Wakana Matsumoto and Satoshi Tsumabuki Brave the Heat on Set of Sunday Theatre with Ice Packs and Cool Expressions

The filming day was a scorching 35 degrees Celsius

In mid-August, near the Red Brick Warehouse in Yokohama, Kanagawa, a couple of people were walking. A man in a suit, holding a plastic cup of beer in one hand. Beside him, a woman in a suit was walking with a cup of juice. Were they colleagues or a couple? They sat down on a nearby bench, sipping their drinks.

This scene was actually from the filming of the October season TBS Sunday Drama The Royal Family. The man was the lead actor, Satoshi Tsumabuki (44), and the woman was Wakana Matsumoto (41).

“The drama is based on the novel of the same name by writer Kazuma Hayami, set in the world of horse racing. It depicts the bonds and miracles of men who continue to chase their dreams, along with their families and friends. It’s a grand story spanning 20 years between humans and racehorses. Tsumabuki plays Eiji Kurisu, a tax accountant whose life changes after meeting a racehorse owner. Matsumoto plays Kurisu’s ex-girlfriend from university, Kanako Nozaki, who runs a racehorse breeding farm. Their story begins when they meet again after ten years” (TV magazine writer).

The scene described at the beginning appears to be from right after they reunited. The two sat together on the bench, chatting and smiling. Eventually, Matsumoto stood up first and walked away without looking back, and Tsumabuki’s character followed, chasing her. They filmed this scene several times.

Though their outfits were autumn-like, the temperature that day reached a high of 35°C. Despite their cool expressions during the shots, whenever the camera cut, staff hurried over to both actors with ice packs to cool them down. Yet, both Tsumabuki and Matsumoto kept smiling and showed concern for the staff, truly embodying professionalism.

“Tsumabuki-san gained praise for his portrayal of Nobuyuki Yagi, based on the founder of ‘Sanrio,’ Shinjiro Tsuji, in the NHK drama Anpan. His upcoming film, Treasure Island, where he plays a young man from Okinawa during the post-war period, is set to be released on September 19. He also starred in the 2023 January TBS Sunday drama Get Ready!, where he portrayed a genius surgeon.

Matsumoto, surprisingly, is making her first appearance in a Sunday drama. She has starred in several projects, including Saionji-san Doesn’t Do the Housework (TBS, July 2024), My Treasure (Fuji TV), and Dr. Ashura (Fuji TV). In this drama, she plays the heroine, and viewers can look forward to her new performance” (previous writer).

In an interview video on the official TBS website, Matsumoto expressed her joy:

“It was a dream of mine to appear in a Sunday drama, so when I was approached, I was really happy. When I read the script, I was captivated by how it depicted people’s passion, not confined to any box, and I ended up reading it all in one go. I’m really looking forward to filming.”

Keep an eye on the performances of these two rising stars!

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