I found this on the archived website. The images are from the DVD behind the scenes.

–This is your first time working together since “Yasashii Jikan,” right?
Ninomiya: (Otake) has a reliable presence. Her atmosphere is so gentle, I feel like I want to blend in with it. It’s like I’m always walking behind her. That’s the kind of presence she has.

Otake: In “Yasashii Jikan,” I played a character who died, so I actually only acted in one scene with him… And I didn’t have any lines. So this was the first time we exchanged lines. But he’s very solid. Even in “Yasashii Jikan,” we didn’t have many scenes together, but we quickly became good friends, and it feels really fun to be able to become parent and child so easily. The content is very sad and heartbreaking, but right now, I feel like there’s a lot of love, just like there was with Kazunori.

–You seem to be really close on set, too.
Otake: Even in the haircut scene, it’s really just a haircut, but it still naturally makes you think about things like the moment that child was born etc.

–What were your impressions when you read the original novel and script?
Ninomiya: When I read the original novel, it was about a mother’s feelings for her son, and at the end of that paragraph there was a line that made it feel real… “Just when mother thought it would finally be cured, the tumor spread.” That was the last line. When I first read that I felt the pain of seeing it through her own eyes, but when I thought about playing the role myself, maybe it wasn’t so painful after all. I’m sure his parents were very sad, but I think for him, that reality is proof that he’s alive, so he probably doesn’t find it so painful. I felt that his life was much more intense than my 19 years, and that he was able to write it all out properly in the final pages.

Otake: I also read the original novel and was deeply moved by the fact that there is such a kind child who lives each day to the fullest, and that he has such kind parents and an older brother, as well as teachers and friends, and that there are people who support each other in this day and age, especially in the midst of studying for entrance exams. Also, when I was actually filming and receiving the news from the doctor as the mother, I was told some very painful things, but I always remained hopeful, and even when the doctor told me that the cancer had spread to his lungs, I thought to myself that Kazunori would still live and that we could save him. I realized that I was always hopeful until the end when I acted. When I actually met his homeroom teacher, who was a biology teacher, I could tell at a glance that he was a great teacher, and even though it was the first time we’d met, I said to him, “Thank you so much for everything” (laughs).

Ninomiya: For a moment, I thought she was crying.

Otake: When Nino wears his glasses, he really does look just like Kazunori. The doctor was taken aback by his words. And I blurted out, “Thank you so much for all your help.”

Otake/Ninomiya: It was great that we got to meet him in person.

Ninomiya: Also, hospitals can be really lonely when you’re alone. Even with the TV on or reading a book, it can still be very lonely. After reading the story, I thought about Kazunori eating the lunch his mother had made for him while he was receiving chemotherapy, and that he was using it as a kind of encouragement, telling himself that if he ate it all, he would get better or be able to go home.

Otake: This was the first time I’d heard of a disease called Ewing’s sarcoma, and I wondered how such a good kid could get sick.

This drama tells the story of a teenage boy who is afflicted with a tumor. Recently, dramas in the “fighting illness” category have been moving many people, and this drama also depicts the importance of family warmth, human interaction, and connections. Human warmth is sprinkled throughout the story. Playing a real person is difficult, but I want to do my best. I’ll give it my all. I hope you’ll look forward to it.

01-10 (Tue) Crank-In Comment

I was nervous about the table tennis scene. But it was fun because I was working with the usual cast. It was cold that morning, but it was fun to be with people I know, like Ryo Katsuji. I think it would have been even colder if I hadn’t been with strangers (on an early morning location shoot). This time, I’m playing a non-fiction character, so it’s tough. I want to do everything I can, whether it’s acting or table tennis. I know a lot of people, so I hope it will be fun. Also, people around me had been saying things like, “It’d be fun to work with Otake-san,” but I never thought it would happen so quickly, and I’m really looking forward to it.

01-13 (Fri) Haircut Scene at Midoriyama Studio

While getting ready for the scene, Ninomiya-kun gave himself a pep talk, saying, “Come on, come on!” The director gave him instructions, like how to tilt his head when the clippers were going through his hair… Otake, who plays his mother, Mikiko, even chided him, saying, “You’ll look about four years older.” Now, it’s time for the real thing. Otake says, “Don’t laugh,” to which Ninomiya-kun replies with a firm, “I won’t laugh!” The shoot went smoothly and all in one take.

After the scene was over, while getting his hair styled, Ninomiya-kun muttered, “Shaving your head makes you feel like you’ve lost, right? I wonder why?” When Otake came over and said, “You look cute,” Ninomiya replied, “You cut it well.” In response to the question, “Did you have any reservations about cutting your hair?” he replied, “When it comes to shaving my head, I guess I don’t think of it as part of preparing for the role. I might feel pressured if people thought I was showing my acting spirit by doing so. I don’t really mind cutting my hair. But before I cut it, I would think, ‘Only two more days’ every time I washed my hair in the bath.”