Takuya Matsuoka of the Showa-era pop group "MATSURI" is appearing in the drama series "There Is No Tree That Doesn't Fall After Being Cut Ten Times" (Nippon Television Network, Sundays at 10:30 PM), which will air its final episode on June 14th. Matsuoka, who is making his drama debut in this series, spoke about his thoughts on filming, the highlights of the final episode, and his future goals as an actor.
◇Excited about her first drama appearance: "I was incredibly happy."
Matsuoka was born on August 1, 1989, and is 36 years old and hails from Hyogo Prefecture. He debuted in 2010 as a member of the music unit "Sata Andagi" after passing an audition organized by the popular variety show "Quiz! Hexagon 2" (Fuji TV). After the group disbanded, he worked as a solo singer, but suspended his activities in 2023. In the same year, he participated in the "Don't Give Up on Your Dreams! Male Group Audition" produced by Yasushi Akimoto, and was selected as a member of "MATSURI" from among more than 3,000 applicants, making his debut once again.
Having been in the entertainment industry for 16 years, and having had acting experience in stage plays and dramatic readings, this will be her first time appearing in a drama. Reflecting on her feelings when she was cast in the drama, Matsuoka smiled and said, "I was incredibly happy."
"The other members of the group were incredibly happy for me, saying things like, 'Congratulations!' and 'That's amazing!' It wouldn't be surprising if some of them felt jealous or envious, but they all sincerely congratulated me and said things like, 'Thank you for doing this for MATSURI.'"
Matsuoka appeared in the drama from the very first episode, playing the role of hotel bellman Takahiko Natsume, and attracted attention, with "Natsume-kun" trending on X (a Japanese social networking service).
"It wasn't a role that appeared on screen that much, but even so, the fans posted a lot on X. It even made it to the top 10 trending topics in Japan... they really made it exciting. I've always loved acting, but this has made me want to play a wider variety of roles and surprise my fans even more. People often get the impression that I'm a cheerful person, but I'd like to try playing mysterious, elusive roles, villains, or even criminal roles."
◇I was moved by Jun Shison's acting: "I was instantly captivated."
He recalls being "deeply moved" by watching the acting of Jun Shison Shison, who plays the main character Kim Min-seok, and Toshihiro Yashiba, who plays the hotel manager Mizushima Eiichi, up close during his first drama shoot.
"Actors have a clear switch, or rather, they can change their persona completely, and I was surprised by how much their atmosphere changed from before filming. I was immediately drawn into their acting. Also, Shison-san has such a great physique and is so cool... I was overwhelmed by his visuals (laughs)."
When asked what she felt she had grown through filming, Matsuoka, who said she was greatly inspired by the acting of her co-stars, replied, "I realized that if I work hard, I can speak lines in English too."
"I'm really bad at English... The only English I knew was 'I like sushi' (laughs). So I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do the English lines... But I really focused on the script, listened to the English lines over and over again and memorized them, and my teacher praised me a lot. I got faster at memorizing lines by practicing every day," he said proudly.
◇What are your goals for the future?
Matsuoka is also showing increased enthusiasm for his acting career. He has set his sights on appearing in a Asadora as his future goal, and he passionately states, "I've finally been able to appear in a TV drama for the first time, and I feel like I've finally reached the starting line, so I want to challenge myself with various roles and work hard so that I can one day fulfill my dream of appearing in a Asadora."
"If I can appear in a Asadora, I would be happy if I could eventually star in a drama. And it would be my real dream for MATSURI to be in charge of the theme song for that drama. I want to make that happen no matter how many years it takes."
Finally, regarding the highlights of the final episode, he appealed, "I hope you will look forward to seeing what kind of ending awaits the characters' lives."
"I think this drama can convey the message to people who are troubled or thinking about taking on a challenge that 'nothing is ever wasted.' Just like the title 'There's no tree that won't fall after being cut 10 times,' if you don't give up, you can definitely achieve your goals. I would be happy if this drama could convey courage, hope, and the power to pursue your dreams to many people."
