[translation] Ashita no Joe in Cinema ★ Cinema 2011.02 - Part II
OMG I can't believe I was able to finish it today (￣▽￣)ノ＿彡☆
Sorry for the delay. Got a little busy with Nagareboshi releases and helping out with Tomonari's Johnny's-concerts-in-Europe poll. Have you voted yet? If not, what are you waiting for?! It's available in 8 different languages, so you have no excuse.
Add your voice to all the other fans'! Then come back to read the interview.
Cinema ★ Cinema no.29, 2011.02 ~ Part II
Interview with Iseya Yusuke & words from the boxing trainer for "Ashita no Joe"
>> You can find Part I (Interview with Yamashita Tomohisa) here.
Huge thanks to kyara and watchful21 for the scans.
Please DO NOT re-post anywhere. Linking back is fine.
If you wish to re-translate be my guest, but let me know and link to this post.
T/N:
♪~ I did not translate Karina's part. It's got something to do with fashion and I was not interested ^_^;; I did a quick scan to see if she mentioned Yamapi or Iseya but she didn't. So, no Karina! Gomen ^_^;;
♪~ In the "A day of training" section I didn't understand half of that training talk, so I'm sorry if it doesn't make any sense >.< If anyone has any idea about boxing training, do correct me ^_^
♪~ I realized I made some mistakes in my previous post with names >.< For some reason I kept writing "Tagawa" instead of "Kagawa" -.- That and, the trainer's name is not "Umedzu" but "Umetsu." Sorry about that m(_ _)m
Iseya Yusuke as Rikiishi
Iseya, who plays the role of Rikiishi, Joe's predestined rival in the desperate struggle that unfolds before them. How were the days of filming as he overcame the severe weight loss and other difiiculties?
I think Rikiishi is impressive for not causing turbulences (laugh)
Rikiishi is mature, isn't he. When he gets off the ring he always wears a suit and talks in a calm manner. He suppresses his feelings within him and releases them on the ring. In a certain class, I think that's ideal for a boxer. However, not showing feelings is a fine line when acting. No matter who I act with I feel like I'm doing it on my own (laugh). In a weight-loss scene of emotional give and take, I had to contain myself. I think Karina-san went through a hard time creating feelings in that part. She looks over the training, but in reality we're barely shot together in the movie. I wonder if keeping those emotions was hard.
Guessing from his speech and behavior, I get the feeling Rikiishi looked at Yoko as a woman. It's just that he was restraining himself, so no matter what he wouldn't say "I like you," in my opnion. Plus, the one who Yoko was looking at as a man was Joe. She loves boxing, so she treasured Rekiishi like a rough diamond, but that "love" towards him was absolutely as a boxer only. Rikiishi realized these feelings that Yoko had but didn't create any problems. He's an admirable guy (laugh). Joe's existence probably took over Rikiishi's heart more than it did Yoko's. It was the boxing that he gave all himself to. Then he felt Joe's talent in his bones, and felt respect and awe towards him, which I think is why he dwelled so much on it.
Yamashita-kun who played Joe's part seemed like he was holding back in our fistfights, so I paid attention to tell him, "Come hit me!" I thought that if I didn't get him to punch for real, the act wouldn't get through well. When it was my turn to punch, it felt like he was telling me, do it as if your life was on the line. For that, both him and I practiced like crazy whenever we had time. A boxer's movement is basically all about reflection, right? You don't have time to think, you have to sink all the movements in your body. I actually wanted to go that far, but unfortunately there wasn't time, I really regret that.
