his older brother Hideyoshi (Tōkichirō), achieves the miraculous feat of unifying Japan through their strong bond. It's a success story of hope and dreams, depicting the rise of the Toyotomi brothers. The script is by Yatsushi Hiroyuki, known for "Hanzawa Naoki" (TBS) and the Asadora drama "Ochoyan." The music is by Kimura Hideaki.
Regarding "Atsuhime" 18 years ago, Miyazaki said, "The days I spent working on it are a treasure that I will cherish for the rest of my life."
"Starring in a taiga drama was a huge experience, and I feel very sad to think that I will no longer be able to play Atsuhime. Even now, when I talk about 'Atsuhime,' tears come to my eyes. I'm sure Nakano-san (who plays Koichiro) will also cry when filming wraps up (laughs). Before filming began for 'Toyotomi Brothers!,' I didn't really feel like I was taking part in a taiga drama for the first time in 18 years, but once we started, I wanted to be more involved with everyone."
The character I'm playing this time is Oda Nobunaga's younger sister. She was at the mercy of the turbulent times and lived a tragic life, but she was one of the heroines of the Sengoku period who lived a turbulent life with determination for her brother Nobunaga and the Oda clan. She married Azai Nagamasa of Omi, who was allied with Nobunaga, and gave birth to and raised three daughters, Chacha, Hatsu, and Go, but later her brother and husband came into conflict.
Miyazaki says, "I feel that she was a woman of particularly strong character, even during the Warring States period, when everything was life-threatening."
"In my mind, I had an image of Ichi as someone who was sharp, so with the help of makeup, I tried to make her look like a refined, elegant woman. With each scene, I can see that Ichi is definitely growing inside me, so I enjoy filming every day. In the future, Ichi will marry Azai Nagamasa (Nakajima Ayumu) for the sake of Nobunaga (Ayumu Nakajima). It's wonderful that she has been able to accept the situation she finds herself in and move forward. I imagine that she was someone who was good at finding her own happiness, even when she couldn't make free choices."
When Ichi is in front of Koichiro and Tokichiro (Ikematsu Sosuke), he "unintentionally reveals his true feelings."
"Their smiles are so beautiful that I can understand why Ichi would say unnecessary things (laughs). Nakano and Ikematsu's acting really brings out a lot of things. I feel that the two of them are truly like 'brothers'."
Regarding Oguri, who plays his older brother Nobunaga, he said, "I've known him since I was a child, so I feel at ease."
"At first, I was nervous about facing Nobunaga as Ichi, but as filming continued, I was able to naturally act as his brother. Oguri-san's portrayal of Nobunaga is really cool. I'm trying to fully understand Oguri-san's acting and act in a way that shows that Ichi is determined to live for her brother."
