Maki Horikita, front center, with other cast members

Actress Maki Horikita fired up for homeless role in new drama

Friday 10th April, 06:57 AM JST

TOKYO —

Atress Maki Horikita, 20, is challenging a role not many young actresses would be excited about. In Fuji TV’s new drama, “Atashinchi no Danshi,” Horikita will play Chisato, a girl who disguises herself as a homeless person to escape a 100 million yen debt after her father turned his back on her. With a dirty face and disheveled clothing, Horikita shows a side of herself audiences have yet to see.

“I’m really happy to play a variety of different roles. When on location, some staff didn’t recognize me and wouldn’t come close because I looked smelly,” she said.

The drama centers around Chisato, who becomes a mother for the six sons (Jun Kaname, Osamu Mukai, Yoshinori Okada, Yusuke Yamamoto, Kohji Seto and Tomoki Okayama) of a toy company president in return for having her debt paid off. A smiling Horikita commented, “I was so happy to think that I’ve just turned 20 and I’m already playing the role of a mother.”

When asked the obligatory question about a potential future romance between her character and one of the six sons, she flatly denied the possibility, saying “Everyone [the characters] has a lot of problems to deal with, and it’s just not possible with any of them.”

The drama will air Wednesdays at 9 p.m., starting April 14.

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Latest 15 of 17 Total Comments Show All

Wakarimasen at 10:58 AM JST - 10th April

"looked smelly"? happy to be playing the role of a mother at 20? no romantic intentions? Is it April 1st today?
saborichan at 12:48 PM JST - 10th April

Staff making a show that involves pretending to be homeless and couldn't be a little sensitive to the realities of homelessness? This sounds like a real balanced view of homelessness coming up. I hope at least -some- focus on the real issues will come out of it as a by-product.
soldave at 02:19 PM JST - 10th April

saborichan - Doubt it. Making a show where someone pretends to be homeless might make people less concerned as they see it happening to more and more people.
wanderlust at 02:38 PM JST - 10th April

And how did she get 100,000,000 in debt? That might be a more interesting tale....
soldave at 02:55 PM JST - 10th April

wanderlust - Her father's pachinko habit. He got so much in debt that he killed himself, leaving her with the debt burden? Not sure if it's true but would be very plausible.
wanderlust at 03:33 PM JST - 10th April

soldave - so she could become a candidate for our favourite - Best Debtist!
oberst at 05:11 PM JST - 10th April

just wait, she'll be soooooooooo poor later in the shows that her tattered cloths will fall off, little by little............
electric2004 at 05:58 PM JST - 10th April

Ooops, I first forgot to read the "up" in the headline.

So, she is not homeless because she was fired.
boboh at 08:36 PM JST - 10th April

So, the character`s not really homeless then. Just up to her neck in debt and on the lam to dodge responsibility.
KaptainKichigai at 01:34 AM JST - 11th April

wow, this sounds so amazing. i bet the drama will be incredible just like everything on tv in this country. She sounds so smart and talented. and the writing...i bet its top notch...maybe we will all get lucky and some of that debris from the next north korean missle will hit the studio where this is being filmed! i can hardly wait!
UdaMan at 07:02 PM JST - 11th April

You know you've been in Japan too long when you write "Atress Maki Horikita is challenging a role..."
Nitin at 04:16 AM JST - 12th April

Wish Maki Horikita all success in taking a role in a very thoughtful and a ingenious movie.
Osakadaz at 09:27 AM JST - 13th April

this will be utter pap,along the ridiculous lines of 'kamisama mou sukoshi dake'.Most women under 40 do not find many difficulties getting 'gainful employment' and it is the men that are written off to the life of plastic and cardboard.
soldave at 09:37 AM JST - 13th April

wanderlust. Good response. Very good response.
Richard_III at 03:01 PM JST - 13th April

Some people say that Japanese dramas only feature cute girls to compensate for lousy scripts and acting; I know this is just cold cynicism masquerading as constructive criticism.