Press conference for start-of-filming of 2014 Taiga drama "Gunshi Kanbee"

The press conference to mark the start-of-filming of 2014 Taiga drama "Gunshi Kanbee" was held on 27 August at NHK Broadcast Centre which was attended by cast members such as V6's Okada Junichi, Nakatani Miki, Kataoka Tsurutaro and Shibata Kyohei. The drama which features Okada as the lead character Kuroda Kanbee, will be broadcast via NHK from January 2014. Okada commented that a Taiga drama is a national drama thus he feels the pressure by taking on the lead role but he hopes that it will be a production which will entertain the whole family on Sundays.

As Kuroda Kanbee had been known as the advisor to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's unification efforts and upheld the belief that it is better to use someone instead of killing him, Kanbee was also feared for being the next potential leader due to his abilities. In order to prepare for the role, Okada said that he had received research materials on Kanbee. In addition, he was encouraged by an elderly lady not to lose to Hideyoshi while he was in the suburbs so Okada said that he hopes to grow together with his role and match up to the viewers' expectations.

His fellow V6 member Inohara Yoshihiko who also appears on the daily NHK morning information programme, had initially suggested visiting Okada at the studio when the latter was filming the drama. However, it turned out that Inohara decided to meet Okada at the canteen instead of heading to the studio even though Okada thought that Inohara might swing by during the press conference.

The scene to be shot on the same day of the press conference was Kanbee's wedding with his first wife Hikaru (Nakatani) and the wedding was to be attended by Kanbee's first master Kodera Masamoto (Kataoka) and Kanbee's father Kuroda Mototaka (Shibata). Okada praised Nakatani for being beautiful and hoped that they can play a couple who supports each other while she commented that she was honoured to play his wife.

Source: Eiga.com