Manami Ono of the idol group Hinatazaka46 will be appearing in the NHK nighttime drama "Radio Star" (NHK General, Monday-Thursday 10:45 PM), starring Momoko Fukuchi and set in the Noto Peninsula of the Hokuriku region. This is Ohno's first television drama, and she seems to be playing Mana Ono, the only daughter of the Ono family, in a natural and relaxed manner. Here, based on the words of Chief Director Masae Ichiki, who was in charge of planning and directing "Radio Star," we would like to explore the charm of Ohno, who is said to be an "exceptional talent."
◇Starting this spring, she will also be a CanCam model, making a name for herself both within and outside the group.
Ohno was born on May 5, 2007, and is a 19-year-old from Tokyo. She joined Hinatazaka46 last spring as a 5th generation member. With her calm and composed demeanor, and using her excellent adaptability and expressive abilities as her weapons, she quickly rose to prominence as a central member of the 5th generation. This year, she took the center position for the title track of the 16th single "Cliffhanger," released on January 28, and in March she became an exclusive model for the women's fashion magazine "CanCam" (Shogakukan). At the end of March, she made her solo drama debut in "Radio Star," and her activities both inside and outside the group have been remarkable. This is probably why she is called an "exceptional talent."
Mana Ono, the character played by Mana in "Radio Star," is a second-year middle school student living in Noto. She is the only daughter of Sakura Ono (Takako Tokiwa), who participates in the opening of a radio station in an effort to restore community bonds in the town, and Sakura's husband, Masahiro Ono (Shunsuke Kazama), a chef. Her grandmother lives in Osaka, and after the earthquake, she transferred to a school in Osaka for six months. Because of that experience, she wants to leave Noto after graduation and attend high school in Osaka.
Manami Ono appeared in the drama from the second episode. In that episode, there was a scene where she showed interest in Kanade (Fukuchi), who had come from Osaka, and struck up a conversation. Fans on social media were excited, with comments such as, "It was only for a short time, but she was incredibly cute," "Isn't it too natural considering it was her first acting and first lines?", "Ono is a good actress!", and "You can tell she's a really good actress just from that moment. This girl is going to be a star."
In episodes 7 and 8, which focused on Mana's family, the Ono family, Ohno also engaged in natural interactions with her parents, played by Tokiwa and Kazama, portraying Mana as a typical middle school student.
Incidentally, Tokiwa, who plays the mother Sakura, said of Ohno, "It was her first drama appearance and she was very nervous, but she asked a lot of people around her about how to behave on set and acting, and tried to absorb everything like a sponge. Everyone on set loved her so much. I think this is why she's called a 'talent' (laughs). I'm so glad Manami is my daughter! It was fun being with her."
◇What's appealing is "the courage to completely immerse yourself in a role."
So, what did Chief Director Ichiki think of Ohno's drama debut?
To go back a bit, the role of Mana was chosen through an audition held with the intention of "finding a young actor with freshness and energy."
"At the audition, she showed us her expressive abilities through an interview and acting. To be honest, before the audition, I didn't know much about what kind of activities Ohno usually does. However, when I saw Ohno perform at the venue, using her whole body to act with great energy and freedom, I was surprised. She had a more passionate expression than anyone else and threw herself into the role with all her might. I felt that she had the power to completely change the atmosphere. She has the power to instantly immerse herself in the world of acting and dive into the fiction believing in it. Just as I was captivated by her acting, I'm sure that the character of Mana, as portrayed by Ohno, will be met with surprise by viewers of the drama. That's why I decided to entrust the role of Mana to her," Ichiki said.
When asked about Ohno's appeal as an actress at this point, the commentator revealed, "Mana, played by Ohno, was exactly like a middle school student who longed for the city but at the same time felt anxious about being separated from her parents. Her expressions, voice, and gestures all made her seem like a real middle school student." On the other hand, he also confessed, "The real Ohno is very mature. When she finished her last scene and gave her wrap-up speech, her calm voice and the content of her speech made me dizzy, thinking, 'What have I been watching all this time?' It was like seeing a completely different person, Manami Ono, from the Mana that had been there just moments before. I was genuinely surprised by the magnitude of that gap."
He then added, "One of her charms as an actress is her courage to completely immerse herself in a role. I think it's her strength of heart. Rather than thinking about how to deliver the lines, she just jumps in thinking only about becoming Mana Ono. I felt that this momentum is one of her greatest charms."
◇The character Mana, whom I play, "will play an important role even in the latter part of the story."
In addition, Ichiki mentioned that something about Ohno "surprised him" was the scene in the 8th "Cooked Rice Championship" where Mana eats the cooked rice prepared by her father, Masahiro (Kazama), and speaks tearfully. He explained his feelings at the time, saying, "I was surprised to see Ohno already in top gear acting even before he started his lines. I thought, 'Wow, he's already in it!'"
"I think that Ms. Tokiwa, who played the mother, and Mr. Kazama, who played the father, understood Mana's heartfelt feelings. In preparation for this scene, I showed Mr. Ohno photos of the roads in Noto that were incredibly damaged after the disaster. I told him, 'Your father rode his bicycle down this road believing that your mother was still alive. You watched him go all this time,' and Mr. Ohno worked hard to visualize that scene in his mind as he acted out that scene," he revealed, sharing some behind-the-scenes details.
When asked again about Ohno's demeanor on set during his drama debut, Ichiki replied, "Since it was his first time acting, Ohno was actively asking questions to the other actors. He asked about how filming proceeds and how actors get into character. In particular, Shunsuke Kazama treated him like a real daughter and spoke to him a lot." He added, "I hope that the days he spent creating this work with such wonderful actors will be an invaluable experience for Ohno's future. Mana plays an important role even in the latter part of the story. I hope that viewers will watch Mana until the very end."
Although it has only been a year since she joined Hinatazaka46, Ohno's future looks bright, not only as an idol but also as an actor.
