Riho Yoshioka plays Chika in the NHK Taiga drama " BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!） " (NHK General, Sundays at 8 PM, etc.), starring actor Taiga Nakano. In the 13th episode, "The Suspicious Bride," which aired on April 5th, Chika's "bad rumors" and "sad past" were revealed. Also in the same episode, as the "bad rumors" suggested, there was a scene in which Koichiro witnesses Chika meeting with "another man" when he goes off to battle, leading some viewers to call her a "femme fatale"... Yoshioka spoke about Chika in the 13th episode.
In the 13th episode, it was revealed that Kei's previous husband had been killed in battle against the Oda clan. Ms. Yoshioka commented, "For Kei, the Oda clan is, in a sense, her enemy."
"Having lost her beloved husband, she harbors an unyielding resolve to never show weakness or connect with anyone on an emotional level. The line, 'I will not let you Oda people lay a finger on my heart,' was something I focused on particularly strongly while acting, but it was also very painful."
Furthermore, Yoshioka states unequivocally, "Right now, Kei doesn't trust Koichiro (Nakano) at all."
"However, both of them share the same pain of having lost their loved ones in war. When you think about it that way, I think these two were meant to meet. I want to carefully and slowly portray the process of them inevitably becoming husband and wife. And I hope to build a strong bond as husband and wife together with Taiga."
Yoshioka also said that she "enjoyed the story leading up to Kei's appearance as a viewer."
"Each character is so well-developed that the scene where Nao (Shiraishi Sei) dies is truly heartbreaking. Of course, I knew the ending, but I still couldn't help but think, 'Couldn't something have been done?' Both Toyotomi brothers are fascinating, but I like people like Koichiro. I want to firmly support Koichiro, who works so hard to support those around him. He has a different kind of charm than the charismatic Nobunaga ( Shun Oguri Shun). I think Kei himself is someone who supports those who support him, like a 'shadow of the shadow.' I hope to portray that dark, strong core of his shadow in a way that highlights it even more."
"BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" is the 65th Taiga drama. With Toyotomi Hidenaga (Koichiro) as the protagonist, it depicts the miraculous feat of unifying Japan together with his older brother Hideyoshi (Tokichiro) through their strong bond, a success story of dreams and hopes.
