[Translation] Sho's long interview, Cut April 2012, part 1
A gaunt figure in military uniform, without his right arm. His expression was stern, a tense appearance that looked like something was torn from him. When we saw Sakurai Sho in such shape at the shooting location, frankly, we were shocked. We couldn’t see the glittering him that is usually shown through the television. But, because of that, the message has left a deep impression as if our hearts were scratched.
Special Drama “Blackboard, Teachers Who Fought the Era” is going to be aired for 3 consecutive nights starting from April 5 (TBS). The drama tells stories about teachers who lived or lives in the immediate post-war, high economic growth and the present post-disaster periods. The script writer is Inoue Yumiko, and it questions the message throughout time which is, “What is education?” That question sounds like cliche, but this drama is quite an ambitious, and also a controversial work.
Sakurai Sho appears in the first night as a teacher, Shirahama Shouhei. He was a militarism teacher who taught his students to “die for your country”, but when he came home safely from war he was bewildered by the change of values in Japan, and devastated by the fact that he had sent his students to fight in the war. In the end, what answer did Shirahama find from that reality?
When the drama was announced, Sakurai Sho said,
“As I had the chance to communicate about “war” in various forms through news programs and other occasions, I always thought that ‘I wish I could communicate about war through a drama or film one day’. I am able to participate in this drama, “Blackboard” in the year when I turned 30 which is also a turning point in my life. I feel humbled and at the same time, filled with the spirit to do my best. From war to post-war, when they had no choice but to change their values drastically, they gave classes while still having inner conflicts. They faced the students with hesitation and pain, while the future they believed in was changing.
I feel like there is “an untold story of war” in those teachers, who still had emotional conflicts about "the future they should believe in", and yet they taught it to their students. Through this drama, I hope I could convey about “reviving our hearts” to the adults as well as to the children”.
That was Sakurai’s comment. As a caster for News Zero, almost every year he reported about people who experienced war, and after the March 11 disaster last year, he actively went to the afflicted area. To him, “Blackboard” with its many messages must be an important work as an actor and also personally.
part 2
Special Drama “Blackboard, Teachers Who Fought the Era” is going to be aired for 3 consecutive nights starting from April 5 (TBS). The drama tells stories about teachers who lived or lives in the immediate post-war, high economic growth and the present post-disaster periods. The script writer is Inoue Yumiko, and it questions the message throughout time which is, “What is education?” That question sounds like cliche, but this drama is quite an ambitious, and also a controversial work.
Sakurai Sho appears in the first night as a teacher, Shirahama Shouhei. He was a militarism teacher who taught his students to “die for your country”, but when he came home safely from war he was bewildered by the change of values in Japan, and devastated by the fact that he had sent his students to fight in the war. In the end, what answer did Shirahama find from that reality?
When the drama was announced, Sakurai Sho said,
“As I had the chance to communicate about “war” in various forms through news programs and other occasions, I always thought that ‘I wish I could communicate about war through a drama or film one day’. I am able to participate in this drama, “Blackboard” in the year when I turned 30 which is also a turning point in my life. I feel humbled and at the same time, filled with the spirit to do my best. From war to post-war, when they had no choice but to change their values drastically, they gave classes while still having inner conflicts. They faced the students with hesitation and pain, while the future they believed in was changing.
I feel like there is “an untold story of war” in those teachers, who still had emotional conflicts about "the future they should believe in", and yet they taught it to their students. Through this drama, I hope I could convey about “reviving our hearts” to the adults as well as to the children”.
That was Sakurai’s comment. As a caster for News Zero, almost every year he reported about people who experienced war, and after the March 11 disaster last year, he actively went to the afflicted area. To him, “Blackboard” with its many messages must be an important work as an actor and also personally.
part 2