"The Underworld" is released today. Kurosawa Kiyoshi's temperament fits the role of Chiyoko Yuriko Yoshitaka.

[Reporter Xu Shiying/Comprehensive Report] The Japanese film "Dark Castle" is adapted from the award-winning mystery novel of Yonezawa Honobu. It is directed by Kurosawa Kiyoshi, a frequent visitor to the world's three major film festivals and a famous director who writes the script himself. It assembles a luxurious cast and launches a suspenseful battle of wits in a closed castle during the Warring States Period. In the film, Yuriko Yoshitaka plays Chiyoho, the wife of Araki Murashige (played by Masahiro Motoki). Not only is she one of the few female characters in the film, she was also praised by the director for her perfect fit with the character's temperament.

Yoshitaka Yuriko felt quite honored to receive the invitation from Kurosawa Kiyoshi to perform in "The Underworld". (Provided by Tianma Xingkong)

The film brings together gold medal winner Masahiro Motoki, Masaki Sugada, Yuriko Yoshitaka, Takashi Aoki, Ryota Miyadate, Joe Odagiri and others to star in a strong lineup. Director Kiyoshi Kurosawa revealed that he personally made the invitation to Yuriko Yoshitaka to perform, "Ms. Yoshitaka exudes a brave, calm and powerful aura, which fits the role of Chiyoho very well."

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Yoshitaka Yuriko (left) and Motoki Masahiro play husband and wife in "The Dark Side". (Provided by Tianma Xingkong)

The director revealed that after watching Yoshitaka's performance as Murasaki Shikibu in the Taiga drama "To the Lord of Light", he believed that "the role of Chiyoho must be played by Yoshitaka." Masahiro Motoki said that Chiyoho in the original work is a peerless beauty who is as famous as Concubine Yang. Yoshitaka's costume style also shows a classic and fresh temperament, which is quite consistent with the character setting. Kurosawa Kiyaya revealed that Yoshitaka is dignified and calm in front of the camera, but privately he is the "pistachio" of the crew, often responsible for heating up the atmosphere and bringing vitality to the filming scene.

Talking about taking on the role of Chiyoho, Yoshitaka said that he was very honored when he received the invitation from Kurosawa Kiyoshi, and he was also attracted by the unique and complex story of the film. She specifically mentioned the recurring line in the film, "Going forward is bliss, retreating is hell." She believed that this sentence made people feel the distance between the Warring States Period and death. "Should I say this was the view of life and death that had no choice in that era? Or was it a way to boost morale?" This left a deep impression on the character and the story.

Yoshitaka Yuriko (left) has a dignified and calm image in "The Dark Side", but she becomes everyone's pistachio during breaks. (Provided by Tianma Xingkong)

"Dark Cell" describes how Araki Murashige resisted Oda Nobunaga and led his army to launch a cage battle. The castle fell into isolation after being surrounded by enemy troops. While the village leader was guarding the city, bizarre cases such as the murder of young people occurred one after another in the city, and the suspects were more likely to be hidden among the retainers and cronies. Faced with the dual crisis of enemy forces outside the city and traitors within the city, Murashige had no choice but to join forces with Kanbei Kuroda (played by Masaki Suda), a clever but dangerous "genius strategist" imprisoned in a dungeon, to try to find out the truth behind the series of incidents.

Kurosawa Kiyoshi said that the most difficult thing about period dramas is that even the characters who appear in the corner of the screen cannot just stand there. All actors must truly become people of that era, so that each character can present a natural and real sense of existence. He described the shoot as "very difficult but a lot of fun". "The Underworld" is officially released in Taiwan today (24th).