Nikaido Fumi X Yoshizawa Ryo for River's Edge (2018)

Source: https://news.livedoor.com/article/detail/14338610/

 Q: It is a work that depicts the loneliness, impatience, and conflict of young people struggling to live.

Fumi: I first read it when I was 16. At that time, I think it depicts what I felt everyday and the emotions I had, and I was shocked and think that this was a great manga.

Q: What is that specific point of empathy?

Fumi: At that time, I was already working, so when I went to the movie shoots, it was an extraordinary world. But I felt bored when I was in school from morning till evening. I always wondered whether something would happen or not, and I think there was a part that relied on being alive.

Q: I think many people have experienced the feeling of seeking inspiration in their teens. 

Fumi: I think that the age of 15-18 years old is a particularly sensitive time. It's extremely fragile and delicate. But at the same time, we weren't serious about living, or there was a point where we didn't feel anything.

Q: Yoshizawa played a gay young man, Yamada, who is severely bullied. The character has a unique atmosphere that makes him a little distant from other people. How did you portray this character?

Yoshizawa: It was a very difficult role. I thought about things, such as Yamada's core values, the gap between what Yamada is looked at by his surroundings, and how Yamada looked at them, but in the end, I still didn't know the correct answer.

Q: Yamada was surely a character that wasn't straightforward. Still, did you empathise with the characters or did it overlap with your youth?

Yoshizawa: I think that they had something like “bright energy” they had. In "River's Edge", you run into violence, sex, and drugs, but I think every teenager has the root of light. That's why I think that the reason why this original work has been loved through the ages is that it is resonant to teenagers today.

Q: How did you feel about the direction?

Yoshizawa: I thought that the emotional expression in this movie was very straightforward. Because there were a lot of "close" cuts in this movie. By doing so, I realised that the film can vividly capture each person's emotions, and I thought that it was as expected of Director Yukisada Isao.

Q: When I saw the movie, I was impressed by the acting of you two. Was it natural or was it the director's direction?

Yoshizawa: I didn't make any extra voices or facial expressions at all. Of course, there are times when you have to do that depending on the film, but I felt that Yamada would be cheap if I made it this time.

Q: Did it do so on your own, not the direction of the director?

Yoshizawa: Yes. I said earlier that I couldn't find the answer, but there was an image of Yamada that I had thought through, so I'm going to act accordingly.

Fumi: Director said at the first script read, "I'm far from this generation, so please give me your opinion." As the overall tone is not dramatic, as Yoshizawa said, we didn't even say the lines. Rather, I think that all of the cast were more focused on how they lived on the scene.

Q: The interview video of each character in the play felt very vivid. How did you shoot that?

Yoshizawa: There were some lines available, bu the director asked "I want to see the middle between Yamada who is the character and Yoshizawa Ryo who plays it." It was difficult to answer the question.I can't answer unless I go to a very deep part, and I feel that I was fighting with each question.

Fumi: Certainly, I had a feeling that I was a little uncertain whether Haruna (Fumi's role) was talking, or the word came out me who was playing Haruna. Moreover, I hadn't been told when I was going to be interviewed, so it was pretty exciting. But because of that, I feel that I and Haruna coexist.

Q: What was the most fun thing in filming?

Yoshizawa: I thought it was a great youth days, so I decided to shoot fireworks after the shooting ended in the middle of the night. After that, I remember eating the cup ramen while watching the sunrise.

Fumi: Yes, on the bank, with everyone.

Q: By the way, you mentioned previously that you often drink beer.

Yoshizawa: (lol). But recently it has changed to potato shochu.

Q: How about Nikaido?

Fumi: I have animals now.

What do you own?

Fumi: It's secret (laughs).