It has been announced that filming for the NHK morning drama "Bakeke" (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 AM and other times), starring Takaishi Akari, wrapped up on February 7th. The station announced this on February 9th.
Filming for "Bakeke" began at the NHK Osaka Broadcasting Station studio on March 25th of last year, with Takaishi starting filming on April 2nd of the same year. Takaishi, who played the main character Toki for around 10 months, exuded a sense of fulfillment as she said, "Being the heroine of a morning drama has been my dream since I was little. But now, more than anything, I love 'Bakeke' and it's something that I feel very important about. Everyone involved in 'Bakeke' really cares about me, and I feel happy every day because I can tell they love me."
"Over the past year, there hasn't been a day when I thought, 'I don't want to go' or 'I don't want to play Toki.' Before filming began, I had the mindset of, 'No matter how hard it is, I'm going to go and experience it,' but I had a lot of fun every day," she recalled, and expressed her gratitude, saying, "I realized that acting is fun, and this time made me want to work with everyone I worked with again, so I'll work even harder! I'll keep building up my skills in future work, and do my best so that next time you can think that I've grown even a little. Thank you so much!"
Production manager Hashizume Kuniomi recalled, "We called cut on the scene filled with love between Toki and Heaven (Tommy Bastow), and filming for 'Bakeke' was completed. As the camera was rolling for the last time, a variety of emotions welled up inside me, including the long journey we had come so far and the sadness that these precious days were coming to an end. The entire studio was filled with that same atmosphere, and some of the staff were in tears. It was a sad, but wonderful, happy wrap-up."
"I believe Takaishi-san has truly lived the life of Toki over the past year, and I think that has been conveyed to everyone through the broadcast. She is always cheerful, considerate, and a very reliable leader who leads everyone with great strength. The decision to choose Takaishi-san at the audition was undoubtedly the best one. With just under two months left in 'Bakeke', we will be moving towards the climax of the second half. I would be happy if you would watch the story of Toki, Heaven, Nishikori (Yoshizawa Ryo), the Matsuno family, and everyone in Matsue and Kumamoto together until the very end," he said.
"Bakeke" is based on the story of Koizumi Setsu, the daughter of a fallen samurai from Matsue, and her husband Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn), and depicts the heroine, who loves ghost stories, going about her everyday life with her foreign husband.
The final episode of the series will air on March 27th. A review of the final week will air on March 28th.
