Yui Aragaki awakens in the role of Yae in “The Thirteen Devils of Kamakura-dono” and enters the “second chapter” of her acting career.
Following “Shinsengumi” (’04) and “Sanadamaru” (’16), she is now in her third film. (2004) and “Sanadamaru” (2004), Mitani Koki, the scriptwriter, is working on his third historical drama “Kamakura-dono no 13inin”. When I learned that the main character, played by Shun Oguri, was the second regent of the Kamakura Shogunate, Hojo Yoshitoki, I thought, “Why? I am not the only one who wondered “Why?
In “Shinsengumi! and Nobushige Sanada in “Sanadamaru,” Mitani Koki, who had previously chosen losers as his main characters, was surprised to portray a winner for the first time. Furthermore, how will he portray, with a comedic touch, the power games and dark struggles among the powerful court nobles that unfold after the death of Kamakura-dono (Minamoto no Yoritomo)? This point also attracted a lot of attention,” said a person involved in a wide-ranging TV show.
Mitani himself said
“I tend to be attracted to people whose lives are completely different from the life I had envisioned for myself, and Yoshitoki is a prime example of this.
Yoshitoki is a typical example.
I have always wanted to write about Yoshitoki because I was intrigued by the story of how he, the second son of a small local family, became a central figure in the Kamakura Shogunate.
I have wanted to write about him for a long time,” he said.
Indeed, the character portrayed by Mitani, Hojo Yoshitoki, was pushed around by Yoritomo, his retainers, and even the Hojo clan at times, and built the foundation of the Kamakura shogunate with a lot of hardship. In other words, he is a victor riddled with scars. There were many times when he bit his lips and shed tears. There is a famous scene that beautifully captures such anguish of Yoshitoki. In episode 15.
“The most dependable is the most fearsome.
The scene in which Ueso Hiratsune (Sato Koichi) is purged by Yoritomo for the reason that he is “the most dependable and the most fearsome” was a scene that made the viewers tremble.
We see the end of the story, knowing that Hirotsune will be killed because he is caught between a rock and a hard place with Yoritomo. I was fascinated by the performance of Koichi Sato, who gave his all as he watched Yoshitoki shed tears and then died with a slight smile on his face. What was the message that Hirotsune was trying to convey in the smile that came to his face at this moment? This may have been the gong that signaled the beginning of the bleak and dark epic” (production company director).
Furthermore, in “Episode 17,” Yoshitoki is ordered by Yoritomo to dispose of Yoshitaka (Ichikawa Somegoro), the son of Kiso Yoshinaka (Aoki Takataka), who was sent to Kamakura as a hostage. However, Yoshitoki’s efforts to “help Yoshitaka escape from Kamakura” against Yoritomo’s will end in failure, and when Yoshitaka’s head is brought to the scene, there are almost screams on social networking sites.
The “Dark Taiga” has taken on the appearance of a terrifying suspense. One of the refreshing refreshments is the presence of “Yae” played by Yui Aragaki.
In history, Yae was the first wife of Yoritomo (Yo Oizumi) and gave birth to his first child, Chizurumaru, but her son was killed by her father, Ito Yuchika, a retainer trusted by the Heike clan. In this film, however, Yae is portrayed as a “tough but loving” woman who gave birth to Hojo Yasutoki (Sakaguchi Kentaro), Yoshitoki’s first love and the third regent who was eventually married and was said to be a great vizier.
In Mitani’s work “Shinsengumi! (Mitani’s “Shinsengumi!”), the story is based on the fact that Kondo, Katsura Kogoro, and Sakamoto Ryoma knew each other when they were young, which was called “ignoring historical fact” at the time. However, there is no evidence that the three did not know each other. There is no historical fact this time either, but there is no indication that the two were not romantically involved. Taiga dramas are a struggle against historical facts. The real appeal of an epic drama is to shed light on the dark side of history.
Mitani Koki has made Yae the most important character in the first half of “Kamakura-dono no 13inin,” and her presence not only adds color to Yoshitoki’s life of continuous hardship in the first half, but also serves as an important foreshadowing for the depiction of Hojo Yasutoki, the most important character in the second half. This is a brilliant move. The skill of screenwriter Mitani Koki is astonishing.
A famous scene between the two comes in “Episode 13.
Yoshitoki is devoted to Yae and frequently commutes from Kamakura. However, even when he brings her a large amount of marine products and wild vegetables, she is always turned off by them. One day, however, he sees Yoritomo being turned away by Yae. Even though he saw Yoritomo’s appearance
Yae said, “I don’t care if you invite Kamakura-dono here. My feelings for him have not changed since then.
He said, “I don’t care if he doesn’t turn around. As long as Yae’s backside looks happy, I am satisfied.
Yoshitoki confided his feelings.
When Yoshitoki was about to leave, she said to him, “Wait, Koshiro-dono, you have a duty to perform. Koshiro-dono, thank you for your hard work,” and bows to Yae, who smiles and says, “Welcome home. This famous scene was called “like a runaway shame” and “a divine episode” on SNS,” said a person involved in a wide-ranging TV show.
Koki Mitani, who wrote the script, also commented on Aragaki’s performance.
Koki Mitani, who wrote the script, himself praised Niigaki’s performance, saying, “She turned out to be a better Yae than I had imagined.
He also praised the actress, Yui Aragaki, for her performance. The drama is expected to be a turning point for actress Yui Aragaki as well.
In 2006, Niigaki teamed up with Akiko Nogi, the scriptwriter of the hit “Runaway Shame” to star in “The Beast That Cannot Be Ours,” which failed miserably in terms of viewer ratings. Since then, she has not appeared in any dramas or movies.
In 2008, Aragaki appeared in the coming-of-age home comedy “Oyabaka Seishun Hakusho” (both on NTV). The Internet went wild when she appeared in a red suicide suit with long, sober hair and yankee makeup. Unfortunately, however, she seemed to have lost her way as an actress. After her marriage and independence from her agency, she may have found a new image as an actress by playing Yae.
With this drama, the second chapter of Yui Aragaki’s career as an actress is about to begin.
Text: Ukon Shima (Broadcaster and video producer)
He is involved in program production in a wide range of genres, including variety, news, and sports programs. He has also planned and published many books on female TV announcers, idols, and the TV industry. While working on documentary programs, he became interested in history and recently published "Ieyasu was dead in Sekigahara" (Takeshobo Shinsho).
Photo: Afro