Okaeri Mone 10 - Sakaguchi Kentaro Interview [NHK Web 2021.06.25]

The cute side of Suganami that he unexpectedly shows is also his charm 

The original interview can be found here. I decided to translate Okaeri Mone (mainly Kiyohara Kaya & Sakaguchi Kentaro) interview. I'm in love with this drama and I'm afraid that these interview may be deleted after the series ended. Hence, I'm archiving all the interview before it's gone. I hope that my translation makes sense because it's been awhile since I translate something. 

Disclaimer: I'm still a novice translator, hence my translation is not 100% accurate.

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Nagaura Momone [Kiyohara Kaya] was born and raised on an island in Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. While working as a forester in Tome, she falls in love with the world of weather and eventually becomes involved in the lives of many people as a weather forecaster in the TV series "Okaeri Mone" (Welcome Back, Mone). This time, we interviewed Sakaguchi Kentaro, who played the role of Suganami Koutaro, a doctor whom Momone met in Tome. We asked him about Suganami's character as well as the distance between him and Mone, which is gradually diminishing.

—This is your first appearance in the morning drama since "Toto Nee-chan" (early 2016). How did you feel when you were chosen as the part of the cast?

Morning dramas are broadcasted at the beginning of the day, so there is a special feeling that you are intruding into a part of everyone's life. I was happy to be able to participate in the morning drama again, and when I received the script, I felt that it was a work that had a great meaning to deliver to the current generation. I hope that "Okaeri Mone" will inspire you to do your best today.

The heroine Mone who played by Kiyohara Kaya-chan, is a girl who is close to people's feelings and represents the feelings of everyone who sees the film. I think this work will give you power and courage from her character.

—From Sakaguchi-san's point of view, what kind of person is Suganami Koutaro?

He is a clumsy and immature young man. He is also very logical and doesn't understand people's feelings. I feel that Suganami's character is related to some events that happened in the past. I'm sure he has a part of him that wants to be saved, and that's why he's putting up walls against people. However, I also think that he has been helped a lot by the people around him, including Mone and Nakamura-sensei [Hirayama Yusuke].

In the beginning, Suganami had only monochromatic emotions, but as he saw Mone in various colours as she was lost and happy, he himself gradually became more and more colourful. The way the ice inside Suganami melts as he communicates with Mone is also very beautiful. I hope you will enjoy watching these changes.

—Please tell us about the key points in preparing for the role.

Suganami is childlike and cute in some ways. That's why I tried not to portray him as just a difficult person.

I couldn't understand his cuteness just by reading the script, so I didn't discover this side of him until we started shooting. I hope that the character will be somewhat cute and make you smile. I hope the character will be cute and funny, especially when he crosses paths with Mone (laughs).

—You and Mone often pass each other, don't you?

They're not always in the same wavelength, are they? It's probably because of Suganami rather than Mone! It's because they can't express their feelings well or say things that are out of the line. I thought the two of them were cute. I'm having fun playing the role while feeling warm and fuzzy (laughs).

— Are there any scenes with Mone that have been memorable for you?

In the 21st episode (broadcasted on June 14), there was a scene on the bus where I met Mone by chance. Feeling Mone's temperature on the cramped bus, I think it was a scene that brought Suganami closer to her heart and gave him a chance to change himself. Up until now, Suganami had been a person who talked with the minimum amount of information, but this was an opportunity for him to have a normal conversation with Mone, which changed him.

If it hadn't been for this scene, their relationship would have been completely different and I don't think he would have gone to the cafe to make a proposal for the treatment to Tom-san (Tanaka Kazuhisa) who was played by Tsukamoto Shinya in the 29th episode (broadcasted on June 24). Perhaps it was because of the time he spent with Mone on the bus that he was able to break down the barriers in his mind and change the way he dealt with others.

—In the scene where he was talking with Mone on the bus, it seemed that Suganami-sensei's expression had softened.

The conversation was about trivial things, though. When Mone said, "(The stuffed shark that Suganami was holding) is cute, isn't it?" and he replied "This is for my colleague in Tokyo... (I bought it as a souvenir!). I'm just interested in shark biology.". I thought to myself; That's probably a lie, you bought it because you wanted it! (laughs).

However, it was also a scene where it was difficult to know what kind of distance I should maintain with Mone. It left a deep impression on me in the sense that I struggled to find the right balance.

—In Week 5, you also started a study session for the weather forecaster exam with Mone.

I had to teach Mone, so I studied with a weather forecaster before shooting (laughs). I think there's a big difference between not knowing what you're teaching and acting with a clear understanding.

When I actually started studying, it was really hard to remember the terms related to weather! I had a hard time remembering the details of how clouds form and how rain falls. We're going to work hard together to help Mone pass the exam!