Nervous Before Filming, But When Leaving the Set… Nana Eikura Shows a Radiant Smile on the Set of Her First TV Drama Lead Role in 12 Years

“I wanted to get into the rhythm of the set as soon as possible.”

A tall, beautiful woman, swinging her long arms widely back and forth, wears a look of relief as she faces the crew… It is actress Nana Eikura (38).

In early August, filming for the drama starring Eikura was underway at Shiodome Sio-Site, a massive urban complex in Shiodome, Minato Ward, Tokyo.

“It’s *Ani Imouto*, the first series in TV Asahi’s newly established ‘Saturday Drama 10’ time slot, which launched in October. While Saisei Muro’s novel of the same name (1934) is famous, it has absolutely no connection to this production.It is a completely original story by screenwriter Noriko Yoshida—known for the *Dr. Koto’s Clinic* series (Fuji TV) and *Destiny* (TV Asahi)—and features Eikura and Eiji Akaso (32) as co-leads.

Eikura plays Nao Haruki, the “younger sister” who has finally fulfilled her dream of becoming a doctor, despite having a troublemaking “older brother,” Ryosuke Haruki (played by Tatsunari Kimura, 32). Akaso plays a different brother-sister pair, plays Shuji Sonoda, the “older brother” who supports his “younger sister,” Eri Sonoda (Yu Miyazaki, 25), as she battles a serious illness. This romantic suspense drama depicts the “forbidden love” between these two sets of siblings.“The story unfolds in two parts: the ‘Provincial Arc,’ which depicts Nao and Shuji’s meeting and parting, and the ‘Tokyo Arc,’ in which the two, having reunited by chance three years later, are tossed about by the ‘suspicion’ and ‘love’ they had long suppressed,” says a TV magazine writer.

This marks Eikura’s first lead role in a TV drama series in 12 years, since *For N* (TBS), which aired in 2014. Regarding this, Eikura commented:

“I’m surprised—I never imagined it would be 12 years… I’m quite anxious, but I feel truly blessed to have been given this wonderful opportunity,” and “I’m working hard every day because I want to get into the rhythm of the set as soon as possible” (from TV Asahi’s official website)

she said.

On the day of filming, Eikura stepped off the production bus and arrived on set dressed simply in a white sleeveless shirt and gray pants.Eikura, who has two children with actor Kento Kaku (37), whom she married in 2016, is a mother busy with childcare every day, but her outstanding figure—standing 170 cm tall and still active as a fashion model—is evident even from a distance.

Perhaps because she was nervous right up until the shoot began, her expression seemed a bit stiff. Nevertheless, once the shoot wrapped up successfully, she left the set with a beaming smile, just as described at the beginning.

On August 25, a 15-second teaser trailer was released. It featured beautiful scenes of a seaside town and a scene where the “brother and sister” discuss their “secret.” Expectations are inevitably rising for Eikura’s first leading role in a drama in quite some time.

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