Ichikawa Mikako plays Tsumura Ayano, a bailiff working at the First Branch of the Maebashi District Court, in NHK's "Drama 10: The Uncertain Court of Themis" (General TV, Tuesdays at 10pm), starring actor Matsuyama Kenichi. In the fifth episode, "Documentary Evidence and Human Evidence," which aired on February 3rd, Ichikawa spoke about Tsumura, whose exploits were depicted, the similarities between herself and her character, and the aikido scene in the fourth episode.
"The Uncertain Courtroom of Themis" is based on a unique legal mystery by Sho Naoshima. It is a courtroom drama about a judge with a developmental disorder who struggles with his own unique characteristics while taking on complex cases. The screenplay is written by Hideya Hamada, who has also written the Fuji TV series "Ichikei no Karasu" and the "Absolute Zero" series.
Tsumura, played by Ichikawa, is a bailiff at the First Branch of the Maebashi District Court. He is sometimes mocked as a "debtor" because he is responsible for ensuring that assets are seized and homes are vacated against those who do not comply with final judgments or orders. Due to a unique salary system that generates a commission for each execution, he tends to act more based on realistic calculations of profit and loss than a sense of justice. He hears rumors about the "eccentric" Ando (Matsuyama) who has just been transferred to the court and tries to make contact, but his true intentions, whether friend or foe, remain a mystery.
For Ichikawa, it was a "worried-about" shoot.
"As I was reading the script and researching enforcers, I realized that the role was increasingly difficult, especially since they are not well known to the public and are women (among which there are very few). The director had a certain image of Tsumura that he had in mind, but I was struggling with what aspects of Tsumura I should emphasize in the limited scenes I had while filming. Tsumura is the kind of character who pops up out of nowhere, and the little words she utters there become hints for those around her, so when I didn't know what to do, I talked to the director and moved forward."
Regarding the drama, Ichikawa revealed that when he read the script and saw the finished footage, "I was surprised because the image I had of it was completely different."
"The beautiful texture of the light was impressive, and Ando is very cute, which made it seem like the cute side of each of the other characters also came to light."
He also said that he found the portrayal of Ando's ADHD and ASD characteristics "easier to understand" than he had imagined.
"When I actually met Matsuyama-san on set, I was actually a little taken aback. In the story, Ando is hiding this, so if I (Tsumura) were to become concerned about something, the meaning of his lines would change. The script doesn't go into detail about his feelings about this, so there were times when I struggled with how to interact with him. But this work is Ando's drama, and how he and the people around him see it. I thought while filming that perhaps the changing views of the people around him might also be part of the drama. As I watched the finished film, I began to think that rather than Ando saying, 'I'm an alien. I don't know what other people consider normal,' the other people were the ones who were more alien. I once again wondered what 'normal' is, and thought that it didn't exist, but it gave me an opportunity to think that sometimes I too wave it around to others."
We asked Ichikawa about the similarities and differences between him and his character.
"I desperately tried to find common ground... When Tsumura is asked to do something by someone, he asks, 'How much is the payment?' as if he's being treated to a meal. But I think he's probably the type who doesn't actually accept payment. When I think about it that way, when I help someone younger than me or someone who I think might be considerate, and they say, 'Excuse me...' I sometimes immediately joke, 'Then, 100 yen!' When I remembered that, I realized that asking, 'How much is the payment?' might be Tsumura's unique way of communicating and showing consideration."
The scene that left the biggest impression on him in episode 5, which depicts Tsumura's exploits, was "the scene in Nguyen's room."
"I was able to experience the execution scenes under the guidance of a former enforcer, and Ishida Riko, who played Kisugi Haru, was an indescribable charmer who sometimes seemed mature and other times exuded the innocence of a young girl. I remember the look on her face when she caught my eye for a moment as I peered at her, and how beautiful her eyes were, shining like the surface of a soap bubble. Julius, who played Nguyen, was also quiet and focused, and there were many times when I couldn't tell whether it was the character or herself."
In the fourth episode last week, there was a scene where Tsumura overpowered his opponent using Aikido.
"I was a bit worried about the Aikido scene in episode 4 because I only went to practice once and it was over quickly, but thanks to the guidance of the action coordinator who helped me out and the fact that my partner's ukemi during the actual shoot was really amazing... I somehow managed to get through the scene (laughs). Also, in episode 5, the person who practiced with me also appeared as an executioner, so I was happy to be able to act with him."
