On June 24, a special event was held at HMV&BOOKS SHIBUYA to celebrate the release of the official Zenra Meshi photobook. The popular drama series, currently airing on Kansai TV, stars Yutaro and Shori Kondo, who both took the stage for a press conference prior to the start of the event.   The book includes over 30 pages of gravure photos of Yutaro (Miki Mahiro) and Shori Kondo (Futa Ichijo). Also included are 20 pages of solo photos of Futa wearing a suit and posing in front of a beautiful night scene and Miki wearing a hoodie in a restaurant that smells of spices. Both shoots were intended to look as though a lover snapped the images. The photobook also includes Mizuchi’s Recipe Notebook, highlighting recipes from around the world with comments by popular cookbook author Yummy. Fans can also enjoy plenty of interviews with the cast and crew along with behind-the-scenes filming and production details.   ――What were your thoughts when you first held the photobook in your hands?   Kondo: “To be honest, I didn’t expect these images to be released in photobook form. I was surprised but happy.”   Yutaro: “During filming, the producer and I chatted a ton about how we wanted to create this. We took so many pictures of each other, but I didn’t expect doing that to take an entire day, and I didn’t expect to see interviews with the director and producer included too. When I first saw the book, I felt nostalgic…a little warm and fuzzy too.”   Kondo: “I didn’t know you wanted to do this from the beginning. (Laugh)”   ――Tell us some of your favorite moments from shooting or the setups you like most!   Kondo: “I have some good memories of the swan boat race. Even though the two of us were in a swan boat, the photographer was shooting from a canoe. It was a ton of fun–we’d try to paddle away from him and things like that. There was this playfulness that I really love.”   Yutaro: “We had our first photo shoot at Ueno Park, and we did so much–had a picnic and ate together, played badminton, just had fun. I used Shori-kun’s legs as a pillow, which was so boyfriend-like. Finally being able to see what those shots looked like in the photobook made me smile. Obviously, I couldn’t see them during the shoot itself.”   Kondo: “We were pretty awful at badminton, weren’t we?”   Yutaro: “That’s why there are only three shots of it. (Laugh)” ――Which is your favorite shot of each other?   Kondo: (Immediately) “I have one! The one with the toothbrush…”   Yutaro: “Oh, totally!”   Kondo: “Yutaro was wearing glasses and PJs, brushing his teeth, right? It looks like a candid shot, like it was just shot at home. I love it.”   Yutaro: “Mine would be the shot of the two of us taking a bath together. Even though it’s my favorite, it doesn’t have a huge presence in the book, and it wasn’t even planned too far in advance. We were asked to come in and take that picture together at the last minute.”   Kondo: “We took it while I was asking if we could get in the tub in our PJs. (Laugh)”   Yutaro: “I just love that picture. We look so cute.” ――What does Zenra Meshi mean to the two of you today?   Kondo: “It’s my first drama and my first acting role, so it’s something that will stick with me for a long time.”   Yutaro: “I’ve done more drama work than Shori-kun, and compared to those, this series allowed the two of us to spend so much time together. Even after shooting ended, we’d meet up for dinner and chat about all the people we worked with and how much we missed each other. We really care about each other and that’s why this project worked so well. I don’t usually watch the drama series I star in, but I am watching Zenra Meshi on TVer, so I think that’s subconsciously causing me to become a fanboy.”   Kondo: “I watched the first episode so many times I lost count. I couldn’t believe it was me on the screen. I was so incredibly happy. I watched the video sent to me, then I watched it on TVer, then I watched it on Hulu!”   Yutaro: “You watched it live at your parent's house too.”   Kondo: “Yeah. I watched a video of myself eating dinner naked with my mom. (Laugh) I told her that it would be too embarrassing to watch with her, but she called me and told me to come home. (Laugh) I was in Osaka at the time, and she told me that we’d never get another opportunity like this again. It was my first drama series, so we needed to watch it together. I got home, woke her up, and we watched it together. (Laugh)”   ――Do you feel like the response to the series has been positive after 11 episodes?   Kondo: “So many people I know have been watching, including my friends back in Osaka and my old teachers. They’ve reached out to me to let me know! I mean, people I haven’t heard from in years have told me that they’re tuning in. I’m realizing how great it is to have media available in so many ways.” ――Yutaro-san, you mentioned that you’re watching the show on TVer. How is the response on social media in real-time?   Yutaro: “The show is available to watch around the world, and I’ve found out that it’s popular in Brazil. If you look at the show’s Instagram page, you’ll find people from other countries summarizing the series for those who can’t tune in and who have trouble understanding. I’m so glad that we were able to share this series with fans around the globe because they send so much love on social media.   ――Do either of you want to do a sequel in the future? Maybe Season 2 or a movie?   Yutaro: “I feel like a movie would be good, right?”   Kondo: “I was talking to some of the higher-up staff behind the scenes, and a bunch of them were talking about heading to Okinawa. (Laugh)”   Yutaro: “Why Okinawa though? (Laugh)”   Kondo: “No idea, they just said they wanted to go. (Laugh)”   Yutaro: “Would this be set years later or something? (Laugh) That sounds like fan service! We were close, even if it was just for two months.”   Kondo: “We shot in specific places and all of the actors and staff members ate together, so we still hang out like we’ve been friends forever.”   Yutaro: “It looks like we’re doing a barbeque soon. I’ll have to tell everyone to come.”   ――Fans would love to see the two of you having a barbeque together.   Kondo: “Well, maybe if there’s a Season 2…I’m not sure how that would work though.”   Yutaro: “Since it’s an original series, we could really put the characters into any situation.”   Kondo: “I think my character would get angry again. (Laugh) Basically, I’m the source of all the trouble, so I’m sure I’d get carried away…(Laugh)”   ――If there is a sequel, do you think it would be difficult to stay naked?   Kondo: “I think so. I’ve become much bigger than when we first started filming. I was so skinny then, but it was what it was. I have a little more muscle and a better overall body now. (Laugh)”   ――We’re looking forward to hopefully seeing that in the future.   Kondo: “Oh, I’ll always take it all off. (Laugh)”   ――Do you have a message to the fans ahead of the final episode?   Kondo: “It seemed like everything would be tied up in Episode 11 and that a happy ending was on the way, but things suddenly got muddled. Since everything will wrap up in Episode 12, I think fans have a lot of action to look forward to. I really love the last scene, and I can’t wait for people to see it. It’s so sweet.”   Yutaro: “The series has everything–gourmet flavors, human drama, romance. Each time I see the bittersweet feelings the two main characters share, I feel a little impatient, sad, and frustrated. Even though I know how it ends, I want to watch it at the same time as everyone else. I’ve been watching every episode on TVer, and there were so moments when I wondered how we filmed certain scenes. I was happy to be able to watch them at the same time as the fans so that I could really hear their honest feedback. The ending is filled with hope for the future, and I hope that everyone will tune in to see how things work out for our protagonists. Even though it’s fictitious, the photobook shows how the two live their daily life together, so I hope you’ll enjoy it while you watch the show.”   Kondo: “If you check out what people are saying on social media, they always say that Ichijo is mad all the time. At least, up until Episode 10. In Episode 11, he finally takes a proper step forward, and we see how much he’s grown since meeting Mahiro. I feel like I also grew as an actor. I’m happy that I met Mahiro, and I hope that the fans feel that way too.”

