The Kaze,Kaoru.:"We've developed a sense of resolve," commented Erika Ikuta, Akiko Kikuchi, and other cast members of the first class of the Umeoka Nursing School.

Comments have been received from the cast members of the NHK Asadora drama series "Kaze,Kaoru " (NHK General, Monday-Saturday 8am and other times), which stars Ai Ai Mikami and Juri Kosaka in the lead roles. The cast members include Erika Ikuta, who plays Tamada Tae, Akiko Kikuchi, who plays Izumi Kiyo, Tomomi Nakai, who plays Shinonome Yuki, Akira Kigoshi, who plays Yanagida Shinobu, and Rin Harashima, who plays Kudo Tome.

" Kaze,Kaoru" is the 114th morning Asadora. Based on the story of two trained nurses, Chika Ozeki and Masa Suzuki, who graduated from the same nursing school, the drama depicts how the two grow through their struggles and clashes with each other in how to interact with patients and doctors, and eventually become the "ultimate buddy" team. Mikami plays the main character, Rin Ichinose, and Uesaka plays the other main character, Naomi Oya.

◇Erika Ikuta: "I hope people will appreciate the overflowing space and emptiness that Tae has."

Tae, played by Ikuta, was born into a family that served as court physicians during the Edo period, and grew up in an environment where medicine was readily available. She has a studious temperament and a high level of awareness, which sometimes causes conflicts with those around her. She enters the training school due to certain circumstances within her family.

Ikuta said about her role, "Tae comes from a family of doctors, and because of her passion and dedication to medicine, she comes across as a model student with a strong presence, and at the beginning of the school year, she clashes with Naomi... I imagine that her strong will is a way of hiding her inferiority complex about not being able to become a doctor. I was careful to portray Tae in a way that she wouldn't come across as just a harsh person, when one day, Kikuchi Akiko, who plays Kiyo, said to me, 'It's cute how Tae is trying so hard to be herself,' and I was very relieved to hear that. I hope that viewers will also be able to appreciate the little bits of Tae that spill out."

Regarding the nursing profession, she said, "The more I learned about the treatment of nurses, which was not well understood at the time, the more determined I became that the first class of nursing school students, whom we are portraying, must work hard to establish this profession. My respect for those who aspired to become nurses during that era is growing stronger and stronger."

◇Akiko Kikuchi: "I was hesitant, thinking, 'A student role? Is that okay?'"

Kikuchi plays Kiyo, the oldest among the classmates. She is a devout Christian and has been divorced in the past. She is kind-hearted and quietly watches over her classmates.

Regarding her role, Kikuchi commented, "Kiyo is by far the oldest among the first-generation members, and when I was offered this role, I myself was hesitant, thinking, 'A student role? Is that okay?' Of course, you can take on challenges at any age, but even in the Reiwa era, studying as a student at this age is something that would make anyone hesitant, so I think it took considerable courage for her to take the step of entering a nursing school in her 30s during the Meiji era. She is a person who harbors a quiet blue flame within, and I am drawn to Kiyo as a person and have been inspired by her."

Regarding nurses, she said, "Nowadays, the term 'nurse' is well-established, and it has become a profession in which both men and women can play an active role. However, back then, the uniform had a soft, flowing form, and it was established as a profession that was only possible for women, requiring meticulousness and thoughtfulness. I am very happy to be able to witness the moment of its birth in this drama."

◇Tomomi Nakai: "In the future, I will struggle with the gap between my expectations and reality."

Yuki, played by Nakai, is the daughter of a viscount. Inspired by Florence Nightingale, she transfers from the girls' school she had been attending to a nursing school. She is gentle and mild-mannered, but also possesses a dangerously pure nature.

Nakai commented on her role, saying, "I feel that Yuki's strength lies in the fact that, driven solely by her admiration for Nightingale, she goes so far as to transfer from the girls' school she was attending to a nursing school. No matter what job you do, there will always be aspirations and ideals, but it is precisely because Yuki holds onto them so strongly that she will suffer from the gap between her aspirations and reality in the future. I think this is true not only for nursing but for any job, so I hope to portray her struggles in a way that will resonate with all viewers who are currently working."

Regarding the nursing profession, she commented, "I believe that what is considered 'normal' is created by people who acted on the belief that 'this has to be the normal thing.' The desire to help people and to lend a hand to those in need, which led to the 'normal' practices we see today, is what we have today. I am once again reminded of the greatness of that desire."

◇Akira Kigoshi: "I think everyone here is very generous."

Shinobu, played by Ms. Kigoshi, is the fourth daughter of a wealthy kimono shop owner. Inspired by the nurse uniforms she saw in Western books, she enrolls in a training school. She dislikes marriage and studying. Her unique sensibilities sometimes confuse those around her...

Regarding her role, Kigoshi said, "While all of her classmates enter the training school with high aspirations, Shinobu is someone who came to the school because she longed for the nurse's uniform she saw in a Western book. I think Shinobu is a confident person, but she gradually changes as she meets and lives with her classmates who have different values. I feel that becoming aware of being a 'first-generation student of the nursing school' may be the first step in Shinobu's growth. All of her classmates naturally accept Shinobu, who has a unique character. Looking back at the scenes from when they first met, I am once again struck by how big-hearted they all are."

Regarding nursing, she said, "I find it fascinating that the nursing profession played a role in the changing position and improvement of women's status during the Meiji era. In an era when women's positions were not yet established, nursing emerged as a job that could be done using 'femininity,' and I have a strong admiration for the fact that it made life a little easier for people at the time and gave them more choices."

◇Rin Harashima: "I hope to create characters that people will find cute."

Tome, played by Harashima, is the youngest child of a wealthy farming family from Aomori Prefecture. After experiencing the loss of her family, she decides to attend nursing school. She has the tenacity to overcome difficulties and is also a mood-maker.

Harashima commented on her role, saying, "The common point between Tome and myself is that we are both the youngest among the first generation members. I heard from the director and others that Tome comes from a wealthy farming family and has had many interactions with people since she was young, and I feel that she is an attractive character with the ability to observe those around her that must have been born from that, and a strength hidden beneath her friendly demeanor. I am trying to play her in a way that makes people think she is cute, including the fact that she speaks her mind immediately and that her emotions show on her face."

Regarding the nursing profession, Harashima said, "I've lived in a situation where the nursing profession is taken for granted, so I was surprised to learn that nursing work starts with things like changing sheets and ventilating the room. By depicting the birth of the nursing profession in this drama, I hope to re-examine myself, who had taken nursing work for granted, and convey the beginnings of nursing work through the role of Kudo Tome."