I did my training while dialoguing with my body at all times. My hips are in bad shape, and I don't have the age to afford it giving me trouble (laugh) [t/n: he was born in 1976, making him 34 years old during filming]. Another minus emotion is having to dive into the role as if you've lost it (laugh). Nonetheless, the preparation for that weigh-in scene was really tough. In a limited time, and even in the moment of the crank-in, my body weight had already dropped suitably. On top of that, it had to be tightened. [t/n: for body remodeling] When I looked at my body in the mirror on the previous day, it was quite imperssive. Nonetheless there was still some muscle left. It was mentally tiring. On the day of the shoot I took my position on location waiting for my turn to shoot, and all that time I think I was emanating a bloodthirsty aura around me (laugh). When it was over, the suppon soup [t/n: soft-shelled turtle soup] that I received from Umetsu-san flowed gently into my body. And before I realized it, the next day I'd already gained 5 kilos. I guess my body was longing for nourishment (laugh).
Thanks to Umetsu-san the parts we did came out well, starting with my beaten up face. We didn't use CG there either, it's all natural, a creation of Umetsu-san's and myself. A professional punch has a different quality, when I received one everything in front of me would turn pitch black, but I took that in as part of the job and thought that was the least I had to go through. Also, what I'd really like to say clearly is that, if it weren't for Kagawa-san, this piece of work wouldn't have come to existence. That's how big Kagawa-san's influence was in connecting us to the boxing world, and, as Tange Danpei, guided us into the world of "Ashita no Joe." There's no doubt that without him, this work would not have completed.
When you face someone who's trying to lay you flat, you get an adrenaline rush. Having experienced it on my own body, the way I now view boxing has changed. Whether it be Hasegawa Hodzumi or Charlie Oota [t/n: aka Charles Nathaniel Bellamy; both pro boxers], I can feel the enormity of what they had to go through to reach that point, and the amount of preparation they have is conveyed. I heard that, even if you become Japan's champion, you don't earn much. Yet they fight with passion and faith. I've developed a deep sense of respect for them. And in the case of Rikiishi and Joe, there was awkwardness as well. If Rikiishi hadn't been like that, would he have ignored Joe and become the champion? (laugh) But, it's exactly because of that, that there's that beautiful energy it gives out. People who watch, taking in that energy and turning into their own motivation... If they can transform it into power to live tomorrow, it will make me happy.
A memorable scene
The last in "Paris, Texas." It ignores the movie theory and reveals all the behind-the-scenes riddles. When I saw that I was extremely shocked.
Iseya's "Look here!"
What I definitely wish people to see is the end roll. A high-speed camera was used and it came out pretty nicely, so I'd like people to look forward to that. ...that's when Utada Hikaru-chan's song comes on. No, it's a really good song, but I would have liked to hear "Rikiishi's theme" there (laugh). In the movie, Ren Haruku [t/n: ex pro boxer Satou Osamu] and Charlie Oota appear as match opponents, so please pay attention to their "authentic" moves.
Back Shot Story
Rikiishi almost never smiles. Among all that, the smile he shows in the last cut is memorable. When we say that, he shyly smiles, "Thinking it was the end, maybe I was happy so that came out unintentionally." He was cheerful throughout the interview, we were surprised but the gap with Rikiishi, whom he just finished interpreting.
~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~
Asking the boxing trainer
Umetsu Masahiko-san
"If it weren't for this person, we couldn't have done it..." The person Yamashita, Iseya, and Director Sori talk about is the boxing trainer Mr. Umetsu.
He tells us anecdotes on "Ashita no Joe."
I feel that I was the one that was taught something important by them
I showed both of them top-level boxer training. It felt like I'd be laughed at if I'd had them do random things. I saw their fighting spirits were rising naturally and steadily with time. In the case of the gentle Yamashita-kun, I tried to stir him hard so he could lose it, so he finally changed into a rough, wild guy like Joe. Actually, he appears to be cool, but he's an incredibly manly guy. On the other hand, Iseya-san is cheerful. And clever. The training was severe, it can't be helped, but that cheerfulness saved the day on several occasions.
Beyond the movie, you'll see real guts. For that I made sure they got used to giving every single punch cleanly and correctly.
On the other hand, speaking of showing, we had to build up their bodies. But truth is body-building methods and the final results differ depending on the quality of msucle each person is born with. So, having the basics in mind, their menus differ.
