Akari Takaishi portrayed Yuichi Nishikiori, Heaven's ( Tommy Bastow ) best friend and "literary assistant," in the NHK Asadora drama series "Bakebake " (NHK General, Monday-Saturday 8:00 AM, etc.), starring Akari Ryo Yoshizawa. He played the role with both endearing charm and intense, almost terrifying power. When Nishikiori reappeared in week 23 after about a month's absence, he was emaciated and looked like a completely different person, and his transformation became a hot topic. Here, we'd like to trace the trajectory of Yoshizawa's stoic approach to preparing for the role.
In "Bakebake," Yoshizawa volunteered to lose about 13 kilograms in one month to play Nishikiori, who is suffering from an illness. He vividly embodied Nishikiori as he faced death, and viewers were amazed, saying things like, "His dedication to the role is incredible," and "His acting spirit is amazing."
Kuniomi Hashizume, who is in charge of production, praised Yoshizawa's acting ability, saying, "He really gets into the role. His acting skills are truly impressive." He added, "Although he was wearing a trainer and losing weight within safe limits, when I saw him again for the first time in a while during filming, he had changed so much that I thought, 'Is this guy really going to die?'" He also expressed his respect for Yoshizawa's dedication as an actor, saying, "The sparkle in his eyes, though thinner, has increased, and his spirit is sharper than ever. I felt an almost terrifying intensity from him."
Looking back at his previous works, as well as his performance in "Bakebake," it's clear that Yoshizawa has gone through what could be described as grueling character preparation, imbuing each role with soul.
In the historical drama "Seiten wo Tsuke" (2021), in which he played the lead role, he gained weight as he got older to portray the life of Eiichi Shibusawa, ultimately gaining about 8 kilograms. In the film "Kingdom: Flame of Destiny" (directed by Shinsuke Sato), which was filmed around the same time, he lost about 6-7 kilograms in one month to prepare for the role, playing the 9-year-old King Ying Zheng of Qin, which also became a topic of conversation.
His breathtaking performance in the film "National Treasure" (directed by Lee Sang-il), for which he won the Best Actor award at the 49th Japan Academy Awards, needs no introduction. After a year and a half of kabuki training, Yoshizawa portrayed the dramatic life of Kikuo, a kabuki actor who devoted his life to his art. His intense and almost frenzied performance demonstrated his immeasurable talent as an actor.
While filming for the national treasure project, he underwent intensive training in sign language from scratch to prepare for his role in the film "I'm Alive, Two Worlds" (directed by Mipo O). He delicately portrayed the protagonist, a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) who grew up with deaf parents, and won the Best Actor award at the 34th Japan Film Critics Awards. His award was given in recognition of his "sign language performance that conveyed inner emotions."
Immediately after finishing filming for "National Treasure," he began a physical transformation to match the image of Mori Ranmaru, a 450-year-old vampire he would play in the film "Baban Baban Ban Vampire" (directed by Shinji Hamasaki). Through rigorous muscle training and dietary management, he transformed his slender physique from that of a female character into a muscular body in just one month.
Yoshizawa dedicates himself fully to each role, approaching acting with a stoic dedication. In July, he will appear in the musical "Dear Evan Hansen," where he will challenge himself with acting that incorporates singing and dancing. We can't wait to see what kind of expressions Yoshizawa will show us in his future works.
