Akari Takaishi plays Shogo Hama , a brilliant young man from Matsue who has just returned from Tokyo, in the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake " (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times), starring Takaishi Akari. In the 85th episode, broadcast on January 30th, he makes up his mind to propose to Sawa ( Wan Marui) but is rejected, surprising viewers who had expected the two to tie the knot. Hama spoke about what happened behind the scenes of this scene, his feelings after being rejected, and the moment he fell in love with Sawa.
◇The proposal scene also had some ad-libs
In episode 85, Shoda decides to become an English teacher at Matsue Junior High School, and is the first to tell Sawa about it. Shoda expresses his honest feelings, saying, "Let's get married. Starting next month, I'll give you 25 yen a month. With that, I'll pay off your debt and move out of the tenement house." However, Sawa, who is determined to move out of the tenement house on her own, refuses to agree.
Looking back on this scene, Hama revealed, "There were quite a few parts that were not shot in chronological order, but I was able to film that scene after spending time with Osawa, so I remember going to the set thinking about what had happened between the two of us up to that point."
"Being alone in the salon, coupled with the dark, quiet atmosphere of the evening, made me very nervous. I was so nervous that my hands would curl up just by standing there (laughs). In that scene, Shoda rushes into the salon, and the script said he was out of breath, so I wondered how I should act that out. I thought about actually running, but the movement was limited, so I held my breath during the shoot."
However, it seemed like it took longer than expected for the performance to begin, and he recalled, "I was really out of breath. I ended up drinking water really quickly."
The drinking water scene was ad-libbed by Hama. "Drinking water was an ad-lib to fill the gap, but as for my character, rather than ad-lib, I felt like I was the one who was flustered when it was done to me," he explains.
"In the 84th episode (broadcast on January 29th), the scene where Otoki (Takaishi) tells me, 'Osawa, switch it on,' was completely ad-libbed by Takaishi (laughs). There was no cut for a long time, and I was shown a look of not knowing what to do for a long time. When I saw the finished video, I realized that this is the kind of face I make in situations like this."
◇How did Shoda feel after being rejected?
The story did not show what happened after Shoda's proposal was rejected, but Hama speculates, "Even though he was shocked and wondering why it was rejected, I think he was probably thinking about Osawa on his way home."
"I was a little shaken up about what would happen, but I think I was thinking more along the lines of 'maybe it could work out.' After she turned me down, I think I felt like my mind was blank, and it must have been incredibly awkward. When I proposed, Osawa had a really bright look in her eyes, but her expression made me wonder, 'Which one is it?'"
Shoda was rejected after expressing his feelings directly. Hama laughed and said, "Shoda is very straightforward, so I think he ended up showing too much of his best side."
"Shoda is excellent in his studies, but when it comes to love he is quite naive, and not the type of man who is adept at love. However, Shoda always thinks about what other people think as a reason for his actions, and he often thinks about others, so I think that on the way home after being rejected he was probably thinking about Osawa while feeling down."
◇When did Shoda fall in love with Sawa?
When asked what it was about Sawa that attracted him and when he fell in love with her, Shoda replied, "I think it would be fun for everyone to imagine what it was about her that made me fall in love with her."
"I think the first thing that caught my eye was Osawa's inner strength, her straightforward approach to her studies and her dedication to her work in a salon full of men. As fellow teachers, we got along well, and I think there was something about having someone close to me who has special feelings for her, like Otoki is to Osawa, and Nishikori (Ryo Yoshizawa Ryo) is to Shoda, that I could relate to. I think it was all these things that combined that made me fall in love with her more and more."
In the 83rd episode (broadcast on January 28th), there was a scene where Shoda ate soba noodles with Sawa, and he said with a smile, "I think I definitely had feelings of love in that scene. However, after consulting with the director, I decided not to act in a way that made it clear that I had fallen in love at that moment. I hope you will watch the episode while imagining when I fell in love and what my feelings were. It would also be fine if I fell in love at first sight when I introduced myself to her for the first time..."
Shoda's love was not reciprocated, but what paths will Shoda and Sawa walk from now on? I want to watch over the two of them until the very end.
