Masaki Suda plays Takenaka Hanbei in the Taiga drama "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" (NHK General, Sundays at 8pm, etc.), starring Masaki Suda. Hanbei is an indispensable piece of the drama, showing his skills worthy of the name of "a great military strategist representing the Sengoku period" in episode 14, "Desperate Situation!" (aired April 12), which depicts the famous retreat battle "The Retreat from Kanegasaki (Battle of Kanegasaki)." Suda revealed that he couldn't maintain a poker face as Hanbei in scenes with Nakano, who plays the protagonist Koichiro, and Sosuke Ikematsu, who plays Fujikichiro, and that "my true expression would inevitably come out," and spoke about his role and other things.
"BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" is the 65th Taiga drama. It is a success story of dreams and hope, depicting the miracle of the Toyotomi brothers, Toyotomi Hidenaga (Koichiro) and his older brother Hideyoshi (Tokichiro), who achieve the great feat of unifying Japan through their strong bond. Koichiro is played by Nakano, and his older brother Tokichiro is played by Ikematsu Sosuke.
Sugada plays Takenaka Hanbei, a renowned military strategist of the Sengoku period. He is said to have been a handsome man with a deep knowledge and exceptional strategic abilities. He served Saito Tatsuoki (played by Hamada Tatsuomi) of Mino Province, but later became a strategist for Hideyoshi.
Sugada reiterated, "The two Toyotomi brothers are incredibly energetic, so I'm enjoying playing Hanbei, who is naturally drawn in by their enthusiasm."
"This was a suggestion from Taiga Nakano, who plays Koichiro, and I was very convinced by his comment, 'Hanbei should be a geek, a character with a certain weight to him.' I want to portray Hanbei's unique personality, with his nerdy nature and slightly eccentricities, while incorporating humor."
According to Sugata, Hanbei is "not the type to look people in the eye when he talks to them, and in fact, he doesn't pay much attention to people at all."
"Therefore, I consciously portray an atmosphere where it seems like we're having a conversation, but there's a hint that he's not really interested in talking. Personally, when I talk to intelligent people, I feel like just one word from me can instantly expand their thinking and make them think far ahead, so I hope that viewers will also feel that speed and depth of thought in Hanbei."
We asked Sugada about his impressions of Nakano and Ikematsu, who play the Toyotomi brothers and with whom he has many scenes together. Sugada said, "There are so many times when I feel like they are bringing out the best in me while we're acting together."
"Hanbei is a character who maintains a poker face and doesn't show much emotion, but in scenes with the two of them, his true emotions inevitably come out. It's very fun to play him, and I'm constantly stimulated by the interactions with them. Also, this is just my interpretation, but I feel that Hanbei was a character who didn't find much enjoyment in anything other than devising strategies. That's why he has a relationship with Koichiro, Fujikichiro, and Hachisuka Masakatsu, played by Tsutomu Takahashi, that's like being part of a team, and I feel like we're all enjoying our youth together."
