Three new stills from the drama series "Kitakata Kenzo Suikoden," starring Oda Yuji, were released on February 6th, highlighting the distinctive presence and presence of Chao Gai, the leader of Liangshan Marsh, played by Sorimachi Takashi. Sorimachi reflected on the filming experience, where he, along with Oda, who plays the main character Song Jiang, and Kamenashi Kazuya, who plays the spearman Lin Chong, "were united as a team with one aspiration."
The original work is the monumental historical epic novel "Suikoden" series (19 volumes, Shueisha Bunko) by Kitakata Kenzo. It is a reconstruction of "Suikoden," considered one of the three great Chinese classics, and has sold over 11.6 million copies. It is the first of the "Great Suikoden" trilogy, which will be followed by "Yang Lingden" and "Yue Feiden."
The story is set in China at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty (early 12th century). It tells the story of a group of outcasts who, troubled by the corruption of the world, seek justice even if it means breaking the law. The story depicts the will to resist unreasonable authority and the bonds of friendship, a theme still relevant today, as a grand ensemble drama. The cast includes Song Jiang (played by Oda), Chao Gai (played by Sorimachi), Lin Chong (played by Kamenashi), Yang Zhi (played by Mitsushima Shinnosuke), and his wife, Ji Renmei (played by Haru).
Sorimachi gained popularity starring in dramas such as "The Beach Boys" (1997) and "GTO" (1998), and more recently has continued to exude his masculine charm in popular works such as the "Aibou" series (TV Asahi) and the currently airing "Ramune Monkey" (Fuji TV). In this film, Sorimachi plays Chao Gai, a courageous leader who continues to bare his fangs at the world, and after encountering Song Jiang's book on social reform, "Kaiten Xing Dao," he joins him in standing up against the state.
Regarding Sorimachi's role as Chao Gai, director Setsuro Wakamatsu of this film praised him, saying, "No other man suits the quiet and strange appearance on horseback wearing a mask, or the visual of being wrapped in a flashy blue outfit, so well. His stunning appearance brought a smile to my face." Sorimachi himself also reflected on his feelings at the time of the offer, saying, "I received their desire to have me play (Chao Gai), but as I get older, it's rare to receive such an enthusiastic offer. I felt that I was perfectly suited to the image of Chao Gai, and they asked me to give it my all, so as an actor, I was really happy."
The three newly released cuts of Chao Gai show his typical qualities, combining calmness and bravery: one showing him as the leader of Liangshanbo, raising the flag of Baetian Xingdao, and the other showing him standing in front of his subordinates with a sharp look in his eyes, exuding charisma and bravery; the other showing him carefully reading through "Baetian Xingdao," written by Song Jiang, and feeling a burning desire to rebel and overthrow the corrupt state.
Regarding Chao Gai, Sorimachi said, "His biggest charm is that he's the leader who stands at the forefront of the group and has people follow him, but in addition to his strength, I think he also has great human qualities such as kindness and love. So I was very careful to act those aspects out." Furthermore, regarding the filming location where the stellar cast including Oda and Kamenashi gathered, he said, "It's rare to see a filming location on such a harsh scale, but I was very happy to be able to fully experience the environment and atmosphere of the filming location and reflect that in my acting, and I think that through that, our 'aspirations' as a team were united."
The drama series "Kitakata Kenzo Suikoden" will be broadcast on WOWOW every Sunday at 10pm starting February 15th. It will also be streamed simultaneously on WOWOW On Demand and Lemino. There are 7 episodes in total.
