Hiromi Nagasaku, Haruka Fukuhara, Yutaka Yokoyama… “Soar! Aura photos of the actors in the film

Mai’s personal growth and human relationships are very carefully portrayed in this film. It is a work that I often watch, sometimes with a wince.”

At a regular press conference held on October 19, Rie Hayashi, NHK’s Director-General for Media Relations, commented on the morning TV series “Soar! which started on October 3. Mai-chan” refers to the heroine, Mai Iwakura, played by Haruka Fukuhara (24). The story is set in a factory in the city of Osaka and on the Goto Islands in Nagasaki, where Mai, who yearns to fly, struggles to become a pilot.

Soar! has only been running for about three weeks, but it has gotten off to a good start, with the majority of episodes topping 16% in the ratings. This is in contrast to the previous work, where the hashtag “#Chimudo-don’t reflect on your life” was created on Twitter due to the protagonist’s unreasonable characterization and forced development.

Fukuhara’s performance in the lead role has also been well received. Fukuhara-san is too good to be true. She is always smiling and never has a bad mood. She is shy, but she once brought a card game with her to make friends with the program staff. She is also very attentive, and once bought a loaf of bread and offered it to me during a break. The atmosphere on the set is very good.

Fukuhara is not the only leading actor in the film. Hiromi Nagasaku (52) plays the mother, Yutaka Yokoyama (41, “Kanjani Eight”) plays the brother, and Naoki Matayoshi (42), owner of the vintage clothing store “Delacine,” ……. I would like to introduce the charms of these unique performers with some treasured photos.

Why the Kansai dialect is so faltering and deep

One of the most acclaimed performers is Nagasaku, who plays Mai’s mother, Megumi Iwakura.

She is so cute that it is hard to believe she is over 50 years old. In fact, she married filmmaker Maro Naito at Kashima Shrine in her hometown of Ibaraki Prefecture in November 2009, and they have two girls, ages 12 and 9. Her real-life experience as a mother has no doubt helped her to polish her acting skills.

Nagasaku’s greatness lies in the fact that she memorizes her lines based on a thorough understanding of the setting in which she is cast.

Nagasaku plays a woman who supports her husband who runs a town factory in Osaka. After watching “Soar! many people may have found Ms. Nagasaku’s Kansai dialect faltering. Many people may have thought that Ms. Nagasaku’s Kansai dialect was difficult for someone from the Kanto region.

However, once you understand the content of the work, Nagasaku’s faltering is understandable. Megumi, who plays the role of Megumi, eloped from her hometown on the Goto Islands 14 years ago and came to Osaka. It is only natural for her to falter.

The success of “Soar! may be supported by the individual efforts of the cast. It is likely to continue its rapid progress in the future.