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By Wataru Michishita / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
12:15 JST, November 11, 2022
“Shinainaru Boku e Satsui o Komete” (The Killer Inside), a Fuji Television drama series that runs on Wednesdays at 10 p.m., started in October.
Ryosuke Yamada, a member of the boy band Hey! Say! JUMP, plays the main character, Eiji Urashima.
Yamada is a fan of the original manga. “I thought it was going to be a live-action version, so I was surprised, thinking, ‘I play the leading role?’” he said.
“Without a doubt, you’ll see a new Ryosuke Yamada. If you watch it for me, you’ll think you’ve found an extraordinary drama,” he said fearlessly.
Eiji’s father is a serial killer. He has been bullied since childhood and now lives his life in tune with those around him for self-preservation.
Yamada said Eiji is “living with the finger pointed behind his back, bearing something, and bottling up his suffering.”
One day, however, he loses his memory of the past few days and finds himself involved with an antisocial organization, and somehow a large sum of money has been left at his home. Then comes a vicious murder of a woman.
Eiji realizes that he has a dual personality and begins to pursue the truth of the case, but a number of problems stand in his way.
Although there are some scenes that will make viewers want to turn away, Yamada said, “It’s a thrilling work, so I hope you will look forward to it every week while guessing along with people around you.”
The truth about the “dark” alter ego is also a highlight of the story.
Yamada was born May 9, 1993, in Tokyo. In addition to being an idol, he has starred in many movies, including the “Fullmetal Alchemist” series. He won the Japan Academy Award for Newcomers of the Year in 2016.
This year marks the 15th anniversary of the debut of Hey! Say! JUMP. Yamada has been busy, starring in movies and dramas in addition to touring.
“Maybe I’m working a little too much. I need about three more of me,” he joked. “Sometimes I had a live concert the day after I was busy shooting a drama, but that has been the case for a long time. I’m grateful for that.”
As his career has developed, he has been able to work more freely. “I want to work on new things. I want to show my evolution,” he said.
Q&A session with Yamada
The Yomiuri Shimbun: You play a character with a dual personality. Do you ever lose your memory?
Ryosuke Yamada: My memory is so bad. I can’t even remember what I had for dinner last night. But I can’t forget the taste of a truffle pasta I had in Italy, where I visited for a film shoot.
Question:What is dear to you?
Yamada: Traveling abroad, which I haven’t been able to do recently. I’m not very good at it, but I’d like to go surfing in Hawaii.
Question: Who has supported your growth to this point?
Yamada: My parents. Even though we live far away from each other, they contact me if I look unwell on TV. My sense of security depends entirely on them.
