A Darkly Elegant Turn Sakurai Hinako Dazzles in Dual Role as Wife and Femme Fatale

An affair right from the start

A beautiful woman sits in a director’s chair, looking toward the camera with a melancholic expression—this is actress Hinako Sakurai (29).

On this day in early April, when temperatures had risen to nearly 25°C, filming was taking place at a park in Chiba Prefecture for the TV Asahi drama “The Husband with 3 Months to Live,” which begins airing on April 24.

The drama is based on the same-named popular comic, which has surpassed 100 million cumulative views, produced by original IP manga company “SORAJIMA.” The protagonist, Aoi Kousaka (played by Jun Shirasu, 33), is an elite salaryman working at a major construction company. Blessed with a loving wife and a cute son, he was living a happy, trouble-free life, until he is suddenly diagnosed with a malignant tumor and told he has only three months to live.

“The wife, Mutsuki Kousaka, is played by Sakurai. After learning of her husband’s illness, she encourages him and tries to fight the disease together. However, behind his back, she is actually having an affair with a man she works with at a café, and conspires with him to take all of Aoi’s inheritance. When Aoi learns of the plan, he vows revenge. It is a suspense drama filled with love and hatred between the two.”

Until now, Sakurai has had a strong pure and innocent image, but in this drama she plays her first wife role and her first villain heroine. Her decision to cut 20 cm of her hair for the role also became a topic of discussion.

As mentioned at the beginning, the day of filming felt like midsummer. Many staff members wore short sleeves, and a large umbrella was held above Sakurai’s head to shield her from the strong sun. Sakurai, wearing a black long coat, must have felt the heat, but perhaps because she was focused on her role, her expression never relaxed during waiting time.

During filming preparation and camera tests, she was already fully immersed in her villainess role, even showing a sly smile, and her expression carried a striking, almost dangerously sensual beauty.

Regarding playing a villain, Sakurai said on the program’s official website:

“Since I’m being given this opportunity, I want to create something that people will say is especially interesting within the work.”

She also said:

“This is actually my first time playing a married woman. I’ve never played a happy married wife before, and suddenly it’s an affair honestly, I’m a bit nervous (laughs).”

All eyes are on Sakurai’s new challenge as a villain role.

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