NHK Unleashes Its Finest—Yoshizawa in Bakebake, Yokohama in Berabō, A Double Punch of National Treasure’Actors

Yoshizawa shines as the shadow protagonist in Bakebake

From the fourth week “Tokyo Arc” of the NHK morning drama Bakebake, Ryo Yoshizawa (31) appears as Tomokazu Nishikiori, the prodigy of Matsue whose presence will greatly influence the heroine Toki’s life. Viewers have been deeply moved by his divine, almost sacred aura as a “Living National Treasure,” glowing within the drama’s characteristic world of light and shadow.

The drama depicts the tearful yet joyful life of Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo) and his wife Setsu, played passionately by Akari Takaishi (22), set in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture during the Meiji era, known from Hearn’s famous collection Kwaidan.

Yoshizawa’s Nishikiori is a colleague of Heaven-sensei (Tommy Bastow), a foreign teacher appointed to Matsue Middle School. Serving as his interpreter and assisting him both publicly and privately, Nishikiori is considered the drama’s shadow protagonist.

“Wearing a white shirt under Japanese clothing, he looked like he’d stepped straight out of Natsume Sōseki’s Botchan. His refreshing presence radiated an aura to rival even the film National Treasure. The true star has finally appeared—viewership is bound to rise.” (Morning show staff member)

The live-action film Kokuhō (National Treasure) has become such a massive hit that it is now within sight of becoming the highest-grossing Japanese live-action movie of all time. Yoshizawa’s character, Kikuo, is born into a yakuza family and loses his father in a gang conflict. He is taken in by Hanai Hanjirō (played by Ken Watanabe, 66), the head of a prestigious Kamigata kabuki family, and plunges into the world of kabuki. There he meets Shunsuke (Ryusei Yokohama, 29), the heir of a lineage completely opposite his own. The two sharpen each other, rising together to become the singular, unmatched presence in the kabuki world—the “National Treasure.”

The overwhelming climax, which shook viewers to the core, has already become a legend that will be remembered forever.

Yoshizawa and Yokohama, who clashed brilliantly in that masterpiece, are now being used luxuriously by NHK—both appearing in major dramas at the same time.

However, while Yoshizawa radiates an aura in the morning drama Bakebake, Ryusei Yokohama, who plays the lead role in the taiga drama Berabō ~Tsutajū Eiga no Yume Banashi~, has been struggling to stand out.

“Yokohama plays Tsutaya Jūzaburō, a publishing producer who laid the foundations of Japan’s pop culture. Born in Yoshiwara during the mid-Edo period, he should be an extremely eccentric (berabō) and highly charismatic figure.

But as powerful personalities like Kitagawa Utamaro (played by Shōta Sometani), Takizawa Bakin (played by Kenjirō Tsuda), and Katsushika Hokusai (played by comedian Kukki!) appear one after another, Yokohama’s Tsutajū fades more and more with each episode. Since the character himself is supposed to be berabō, we want more standout scenes for him. Some viewers say the role just doesn’t suit Yokohama.” (Producer from a production company)

Ryusei Yokohama has taken on characters very different from himself many times before.

A person who is stiff, stubborn, and not much fun

Director Lee Sang-il, who worked with Yokohama on the film Kokuhō (National Treasure), had also cast him in his previous film, Wandering Moon (2022). Yokohama gave a powerful performance as Ryo Nakase, a man who loves his fiancée, Sarasa (Suzu Hirose), yet cannot accept her past and ends up becoming violent.

However, after appearing in Wandering Moon, Yokohama’s Instagram follower count dropped by about 30,000. Why did he choose such a role even at the cost of damaging his public image? It must be because he believed, without the slightest doubt, that playing the awkward and straightforward Ryo would enable him to grow.

Similarly, regarding his role as Shunsuke, the kabuki heir he played in Kokuhō, Yokohama admitted:

“He’s the complete opposite of who I am.”

“To put it more strongly, he’s the kind of person I’m not good with.”

But precisely because he could not relate to the character at all, he said:

“I had to start by truly understanding him and loving him.”

This reflects Yokohama’s own conviction—his decision to live the role.

“Director Lee likely believes that actors grow more by taking on roles they struggle with rather than roles that suit them. That’s why he cast Yokohama as Ryo in Wandering Moon. Even for Kokuhō, he gave affectionate criticism, saying, ‘Because I know how strong Ryusei can be in the second half, I felt he was a bit soft in the first half.’” (Producer quoted earlier)

Perhaps as a result of such efforts paying off, Yokohama won the Japan Academy Prize for Best Actor this year for his starring role in the film Shōtai. At the award ceremony, he again spoke about his feelings as an actor:

“I’m not a very good actor, and as a person I’m stiff, stubborn, and honestly not very interesting. Because I know that better than anyone, I face every project with the feeling that I am staking my life on it. I feel like this award acknowledges that just a little, and it encourages me.”

With seven episodes remaining until the finale of the taiga drama Berabō ~Tsutajū Eiga no Yume Banashi~, expectations are high for Ryusei Yokohama’s life-risking performance.