Jun Kaname, who plays Akechi Mitsuhide in the NHK Taiga drama "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）" (NHK General, Sundays at 8pm, etc.), starring actor Taiga Nakano, spoke about Mitsuhide. In the 16th episode, "The Resolve of Mount Hiei" (aired April 26), which depicted the "burning of Mount Hiei," many viewers sympathized with Mitsuhide, who could not disobey Nobunaga's (Shun Oguri) orders and took the lives of many innocent people. Kaname said that Mitsuhide is "still in a state of uncertainty" among Nobunaga's retainers.
"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, together with their strong bond, achieve the great feat of unifying Japan. The script is written by Hiroyuki Yatsu, known for "Hanzawa Naoki" (TBS) and the Asadora"Ochoyan". The music is composed by Hideaki Kimura, and the narration is provided by actress Sakura Ando.
Regarding Mitsuhide, who later betrayed his lord Nobunaga and caused the Honnoji Incident, one of the greatest mysteries in Japanese history, Kaname believes that "the Mitsuhide depicted in ' BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）' is more of a 'dark' character."
"He's the kind of person who, whenever something happens, thinks, 'Was it my fault?' and he rarely talks about his own desires. He doesn't seem like the type to take proactive action. I feel that he's a character with a very wide range of emotions leading up to the Honnoji Incident. But even amidst all that, he always carries thoughts of the Shogun (Ashikaga Yoshiaki, played by Onoe Ukon) in his heart. I'm portraying Mitsuhide while cherishing the desire to protect the Shogun as a major core of his character."
Reflecting on the 16th episode's scene of the burning of Mount Hiei, Kaname said, "I had the feeling that I was desperately holding myself up as if I were about to collapse at any moment."
"I was ordered by Nobunaga to even kill the women. But I made sure to portray the feeling that I didn't really want to do this. I tell Fujikichiro (Sosuke Ikematsu), 'This is the only way. This is the only way,' and I think that's how I was somehow maintaining my sanity. Episode 16 was a major turning point leading up to the Honnoji Incident. However, the road to get there is still long, and one or two more mountains will pile up from here. And when we finally reach Honnoji, I think that mountain will be bigger than Mount Fuji, and in the end, we will destroy it with a bang."
According to Mr. Kaname, "Among the retainers who absolutely obey Nobunaga's orders, Mitsuhide is still undecided."
"I tend to stand out a bit in groups, so to use a musical analogy, I deliberately try not to fit in with the sounds of those around me. I want to play something that is unclear, something ambiguous. That's why, even in situations like when we're celebrating a victory and everyone is supposed to respond to our lord with a loud 'Oh!', I try not to shout too loudly."
This is Kaname's first time working with Oguri, who plays Nobunaga.
"He has truly thought deeply about Nobunaga, and as an actor, I have great respect for him. However, with the Honnoji Incident coming up, we are inevitably somewhat conscious of each other. I think we'll be putting up a bit of a wall until filming for this project is finished (laughs). I absolutely don't want to let any slack come through in the details during filming, and I think Mr. Oguri is also conscious of that."
