Please introduce yourself and the role you play.
Shuto Miyazaki: My name is Shuto Miyazaki playing Daiki Shinozuka, a junior in Higashigaoka High School and “the strong swimmer”. He doesn’t say much and he’s a bit naïve. He sort of marches to the beat of his own drum. His specialty is the butterfly stroke.

In the drama you wear swimming trunks a lot. Did you do anything to prepare?
Shuto Miyazaki: I’ve was already going to the gym regularly anyways, but to prepare for this role I started working on my upper body more and using the aero bike. I was told by the coach to work on my thighs so I used the aero bike for that. Also, in the process of shooting the drama I had to swim a lot anyway so that in and of itself became my training and workout.

Tomoru Akazawa just said you have the hottest body. How do you feel about that?
Shuto Miyazaki: I’m glad I prepared and worked hard for this role! We had a fan event where about 1,500 fans gathered and Ryo Matsuda, the main character, told everyone that I was the one to look out for. This really boosted my motivation and my passion for working on this drama.

Tomoru Akizawa also said that you are the most vibrant and the loudest in the team. What do you have to say about that?
Shuto Miyazaki: What’s he saying?! I can’t believe he’s saying these things! (laughs) Actually, the team works really hard. Everyone on the set works really hard and it’s a tough situation for everyone so I just want to make sure that everyone gets the most out of it and it’s as fun as possible for everyone. I want everyone to have a light and fun experience. I think I’m pretty tough and I have a lot of stamina so I don’t get tired that easily. I just want to share some of the energy that I have to the rest of the team.

What is the most memorable scene in the drama?
Shuto Miyazaki: There were scenes where I had to swim a lot. There were also scenes where I had to be very emotional but the scene that really stuck to me the one where my childhood friend Ryo Matsuda and I are just hanging out, relaxing and having a light conversation. I began to realize that it didn’t feel like acting anymore. It was as though the borderline between real life and acting was no longer there and it was like I was simply having a relaxing moment with a good friend. Somehow this left an impression on me. Even in real life Ryo is a close friend and it just so happened that we were put together in this drama. I think our friendship came through in our acting as well.

How long have you known each other?
Shuto Miyazaki: About five years. I believe we’ve known each other since I started acting and we also went to the same acting school where we were in the same graduating class. It’s been about five or six years.

How about your age?
Shuto Miyazaki: Ryo is one year younger than me. I’m 26 years old.

What challenges did you face when shooting this drama?
Shuto Miyazaki: The butterfly stroke. (laughs) I only swam during PE class in elementary and middle school, and we only did freestyle and breast stroke. This time, I had to start learning everything again, starting with remembering how to float in the water. (laughs)

You guys are like 6 to 8 men who are all young, handsome, and up-and-coming. How do you see the relationships and the competition between each other?
Shuto Miyazaki: There are definitely a lot of good looking guys who costar with me so I tried to focus on being the least cool guy, which was my way of standing out and getting noticed in my own way.

So if the drama has good ratings, how are you going to celebrate? Are you going to take off your clothes and show off your muscles?
Shuto Miyazaki: Even though we’re done filming, I don’t feel like it’s over. I feel like it’s a beginning for sequels. I will keep on training and swimming and periodically show my upper body on SNS. (laughs)

Can you explain about how you want to be the least dashing, stunning guy?
Shuto Miyazaki: I usually act on theater but for this drama I had to be aware of how I looked on camera. I really reflected on how I react and speak in real life, from the strange expressions, gestures, and voices that I make, and tried to use these to be the real me when I acted.

In the drama, you’re all obsessed about swimming. In real life, what sports do you like?
Shuto Miyazaki: I like basketball. When I have a day off, I get together with some of my friends who are entertainers and we play together.

Have you been to Singapore? What’s your impression of Singapore?
Shuto Miyazaki: I’ve never been to Singapore but I’d like to visit. I’ve seen those very impressive trees (Gardens by the Bay).

We heard that you are the hottest guy. Can you show us your abs?
Shuto Miyazaki: (laughter…)

How long have you been working on your abs?
Shuto Miyazaki: I’ve been going to the gym for about a year. There are times when I can’t go, but I try to go about four or five times a week.

Even before the drama started shooting?
Shuto Miyazaki: I had to work out for a theater role so I was going to the gym and this time, for “Dansui”, I had to keep going.

How long do you stay in the gym for each visit?
Shuto Miyazaki: About three hours.

Don’t you ever feel tired?
Shuto Miyazaki: I get tired but the people in the gym are all muscular and I don’t want to lose out to them. (laughs)

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