Yū Aoi at a coin laundry in a residential neighborhood… Her “hyper-focused” demeanor during filming for her first lead role in a terrestrial TV drama in 18 years

〈Already Looks Like a Masterpiece〉

A woman with long black hair tied in a bun, wearing a yellow shirt and jeans, staring intently at a single point… It is actress Yu Aoi (40).

Around noon in mid-May, filming for the drama was taking place at a coin-operated laundromat in a residential neighborhood in central Tokyo.

“We’re filming *Until the T-Shirt Dries*, which will air in TBS’s Friday drama slot this July. It’s a completely original story by screenwriter Miku Ikata (33), who created the drama *silent* (Fuji TV), which sparked a social phenomenon among young people in 2022.The director is Hiroyasu Doi (62), who directed the 2017 drama ‘Quartet’ (TBS).

It is a story of “love” and “secrets” involving two couples caught up in an accident. Aoi plays the protagonist, Sakiko (40), who works as an editor for a wedding magazine at a publishing company.”She is the type to take everything head-on and leads a happy married life with her beloved husband. This suspense-filled drama follows Sakiko and her husband as they, along with another couple, become involved in an accident, causing their happy days to suddenly crumble,” said a TV magazine writer.

For Aoi, this marks her first lead role in a terrestrial TV drama series in 18 years, since *Osen* (Nippon TV). On TBS’s official website, Aoi commented:

“I’m looking forward to facing challenges I couldn’t have overcome 18 years ago and seeing how I’ve changed,”

on TBS’s official website.

“Aoi is known as a ‘chameleon actor’ due to her wide range of roles and her ability to fully embody each character.In an interview published on ‘Web Kawade’ on November 11, 2020, she spoke about the film ‘The Spy’s Wife’ and said, ‘I’m not at all the type of actor who gets possessed by a role, but when I’m acting, I do feel the character’s presence.(…) It only happens during the actual shoot,” he said.” (Reporter mentioned above)

As if to back up those words, Aoi appeared to have already fully immersed herself in the role even before filming began.

Inside the laundromat, a large number of staff members were in the middle of a meeting, moving back and forth around her. Amidst this, Aoi, with a highly focused expression, was taking deep breaths and adjusting her costume.

Since the drama’s production was announced, social media has been flooded with comments such as, “With the trio of Aoi, Ikata, and Doi, there’s no way this can go wrong,” and “I already have a feeling this will be a masterpiece.” There’s nothing but anticipation—I can’t wait for this drama to air.

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