Nozomu Kotaki of the popular group "WEST." stars in the TBS Tuesday drama "Mirai no Musuko" (Tuesdays at 10pm), starring Mirai Shida. He plays Matsuoka Yuta, a nursery school teacher affectionately known as "Ma-sensei" by the children and parents, and has been a hot topic on social media with comments like "His gaze is so gentle it's melting" and "He's so cool." This is Kotaki's first appearance in a TBS drama, and we spoke to him about his impressions of his co-stars and how he prepared for the role.
◇Kamiyama Tomohiro: "The drama was interesting"
The drama is based on the popular manga "Mirai no Musuko: A Son Came Down from the Sky!" written by Aso Kumiko and illustrated by Kuromugi Hajime. Mirai (played by Shida), who is half-hearted in love, work and dreams, suddenly becomes a mother. Through raising her child, she learns about the importance of living and supporting others, and starts anew. This is Shida's first role as a mother in 20 years, since the 2006 drama "14-Year-Old Mother" (NTV).
-This will be your first appearance in a TBS drama. What is your impression of TBS dramas?
I have the impression that TBS dramas have a lot of interesting works. There are many masterpieces and popular works, and I've been watching a lot of the recent Sunday Theater. I also watched "#Looking for Family" (2021), in which Shigeoka (Daiki) appeared.
--This time, Kotaki plays a nursery teacher. Shigeoka also played a father with a son, so you both have a connection with children.
That's certainly true. We, WEST., are doing a program called "Hirameke! Unpyoko Channel" (TBS), and through that connection, Sato Haruka, who played Shigeoka's son, came to the studio, and (Amano) Yu, who played Sota, also came. It's very heartwarming, and I think he's just so cute.
-What kind of feedback have you received about this film, Mr. Kotaki?
Immediately after the first episode aired, I met with a staff member who I usually work with and he told me, "It was really interesting." Recently, the members don't often say to each other, "I watched the drama," but Kamiyama (Tomohiro) said to me, "Non-chan, the drama was interesting." I was simply happy. When the members say that, it gives me confidence.
I myself watched the first episode and thought it was really interesting. I usually watch our own YouTube channel when I'm at home, but recently I've been watching "Mirai no Musuko" on "TVer" all the time. I can see that the number of favorites is increasing every time I watch it, and that makes me really happy.
-What were your impressions after reading the script and the original work?
I've read a lot of the original manga. It's a very heartwarming story, and I've read it while shedding tears many times. I empathized with the future so much, and Souta's pure actions and words really touched me, so it's a manga I really love.
I hope that I have been able to properly follow the good points of the original work, and I feel that it fits perfectly as a drama. I feel that the worldview of the manga has been reflected as it is in the drama.
-What kind of person is Matsuoka Yuta, the character you will be playing?
Yuta is a nursery teacher who works at a nursery school where his uncle (played by Makita Sports, Yoshizumi Matsuoka) is the principal. He is very kind, reassuring, and somewhat tolerant. He is like a gentle and kind older brother, making you think, "I wish I had a friend like that" or "I wish I had a teacher like that."
-Is there anything you keep in mind when playing the role of Yuta?
Above all, it's important to "stay relaxed." Of course, it's important to memorize your lines properly, but I try not to be too conscious of "having to become Matsuoka Yuta." I hope that this naturalness will ultimately lead to a sense of ease.
So rather than uttering the words as lines, I try to value the feeling that the words come out of my body. I try not to overact.
-How was it shooting surrounded by children?
In my private life, I have two nieces and a nephew who I adore, but to be honest, I was very anxious at first. I once had the opportunity to do a TV show where I looked after children for a day, and I didn't function at all, so that impression has stuck with me. I wasn't confident that I could play the role of a childcare worker looking after children.
But Souta came up to me and called me "Teacher Maa." The children at the nursery are also very active, and they keep coming up to me. If they had been more passive, I'm sure it would have been mentally damaging, so I really feel like the children are helping me out.
◇Shida Mirai is "the perfect person"
-Please tell us your impression of Shida-san.
He's perfect. In scenes with the children, there are always a few NGs, but the moment the children do it well, the adults feel a sudden sense of tension. "We can't have a NG here" (laughs).
In the midst of all this, there are times when I make mistakes, but Mirai-san has never done that. While saying her lines, she plays with Sota and teaches him, "This is how it is," and acts naturally. I think that's really amazing.
--When portraying the distance between Mirai and Yuta as "middle school classmates," was there anything you were conscious of, and were there any aspects of Shida-san that inspired you on set?
I've been watching Shida-san's work since before I started this job, so I feel like I'm on a roll when I step onto the set. Even when I was watching the first episode, I found myself drawn into Shida-san's acting.
--What is your impression of Amano Yu?
Yu-kun is a real people-pleaser, in a good way. He's not easily intimidated, and you can tell he likes people. I get the impression he's especially attached to Mirai-san and the three candidates for Mar-kun. During filming, when there's a little time to set up the camera, he'll hug me saying "hug me." Every time that happens, everyone gets more and more sucked into Yu-kun's swamp.
It can be hard to keep up with a child's energy, but at the same time, it's a time of healing. We don't just let them do what they want, we teach them properly when it's time to teach them. Of course, we're not as good as a real mother or father, but we feel like we're all involved in raising the child, saying things like, "This is what you should do in this situation," and "Now you need to do your best."
--Is there any memorable episode from working with Shida-san or Yu-kun?
I remember very well the scene in episode 2 where Souta goes off somewhere on his own and Yuuta finds him and returns him to Mirai. Every scene is important, but this was one of the most important.
For me personally, it was difficult to create emotion because we started filming fairly soon after the start of filming and we weren't shooting in order. It was a scene that made a strong impression on me because it was the trigger for Yuta to once again think "I want to help Mirai" and to negotiate with the director. There was also a scene where Sota cried, and at that time I thought, "Yu-kun, you're a pro."
--Please give a message to the viewers, including highlights of episode 3.
Episode 3 is a very important episode in that it adds another future community to the nursery school. The chances of Yuta becoming a "Ma-kun candidate" also increase. The story unfolds in a way that gives us a glimpse of the path to that.
Leaving a child in someone's care requires trust, so I think there will be a lot of things happening for Mirai and Sota in the third episode. The story is about the stage where they finally start going to nursery school, so there are still many highlights to come. I hope you continue to enjoy the series.
