Kita Kana and Sakai Taisei make their first appearance in a morning drama! They play the characters that the heroine Takaishi Akari meets in Matsue in “Bakeke”.
Kita Kana and Sakai Taisei have been announced as new cast members for the next NHK morning drama “Bakeke”, starring Takaishi Akari, which will begin airing on September 29th. This will be the first time for both of them to appear in a morning drama.
Sakai Taisei plays Nakamura Morimichi, Toki’s arranged marriage partner. “Bakeke” is based on the story of Koizumi Setsu and Yakumo (Lafcadio Hearn). Set in Matsue during the Meiji period, it depicts the everyday life of a couple who love ghost stories.
Kita plays Eto Rio, the daughter of Governor Eto. A beautiful and intelligent young lady . Fluent in English, she is strongly attracted to Heaven (Tommy Bastow), who visits Matsue.
Kita expressed her joy, saying, “I’ve always wanted to appear in a morning drama , so I was very happy when I was cast. I also felt a sense of nervousness, as if I had taken another new step.” She continued, “I thought it was important for this role to be lovable and yet also exude a sense of freedom, so I carefully worked on the balance while discussing it with the director. Above all, I was grateful that the lead actress, Akari Takaishi , accepted everything I had to say. I’m having a great time acting in such a great environment.” She expressed her enthusiasm, saying, “I will do my best to be a good spice to the story. I hope everyone will support me.”
Sakai will play Nakamura Morimichi, Toki’s (Akari Takaishi ) arranged marriage partner. Morimichi is a former samurai of the Matsue domain, and a good-natured young man who now works in business with his father. He is a character who is honest and straightforward, and who faces Toki’s arranged marriage .
Introducing his role, Sakai said, “I’m Sakai Taisei, and I’ll be playing the role of Nakamura Morimichi. I’m very happy to be able to take part in this historic morning drama . Morimichi is a high-ranking samurai from a good family in Matsue, and has been successful in business even after the Meiji Restoration. I think the difference in the values of the two families, set against the backdrop of the Meiji era, will make for an interesting scene.”
He also added, “I hope you’ll try to imagine the future of both families, even just a little. Thank you for your support.” The TV drama series “Bakeke” will air on NHK General TV from September 29th , every Monday to Saturday at 8am and other times.
Production manager Hashizume Kuniomi: Rio, the daughter of the prefectural governor, is an extremely difficult role, but Kita Kana embodied it brilliantly. It’s a play that conveys the elegance of a woman at the forefront of the Meiji era, her strong will that borders on recklessness, and the occasional glimpse of cuteness.
There are many lines in English, so I asked her to take on that challenge as well. I had always wanted to work with Sakai Taisei, who plays Nakamura Morimichi, Toki’s arranged marriage partner, so I asked him to appear in the role. Pay close attention to his detailed facial expressions. He also gave an entertaining performance of the slightly unusual scene between the two of them, along with Takaishi. There are only 11 days left until “Bakeke,” brought to you by this wonderful cast, begins airing on September 29th.
