Budokan Interviews - Miyamoto Karin (Role:Hidaka Aiko)

The official website for the drama 'Budokan' includes interviews with the author Asai Ryou and the five girls who act as the five members of Next You. Here's the interview that was held with Miyamoto Karin, who plays the role of Hidaka Aiko in the drama.

Please introduce yourself！

I'm Miyamoto Karin from Juice＝Juice. 17 years old, in my 2nd year of high school. My favourite foods are karaage, tamagoyaki, and strawberries. My hobby is yoga, which I've been doing a lot recently.

What were your thoughts when you first heard that you'd be starring in 『Budokan』？

Before we heard about what roles we got, we'd only heard that 「All of Juice＝Juice will be appearing in a drama」, but it came as quite a surprise, we couldn't believe it, it was chaotic, like we weren't sure whether we were dreaming or not. When we heard that it would be based off Asai Ryou-san's 『Budokan』, I read the original work, and when I heard that I'd be playing the role of Aiko, the feelings slowly welled up in me. And along with that, there was this huge pressure from the things that I had to relay through the production, like the messages contained in the original work.

What did you think when you read the original work or the script？

As an idol myself, I contemplated whether I'd perhaps think and feel the same way in the future. Honestly speaking, there are lots of things that I have yet to think about, so this has led me to think that I should give proper consideration to what'll happen in the future.

Were there any parts that you sympathised or empathised with？

I reread the original work once we were assigned the roles, aiming to build empathy with Aiko. While I couldn't fully sympathise with her, the feelings of wanting to do her best as an idol and those little interactions with the manager were things that I could identify with (laughs).
On the other hand, I think that those slight differences from the reality create an interesting balance.

What sort of girl is Hidaka Aiko, the role you play？

Aiko is the sole amateur among the members, a girl who's lived a different lifestyle from myself, who has been a Kenshuusei ever since I was a primary schooler. So the pressure felt by Aiko to keep up with her senpai and those around her as she comes up from the bottom of the totem pole, it's something I haven't felt, but I learnt by watching audition videos of girls of my age. As for Aiko's feelings of being a normal girl, I worked out the role by reading through the original work and imagining them in my own way.

There aren't really many parts where you feel similarities with Aiko, are there?

That's probably true. But I feel that Aiko is a really pure-hearted girl. The way she frankly and passionately speaks out her mind, that's something that I don't have. I think it's really wonderful, and I envy her for that.

What do you think your own personality is like？

I'm the type that'll break a leg with the job that's right in front of me, rushing in without thinking about what comes next. And while I act tough, there are parts of me that are twisted and not straightforward... (laughs). That's not good, so I'm putting in as much effort as possible to properly listen and accept what people are saying to me.

Did you enjoy the shooting？

I was nervous, but it was really fun to learn new things and make successive discoveries with every scene!

Please tell us of a discovery you made recently。

I was surprised by the steam that came out during the ramen-eating scene in the 2nd episode. We'd been told beforehand by the staff-san that there'd be steam coming out from the real thing, but they weren't really steamy when we were on standby. I wondered if it would be okay, but when we actually stirred the noodles, the steam that had been trapped by the surface oil escaped like a cloud. I discovered the secret to the steam that comes out and makes ramen look so delicious whenever I see it on the television (laughs)!
Besides that, for the train scenes, we were using an actual moving train for the shooting, so all the staff members had to make meticulous preparations. While I felt the pressure to not slip up, it felt strange for me to be in the middle of such a large-scale shooting.

Finally, please tell us the highlights and give a message to the viewers！

In my mind, idols are people who show everyone that they're working hard for their dreams, and receive support for that. While it's true that this story may be fictional, it paints the difficult parts of being an idol, and I think it would be great if we, as idols ourselves, could lend it even a bit of realism through our acting. Aiko comes to a conclusion after lots and lots and lots of worrying. No one knows what the right choices are in life, and thus it's up to you to ensure that the conclusion you arrive at is the correct one. I'd be happy if those who watch will feel even a bit of that.
And also, you'll learn about the various aspects of being an idol, the difficulties we face, as well as the joys we experience. It would be nice if those who learn of us through this story would want to cheer us on as a group, and of course, that extends to those who have supported Juice＝Juice until now as well.

Source: Official Budokan Drama Website