Just Before the Broadcast of 'Tora ni Tsubasa'! Morning Drama-Loving Employees Talk About Their Favorite Heroines and How They Enjoy the Shows. [Part 2]

In this roundtable discussion, we have gathered employees who love morning dramas to hear their thoughts.
In the first part, they talked about how they got hooked and their favorite morning drama series.

In this second part, we will share their favorite shocking scenes, favorite heroines, and their expectations for 'Tora ni Tsubasa'.

Shocking Scenes in Morning Dramas!

―In the first part, you talked about your favorite series, but are there any that you found shocking?

K: "Maybe the singing scene in 'Gochisousan' where Mitsuki Takahata appeared. I remember being shocked, thinking, 'Wow, a Cinderella has appeared!'

S: "That's the scene where Mitsuki Takahata sings a song that sounds like a commercial jingle promoting shaved ice at a coffee shop. Her character was quiet and didn't talk much, but she sang because she was good at it despite being shy... Mitsuki Takahata was just starting out, and she had such clarity and a great voice, so it was shocking."

K: "It's a classic morning drama trait to see not just the heroine, but also the supporting cast and side characters who really shine, which I love."

S: "Speaking of which, I fell into the 'Tomoya Nakamura swamp' during 'Hanbun, Aoi.' (laughs)"

K: "That soft, squishy vibe was a perfect role for him."

―Was Tomoya Nakamura also just starting out when he appeared in a morning drama?

S: "Yes, exactly. He had appeared in morning dramas before, but 'Hanbun, Aoi.' was when he really became famous. He was in an affair-themed drama a little while before that, and I liked him since then, but his character had a bad first impression, so I felt like I couldn't really tell people I liked him. But in 'Hanbun, Aoi.', he played a character that everyone would fall in love with, so I could finally say I liked him with confidence (laughs)."

Everyone: "(laughs)"

K: "I fell for Mamiya-kun's (who played the husband) face."

S: "Mamiya-kun was also cool!"

―M, do you have any series or scenes that left a shocking impression on you?

M: "Looking back now, it was also shocking that Nobu from Chidori appeared as a teacher in 'Natsuzora'. Nobu is often teased about his acting skills on TV Asahi's show 'TV Chidori', so thinking about it now, it felt a bit out of place (laughs). I think another great thing about morning dramas is being able to see the acting of comedians, like Nagura-san from Neptune in 'Ochoyan' or Oideyasu Oda-san in 'Come Come Everybody'."

―So many comedians appear in them! It's true that it can be shocking when they first appear (laughs).

Favorite Heroines

―Please tell us your favorite morning drama heroine.

K: "Mei Nagano from 'Hanbun, Aoi.' (98th series)! I like heroines who have clarity and are fresh, and as for their roles, I like the type who pushes people around. Morning drama heroines might seem like they'd be difficult to deal with in real life, but I think that just shows they have the power to change the era, so they give me energy. There's something about them you can't leave alone, but they also move people's hearts. Since they are people who create things or eras, they might lose sight of their surroundings when they focus, but I think the lead character has to be like that! So, I feel like I'm 'watching a morning drama' more when the heroine shows off her selfishness."

―I want to be swept off my feet by an Asadora heroine (laughs).

K: "Right, right. But in 'Manpuku' (99th series), the husband is that type, isn't he? It's like the wife, played by Sakura Ando, devotedly supports her husband, an inventor who loves making things. Her stance is like, 'I believe in his potential, so I will support and protect him!' 'Ranman' (108th series) is the same. It feels like Minami Hamabe has been supporting the botanist played by Kamiki-kun the whole time."

S: "For me, it's Aki-chan from 'Amachan.' It's my favorite work, but I also think she's incredibly charming as a heroine who brightens up the morning for Asadora viewers."

―Brightening up the morning?

S: "This also touches on my favorite scene... Her mother kept saying quite negative things to Aki-chan, like 'You've always been plain and lack cooperation...' But when Aki-chan asked her mother, 'Have I changed?', her mother replied, 'You haven't changed, Aki. You're a plain, gloomy girl with no ambition, no cooperation, no presence, no personality, and no flair, but everyone liked you! It's not you who changed, it's everyone else! Have some confidence! That's actually an amazing thing!' I think she wanted to say that even though she hadn't changed, she had the power to brighten up those around her, and I think that's just wonderful. Usually, if someone told you to build a cafe in the countryside, you'd be like, 'Huh?', but if Aki-chan says it, you'd be like, 'Alright, let's do it!' That feeling is what's so charming."

―Indeed! She's a heroine with the power to brighten up those around her just by being herself!

