Actor Ayumu Nakajima Nakajima played Asai Nagamasa in the NHK Taiga drama " BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!） " (NHK General, Sundays at 8 PM, etc.), starring Taiga Nakano. In the 17th episode, "The Fall of Odani Castle," which aired on May 3rd, Nagamasa committed seppuku at Odani Castle, proud of having cornered Nobunaga ( Shun Oguri) to within an inch of his life, and exited the show. Thanks in part to Nakajima's performance, the role left a deep impression on viewers. Following his appearance in the NHK Asadora"Anpan" exactly one year ago, Nakajima has once again delivered a remarkable performance in another highly anticipated television drama. Here are some of the things he previously said.
◇Asai Nagamasa's honest character was portrayed, leaving viewers with a sense of loss.
In "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）", Asai Nagamasa is a young warrior of great loyalty, intelligence, and courage. He forms an alliance with the Oda family and, as proof of this alliance, marries Nobunaga's sister, Ichi (played by Aoi Miyazaki ). They have three daughters, Chacha, Hatsu, and Go, and enjoy a happy married life. However, when Nobunaga, who has entered Kyoto with Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki (played by Onoe Ukon), comes into conflict with Asakura Yoshikage (played by Tsurumi Shingo) of Echizen, Nagamasa sides with the Asakura and rebels against his brother-in-law, Nobunaga.
Nakajima portrayed Nagamasa's deep love for Ichi, the fact that he had no choice but to betray his brother-in-law Nobunaga to protect her, and (if we take Nagamasa's words at face value) his desire to defeat Nobunaga and seize power as a warrior living in the Warring States period, all while exuding a sincere character. As a result, in the final scene of episode 17, despite the surprising development of Ichi acting as his second, many viewers commented, "Wow... Nagamasa has been the best man ever," "This Nagamasa was a good Nagamasa," "Of all the Nagamasa I've seen in a Taiga drama, he's the one I least wanted to die," "This Asai Nagamasa was a fascinating character," "I can't believe I'm going to miss Nagamasa," and "I'm missing Nagamasa."
It's still fresh in our memories how Nakajima gave a great performance as Jiro Wakamatsu , the first husband of the heroine Nobu ( Mio Imada ), in " Anpan " a year ago. What Jiro and Nagamasa had in common was that they were both literally "good people" who could be described with words like "sincerity" and "compassion." Of course, Nakajima is more than just that kind of actor, but it's possible that some viewers saw some overlap between Jiro from " Anpan" and Nagamasa from "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）".
◇The trauma of "Hanako and Anne": Television can be "scary"...
Nakajima first gained widespread attention from the public in the 2014 morning Asadora"Hanako to Anne." This came the year after he made his acting debut in the stage play "Kuro Tokage" (Black Lizard), which starred and was directed by singer Akihiro Miwa. Nakajima reflects on that time, saying, "The reviews (for my acting) were terrible, so it's become a trauma for me."
So, has this trauma been overcome? As of the end of 2025, this is what he said.
"I definitely feel the immense influence of television compared to movies and theater (stage), and I'm still scared of being disliked," she said.
Meanwhile, regarding 2025, the year in which she delivered impressive performances in "Anpan" and "School of love." (Fuji TV), Nakajima seemed to feel a certain sense of accomplishment, saying, "I feel like the number of people who recognize me has increased considerably, and it feels like I've 'competed in the arena of television.'"
While acknowledging the influence and dangers of television, he made a striking statement that "it is what I want to become famous and have people watch and get to know the works I appear in," and that "in the future, I want to star in various works, play big roles, and stand on big stages." Whether or not he has overcome his trauma is another matter, but we hope that, riding the momentum of his excellent performance in "BROTHERS IN ARMS （Toyotomi Brothers!）", he will continue to "compete in the arena of television" (coincidentally, he was already competing in the role of Nagamasa...). (Fumio Kishitani/MANTANWEB)
