Former Sakurazaka46 member and actress Sugai Yuuka (28) and actress Nakamura Yurika (27) recently attended a press conference in Tokyo for TV Tokyo’s Chaser Game W2: Beautiful Celestial Maidens/Goddesses, which premieres on the 19th and airs Thursdays at 12:30 a.m. (12:40 a.m. for the first episode). They expressed their excitement and spoke about how their bond has grown since the last season.

At the press conference for Chaser Game W2: Beautiful Celestial Maidens, Sugai and Nakamura showed a strong sense of trust in each other. Sugai expressed her joy about the sequel, saying, “I’m happy to continue playing this role,” and added, “It was reassuring to work with Nakamura again. We could act in an environment where trust was already established.” Nakamura shared, “Before we started shooting, Yuuka would voluntarily ask me for advice on certain scenes, and those sincere moments made me think, ‘She’s really cool.’ I’m glad we got to work together again.”

When asked about moments they shared in private, Nakamura revealed, “During the first half of filming, Yuuka was energetic, but as we got to the second half, I noticed moments where her expression would suddenly go serious, especially in the dressing room or during makeup touch-ups.” Nakamura fondly recalled seeing Sugai’s unguarded expressions.

Sugai responded with a laugh, saying, “I guess my at-home face slipped out without me realizing it.” Nakamura smiled, adding, “There were even times when we sat in silence, which showed how comfortable we’d gotten with each other.” Sugai then reflected, “It’s probably a face I could only show to Yurika.”

The sequel, Chaser Game W2, is a revenge drama tackling social issues like LGBTQ+ rights, labor problems, and sexual harassment, and it’s the first on TV Tokyo to feature a lesbian protagonist. The story delves into the one-year gap between the characters Itsuki (Sugai) and Fuyu (Nakamura) after their breakup, and the complex dynamics that unfold when they meet again.

Joining the cast for the sequel is Chise (25), a Korean influencer who plays Park Yeoreum, Itsuki’s first love from her high school days when Yeoreum stayed at Itsuki’s house as an exchange student. Chise’s character is set to stir up the relationship between the two leads.

(Source: Oricon.jp)