Yutaro will star in the TV Tokyo drama series Nare no Hate no Bokura, scheduled to air starting June 27.   The series is based on Yae Utsumi’s manga series, serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine and available digitally by Magazine Pocket. A group of classmates gather for an elementary school reunion, but what happens isn’t so heartwarming–over a 52-hour period of confinement, the suspenseful series shows what humans will do when trapped in extreme conditions.   Yutaro plays Kohei Tachibana, a young man called the ‘Chairman’ by his classmates. A dependable leader, he also has a dangerous side after being raised with impossible expectations.  

<Comment from Yutaro (Kohei Tachibana)>

 

“I’m Yutaro, and I play Kohei Tachibana, also known as the ‘Chairman.’ The original manga was just so interesting and so shocking–I was really looking forward to seeing how it would translate to the small screen. I remember being so excited that I couldn’t stop flipping through the pages. As we work on the final pieces and hope for rave reviews, please pray for Tachibana’s life as he hopes to maintain his relationships with his dear friends. Look forward to the first shocking episode on June 27!”

 

<Introduction>

A repulsive experiment to test the “goodness” within people–

 

Nezu and 23 other former sixth-grade students from class 2 gathered at their alma mater for a reunion only to be held captive for three days, resulting in the deaths of 13 people. The culprit was Mikio Yumezaki (Inukai Atsuhiro), a former classmate. His goal? To test the bounds of human goodness in such an extreme and life-threatening situation. Who would betray who? Who would kill who? What would people do when faced with such difficult decisions? Revenge, bullying, betrayal, shocking revelations–you won’t want to miss this suspenseful series!

 

Licaxxx and Yutaro are currently appearing in a new ad for Meta Rubber, a new series of products from Mandom’s ‘Gatsby’ hair styling brand.   A total of nine cast members from all areas of the entertainment world appear in the ad, from voice actors and video creators to idols and DJs. The video features the song Kororon by the popular artist Eve.   Be sure to check out the ad for a glimpse into the Meta Rubber lineup, which aims to transcend standard hair styling techniques.  

