Actor Mana Ashida stars in the NHK drama series "Omoi (Unrequited Love)." The drama is an ultimate unrequited love story that depicts the joy and happiness of unrequited love, with Amane Okayama playing the role of the love interest. Ashida, who is also trying out the role of a "tsundere," looked back on the filming, saying, "It was always fun."
◇The fun is greater than the difficulty
"Unrequited Love" is an original work by screenwriter Yoshikazu Okada, known for the network's morning drama series "Churasan" and "Hiyokko." Ashida plays the heroine Yui Sugawara, who has a crush on Kenji Sugawara (played by Asadora), a slightly older man known as "Kenken," who grew up next door to her.
Ashida revealed her impression of Okada's script, saying, "From the first time I read it, I thought it was a very warm, gentle, and peaceful worldview, and I really liked the atmosphere."
According to Ashida, the script is full of stage directions and is "filled with Okada's feelings for Yui," and he felt that "the lively character of Yui is one of the charms of the film."
"Yui is a character whose emotions are revealed on her face. I thought she was such a cute girl and found her to be an incredibly charming character. I wanted to convey to the viewers the feelings I had when I read Okada's book."
What did Ashida value most when playing the role of Yui?
"Time flows very calmly inside Yui. She values each and every moment, and while of course things like 'I have to produce results' or 'I have to look ahead' are important, it's not like that. I felt she was the kind of girl who carefully listens to what is being said in that moment and is able to respond directly to it, so I wanted to express that pure feeling of her. I also wanted to give off an aura of happiness, like she is living life enjoying every moment, so I acted with a feeling of being truly pure about everything, facing each and every one of them head on."
Ashida said that she was able to "get into the role easily," perhaps due to the effect of Okada's thoughtful stage directions. On the other hand, this time she also tried playing a "tsundere" character. There were scenes where Yui's feelings went up and down, perhaps due to her feelings for Kenken.
"In scenes with extreme emotional changes, it was difficult to think about how to control my emotions, where I should be depressed and when I should be cheerful, and express that. But that's really Yui's charm, and I think the fun outweighed the difficulties."
◇What inspired the role?
The filming was also done in Morioka, where Yui and Kenken were born and raised.
"Morioka is a place with a truly lush green environment and a calm atmosphere. I personally felt that Yui is a girl who has absolutely no sense of impatience, no desire to make her love come true, no time limit, and so on, and that time flows very calmly for her. I think I got inspiration for the role from the climate and atmosphere of Morioka."
Another inspiration was Yui's tofu-making, who works at Kenken's family's tofu shop.
"Tofu may look simple, but it takes a lot of work and is made with love by human hands. The first scene we shot was of Yui watching the process of making tofu from scratch with sparkling eyes. Yui loves this meticulous process, and I felt that she must be a very kind and gentle girl, and I think that reflected in her role."
Ashida also recalls that she "always received energy" from the acting of Okayama, who played Kenken, the man she has a crush on.
"On about the second day after filming began, there was a fairly long flashback scene at an okonomiyaki restaurant, and I was worried about whether I would be able to properly express the sense of distance between the two characters. That was the first time I had the opportunity to act properly with Okayama-san, and it felt like he was throwing me a straight ball. Whether at home or on set, he was able to draw out lines and acting that I would never have been able to come up with on my own, and he made acting that much more enjoyable. I feel that he really guided me so that I could act in a way that made sense to me and felt good."
The special drama "Unrequited Love" will be broadcast on NHK General TV at 10pm on March 26th and 27th.