S: "One more! In terms of visuals, I was surprised by how incredibly cute Yasuko Sawaguchi was in 'Miotsukushi' (34th series). Yasuko Sawaguchi was just starting out back then, but I found her purity and transparency to be so charming. I think there are so many actresses who got their start in Asadora, and there are many where I think, 'How did NHK find them?!' Yasuko Sawaguchi is one of them."

K: "She is a lovely person, isn't she?"

S: "She's truly cute. She plays a girl born between the head of a long-established soy sauce brewery and his mistress, and she's raised as a young lady, but she falls into a forbidden love with So-kichi, the eldest son of a rival family. Taro Kawano, who played So-kichi, wasn't originally an actor, but he passed the audition and was truly perfect for the role. The chemistry between him and Yasuko Sawaguchi was also great."

―Is that so! It's great that Asadora lets us see the debut of future great actresses.

M: "For me, it's definitely Yuika Motokariya from 'Fight,' which was what got me started watching Asadora. As for a recent actress with a similar vibe, I think Natsuki Deguchi has the potential to be an Asadora heroine (laughs). Also, in terms of visuals, I like Kasumi Arimura from 'Hiyokko' (96th series). You could really feel NHK saying, 'Isn't Kasumi Arimura cute?' There were a lot of shots where she was looking directly at the camera (laughs)."

Everyone: "(laughs)"

Unique Ways to Enjoy

―Do you have any unique ways of enjoying Asadora?

K: "I like works that are based on real people, and I enjoy comparing them with the historical facts of the person they're based on (laughs). There are parts that are different or where the order is reversed, and they sometimes tweak the names, which is interesting. I enjoy seeing how they develop the story between historical facts and original content."

S: "I use the hometown tax donation system (laughs). After watching 'Okaeri Mone' (104th series), I chose Kesennuma. Some might say it's questionable to make decisions based on a drama, but I feel like it's unique to Asadora that watching it makes you want to learn about that region, or even if you don't go on a pilgrimage to the filming locations, it makes you want to go and eat something there. Since you watch the protagonist for half a year, you end up feeling attached to the region or land where it's set! That happens. It's not just limited to hometown tax, I also tend to order local gourmet food."

―By the way, how did the food you ordered taste?

S: "For Kesennuma, it was shark fin ramen, and it was absolutely delicious! It came in a heavy box, but it was easy to prepare. Also, when I was watching 'Chimudondon' (106th series), where the protagonist aims to be an Okinawan cuisine chef, I really wanted to eat Okinawan food... The Okinawan food I ordered was also delicious (laughs)."

M: "It might not be a way to enjoy Asadora itself, but there are special segments and performances at the Kohaku Uta Gassen every year that you can only enjoy because you watch Asadora, so that's fun. I like that it feels like a place where you can interact directly with Asadora characters!"

―That's true, it happens every year. Do you have any memorable Kohaku Asadora highlight moments from recently?

M: "In 'Okaeri Mone', I loved the production where the brass band performance transitioned into BUMP OF CHICKEN!"

Highlights of 'Tora ni Tsubasa'

―'Tora ni Tsubasa' starts in April 2024. Could you tell us what you're looking forward to?

K: "When the visual photos were released, I felt like I could really look forward to it! Also, the cast is great, isn't it? The protagonist is Sairi Ito, and her mother is Yuriko Ishida. Taiga Nakano is in it too."

S: "Sairi Ito also auditioned for 'Hiyokko'. She didn't get that role, but the producer and screenwriter saw her acting in the audition and thought, 'Sairi Ito is really interesting,' so they wrote a role specifically for her. I'm so happy that she's finally been chosen as a heroine this time."

―You're really invested in this. The screenwriter, Erika Yoshida, is the one who worked on the NHK drama 'Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!' (commonly known as 'Cherry Maho'). It was fresh with its theme of aromantic cohabitation.

K: "Oh, that's something to look forward to!"

M: "The theme song for 'Tora ni Tsubasa' is by Kenshi Yonezu, so I'm looking forward to that too! I end up listening to the morning drama theme song almost every day, so I often find it playing on repeat in my head before I know it. I'm also hoping for a collaboration at this year's Kohaku Uta Gassen!"

―Already looking ahead to the Kohaku Uta Gassen (laughs)! It might be nice to be able to listen to Yonezu's song every day. I'm looking forward to the next morning drama too. Thank you for today!

'Tora ni Tsubasa' starts tomorrow.
Why not try enjoying it by referring to the unique ways our morning drama-loving employees enjoy the shows?

(Reporting/Text: Yama)

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