Maria Tani is supported by a wide range of generations due to her outstanding talking skills and cuteness on variety shows. She is currently playing the role of Kumi, the best friend of the heroine Fujiko (Rena Matsui), who is clumsy in love, and supports her with all her might in the drama premiere 23 “Yawatoko to Katako” (every Monday at 11:06). . She is also a hot topic on social media with people saying, “If I had a friend like this, I would be invincible!” and “I want a friend like Kumi-chan!”
[Video]Check out the fashion of Maria Tani, who plays Kumi. In episode 6, Kumi’s trauma is revealed…
“TV Tokyo Plus” will directly hit Maria Tani, who continues to make great strides as an actor. She listened to everything from behind-the-scenes stories about the drama to her private life and current situation.
There were many parts that I sympathized with Fujiko-chan.
— Your role as Kumi in “Yawatoko to Katako” is a hot topic. In episode 6, the reason why Kumi, who is always on her side, strongly denies Kiyoka’s (Miwako Kakei)’s extraordinary love, saying, “No, absolutely!” is revealed. Was it difficult to act while dealing with her struggles?
“I think it’s the same for Kumi-chan, but I’m sure everyone has some kind of trauma inside of them that they just can’t tell people about, and that it’s surprisingly normal to live with that feeling.
Kumi-chan’s kindness and desire to “not hurt others” stem from her own experience of being hurt in the past. Because I understood that part, it was easy to empathize with him.
He wants to protect Kiyoka-chan who is having an affair, and he follows Fujiko-chan up by saying, “You don’t have to lie about your feelings for me.” “I empathized with Kumi, who said things like this because she had a painful experience in the past.”
–I think there are many viewers who see the fluffy and kind Kumi and Tani in the same breath.
“I’m happy. But actually, there are many parts of me that sympathize with Fujiko-chan more than Kumi-chan… (lol). For example, I don’t have confidence in myself, and I also started working as a model. I used to feel that way, so I know how you feel.I ended up comparing myself to other models, and it took me quite a while to find my own color.
I tried to keep it hidden from the public as much as possible, but I don’t think everyone can be like Kumi-chan from the beginning in their work or relationships, and from my point of view, Kumi-chan is someone I admire. There were many parts that I sympathized with with Fujiko-chan. She says that Kumi-chan is an example of, “I would be happy if I had friends like this, and I want to be the kind of person who can treat people like this.”
――It seems that this is your first time appearing in a serial drama.What do you think is the appeal of acting?
“I don’t have much experience yet, but playing a character different from myself makes me wonder, “How do I feel in a situation like this?” I find it interesting to imagine and think about various things, such as “Isn’t it possible that my own experiences will be multiplied when acting?” “There are times when you can discover an unexpected side of yourself. By repeating that process, I think your range of acting will expand more and more. It’s also fun to experience a different life.”
–Are there any genres or roles you would like to play in the future?
“I used to want to play a romance drama or a heroine, but someone I worked with once told me, “I want you to play the role of a villain.” A story is only complete when there is a villain. There are certain parts, so I’d like to take on a bit of a challenge.I also think it’s important to play roles that have an impact, where the flow of the story changes slightly when the character appears.”
Mr. Miyazon’s words, “Improve your own mood” really touched my heart.
–Please tell us a little bit about your student days. Mr. Tani, who has been active in the entertainment industry since he was a junior high school student, temporarily put his entertainment career on hold and focused on studying for university entrance exams. After a long career, he entered Waseda University, and he seems to be a very hard worker. Do you ever feel that your experiences and emotions at that time are alive in the entertainment industry?
“That’s right. When it came time to take the university entrance exams, I had to have a lot of patience. During my one year as a ronin, I wasn’t a student or a member of society. Because I didn’t belong anywhere, I started thinking, “What am I? There were times when I found myself thinking, “I guess I wanted to do that.”
Nowadays, through SNS, you can see your friends who are now university students doing the things they like. Even though I’m a ronin, I don’t have to go to school and I can use my time freely, so to be honest, I don’t have to go out to play or study. But back then, I feel like I learned the skill of focusing on myself and not comparing myself to others. People are people, I am myself, and now I am trying to focus on myself.
Because of that experience, I no longer compare myself to anyone in the entertainment industry, and I think my goals are only within myself, and I was able to take the stance of “I want to be better than I was yesterday.” think.
Also, the year I spent as a ronin was a good time for me to stop and think, and it was there that I realized once again what I like. I learned that “if you work hard, your dreams will come true,” and that gave me more perseverance, and I feel like I was able to move up the ladder in the entertainment industry without giving up. I think I acquired the toughness to not get tripped up over small things during the exam period.”
–You turned 28 years old in July of this year. Have you noticed any changes in yourself since she was a teenager?
“A lot of things have changed so much already…(lol).But I may have been more picky when I was younger.Up until my early 20s, I had a narrow perspective and thought, “This is my style!” There were a lot of times where I felt like, “If I don’t do this, I’m not myself.” In that sense, I no longer limit myself, and I wonder if I’ve become more at peace with myself. I always want to have fun at work, so I thought, “Maybe it’s time to go to Pilates?” “I started paying more attention to my health.”
–Is there anything you would like to cherish in your life in the future?
“I really like Miyazon’s words, “Improve your own mood.” Isn’t it? I’ve always wanted to be the person who lifts my mood and turns it on.It’s really small things, like keeping my favorite snacks in my bag when I go to work, and always trying to lift my mood. I want to come up with ways to be able to do it.To do that, I need to live my private life with care!I want to make sure that I can manage my on/off hours well.”
–Finally, please tell us your future goals.
“I’ve been able to do a variety of jobs with models, variety shows, and actors, and if I’m working as a model, I’ll say, “I want to be on more covers,” or if I’m in variety, I’ll say, “Someday I’ll work as an assistant next to the MC.” I have goals like “I want to do that.” I have only just started acting, so I would like to be exposed to more works, expand the range of what I can do, and be involved in many works.I have goals for each job. So I want to continue to do my best.”
–Thank you, Tani-san! I’m looking forward to seeing more of his work in the future.
And here is the synopsis of episode 7 of drama 23 “Yawa Otoko to Katako” (every Monday at 11:06 am), in which Maria Tani appears…
Fujiko (Rena Matsui) has announced that she will graduate from Koyanagi (Shohei Miura). The final test comes from Koyanagi…! ? Fujiko decides to grow again so that she can gain confidence in herself. Then Koyanagi’s ex-girlfriend Ai (Rio Yamashita) appears in front of Fujiko. Ai learns of Koyanagi and Fujiko’s current relationship and scolds Fujiko, but…
Fujiko realizes that her feelings for Koyanagi, who was by her side as her mentor, are love. Fujiko then takes a surprising action. What will happen to their relationship due to unpredictable developments?
(Interview and text by Yumiko Hasuike)
[Maria Tani appears on Manami Noda’s podcast singing the drama ending song “yourself”! ]
In addition to the behind-the-scenes story of Drama 23 “Yawatoko to Katako”, Maria Tani will introduce her favorite artists and songs. Let’s get to know its true face! *Stream here!
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