Actress Haru's busy schedule is like everlasting spring for her, appropriate given that her name is a homonym with the Japanese word for that season. She's starred in a number of TV dramas and last year spurred debate with her skilled portrayal of an adulterous, trouble-making wife.
"It freaked me out a little bit," Haru said, recalling the talk about the pros and cons of the show.
Today she's starring as Sayaka in the serial drama "Survival Wedding," broadcast from 10 p.m. on Saturdays on the Nippon TV network. Unlike last year's unfaithful wife, Sayaka is dragged into trouble by the people around her. At work, she successfully launches a weekly magazine feature on great budget food, but her over-eager approach to marriage gets her into trouble.
On the day Sayaka quits her job at a publishing house to get married, her fiance calls off their engagement. The company rehires her under the condition that she gets married within six months. She works under the eccentric chief editor, while also going husband hunting.
"When I'm busy, I can't care too much about staying pretty. So I like to forgive Sayaka for her shortcomings," Haru said.
Born in 1991 in Tokyo, Haru became an actress after a stint as a magazine model. She first drew attention as the heroine in NHK's serial morning drama "Asa ga Kita" (Morning has come), and has also starred in dramas including "Okasan, Musume o Yamete Iidesuka?" (Mother, can I quit being your daughter?) on NHK and "Anata no Koto wa Sorehodo" (I'm not that into you ...).
"Survival Wedding" also stars Shunsuke Kazama as Sayaka's former fiance, who selfishly tries to get back together with her; Yusuke Iseya as the sharp-tongued, narcissistic editor Usami; and Ryo Yoshizawa as a good-looking ad person younger than Sayaka. She's surrounded by men with highly individual characters.
"[That's why] I think I have to bring out various different atmospheres and expressions depending on who I'm acting with," Haru said.
When I said Sayaka's ex-fiance was a bad guy, she said: "I think he's an ordinary man. He's human, so it's realistic when he's tempted to do something he shouldn't do or gives up doing something halfway."
Even when she can't empathize with a character, she can understand them, which helps nurture her natural style of acting.
Asked which of the three men is her type, she said with a laugh: "They're all attractive, but I'm sorry to say I'd probably settle down with the ex-fiance. I'm exactly like Sayaka."
"I think it would be nice if I could [get married]," she said, when asked her thoughts on the subject. "But I want to avoid the kind of marriage like the one in this drama, where all the burden is on one person."
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