The Child of Tennis - Yukimura

The show I starred in is airing the season's first episode today on NHK~ Tune in if you're interested in some darker, crime stories. It's very well filmed, from what I saw before it hit the cutting-room floor.

Minoru's having another relapse. It's painful to watch. I'm growing more desensitised to it, and more efficient about helping her deal with it...but it's taking too long for my liking. And she's still so scared when it happens. I guess I should be happy that she isn't at that stage where she's stopped caring, like I reached when I was in hospital, because that means that she hasn't been suffering very long..but. I hate this. I hate it. I hate feeling useless....

I did my fair share of bad things as a kid, but what did she do to deserve this?

-Seiichi

It's funny, how these things happen. My mother called today wanting to spend the New Years with us.....around five days too late. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or just hang up. I told her she'd missed the date and that Minoru was out with her friends anyway, grabbing some freedom days before the next term starts. I hope mother's been eating. But if she's forgotten what day it is, I doubt it. Scientists! Never know what to do with them! Still haven't heard from father. I might just march down to his office and shake him. Or chuck tennis balls at him.

But I've been managing to get some free time, since Minoru's out with friends and filming is on hiatus while everyone returns from holidays. Spent some time with my plants, and I painted some landscapes. I went out to Tokyo street centre and did some paintings of the urban scene and some temples. It was lovely, though I had to ignore the people there, since they wouldn't stand in one place for me!

I had some time to think to myself though, and I've been tossing around ideas for that little miracle of mine. Tell me Echizen, does your father ever enter competitions with magazines and newspapers to win things or go places? Or would you or someone close to you?

-Seiichi

First day of filming finished today. I forgot how exhausting it's supposed to be! It was faster today than it usually is, though, I'm reassured. I've heard that acting is 80% waiting and 20% doing, but today it was rather the opposite. But since we were filming really short scenes from my evil lair where I'm wearing the same thing, I guess they didn't have to do much scene changing.

My character has a snake as his pet and I spent half of my scenes with the snake trying to stop it from cutting off circulation to my arm! I think I might need to wear armour underneath my clothes to stop it from cutting in too much! On the other hand, Minoru got really excited by the reptile, so I could put up with some discomfort. She was laughing and all, when I was struggling between scenes. She's recovering her usual humour pretty fast.

The make-up people are pretty impressive though. They make me look quite different to myself, so I can actually pull off waist-long hair and not look strange. I give them props, that was cool. And my fears about co-actors being obnoxious were reassured. They're amusing to be around.

-Seiichi