Karen Fukuhara – The Boys

By: Jamie Steinberg

Q) Kimiko was such a mystery in Season One. Where do we pick up with her?

A) In Season Two, we see Kimiko trying to integrate more with The Boys. She is trying to learn how to write. She just wants to be a part of this family and we see her more human side throughout the series as we go.

Q) She has such an initial connection with Frenchie. What is it about him that she finds comforting?

A) I think the main thing that Frenchie (Tomer Capon) shows to her is kindness, genuine care. She hasn’t experienced that in a very, very, very long time. Her experiences in the camp and coming to the states, it’s just been a brutal process and abusive. She just has never felt loved – aside from her real family and Kenji (Abraham Lim), as we see in the first few episodes. But because she hasn’t felt that type of connection with anyone yet I think that’s why she’s so drawn to Frenchie. Even though he’s a stranger, he cares about her and truly genuinely wishes her best.

Q) The only familial relationship Kimiko has is with her brother. How will that connection be explored this season?

A) I think answering that question will reveal a huge spoiler, but I think vaguely put I can say that…[laughs]…Kimiko has kind of lost faith in finding her family after Season One. She doesn’t really think that they’ll ever be able to reconnect. She doesn’t even know if Kenji is still alive. When she meets him in Season Two again, it is a dream come true. She didn’t even think that this could ever happen again so she is determined to protect him now at all cost. To have his back. To make sure that he is able to have a fulfilling happy life and we quickly realize that there is a difference in thoughts and opinions between Kenji and Kimiko. And I think that was caused by Shining Light and Vaught International and him being in that environment for too long. So, there is a difference between his thinking and Kimiko’s thinking and that clashes a little bit. I believe that is in episode two or three.

Q) The stunt work for Kimiko/The Female was epic! How many notches do we go up for stunt work this season?

A) Oh! I mean, Season One was pretty crazy. That eye gauging scene was insane, but Season Two there is even more bloodshed and I had a lot of fun doing more wire work this season. There is an episode…I think it’s episode five where I do a “Black Widow Stunt.” I climb on top of this guy and do like a 360-degree spin around him with my legs wrapped around his neck. [chuckles] Yeah, it kicked up a couple notches and I’m very proud of the stunt work in Season Two.

Q) We know that Kimiko has really opened up to Frenchie. In Season Two who will we see her bonding with more?

A) I think Hughie has always reached out to her. He’s always the friendliest. I think Hughie (Jack Quaid), definitely…Hughie and Kimiko build a little bit of a friendship there. And then there is a special moment when MM (Laz Alonso) steps up for Kimiko and shows faith for Kimiko. So, there is definitely a relationship forming there. MM is “hard on the outside,” as Frenchie would say. But he’s a softy, I think. He cares about people, whether you call that a “softy” or a genuine human being. [laughs] So, Hughie, Frenchie and MM are all going to enter Kimiko’s life as friends.

Q) We’ve seen a bit about this fake whale created for a stunt and you mentioned the Black Widow Stunt. What are some episodes viewers should look out for this season?

A) Episode three is a pivotal point for Kimiko’s psyche. She switches from being hopeful about life again to being devastated with what happens. Her life mission changes. She gets a lot darker and so I think episode three for Kimiko is a huge turning point for her.

Q) Before Season Two has even aired the series was greenlit for a Season Three. What does that mean to you?

A) I think that it is a beacon of hope, especially in times of COVID and 2020. It really held me together knowing that we’ll be able to shoot again and be with one another again. It’s always fun being around my costars, the crew members and people who are passionate about what they do. It’s always a creative process and at times challenging, but we have so much fun on set. We can’t wait to go back, at least right now knowing that we are able to go back one day. It’s given me a sense of hope and direction. That’s what it means to me.

Q) Kimiko was the sole female in a group of badass boys. What kind of feedback have you got from female viewers who really appreciate her being just as badass as these boys?

A) Yeah! I mean, I’ve gotten positive feedback from men and women about how brutal Kimiko is. [chuckles] I think it’s just fun to see these glorified killing scenes and she is the female of The Boys, but she is the strongest one and the muscle of the group. It’s been really nice to hear everyone cringe a little at her scenes, but also be into it.

Q) Is there anything else about Season 2 you want to be sure we share with our readers?

A) I think I want to emphasize the importance of communication. We can see that through Kimiko’s eyes when she is doing the sign language. One thing that I’ve learned from this process is at times words are not necessary, although very useful. When it is completely necessary for you to get the point across, you will in any shape or form. Signing was such a powerful tool this season. Those days when I have full scenes with sign language, I just didn’t realize how powerful sign language can be. You’re really just throwing yourself into it and sometimes using your whole body to get the message across. It’s communication in a very honest form. In every day life and every day society, a lot of times we coat things or we don’t say what we truly mean because of manners, etiquette or we just don’t’ want to hurt the other person or be taken the wrong way. But with Kimiko signing it was very straight forward because it had to be. It was a necessity. So, through playing Kimiko it has really taught me how important communicating is – straight forward communicating.