Ai Mikami, the actor playing Tatsuji Juri Kosaka, a patient of Rin (Asadora drama series "Kaze,Kaoru" (NHK General, Monday-Saturday 8:00 AM, etc.), which stars Ai Mikami and Juri Uesaka, has been receiving praise from viewers for his portrayal of Yamamoto, who thinks of his wife even as his condition worsens. This marks Honda's first appearance in a Asadora in about seven years, following "Scarlet" in the latter half of 2019. We will look back at some of the memorable roles he has played in the past and explore the appeal of Honda's acting.
Honda is the son of actor Hirotaro Honda and made his acting debut in the 1998 film "Ganbatte Ikimasshoi". Since then, he has appeared in numerous popular works, including the films "Tsurugidake: Ten no Ki", "Kokou no Mesu", "Rurouni Kenshin", and "Legend & Butterfly", and the TV dramas "Kyoto Chiken no Onna" and "The Great Chase: Metropolitan Police Department SSBC Violent Crimes Unit" (both on TV Asahi).
He has also appeared in numerous NHK dramas, and in "Ashigirl," a drama based on the popular manga of the same name that aired in 2017, he actually shaved his head to embody the role of the suspicious, corrupt monk, Jokobo. He made a strong impression as the antagonist who stands in the way of the protagonist, Yui (played by Yuina Kuroshima).
In "Transparent Cradle," which aired the following year in 2018, he took on the challenging role of a father who sexually abuses his stepdaughter. As the story progresses, it is revealed that he is the perpetrator, leaving a vivid impression on viewers.
He has appeared in three Taiga dramas so far. In 2010's "Ryomaden," he played Mochizuki Kiyohira, Ryoma's (Masaharu Fukuyama) childhood friend and a member of the Tosa Loyalist Party. In 2020's "Kirin ga Kuru," he played Mikami, a retainer of the Muromachi Shogunate. In 2024's "Dear Radiance (Hikaru Kimi e)," he gave a superb performance as Minamoto no Toshikata, who assisted Fujiwara no Michinaga(Tasuku Emoto) in politics and rose to the position of Gon-Dainagon, one of the four great councilors of the Ichijo era.
In the first half of 2014, he gave a great performance as Yusuke Mita, a neurotic and unpleasant editor at Asadora, where the protagonist Hanako (Yuriko Yoshitaka) works. In the second half of 2019, he played Toshiharu, the husband of Teruko (Yuko Oshima), the childhood friend of the protagonist Kimiko (Erika Toda), and was affectionately nicknamed "Tosharu-san" by viewers. At first glance, Toshiharu gives the impression of being unfriendly, but his way of embracing his strong-willed wife with great love, as well as his comical side as a banana lover, became a topic of conversation, and he evolved into a character loved by viewers with each episode.
Honda, who has taken on such a wide range of roles, plays Yamamoto in "Kaze,Kaoru" as a cancer patient who likes to surprise people by telling harmless lies. In episode 70 (aired July 3), attention was drawn to the scene where, despite his worsening condition, he sneaks out of the hospital with Rin to keep a promise to his wife, Tei (Ise Kayo), to eat beef hot pot on the day of the fireworks. Yamamoto appears to be quite weakened, but will he be able to return to the hospital safely...?
From a father with a hidden dark side to a kind and understanding husband, from a Heian-era nobleman to a suspicious monk, Ms. Honda entertains viewers with her wide range of acting abilities. With her exceptional expressive power that makes any role believable, she is sure to bring a fresh new energy to "Kaze,Kaoru." (Akamatsu Mikage/MANTANWEB)
