Entertainment Station Japan: Inoue Mao interview for Ashita no Yakusoku
Entertainment Station Japan
2017.09.20
Even joining the script writing process, Inoue Mao speaks of her thoughts about her drama Ashita no Yakusoku
After two years, Inoue Mao will be leading the Tuesday 9PM drama Ashita no Yakusoku (Kansai TV/Fuji TV) which will start on October 17.
Based on an original script, this is a human mystery drama where she plays Aizawa Hinata, a woman who was raised with a distorted relationship with her mother and works as a school counselor, considered as the last adult ally of students in a school where she will chase the truth behind the puzzling death of a male student.
Appearing with her are a roster of splendid cast members such as Nakama Yukie who plays Yoshioka Makiko, the mother of the dead male student, Oikawa Mitsuhiro who plays Kirishima Naoki, the male student's homeroom teacher, Kudo Asuka as her boyfriend Honjo Kazuhiko, Tezuka Satomi as Aizawa Naoko, Hinata's mother who inflicted some trauma on her, Aoyagi Sho as Kojima Shuuhei, a journalist who chases the story of the mysterious death. Shirasu Jin and Shinkawa Yua are also part of the cast.
As her character Aizawa Hinata is about to get close with the inner shadows of our modern society, we asked Inoue Mao of her thoughts about drama and how she prepares for the role.
I want to make this drama as something that can relate to those with lots of worries in life
ES: It has been two years since your last drama project. What do you think about its human mystery genre?
Mao: It's of the mystery genre but I want to emphasize the 'human' in it. Everyone has worries but I think there are people who don't notice such problems. With that, I want this to be a drama which will give comfort to the viewers knowing that everyone has their own problems as we live this life.
ES: But reading the drama introduction, it paints the darkness of people's hearts...
Mao: It may seem like a heavy material but going beyond that, as much as possible I want it to be a drama that will relate to people of various worries from a standpoint of a school counselor.
ES: Please tell us your reasons why you chose this project.
Mao: Firstly, one of the reasons is the timing that I can do something like this. However at first, I was moved by the enthusiasm of the ikemen producer (Kasai Hideyuki). (laughs)
ES: Do you remember some impressive words from how you were convinced by the producer?
Mao: I don't remember it well but it's something like "The group of samurais are polishing their swords waiting for you." I received this as a letter and I wondered if ikemens do polish their swords (laughs). With that, I was convinced by that ikemen and accepted this project. (laughs)
ES: That ikemen producer got my attention (laughs)
Mao: He's the eloquent type of ikemen (laughs)
ES: So what were the ikemen producer's passionate words?
Mao: It was a letter full of thoughts of wanting to make a good drama without giving up on it. I was moved and for as long as I am part of this, I wanted to move forward with the same thought. With that, I ended up reading the script.
ES: Please tell us your thoughts about your costars.
Mao: I costarred with Oikawa Mitsuhiro-san before but it's a first meeting with the rest of the students and teachers. When we had the first script reading, I had a different impression of the script lines compared when I was reading them alone. I am nervous but I want to use that feeling to make this a fun experience. As the story develops from here on, as the foul and bad sides of the characters are about to come out, I want to focus on how to express those parts.
A friend who aims to be school counselor introduced me to clinical psychology books
ES: Please tell us about your role, Aizawa Hinata.
Mao: She's a complicated character. She gives advices to people but she has worries to which she keeps to herself. While studying psychology, she might have been aware of herself and studied for self-improvement. But as she gets closer to the students, the hidden problems she has are coming to surface. She is a troubled person who must face her own burden.
ES: But naturally as she counsels the students, the wounds will be brought to light
Mao: But I wonder if she is capable of helping the student because it is also her core. I want to have that kind of character.
ES: Hinata's mother is a monster parent but how do you see their mother-child relationship objectively?
Mao: I heard lots of episodes about them but it will be hard to understand them if I am not in their shoes. I will never know unless I experience it myself so I want to do this role without being bothered that I don't know much about it.
ES: Please tell us your thoughts about the job of being a school counselor.
Mao: It's a difficult job. You're not a teacher, not even a doctor. There are no scenes where you dramatically cure something. However, it's role who heals people, those who carry unseen worries by themselves. It's really hard but it's better to concretize those inner conflicts.
ES: Please tell us how did you prepare for this difficult role.
Mao: Nothing special but my friend who aims to be a school counselor introduced me to books on clinical psychology. I can't learn it much deeper but I read those to study my role.
ES: Please tell us your thoughts after reading them.
Mao: I came to know that words and actions we do unconsciously paint an impression. As a counselor I want to heal people from their problems, but it's not about the healing process but to understand how to support them in living life while dealing with those problems. For me, I want to be constantly reminded of that.
I want people to tell me it was ordinary but a good drama. I want a thorough depiction of the theme.
ES: We heard you took part in the script writing process.
Mao: At first there were lots of technical words in the script. I don't want the drama to have lots of technical or medical jargon so we limited the use of those words and removed some formalities. I told them that I value lines that would reflect one's emotions and sentiments.
ES: With a school counselor role, it seems there are lots of words that would come into grips of one's emotions.
Mao: As I read the script, there are times when I wonder is it okay to get deeper into this. In the eyes of an amateur like me, I wonder if it's okay to tell these words. I really feel I am in a difficult position.
ES: Lastly, please tell us your message to the viewers.
Mao: It's about to start soon. I have lots of first-time costarring experiences here. I am nervous but since being a serious-themed drama, there's a variety of expression. I want to move forward with this drama until the very end. I want to be told it was ordinary but a good drama. I want this to be a drama which throroughly depicts its theme.
