I will go if I am invited by Ayase.
--What were some of the clues that helped you grasp the character of Kensuke?
I guess it's the kind of thing where you don't say unnecessary things. I think this is especially common among Japanese fathers. Like me and my father, I almost never tell my wife what I think. Even during this (filming), I only told my wife once or twice. (The character of Kensuke) might have been like my father. My father was not like Kensuke, but he was a craftsman. He only became a bit arrogant when talking about his work, and didn't say anything to his wife about anything else.
--How did you and Ayase create a sense of distance between you as a couple?
My first impression when I read the script was that the relationship between the couple is not that good. They had lost their child, and they were welcoming a humanoid into their home, so I was aware that the couple might be a bit distant. But we talked too much in between takes, and we got along so well that I couldn't really express that feeling at all. Talking with Haru Ayase is fun, isn't it (laughs)? (Laughs.) But we reshot the very first scene. Toward the end of all the shooting, the director said, "Daigo-san, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, Mr. Daigo, but can I try one more time just for the first meal scene? I thought, "That's great. I thought I was intentionally showing a bit of coldness at that point. I knew that he could see through it all.
-The scene in which Ms. Ayase is on her knees was also impressive.
There was a bit of a coincidence there. Actually, in that scene, after Ayase had a few more lines, I was on my knees. However, Ms. Ayase skipped a few turns in the original conversation and called me out. I thought to myself, "Oh, she's skipping a turn," but I would have gone if she had called me, wouldn't I (laughs)? (Laughs.) So I went, and she fell on her knees. Afterwards, I said, "OK! Afterwards, Ayase noticed and said, "Oh! I'm sorry," but the director said, "No, it might be this way. But the director said, "No, it might be this way." So we went with that way without reshooting.
-The interactions with the child actors were natural, but were you conscious of that?
Originally, my relationship with Sho (a humanoid modeled after my son) was a bit distant, so it would seem that we would keep our distance during filming, even when we were not going around, but normally, we just played together and got along too well without any conscious thought (laughs). (Laughs.) But once the show started, she didn't let it show. She is not the type to say, "I'm a child actor," or "Please take care of me today! She is not the type to say, "I'm a child actor. It was as if she had brought someone else's child with her. I liked that.