The recitation play Shitaitoka, Shitakunaitoka no Hanashi Janai (It’s Not About Whether or Not I Want To) will be performed at the Haiyuza Theater in Tokyo starting on April 20. Yutaro will appear in the drama that will be shown as part of the production.   The recitation tells the story of a sexless couple and raises pertinent questions about the state of married couples and child-rearing today. AOI Pro., which has produced many theatrical films and TV dramas including the film Shoplifters and the drama series silent, planned and produced this performance. For the stage production, the recitation will be staged with full-scale video footage from the play. It tells the story of Takashi, an unsuccessful screenwriter and husband, who was dumped by his lover. After his wife, Kyoko wins an award for excellence in a screenwriting contest she entered without her husband's knowledge, she tries to break free from her conventional life of housework and childcare into a new world. The original drama shown during the performance will detail Takashi and Kyoko’s life when they were young and their first meeting before later becoming husband and wife.   The drama was produced exclusively for the performance by Izuru Kumasaka, the director of Pretenders and other popular films. Yutaro will play the role of Takashi.   <Comment from Yutaro> “This story is both sweet and bittersweet. It tells the tale of two young people who, I think, should be adults by now, but they can’t seem to grow up. I had never met Seira Hayakawa before this, but I’ve gotten to know her so well through this role. I hope you’ll enjoy the realistic struggles of two people through this reading!”   <Comment from Director Izuru Kumasaka> “There’s a specific shot used in the play that Yutaro filmed with his smartphone. He managed to get a lot of great expressions out of Ms. Hayakawa, saying things like “the camera’s rolling,” and “the mic was in the shot, so is it okay if I resize the footage a bit?” It was a really novel experience. The last shot of the last day of filming was also done by him. The two of them really gave it their all until the end. There’s a scene where Hayakawa has to confess that she’s carrying her husband’s child, and it was so incredibly convincing despite how young she is. I was shaken. Please come to the theater to see their performance.”   <Comment from Producer Yusuke Kurozawa> “Since we’re a video production company, we had to look at this theatrical performance in a unique way. We incorporated a lot of visual effects even though it’s largely a recitation. On stage, you see a fast-paced conversation between a couple on the verge of separation, but on the screen, you see them when they first met–when they were in love. You see how happy they were, and you wonder how their relationship became so incredibly warped. I was thrilled to work with Izuru Kumasaka on location in Chigasaki, since I’m a huge fan of Southern All Stars and Chigasaki Story - My Little Hometown, which he directed. I hope you’ll come to the theater to experience this blend of recitation and drama!

Yutaro will appear in the new Kansai TV drama series Zenra Meshi. The series is scheduled to begin airing this April during the EDGE time slot.   The romantic comedy follows the protagonist Ichijo, a professional man hiding an incredible secret–he loves to eat naked. One day, this habit is revealed, and Ichijo finds himself quickly falling in love. Yutaro will play the role of Miki Mahiro, a young man who runs a fruit and vegetable store in Ichijo's hometown.   One highlight of the show is the number of tasty-looking dishes supervised by Yummy, a cooking expert who has gained incredible popularity for sharing simple recipes that anyone can make. The dishes that Ichijo and Mahiro prepare using foreign spices are especially noteworthy, and viewers will definitely want to recreate them at home.  

<Comment from Yutaro>

“My name is Yutaro and I play the role of Miki Mahiro.   When I first heard the name of the series, I was so confused. I’d be naked? And eating? I thought I’d need to strip, but I was told that my character didn’t need to. I was so relieved…   My character is a young man who runs a fruit and vegetable store and likes to cook, so I tried to cook for myself as much as I could after being cast. Be sure to look forward to the cooking scenes–I did all of it myself!   I’ve previously worked with Shori Kondo, who plays Ichijo, so we already had a good relationship. So, there were some scenes where we get pretty close to each other, but it wasn’t stressful at all. Everything went smoothly from day one. The staff has been amazing–everyone has been fun to work with, and even during darker scenes, everyone starts laughing as soon as the director yells “cut!”   Even though this is a romantic comedy, there are sad scenes scattered throughout that will make your heart ache, and I think it will touch a lot of people’s hearts. Please look forward to it!”

Yutaro will appear in the upcoming stage production of How Many Sins are There, written, directed, and performed by Shigeyuki Totsugi. The play will begin in April 2023.   5D2-FIVE DIMENSIONS is a solo project by members of TEAM NACS, giving each member space to express themselves. This play will be Shigeyuki Totsugi’s first new work in nearly four years.   Yutaro will play the role of Raido Beppu, a transgender inmate on death row who is interviewed by the reporter protagonist.   <Comment from Shigeyuki Totsugi> “Four whole years have passed since my last solo project, MONSTER MATES. I’m incredibly happy to finally be able to return to my professional solo career in this big way.   Moreover, as with previous performances, I’ve assembled the best possible cast. We’re all grateful for this opportunity and we’re determined to bring audiences the best possible performance. Please look forward to it!”