YUI x Tsukamoto Takashi - Taiyou no Uta Interview (2008.08.05)
YUI x Tsukamoto Takashi Interview (2008.08.05)
Translated by deypon
Question: What was your image of YUI before you met her?
Tsukamoto Takashi: An image of a musician. She used to play street live back in her hometown. I happen to play the guitar too, so I thought to myself, "Oh it's a girl who loves the guitar, who loves music."
Question: How was your experience acting together with Tsukamoto Takashi?
The first time I saw him act was the scene when I first met him. It was when I ran and bumped into him. He was very natural, and it made me understand how to act well. I have learnt much from him.
Question: It was said that you two rehearsed the bumping scene many times before the actual filming...
Tsukamoto Takashi: Yup, we practised a few times, right?
YUI: We actually rehearsed many times, in fact, more than what people would think is necessary. Even during the rehearsals, I had to keep pushing him many times. I feel bad about it. I'm sorry.
Tsukamoto Takashi: No, no, don't say that.
Question: Which was the most difficult scene?
YUI: The scene where I couldn't play my guitar anymore. I kept questioning myself whether the Kaoru that the audience imagined, and the Kaoru that I myself imagined would be the same, and I wasn't sure how I could further improve it and make the two images the same.
In the end, (I tried to act out the audience's image that) the image of Kaoru that I had disappeared. When the Kaoru in me disappeared, there was no way to act as her anymore. So I had difficulties grappling between the two images.
Question: What's your image of Koji?
Tsukamoto Takashi: As I'm turning 24 years old, I doubted my ability of being able to act and express well as a high school student, but I still tried my best till the end. I could understand Koji's feelings when he tried to do his best for someone that he loves.
In the end, I felt that I could get into the character's role and express his feelings.
Question: Did you listen to YUI's song before the filming?
Tsukamoto Takashi: No, I didn't. Actually, I did receive the CD from her. I thought that I should feel the song through YUI (Kaoru)'s actual singing. In a way, it was quite rude to her, but eventually she did sing for me.
Question: How do you write your songs?
YUI: I always start by making the melody first. This time too, before the filming, I received the script. And I read the script over and over again. I tried to transform the places around Kaoru, like Kamakura, the story and the world that revolves around Kaoru, into a melody and the musical chords.
As for the lyrics, I started writing them after we started filming.
Question: Please tell us about the theme of the story.
Tsukamoto Takashi: It's about the human behaviour. About how people behave in such a way when they want to do something for someone that they love. Recently, there have been many comments that question the ending. People have been disappointed and alarmed at the ending. I hope you would watch it as it is.
Question: Please give the audience a last message.
YUI: I hope it would become a movie that people would love to watch while eating caramel popcorns. And I hope you would watch together with your family, or people dear to you.