Mitsuhiko Fujiki is the scriptwriter for the NHK Asadora drama series "Bakebake " (NHK General, Monday-Saturday 8:00 AM, etc.), starring Akari Takaishi as the heroine. In the 120th episode, which aired on March 20th, Heaven, who had been in a slump, was shown writing a "ghost story." With only one week of the drama remaining, we spoke with Fujiki about his feelings as he reflects on the writing process so far and about the behind-the-scenes aspects of the writing, ahead of the final week which begins on March 23rd.
◇First attempt at a work based on a real person.
" Bakebake" is based on the lives of Setsu Koizumi, the daughter of a fallen samurai family in Matsue, and her husband, Lafcadio Hearn). It depicts the story of a heroine who loves ghost stories and lives an ordinary life with her foreign husband.
When asked about his feelings when he started writing, Fujiki recalled, "After Takaishi-san was chosen for the role of Toki and Tommy Bastow san for the role of Heaven in the auditions, I started writing the script with the feeling that these two would become the real-life Koizumi couple..."
"The more I watched the finished film, the more the two of them seemed like the Koizumi couple who lived in the Meiji era. I felt more and more that they must have really been like this, and I realized that I was watching something incredible. There were many difficult things in the film, but the way the two of them overcame them, and the people who supported them, really came alive in the story."
"Bakebake" is the first time Fujiki has written a work based on a real person. Fujiki reveals, "Sometimes I'm surprised myself at how much I can cherish the characters."
"My mother is from Matsue, and I was born there too. It's not the town where I grew up, but I've known since I was a child that Yakumo Koizumi's former residence is there. I truly feel grateful that Setsu, Hearn, Toki, Heaven, and everyone around them are all in Matsue. That's how much I love Mr. Takaishi, Mr. Tommy, and everyone else involved in ' Bakebake'."
◇A dialogue-driven drama typical of "Bakebake"
One of the charms of "Bakebake" is the dialogue that will make you chuckle. The Koizumi couple, who served as the models for Toki and Heaven, communicated in a unique language called "Mr. Hearn's language," which was a mix of Japanese and English, and Fujiki said that he found that amusing.
"When choosing a subject for the Asadora, I selected the story of Setsu Koizumi because the unique way she communicates—using Hearn's language, Izumo dialect, and occasionally English—seemed interesting. I could somehow imagine that the conversations would unfold slowly and thoughtfully, so I wanted to depict the humorous dialogue that would result. The way she tries to convey her feelings in various ways is both funny and endearing, and it exceeded my expectations."
Although the story is set in the Meiji era, Fujiki-san has woven the dialogue without being overly conscious of it being a period drama.
"There was a time when I became too conscious of the fact that it was a period drama, and I couldn't make any progress in writing... Of course, we had a historical consultant involved, so they would tell me things like, 'That kind of language is not appropriate,' and in turn they showed me what was within acceptable limits, and I wrote the script based on that. Within those limits, I feel like I was able to establish my own style of writing for ' Bakebake '."
When asked what led to the establishment of the typical Matsuno family conversation style, he revealed the backstory: "It was because I rewrote the script that I had written up to the third week."
"In the first script I wrote, I was too fixated on the fact that Toki was a samurai's daughter, so she didn't get too excited, and Fumi ( Takashi Okabe Ikewaki) didn't participate much in the conversation in order to give Tsukasanosuke ( Chizuru Ikewaki) the spotlight. I couldn't write it in an interesting way because of that. I wasn't satisfied with it myself, so I asked to rewrite it. From there, I think the kind of dialogue that is characteristic of the Matsuno family was established, and I was able to write it more and more smoothly."
◇What will happen in the final week?
In episode 120 (aired March 20th), Toki suggests to Heaven that he write a book that he himself can read, which opens up Heaven's perspective after he had been trapped in the pressure of having to write a bestseller. With Toki's help, Heaven begins writing a book on the theme of "ghost stories," and finally completes "Kaidan" (Ghost Stories).
"Kwaidan" is one of Yakumo Koizumi's most famous works, published shortly before his death. Regarding the development of writing this work in the 24th week, he reveals, "I had decided on it from the beginning, when I first came up with a rough outline for the 25 weeks."
Additionally, Setsu Koizumi's book "Omoide no Ki" (Record of Memories), which recounts her memories of her marriage with Lafcadio Hearn, will also be featured in the final week.
"After Heaven's death, the idea that Toki would write 'Memoirs' as a way to reflect on her life was something that my staff and I had decided beforehand. There are almost no other documents about Setsu besides what is written in 'Memoirs,' so I thought we would like to address the memories of her husband written in it towards the very end."
Regarding the final week, he said, "I didn't write ' Bakebake' specifically to match 'Omoide no Ki,' but by writing the script honestly and letting Toki and Heaven live honestly, we were able to land on the two of them in a way that connects properly to 'Omoide no Ki.' I'm glad that the development worked out well, and I'm relieved. I hope you will look forward to the final week."
