Tsutomu Kuroiwa, the scriptwriter for the TBS Sunday drama "Reboot" (Sundays at 9 PM), starring actor Ryohei Suzuki, spoke to us about the highlights of the final chapter ahead of episode 9, the final episode.
◇A story of "ultimate marital love" depicted through "impersonation"; a highly passionate work with a "underworld" theme.
--This film is based on a completely original script, and you spent three years developing the concept. Could you tell us what inspired you to create this story?
The concept for this project began when I was talking with producer Keigo Higashinaka, who I'm working with again this time, about our next drama project while we were working on "Last Man - The Blind Investigator -".
As was the case with "Last Man," I believe that "family love" is one of the essential themes for Sunday dramas, and in "Last Man," we depicted "brotherly love." So, when we thought about what to do next, Mr. Higashinaka and I agreed that we both wanted to depict something like "ultimate marital love."
However, there are many ways to depict "ultimate marital love." As I was thinking about this, I realized that I've always been very interested in the idea of someone becoming someone else, so the idea of "marital love" as the objective, with "impersonation" as one of the means to achieve it, came to mind.
--How did the work come together over such a long period of three years?
This time, I wanted to create a film with a lot of "passion." I was thinking of aiming for something like a yakuza film from the old days, but when I translated it to the present day, I thought that depicting the "underworld" would be more realistic.
So, I spent about two years doing research. During that time, stories about money laundering and the Toho Kids (young people who hang out around the Shinjuku Toho Building in Kabukicho, Shinjuku) came up, and the story was fleshed out in various ways. There was also a true story of a police officer betraying the police. Money laundering organizations also exist, and Gosix Corporation, the company of Goroku (played by Yukiya Kitamura), is modeled after an organization that was actually prosecuted.
However, despite the various developments, everything is a means to an end—to depict "marital love"—and to portray "ultimate marital love." Broadly speaking, it's also a story about "family love." It's a story of people who fight with conviction for the sake of their families, and what initially appears evil can turn out to be good, with good and evil intertwined in a battle.
However, I hope viewers can just enjoy watching it without worrying too much about the themes.
◇ "200% written specifically for Ryohei Suzuki" - Even the "pastry chef" setting was "because it was Ryohei-san"
--This is your first collaboration with lead actor Ryohei Suzuki since "TOKYO MER ~The Running Emergency Room~". Are there any aspects of the character that reflect your impression of Mr. Suzuki himself?
Regarding Ryohei-san, this role was 200% written specifically for him. First, I gave him the overall structure and plot of the script, and after he agreed to actually perform, we decided on the character's settings and other details.
The decision to make him a pastry chef came after Ryohei was cast. Originally, we were considering more neutral settings, like a government employee, but after the casting was decided, we started thinking, "What kind of setting should we give Ryohei?" and it was completely written with him in mind, and he became a pastry chef.
--What aspects of Ms. Suzuki led you to choose the pastry chef setting?
Originally, Ryohei-san had mentioned that he likes sweets, but after watching him, I somehow felt that something with more "movement" would be better.
Rather than a character who works in an office, I thought that Ryohei-san is very skillful and would practice a lot, so when I thought about what kind of profession would be good, pastry chef came to mind. This time, we're going to be depicting an extremely hard and harsh world, so I thought it would be good to have sweets or something sweet as a symbol of one moment of relief or a moment of gentleness.
◇Erika Toda said, "It was even more breathtaking." Ren Nagase said, "The action was also fantastic."
--What are your impressions of Erika Toda, who plays the role of Ichika Kogo?
Both Ryohei and Toda played two roles in this series, and I imagine it was a difficult and complex role for them. As you may have noticed in episode 8, Ichika kept lying and hiding her dual nature, and at one point, you thought she was the one who killed Natsumi, but then it turned out that she was Natsumi all along.
I think it's a very high hurdle, and the setting is rather bizarre at times, but I had a lot of confidence from the beginning that he could portray a character that was realistic and that I could really empathize with. That's how I felt about Ryohei-san as well.
The results are fantastic, aren't they? I was truly amazed by the acting in episode 8. But episodes 9 and 10 are even more breathtaking, so I hope you'll look forward to them.
--What are your thoughts on Ren Nagase, who plays the role of Fuyuhashi Wataru?
Fuyuhashi is one of my favorite characters. Of course, I like all the characters, but while researching for this project and learning about things like the Toyo Kids, I thought I'd like to depict runaway boys and girls, as well as young people involved in shady part-time jobs.
Fuyuhashi is an employee of a non-profit organization that supports children, but she's a character with a lot of darkness about her. Nagase is certainly bright and cheerful, but I thought it would be interesting if she could play a role with a bit of a dark side.
I also thought it would be good to have him play a "really bad guy." Fuyuhashi is a character with many different sides, and in the first half he comes across as violent and a little scary, but I feel like Nagase hasn't really played that kind of role before, so I thought it would be interesting.
I was also hoping for some action scenes, and they turned out to be fantastic. You'll see what I mean when you watch it.
◇The final chapter was written on set: "The real 'reboot' starts here."
--What was everyone like on set?
I went to the set quite a lot this time. I even went while I was writing the script.
I wondered what kind of play it would be, and after Hayase was rebooted, I didn't know what kind of tension to use, how much comedy to use, how serious to use, or how close to the line they would keep it to whether or not the impersonation would be discovered, so I went to see it as soon as filming started.
I was also interested in how much Ichika would hide her emotions, so this time I went to see the filming while I was writing, and then I solidified the final episode from there.
-- Are there any memorable episodes from the filming set?
Early in the story, Hayase, who has taken Gido's place, storms into Kaieda's (played by Yoshi Sakou) "Clearance Law Office" and shows his notebook, saying, "I'm a police officer." But the way he says "I'm a police officer" is slightly, just a little, high-pitched. It sounds like he's nervous.
I was really impressed that they went with this "line of realism." They could have made it easier to understand, but they chose to make it very realistic, and I was grateful that it could truly become a "drama for adults."
--Finally, could you tell us about the highlights of episode 9 and the key points leading up to the final episode?
As we enter the final chapter, "Reboot" truly begins as a story about a married couple. The battle of the Hayase couple, which I most wanted to depict, starts here.
Hayase, who had never had a trustworthy friend, is now faced with the fact that Natsumi, the person he trusts most, is still alive. I hope viewers will watch to see what happens to the two of them from here on out. Natsumi also carries the burden of guilt for involving her husband and family, so I hope she will come to terms with this situation, and I hope viewers will also watch to see what decision Riku will make regarding his wife.
And how will the two of them confront Goroku's organization? This is where the new "reboot" begins. I can confidently promise that you will feel truly satisfied with watching it all the way to the end.
I believe that right at the very end, you'll be able to feel the theme embedded in the title "Reboot"—that humans can start over from any situation.
