Q How did you feel when it was decided that you will participate in “Odoru”, a series that has been loved for many years?
Karin: Since it’s such a legendary work, I was very shocked to learn about it, and my parents were very pleased about it. They texted me, “It’s unbelievable” and even now they still send me articles about “Odoru” that are published online. It made me happy to see just how pleased they are. I watched the rerun of the show since I was little, so even now I still feel nervous about it
Nagisa: The same goes for me, as it is a work that my parents really love, so they couldn’t believe it when it was decided. When I told my parents, they were really happy about it, even now it still doesn’t feel real to me yet. But I’m really happy to have been able to be a part of such a wonderful work
Q You two are a part of the same generation, while you work together, were there any aspects from each other’s behavior or manner on the set that inspire you?
Nagisa: The characters that we played, Kiiko and Akane, are very close friends, it was memorable how a lot of the interactions between them were improvised. So in the dressing room and such, we would discuss things like, “How should we do this part?”. It gave me the impression that Fujiyoshi-san seems to be a very serious person, she spent a lot of time standing on the set and observe all sorts of things to learn from it, which I thought was wonderful
Karin: Serious? No one really describes me as such, so that makes me happy (laughs). As for me, (Nagisa) has this small animal-like appearance, the kind that makes you want to protect her…
Nagisa: Eh! I’m happy to hear that!
Karin: But the intensity of her voice was very powerful, I thought it was wonderful. At first, I was a little surprised by that contrast (laughs). But I think that is what makes it really great
Q What interaction with Director Motohiro Katsuyuki particularly left an impression on you?
Nagisa: I can’t go into much detail because it’ll be a spoiler… But it was very memorable for me how after we filmed a certain scene, he really praised me and said, “It’s amazing that you can do such an acting performance”. He is such a kind and cheerful person, and we talked a lot about the character I played– Sunaga Akane, and how I should approach the role
I don’t really recall having many conversations with him, but there was a calm atmosphere even when he first watched the interaction (between our characters). Thanks to the way he clearly conveyed to us the image of these characters, it was easy for me to develop the character and the image that I should be going for
Q What was it like to work alongside the lead actor, Oda Yuji-san?
Nagisa: He is truly so kind, very casual, and I got the impression that he put himself in our shoes. He’s very knowledgeable, and taught me all sorts of things. Personally, there was a scene that was a little bit out of my element, but Oda-san took the lead at the time and made me think of how truly a wonderful person he is. I told my family about that as well (laughs)
Karin: He has such intense gaze that overwhelmed me at first, but the moment “cut” was called I saw a slightly playful side of him, and that contrast of him made my heart skip a beat
Q What do you mean by playful?
Karin: When we were filming a serious scene, he started fooling around the moment “cut” was called, and I found that to be cute. I wonder if it’s kind of rude to call him “cute”? (laughs)
Q Do you think that the experience of “conveying your emotions toward the fans” as an idol has become a strength for you as an actor who “conveys the emotions of the character to the audience”?
Karin: I believe that an idol and an actor are fundamentally different, but there is one thing that they have in common. When I was just starting as an idol and filming an MV, the director told me, “Don’t forget to breathe properly”. That advice has stayed with me throughout my career as an idol, and I make a point of keeping it in mind when acting as well
Nagisa: I also think that they are completely different, but when I was working as an idol, I learned what it means to express oneself through acting, an experience which I then apply in my idol activities. Both acting and idol work are something that people worked together to create, but I feel that acting is essentially the culmination of each individual’s efforts. As an idol, rather than working as an individual, you constantly work with your groupmates and work with them toward a common goal. It’s a bit difficult to put into words, but while they may seem the same, they are actually quite different.
Q How do you switch your approach between an idol and an actor? Are there specific aspects that you consciously adjust?
Karin: When I first started acting, I couldn’t help but to look toward the camera…
Nagisa: (Jumping in) I really get that! Since looking at camera is a part of the job
Karin: That’s right. That was something that I struggled with a bit
Nagisa: That happened to me too! It has been four years since I graduated from the group, so it doesn’t happen anymore, but when I first started acting, I messed up a few takes because I looked at the camera. When I was an idol, I had to look right at the camera the moment it cut to me on music shows and the like, so there was a huge difference there
Q Is there something about each other that you found to be wonderful or charming as you act together?
Nagisa: Fujiyoshi-san is someone with a strong aura, or rather, someone who can captivate people just by standing there… How should I put it? She is someone with such a presence
Karin: Presence? (laughs)
Nagisa: She has this presence, or rather, vibe about her. She first captivates people with her aura, and not only does she gives off an amazing vibe to the audience, she is also very good at acting, I think that’s so OP of her.
Karin: That’s kind of you.
Q Fujiyoshi-san, what is your impression of Saito-san?
Karin: In any case, I really envy the intensity of her gaze. Since our characters are close friends, I got to see her acting up close, and her gaze is amazing. The look in her eyes are completely different when she is acting with someone outside of our close relationship, and I was able to learn a lot from watching that from up-close
Q Now that you have experienced working on such a large-scale production of a legendary work, has your approach to acting or your goals changed?
Nagisa: Right. Personally, I’m the kind of person who tends to worry a lot, and during the filming it was a period where I was worried about a lot of things such as “Am I really on the right path?”. But at the time, the producer-san told me, “If you can show that kind of expression, then you really cut out to be an actor”, which made me think, “I’ll give it my all!”. Those words gave me the push I needed to keep going, and ever since I encountered this work, I felt that the path I believed in and the things I’d been thinking weren’t wrong after all. This work has become a major guidepost for me.
Karin: As an idol, I have a lot of activities such as concerts and events, which makes it really difficult to balance my acting work. At one point, I held back on things such as auditions, and even wondered if I should focus on solely being an idol right now. But just as was the case with “Odoru Daisousasen”, getting to act with people with more life experience than myself made me realize that I really should experience everything for myself. Being given an opportunity like this is not something I should take for granted, so while I will certainly give my all to the group, I think it would be very nice to be able to bring the experiences that I gained individually back to the group. I hope that this will also lead to my own personal growth, so I want to work even harder in acting.
Komentar
Posting Komentar