Vol.1] "I started to like Kazuya, whom I disliked in the first season." Interview with Amemiya Ten, who plays Mizuhara Chizuru, and photogravure! Part 1

The second season of the TV anime "Kanojo, Oyakimasu" is currently being broadcast and distributed to rave reviews. This time, we interviewed Amemiya Ten, who plays the heroine, Mizuhara Chizuru.

She, I Borrow You" is a popular romantic comedy serialized in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" (Kodansha) by Reiri Miyajima. The main character, Kazuya Kinoshita's ideal girlfriend, Chizuru Mizuhara, is actually a rental girlfriend ......?　The first season of the anime aired in July 2020 and gained popularity, and the long-awaited second season is scheduled to air this summer.

In this interview, we interview Amemiya Ten, who plays the role of Chizuru Mizuhara, one of the attractive "Kanokari" heroines, who says she did not really like Kazuya in the first season. We asked her about her change of heart.

Amemiya Ten talks about Chizuru's charms.

─ ─It has already been two years since thefirstseason of theTVanime "Kanojo, Oyakusan desu" (I Borrow Your Girlfriend). Once again, what were your impressions of the first season and any reactions from those around you?

Amemiya: It has been two years already!　I have a strong impression that the first season was a lot of fun, including the recording sessions. I liked the work itself because it was very interesting, and the cast members were very unique, and I was able to hear fun stories whenever I worked with them. The staff and cast were all very close, and the atmosphere on the set was very friendly. After the broadcast, I was often told by staff from other sites, "I saw 'Kanokari'! After the broadcast, I was often told by other staff members at other sites, "I saw 'Kanokari'! Also, the program was very popular overseas. I was surprised at the response from overseas, as I thought the film depicted everyday life and romance in the very space of Japan. I wondered if the ideal image of a woman is much the same in Japan as it is overseas.　I wondered if it is the same all over the world.

──Who is popular overseas?

Amemiya: Isn't it Chizuru?　I thought it was Chizuru (laughs).

───If you were in Kazuya's shoes, who would you choose as the heroine?

Amemiya: Then I think it would have to be Chizuru (laughs). (Laughs) We went to college together, and our rooms are next door. I think I would have to be conscious of her, and I would probably fall in love with her in no time.

───Can you tell us again about the appeal of your work?

Amemiya: This may sound like the opinion of a reader, but what I like about it is that it keeps me on the edge of my seat. What I like even more about the second season is that there is a solid human drama. When I delved into the characters, I found that I liked all of them and that all of them were trying their best to be the best they could be. I cried a lot because of the drama that emerged from that. The relationship between Kazuya and Chizuru, as well as the relationship with the grandmothers and other family members, is a wonderful human drama.

─ What do you think is the charm of the girl Chizuru Mizuhara?

Amemiya: I think the attraction of Chizuru lies first of all in her perfect appearance and responses as Chizuru Mizuhara in lenkano mode. But when she becomes Chizuru Ichinose (Chizuru's real name), she has a tsundere attitude toward Kazuya, but she can't leave him alone, and I think that kind of good-naturedness is very appealing. Both Chizuru and Kazuya have the same strong core, but they are unexpectedly pushed around by Kazuya, and I think this human side of Chizuru is what makes her so attractive.

─ Do you find anything new about Chizuru through her acting?

Amemiya: I like the expression on Chizuru's face when she returns to her room after meeting Kazuya. I think the way she talks to herself in those moments is very cute.

───Amemiya, is there any point where you yourself sympathize with Chizuru or feel a sense of kinship with her?

Amemiya: Basically, I can relate to her very well. I can relate to Kazuya's ...... attitude in the first season (laugh). I can sympathize with Kazuya's attitude of "I'll be fine, next time! I can relate to Kazuya's frustration and anger at his pathetic attitude.

Amamiya Ten actually dislikes Kazuya!

───Have your feelings about your performance changed in the second season?

Amemiya: In the second season, Chizuru's situation, what she is carrying, and her feelings are depicted more deeply, so there are scenes where she shows a little weakness. I wanted to play the part delicately, valuing the vulnerability that cannot always be strong, and that just spills out. So I think the difference between the first season and the second season was that I played the vulnerable part.

───What points were you conscious of when playing the role of Chizuru's weakness?

Amemiya: I don't think the weakness that Chizuru has comes from her own weakness. I think it comes from her seriousness about things and the magnitude of what she is carrying. So, I want to show the feeling of wanting to suppress it, but being unable to do anything about it. I wanted to show the sadness in her tears, as if she didn't know what to do, even in her restrained performance.

─ ─ As far as you can tell, is there any scene in the second season in which you were attracted to Kazuya's words or actions?

Amemiya: The scene after the play - Kazuya's all-out encouragement after seeing Chizuru's performance. He was pouring out his feelings to the point that I couldn't see what was going on around me. I couldn't read the script without crying because I myself deeply sympathized with Chizuru. That is when my impression of Kazuya changed, and I came to like Kazuya, whom I disliked in the first season. It was a scene that really touched my heart.

───Please tell us why you disliked Kazuya in the first season, and what made you re-evaluate this point.

Amemiya: There are a lot of lies that he tells to his grandmother, such as the fact that Chizuru is not his real girlfriend but a renkanoh. Then she decides to tell the truth! But I thought it was uncool that he let himself be carried away by the situation and got Chizuru involved in it (laughs). (Laughs.) I thought, "If you said it yourself, you should have done it properly. I didn't like the fact that he was vain and said big things but didn't act accordingly.

But in the second season, Chizuru is often put in difficult situations, and Kazuya is there for her. He acts for Chizuru's sake and expresses his feelings to her in a straightforward manner, which helps her a lot. Seeing that, I thought Kazuya was a good guy, and I came to like him.

To be continued in Part 2!

(Reporting and writing by Kiri Nakazato; Photography by Shohei Kanazawa)