****
While we are at it, just a little trivia about Mao: In a 4hr interview with Josei Jishin in 2015, she revealed she battled anxiety attacks while in high school and filming Kids War. For more info about that interview, please go to this link
2017.09.20
Even joining the script writing process, Inoue Mao speaks of her thoughts about her drama Ashita no Yakusoku
After two years, Inoue Mao will be leading the Tuesday 9PM drama Ashita no Yakusoku (Kansai TV/Fuji TV) which will start on October 17.
Based on an original script, this is a human mystery drama where she plays Aizawa Hinata, a woman who was raised with a distorted relationship with her mother and works as a school counselor, considered as the last adult ally of students in a school where she will chase the truth behind the puzzling death of a male student.
Appearing with her are a roster of splendid cast members such as Nakama Yukie who plays Yoshioka Makiko, the mother of the dead male student, Oikawa Mitsuhiro who plays Kirishima Naoki, the male student's homeroom teacher, Kudo Asuka as her boyfriend Honjo Kazuhiko, Tezuka Satomi as Aizawa Naoko, Hinata's mother who inflicted some trauma on her, Aoyagi Sho as Kojima Shuuhei, a journalist who chases the story of the mysterious death. Shirasu Jin and Shinkawa Yua are also part of the cast.
As her character Aizawa Hinata is about to get close with the inner shadows of our modern society, we asked Inoue Mao of her thoughts about drama and how she prepares for the role.
I want to make this drama as something that can relate to those with lots of worries in life
ES: It has been two years since your last drama project. What do you think about its human mystery genre?
Mao: It's of the mystery genre but I want to emphasize the 'human' in it. Everyone has worries but I think there are people who don't notice such problems. With that, I want this to be a drama which will give comfort to the viewers knowing that everyone has their own problems as we live this life.
ES: But reading the drama introduction, it paints the darkness of people's hearts...
Mao: It may seem like a heavy material but going beyond that, as much as possible I want it to be a drama that will relate to people of various worries from a standpoint of a school counselor.
ES: Please tell us your reasons why you chose this project.
Mao: Firstly, one of the reasons is the timing that I can do something like this. However at first, I was moved by the enthusiasm of the ikemen producer (Kasai Hideyuki). (laughs)
ES: Do you remember some impressive words from how you were convinced by the producer?
Mao: I don't remember it well but it's something like "The group of samurais are polishing their swords waiting for you." I received this as a letter and I wondered if ikemens do polish their swords (laughs). With that, I was convinced by that ikemen and accepted this project. (laughs)
ES: That ikemen producer got my attention (laughs)
Mao: He's the eloquent type of ikemen (laughs)
ES: So what were the ikemen producer's passionate words?
Mao: It was a letter full of thoughts of wanting to make a good drama without giving up on it. I was moved and for as long as I am part of this, I wanted to move forward with the same thought. With that, I ended up reading the script.
ES: Please tell us your thoughts about your costars.
Mao: I costarred with Oikawa Mitsuhiro-san before but it's a first meeting with the rest of the students and teachers. When we had the first script reading, I had a different impression of the script lines compared when I was reading them alone. I am nervous but I want to use that feeling to make this a fun experience. As the story develops from here on, as the foul and bad sides of the characters are about to come out, I want to focus on how to express those parts.
A friend who aims to be school counselor introduced me to clinical psychology books
ES: Please tell us about your role, Aizawa Hinata.
Mao: She's a complicated character. She gives advices to people but she has worries to which she keeps to herself. While studying psychology, she might have been aware of herself and studied for self-improvement. But as she gets closer to the students, the hidden problems she has are coming to surface. She is a troubled person who must face her own burden.
ES: But naturally as she counsels the students, the wounds will be brought to light
Mao: But I wonder if she is capable of helping the student because it is also her core. I want to have that kind of character.
ES: Hinata's mother is a monster parent but how do you see their mother-child relationship objectively?
Mao: I heard lots of episodes about them but it will be hard to understand them if I am not in their shoes. I will never know unless I experience it myself so I want to do this role without being bothered that I don't know much about it.
ES: Please tell us your thoughts about the job of being a school counselor.
Mao: It's a difficult job. You're not a teacher, not even a doctor. There are no scenes where you dramatically cure something. However, it's role who heals people, those who carry unseen worries by themselves. It's really hard but it's better to concretize those inner conflicts.
ES: Please tell us how did you prepare for this difficult role.
Mao: Nothing special but my friend who aims to be a school counselor introduced me to books on clinical psychology. I can't learn it much deeper but I read those to study my role.
ES: Please tell us your thoughts after reading them.
Mao: I came to know that words and actions we do unconsciously paint an impression. As a counselor I want to heal people from their problems, but it's not about the healing process but to understand how to support them in living life while dealing with those problems. For me, I want to be constantly reminded of that.
I want people to tell me it was ordinary but a good drama. I want a thorough depiction of the theme.
ES: We heard you took part in the script writing process.
Mao: At first there were lots of technical words in the script. I don't want the drama to have lots of technical or medical jargon so we limited the use of those words and removed some formalities. I told them that I value lines that would reflect one's emotions and sentiments.
ES: With a school counselor role, it seems there are lots of words that would come into grips of one's emotions.
Mao: As I read the script, there are times when I wonder is it okay to get deeper into this. In the eyes of an amateur like me, I wonder if it's okay to tell these words. I really feel I am in a difficult position.
ES: Lastly, please tell us your message to the viewers.
Mao: It's about to start soon. I have lots of first-time costarring experiences here. I am nervous but since being a serious-themed drama, there's a variety of expression. I want to move forward with this drama until the very end. I want to be told it was ordinary but a good drama. I want this to be a drama which throroughly depicts its theme.
****
While we are at it, just a little trivia about Mao: In a 4hr interview with Josei Jishin in 2015, she revealed she battled anxiety attacks while in high school and filming Kids War. For more info about that interview, please go to this link