Monday, March 29, 2021

Director Hideaki Anno - Neon Genesis Evangelion/NHK Professional, 22/3/21

I think we live in an era where if we don't make people understand that our work is interesting to some extent, it won't do well. Fewer and fewer people are curious to things that are shrouded in mystery.

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It's said for a quarter of a century, Evangelion has boasted one of the most difficult-to-understand aspects of the series, but which has also given it a great deal of depth.

NHK followed him for 4 years for 1:15hr program while he was making the new movie "Shin Evangelion". 

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Mayu Matsuoka - Kiba: The Fangs of Fiction (March, 2021)

Q: What do you value as an actor?

A: It's about valuing your life. Like cooking and eating well, reading books, doing laundry, and cleaning. Sometimes I try to clean places that I haven't always cleaned ...

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Mayu: I became aware of it after I started living alone, but recently I have been especially attentive to have a proper lifestyle. 
Mayu: I am the type who needs an interval between roles. Since I have only one body, I think that it is not good if I carry on many works at the same time because each performance will drop.

But I want to meet more works and many roles. I want to accept all of them.
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Monday, March 22, 2021

Tori Matsuzaka - Monster Hunter Interview

1. Kirin Kiki left a great influence on me. Her way of life was the most wonderful. It's cool that she owns herself and doesn't mix her work with private life at all. She said she was cultivating the fields, and when she was contacted for work on that day, she clearly refused. I also long for such a position. But, that's only possible because she had accomplished a lot of things. If I do it now, it will be nth more than an empty imitation. 

2. Tori: My ideal is 40% at work, 60% at home. (lol)

Now is 80-20. It would be great if I can separate work and private time completely and eventually have that ratio.

I want to stay at home and do gardening. Camping is also good. I want to live in the nature.
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3. Q: When do you feel depressed?

Tori: I'm basically depressed when I'm on stage (in front of camera) (lol). I just think "No matter how many times I try it, it doesn't work at all." .... 
But when the work is completed, or when I see the reaction of the audience, I sometimes feel great joy, so if it exceeds the emotions I had when it was painful, I would be more motivated. I will do my best and continue while repeating that.
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Q: Are there any "enemy" or "fighting opponent" for you?

Tori: Basically, my enemy is myself. For eg, I have to memorize the script before going to bed, I have to check the scene tomorrow, but I want to sleep without doing anything or play games until morning. (Lol). I'm usually struggling with my own desires because I'm usually the one who gets in the way of what I have to face in front of me.

Dir. Tomohiko Ito (HELLO WORLD) and Tori Matsuzaka

 Dir. Tomohiko Ito (HELLO WORLD) offered the role to Tori Matsuzaka by writing a love letter.

"Tori: I received a letter from you. A passionate and enthusiastic message was written in it.

Director Ito: I've never written a love letter in my life. Only to Matsuzaka-san.
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MC: Can you tell us a little bit about it?

Tori: I'm so embarrassed! That's embarrassing (lol). It says 'After watching 'Paddington', I realized how attractive you are... (lol). I'm embarrassed to say it myself, but... (hahahha). 
Director Ito: Paddington is an innocent character, and the adult Naomi, played by Matsuzaka, is a little wilder visually, but has that kind of innocence, so I thought it would be a great idea. They even have similar appearances."
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Saturday, March 20, 2021

In Those Days- Anecdotes

Let me translate this. This is the facebook post from the real-life younger brother of Taiga Nakano's "In Those Days" character.

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[ I had an elder brother 3 years older. He died of cancer at 37. He was quiet and serious at home but doing silly things outside. When my seniors told me about it, I was very embarrassed and hated him. My elder bro often went to Osaka while fighting cancer where he had ppl who knew him, had close friends and been taken care of until the end. Hundreds of people from all over the country come asked me "Do you know this guy?" Then I realized that a close friend of my elder bro had made an essay about the events and made into a movie. Thank you all the people who were friends with my bro during his life time.
Thank you for making a living proof of my brother. I love him now.] 

Tori Matsuzaka - In Those Days (2021)

Q: I think it's quite difficult for you, who is left-handed, to play bass from right and master both picking and fingering.

A: Mikito-san (real) said I can mime and dub later but I actually played it. I struggled harder than expected.
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Rikiya Imaizumi on Tori Matsuzaka

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Although he is a major actor in a unique position, he can erase his aura and can become anyone. It may be difficult for others so I think his actor aura should come out a little more. But it's amazing that there's no aura in his eyes. It seems that Matsuzaka was observing and mimicing Mikito-san who came to the scene. But he can still do that even while not acting.

I'm sure he knows what he looks like and his position as an actor. But it's amazing he can live as ordinary people. I think he can do that because Matsuzaka himself doesn't care about being treated like a normal person. At the 2018 TAMA CINEMA FORUM that I attended where Matsuzaka won Best Actor Award.
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Normally, actors wait in separate rooms and the film festival staff goes to explain the procedure, but Matsuzaka was in a large waiting room. There's only film staff, him and "One Cut of the Dead" team. He listened to the whole explanation with everyone. It was very impressive.
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