Ai Mikami Juri Kosaka plays Kotaro Takeuchi, the childhood friend of the protagonist Rin (played by Ai Mikami), in the NHK Asadora drama series "Kaze,Kaoru" (NHK General, Monday-Saturday 8:00 AM, etc.), which stars Ai Mikami and Juri Uesaka. Kobayashi, who is making his first appearance in a Asadora, spoke about the charm of the character he plays, as well as his relationship with Rin, whom he says "there was probably a timeline where they could have been together," and his impressions of Mikami.
◇Kotaro's charm lies in his "honest, straightforward, and pure nature."
"Kaze,Kaoru" is based on the story of two trained nurses, Chika Ozeki and Masa Suzuki, who graduated from the same nursing school. The story depicts how these two women struggle with how to interact with patients and doctors, clash with each other, grow as individuals, and eventually become the "ultimate buddy duo." Mikami plays the main character, Rin Ichinose, while Uesaka plays the other main character, Naomi Oya.
When asked how she felt about being cast in her first Asadora, Ms. Kobayashi said, "I was simply happy." Regarding the fact that both her own name and her character's name contain the kanji for "tiger," she smiled and said, "I feel a strong connection to it, but at the same time, I'm a little embarrassed. I'm worried that people might mistake me for the character's name, and I've been thinking about all sorts of things."
Kotaro, played by Kobayashi, is the eldest son of the Takeuchi family, who were formerly foot soldiers and were born in the same village as Rin. He and Rin have been close friends since childhood, but he is acutely aware of the disparity in their upbringings. Kobayashi says that Kotaro's charm lies in his "untainted nature, his honesty, straightforwardness, and purity," and added, "I feel that his straightforwardness is something I have in common with him."
Kotaro harbored feelings for Rin, but after the death of her father, Shin'emon (played by Kazuki Kitamura), Rin married into the Okuda family, who had made their fortune in the transportation business. However, her husband, Kamekichi (played by Takahiro Miura), who was 18 years older than her, had a bad drinking problem, and one day, he got drunk and caused a huge disturbance, setting the Okuda house on fire. Taking advantage of the chaos, Rin escaped to Tokyo with her daughter, Tamaki (played by Ruka Miyajima). It was Kotaro who helped them.
Regarding Kotaro's feelings, the director explains, "Since Rin is married, he has half given up on the idea of becoming her husband, but if the woman he loves is suffering, he wants to help her. It's less about romance and more about the feeling of 'protecting someone important to him.'"
In the 20th episode (aired on April 24th), a conversation between Rin, who has returned to Tochigi to divorce Kameki, and Kotaro was depicted. The director reflected, "Kotaro's timing is really bad. Looking back at the scenes up to now, it's frustrating to think that if he had acted on a different day, there might have been a timeline where he and Rin could have been together."
◇Inspired by Ai Mikami: "This will make a great drama."
Regarding Mikami, who plays Rin and with whom she has many scenes together, she shared her impression, saying, "She's a truly strong leader. I think it's a demanding set with many scenes, but laughter always echoes on set. She's bright, energetic, and I felt she's a very strong person."
The filming location, the Nasu region of Tochigi Prefecture, is rich in nature, and the cast and crew suffered from insect bites. At that time, Mikami himself went to the hospital and got ointment for everyone and distributed it, and Kobayashi said, "I was amazed that he could be so considerate at his age," expressing his gratitude for his thoughtfulness.
Regarding her acting skills, he praised her, saying, "She's a truly talented actress who can switch between roles instantly. As someone of the same generation, I was very inspired by her."
"There was a scene where Shin'emon dies and Rin breaks down in tears, filled with regret, but my scene was after that, so I was watching it on the monitor. Mikami's acting was truly amazing, and I was convinced that 'this is going to be a great drama.'"
He said that "we would chat in between takes, but we didn't really build a deep relationship" on set. When asked why, he explained, "It was a role that involved romance, and I was worried about what would happen if she got to know me well and was disappointed... I'm hopeless at that (laughs). So I deliberately tried not to talk too much and focused on building the relationship through acting according to the script."
◇Is his rival "Shimaken"?
When asked which character in "Kaze,Kaoru" caught her attention, Kobayashi named Kenjiro Shimada, nicknamed "Shimaken," played by Masaya Sano of the popular group "AAe! group." She said she started paying attention to him after the staff mentioned that viewers would likely be divided into "Shimaken faction" and "Kotaro faction" after the show started airing.
"Of course, I'm determined to beat Shimada, but Sano-san is also an idol... so it might be a bit difficult (laughs). It might be a tough battle," he said jokingly.
Finally, he appealed to viewers, saying, "The more people who say this drama is interesting, the happier I will be. We approached the filming with the hope of making it a great work, so I would be grateful if you would watch it until the very end."
