Kikuchi Fuma (timelesz), making his first lead role in a TV Asahi drama, will take on the role of a silent and stoic boss in the new drama “The Reason We Fall in Love,” which is set to air.
This work is an adaptation of the same-named comic by ma2, which won the Grand Prize in the adult romance category at the “2nd Everybody’s Recommended Romance Manga Awards” and has surpassed 30 million views at e-book stores.
As adults grow older, they become more cautious about taking the plunge into love, caught up in various thoughts. Yet, they inevitably find themselves falling in love. Set in an office, this drama features six men and women in a bittersweet and frustratingly sweet definitive take on “adult pure love.”
Last year, Kikuchi gained attention for his lead roles in “The Man Next Door Eats Well,” “Fake Marriage,” and “Zeichou – There’s a Reason I Can’t Pay.” In this drama, he plays Takumi Kurosawa, the manager of the sales department. He rarely shows his emotions, speaks little, and struggles with indirect expressions, often coming across as cold and intimidating to others. Although he should have kept a distance from love, which can lead to troublesome human relationships, his subordinate Aoi Morita will bring about a change.
Kikuchi is taking on a role that marks a new territory for him as a stoic and cool, non-smiling boss. Additionally, he has been told that improvisation, which has previously made viewers chuckle, is prohibited.
“I was a bit surprised to receive an offer for a love story,” Kikuchi stated. “Kurosawa is cool and capable at work, but his struggle to take a step forward in romance and his inability to be honest are portrayed thoughtfully, which I find charming. I hope to depict the character’s charm, inner qualities, and affection with carefulness, even if he doesn’t show much on the surface. As for commonalities with my character… maybe everything! He’s cool!” In response to the question, ‘Do you have confidence you won’t laugh?’, he said, “Well, that’s just the role! No… I probably will end up laughing (laughs). I’ve heard that improvisation is not allowed, but I think I’ll be fine with that. However, Shota Watanabe, who is appearing in the previous work before this one, keeps saying, ‘Hey, are you gonna be okay!?’ every time I meet him. About half the time he mentions it,” he shared an anecdote.
Ikuma Kuda, who is a model for the magazine “non-no” and has acted in works like “Adult Friends” and “When the Night Breaks, I’ll Come to See You First,” plays Aoi Morita, Kurosawa’s subordinate in her third year at the company. She is attracted to Kurosawa due to a certain event but finds her tall stature a complex and struggles with self-confidence, making her timid in matters of love.
To resemble the original character more closely, Kuda decided to cut her hair by 25cm. “As soon as I was told I got the role, my desire to cut my hair surfaced prominently, and I answered right away. The immediate decision made even my manager worried (laughs). I wanted to tackle it with that level of enthusiasm. However, since I had just cut it, when I stood in front of the camera for the first time with this look, I felt like the person I was seeing wasn’t me,” she commented.
Regarding her first co-star Kikuchi, she expressed, “He is just as I imagined—really funny, and he creates a relaxed atmosphere. Since I tend to get nervous, it’s very reassuring.” She added, “But I heard that when the filming starts, improvisation and fooling around are banned, and the staff told me, ‘If Kikuchi does anything, please report it’ (laughs).”
Additionally, during the visual shoots of Kikuchi and Kuda, moments like back hugs and leaning closer created a sweet ambiance in the studio. In the midst of that, there were times when Kikuchi found it hard to stop laughing out of embarrassment.
“The Reason We Fall in Love” will be broadcast every Saturday at 11 PM starting from October 12 on the TV Asahi network.
