On January 28th, four student cast members were revealed for the October drama series "Our Hakone Ekiden" (Nippon TV, broadcast time slot undecided), starring Yo Oizumi. The 18 student cast members have been announced over four consecutive days since the 27th.
The second wave of young actors announced are Mizusawa Rintaro, Araki Hiba, Ryu Saito, and Asano Junya. Mizusawa will play Matsuki Kota, a fourth-year student at Seiwa International University, Araki will play Tomioka Shuto, a fourth-year student at Meguro University of Education, Saito will play Momoyama Haruka, a third-year student at Toyo University of Commerce, and Asano will play Naito Seiya, a second-year student at Kanto Bunka University.
The film is based on the novel of the same name by Ikeido Jun (Bungeishunju). Meisei Gakuin University, a veteran university that has failed to qualify for the Hakone Ekiden for two consecutive years. To participate in the Hakone Ekiden, they must pass the qualifying rounds held in October. Will Meisei Gakuin be able to run the Hakone course? An unexpected incident also occurs at the television station that will be broadcasting the race... This is the story. Oizumi plays Tokushige Ryo, the chief producer of the television station in charge of the live broadcast of the Hakone Ekiden, and Tomohisa Yamashita plays Kai Masato, the new coach of the track and field club at his alma mater, Meisei Gakuin University.
The athletics will be coached and supervised by Eiji Ohgo, vice president of the Kanto Student Athletics Federation and former head ekiden coach at Kanagawa University. The 18 young actors will undergo several months of intensive training and training camps to play the roles of Hakone Ekiden runners and their supporting managers, reducing their body fat percentage and building physiques comparable to those of real runners before taking on the Hakone course.
The roles and comments of the four cast members are as follows:
◇Rintaro Mizusawa's role and comment
Kota Matsuki, Seiwa International University: A fourth-year student with a somewhat cynical attitude. He feels a deep gratitude to the coach at Seiwa International University, who discovered his talent and supported him in his pursuit of higher education, something he had given up on financially.
Comment: I was very happy when I was chosen to appear in the film. I did track and field in junior high school, so I was happy to be able to take part in something I worked so hard at back then as an actor in a production. In practice, I was taught that it's more important to run for a long distance in a comfortable position than to run fast, so I'm working hard to keep that in mind when I run. I've received invaluable support from the cast, of course, but also from the staff, and I think we've achieved teamwork like never before.
◇Araki Hiba's role and comment
Tomioka Shujin, Meguro University of Education: A fourth-year student who feels guilty towards his father, who was a relay runner, and is not putting his heart into practice. He has an outlaw vibe and is a bit of a twisted character, not wanting to join in with the group of friends.
Comment: When I was chosen to appear, I felt nervous and anxious, but at the same time, I was very happy and excited. I was a bit anxious because I'm not used to running, but once I started training in earnest, I experienced the depth and rigor of the ekiden. Also, during training, I received one-on-one checks on my running form and dietary management, and through the strong support of the staff and all the other members, I realized that you can't run alone. I think the Hakone Ekiden has something that pushes you forward and brightens your life. I think the drama "Our Hakone Ekiden" will be that kind of work, so I want to run all the way to the end.
◇ Ryu Saito's role and comment
Haruka Momoyama, Toyo University of Commerce: She is competitive and doesn't hesitate to say what she thinks, but she also has a straightforward and honest personality and doesn't dwell on her emotions. She hurt her Achilles tendon before the qualifying round and is not in good shape.
Comment: Personally, I love Ikeido Jun's work, and one of my goals has been to appear in it someday, so I was really happy when I was chosen to play Momoyama Haruka. But the truth is, I hate running (laughs). When I heard about the training, I was surprised, thinking, "They're really going to take it this seriously!" But I could sense the incredible passion of all the staff members who are dedicated to the production, so I'm working hard to live up to that. Also, because the original work doesn't go into detail, I think everyone has their own image of Momoyama Haruka, so I want to create a character that will clearly tell viewers, "This is Momoyama Haruka."
◇ Asano Junya's role and comment
Seiya Naito, Kanto Bunka University: A second-year student who looks coldly at his teammates as they devote themselves to the Hakone Ekiden. He aspires to run the full marathon and join a corporate team to compete on the world stage, but tends to overtrain, believing he needs to build up a track record while still a student.
Comment: I was genuinely happy when I was chosen to appear! Also, I don't often get the chance to act with so many actors my age, so I was really looking forward to it and full of expectations. I'm not good at running long distances, and I started joining practice late, so I felt a sense of urgency to "catch up." But when I started to get tired during practice, everyone cheered me on, telling me to "do my best." I was reminded of the power of words of encouragement. We all supported each other through practice, dietary restrictions, and other tough aspects of the preparation, so we had a strong bond even before filming began.
