Koji Mizukami’s Role in Boogie Woogie Receives Acclaim, Nears Kimutaku’s Fame as Tragic Hero Actor

The popularity of Koji Mizukami is skyrocketing.

 

In the currently airing NHK morning drama “Boogie Woogie,” he plays the role of Aisuke Murayama, the lover of the protagonist, Suzuko Fukukita. The nation shed tears as they watched him meet his end without being able to see the face of his newborn child or marry Suzuko.

In the movie “Ano Hana ga Saku Oka de Ano Dekiru Hana, Kimi wo Mitsuketa,” released in December last year, the cumulative number of viewers reached 3,188,096, with box office revenue of ¥4,048,386,900 (as of February 11), marking a major hit. It is on the verge of surpassing “The Last Samurai,” starring Takuya Kimura and directed by Yoji Yamada, distributed by Shochiku, which recorded the second-highest box office revenue in the history of live-action Japanese films with ¥4.11 billion in 2006.

 

“Mizukami, unable to be with a high school girl who time-traveled from the present to the end of the Pacific War and portraying a kamikaze pilot heading to certain death, has once again moved the audience to tears. Female fans of Mizukami have expressed, ‘We keep going to the theaters because we want to see Mizukami’s pure and appealing eyes.'” (Movie Magazine Reporter)

 

In August 2022, at the height of his popularity, Mizukami changed his stage name from Okada Kenshi to his real name, Koji Mizukami, marking a fresh start. While he had been popular among women since then, it’s fair to say he’s experiencing a resurgence now. His high level of acting skill is what supports his popularity.

“Particularly, we often hear from co-stars and fans that ‘they are drawn into his eyes.’ From eyes brimming with vitality and radiance to those sunk in sorrow. Eyes that strongly appeal or gently embrace. He can convey various emotions through his eyes alone.” (Movie Producer)

Also, his acting range, or in other words, the range of roles he can portray, is wide. He’s said to be highly sought after because he can handle anything from contemporary dramas to period dramas.

In the NHK Taiga Drama “Seiten wo Tsuke” aired in 2021, he played Shibuzawa Heikuro, a young man who fought in the Boshin War but ultimately committed suicide after being pursued by the new government army. Social media was abuzz with praise for his performance.

“His dying figure is too beautiful” “His acting is amazing” 

 It was a storm of great praise.

“There are actors who are good at playing roles where they get killed. Also, there are roles that must die due to the flow of the script. For people watching dramas and movies, there may be temporary losses, but they should feel somewhat satisfied with it. However, when he plays those roles, they feel dissatisfied. There was a director who said, ‘Even though I know it, I want to plead for a script change, begging him not to die, not to let him die.'” (Previously mentioned Movie Producer)

 

There is now no dissent among insiders regarding the assessment that there is no one to rival him when it comes to playing the tragic hero.

“The role of Aisuke in ‘Boogie Woogie’ was so natural that viewers couldn’t help but think, ‘Was Aisuke really like this?’ It becomes unclear whether it’s Aisuke or Mizukami. Since it’s acting, it shouldn’t reflect his true feelings.

We can only imagine what the character’s feelings are, but he accurately captures and expresses them. Especially his expressions conveying sadness, transience, and affection are wonderful. When it comes to portraying a character who faces death head-on while desperately trying to live, he is second to none.” (TV Magazine Writer)

 

Aisuke’s performance was highly praised on the Internet,

“Viewers couldn’t distinguish between who was who (whether it was Mizukami’s own character or the role of Aisuke).”

As such, there were voices saying so. It’s a phrase often used when an actor perfectly embodies a role. Mizukami will undoubtedly continue to captivate viewers as the “tragic hero” in the future.