Yuki Yamada’s Legendary Kindness in “Kimi ga Kokoro Wo Kuretakara”

Every week, viewers are moved to tears by the series of tragedies that befall the protagonist, Ame, in the Monday 9 p.m. drama “Because You Gave Me Your Heart” (aired on Fuji TV). Viewers have dubbed it “a mille-feuille of misfortune.” Starring Mei Nagano (24) and Yuki Yamada (33).

The drama is set in Nagasaki Prefecture. It tells the story of two people who meet in high school and, despite facing numerous obstacles, continue to nurture their love even after becoming adults. Meu Inamura’s character, Ame Aihara, offers her own five senses to bring back Taiyou Asano (played by Yamada), who died in a traffic accident, as a guide to the afterlife. Taiyou, in turn, earnestly supports Ame, who can no longer live as a person with normal senses. What future awaits these two?

 

While the drama itself is garnering attention, what I want to share with readers this time is information about Yuki Yamada’s personality. His reputation in the industry is overwhelmingly positive. Even those who have only seen him through media or social media can’t help but unanimously agree, “He’s such a nice person.” He’s a rare individual who is universally loved, and it’s worth contemplating his endearing qualities.

 

Yuki Yamada, a good guy! Wave on social networking sites.

This time, the reason for deciding to write a column titled “Yuuki Yamada is a Great Guy!” stems from the first broadcast of “Because You Gave Me Your Heart.” During the airing, Yamada engaged in live-tweeting on his personal X account (formerly Twitter).

This action is reminiscent of what Yamada-san, also known as Ryota Yamasato (46), did during the broadcast of “But, I Have Passion” (aired on NTV last year). Since he was the protagonist of the drama, Yamasato posted live updates on his timeline almost every 1-3 minutes during the one-hour broadcast, corresponding to the content of the show. Fans became enthusiastic about this, and it gradually became one of the highlights of watching the drama. For viewers, it’s a delightful experience when individuals involved in a drama participate in live social media coverage.

Now, let’s return to “Because You Gave Me Your Heart.” Towards the end of the first episode’s broadcast, there’s a scene where Taiyou throws firecrackers in the direction where Ame is to draw her attention. After this scene, he says,

“Next time we meet, I’ll throw firecrackers again!”

 

And so, Eiji Akaso (29) replied to Yamada’s timeline. They co-starred in “Pending Train – 8:23, Tomorrow with You” (aired on TBS last April). Despite over a year passing since then, the fact that they still interact on social media hints at their closeness. Moreover, both of them are currently popular figures. It’s like stumbling upon something precious as you follow through X, and there’s what Yamada himself had written.

“My friends from my hometown, Fukushi Sota, Akaso-san, and even Wentz-san, all say ‘I’m watching,’ ‘I watched it,’ giving me so much encouragement. Everyone is incredibly supportive, aren’t they?”

And with that post, it’s surprising to see that fellow celebrities who are friends with him are specifically tuning in to watch the Monday 9 p.m. drama just because Yuki Yamada is the lead actor. It’s unexpected in the fiercely competitive entertainment industry, where each person should have their own goals and struggles to obtain roles, to see them supporting a rival. While observing this exchange on social media, the word empowerment comes to mind. Yuki Yamada might be quite an extraordinary person.

Promotion is by the performers themselves.

Regarding SNS, a bit more. When looking at his X, he probably searches with hashtags and relentlessly reposts about his appearances, commercials, and media coverage. From the perspective of someone conducting interviews, it’s extremely appreciated and heartening when the lead actively cooperates in promotion.

For example, let’s say there’s an opportunity to interview a celebrity. Nowadays, it’s common to request at the end of the interview, “It would be great if you could announce it on your own SNS.” This is because it draws more attention to the article. However, celebrities are generally very busy, so this request isn’t easily fulfilled. In the midst of all this, the way Yamada Yuuki utilizes his X is rare. Beyond his amiable personality, am I the only one who feels his love for the environment surrounding him?

By the way, he once picked up a column I wrote. In a series on a certain online media platform, I wrote a column titled “Yamada Yuki is the ‘handsome guy you want at your school reunion’.” Afterwards, I noticed the column was being talked about a lot online, and when I searched further, I found him spreading the column with comments like “Thanks a lot, really appreciated.”

 

Summing up the whole sequence of events, it’s ego surfing. It’s not a phrase with a positive connotation. However, when it’s Yamada involved, it somehow sounds strangely positive.

A day filled with Yuki Yamada’s love at Yokohama Arena

Looking back through Yamada Yuuki’s SNS, I learned that in January of this year, he held an event titled “Yamada Yuki’s All Night Nippon X: I’ll become the king of Yokohama Arena!” at Yokohama Arena. As I delved deeper into the search, I discovered that it was an event for a radio show he has been hosting since April 2022.

It seems that in front of a packed audience of 12,000 fans, including guests like DISH, Little Glee Monster, Ryō Katsuragi (37), and Eiji Akaso, the atmosphere was electrifying. The fact that such a diverse group of people came together so readily speaks volumes about Yamada’s character. Once again, I thought to myself, “He’s really a good person.” It’s like having that classmate whom you find it easiest to talk to about your love life. They may not be the most popular, but they’re kind and approachable. That’s the kind of presence I see in him.

The drama “Kimi ga Kokoro wo Kuretakara,” in which he plays the lead role, is really good. Just a year ago, Yamada appeared in the Monday 9:00 PM drama “Goddess’s Classroom: Legal Youth White Paper” (Fuji TV), where he portrayed a cold-hearted teacher. This time, his role as a gentle man feels like a direct reflection of his own personality, and it’s quite impressive. Whether it will have a happy ending or not, at this point, I can’t even begin to guess, but I hope it does.