Permed hair dyed blond, school uniform absurdly short, walking with a particular gait -- Kento Kaku has successfully reproduced the character of a juvenile delinquent from a manga comic book of the 1980s.
The TV comedy "Kyo kara ore wa!!" (I will be, from today on), broadcast on the Nippon TV network at 10:30 p.m. every Sunday, features high school boys in the 1980s, a time when delinquent students stood out by dressing and acting in such a fashion.
The comedy is based on a manga series of the same name by Hiroyuki Nishimori.
"Making a live-action adaptation of a comic book isn't easy," Kaku said. "Of course, your appearance is important. But I suppose you can do a good job if you pay homage to the original character, even though you won't be able to completely copy it."
Kaku plays Takashi Mitsuhashi, a high schooler who perms and dyes his black hair to make his debut as a transfer student. Together with his spiked-hair partner Shinji Ito, played by Kentaro Ito, Mitsuhashi beats up the true scoundrels.
Mitsuhashi never hesitates to use dirty tricks on his adversaries. His priority is to win.
Kaku said he tried to portray Mitsuhashi in a mischievous, elementary school boy style to make him likeable.
"I like him," said Kaku. "He doesn't hide his feelings when he's frustrated or irritated. He's so natural."
Kaku was born in Tokyo on July 3, 1989, and has appeared in TV dramas such as NHK's "Hanako and Anne" and TBS' "Testimony of N," as well as films, including "The Disastrous Life of Saiki K." and "Moriyamachu Driving School." He sometimes also appears on stage.
After acting for more than 10 years, Kaku is currently demonstrating his comical side in pieces such as "Super Salaryman Saenai-shi," directed by Yuichi Fukuda, who also directs "Kyo kara ore wa!!"
Kaku, who gives an impression of being a nonchalant person, admits he loves making people laugh and that he has always hoped to play the lead role in a comedy. And for that very reason, he said he felt pressure.
"The lead performer carries the show. Mitsuhashi has a lovable selfish side and attractiveness. In playing him, I was careful about expressing little details and adding variety to his character."
He has a knack for making strange faces to get laughs, but he holds a passionate side under his ill-fitting school uniform.
"A comedy might look like a joke at first glance, but it is carefully structured and calculated," Kaku said. "It's probably not my place to say this, but with this TV series, I would like people to know how great comedy really is."
Learn more about Kaku
Yomiuri Shimbun: What is your image of high school students of the Showa era (1926-89)?
Kaku: They look new to me. They didn't have smartphones, so they passed notes around. So there are misunderstandings, which make things more interesting. A little bit of inconvenience makes things even more dramatic.
Q: Please tell me about your favorite recollection from filming.
A: Near the filming location, there is a cafe we often went to that looks like it came from the Showa era. One day when Ito and I went there in character, an elderly man said that delinquents then had more eccentric hairstyles!
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