As for myself, of course with the two leads, but also what Kagawa-san and I were able to achieve was worth it. My power alone is limited, and I wouldn't have been able to do it all on location. In such moments, Kagawa-san would say, "If you give up, it will all be ruined," and "Saying the harshest things and trusting most in the person who's beating you, do you understand that?" He followed up with the best timing. He did that to the very end, and it became great encouragement. I was blessed to be able to meet those 3 persons working on this, and I feel they taught me about how to live.
MASAHIKO UMETSU
Boxing trainer and action director. Coached boxing in "KIDS RETURN" and "Outrage." Coached and supervised in the dramas "1 Pondo no Fukuin," "Naito Daisuke Monogatari," etc.
Yamashita & Iseya, "A normal day of training"
[T/N: As I mentioned earlier, I did not understand half of this, I'm sorry about it >.< But the second half is interesting ^_^;]
First elaborate stretching to wake the body up. Next was rope workout 3 minutes x 3R, shadow boxing. When I had them hold the barbell, I put on load on purpose at first. Then we worked on the proper form. Next, we moved away from the barbell and had them move as if the dots were connected by a line. This went on for 3 minutes x 6R. Next was punching the sand bag. Then training according to situation. We did mitt punching the most. By receiving directly we can measure the boxer's stiffness and his physical condition, and when the boxer is suffering we can comprehend his mindset. That was all for one round, so then we went back from the top and repeated. After that we practiced to prepare for movie action. End result: adding that up to training time, it became double the normal time for a boxer. I really can't explain it with words. Just that, the sweat they shed does not lie. The acting spirit they put into this was truly amazing!
5 articles for dieting
o1. Don't overdo it, specially in the beginning.
o2. Number is more important than amount of time [in exercise].
o3. Follow a good instructor.
o4. Watch what you eat.
o5. Don't accumulate stress.
---
*stretch*
Next is FRaU. Please look forward to that (*＾▽＾)／
Sorry for the delay. Got a little busy with Nagareboshi releases and helping out with Tomonari's Johnny's-concerts-in-Europe poll. Have you voted yet? If not, what are you waiting for?! It's available in 8 different languages, so you have no excuse.
Add your voice to all the other fans'! Then come back to read the interview.
Cinema ★ Cinema no.29, 2011.02 ~ Part II
Interview with Iseya Yusuke & words from the boxing trainer for "Ashita no Joe"
>> You can find Part I (Interview with Yamashita Tomohisa) here.
Huge thanks to kyara and watchful21 for the scans.
Please DO NOT re-post anywhere. Linking back is fine.
If you wish to re-translate be my guest, but let me know and link to this post.
T/N:
♪~ I did not translate Karina's part. It's got something to do with fashion and I was not interested ^_^;; I did a quick scan to see if she mentioned Yamapi or Iseya but she didn't. So, no Karina! Gomen ^_^;;
♪~ In the "A day of training" section I didn't understand half of that training talk, so I'm sorry if it doesn't make any sense >.< If anyone has any idea about boxing training, do correct me ^_^
♪~ I realized I made some mistakes in my previous post with names >.< For some reason I kept writing "Tagawa" instead of "Kagawa" -.- That and, the trainer's name is not "Umedzu" but "Umetsu." Sorry about that m(_ _)m
Iseya Yusuke as Rikiishi
Iseya, who plays the role of Rikiishi, Joe's predestined rival in the desperate struggle that unfolds before them. How were the days of filming as he overcame the severe weight loss and other difiiculties?
I think Rikiishi is impressive for not causing turbulences (laugh)
Rikiishi is mature, isn't he. When he gets off the ring he always wears a suit and talks in a calm manner. He suppresses his feelings within him and releases them on the ring. In a certain class, I think that's ideal for a boxer. However, not showing feelings is a fine line when acting. No matter who I act with I feel like I'm doing it on my own (laugh). In a weight-loss scene of emotional give and take, I had to contain myself. I think Karina-san went through a hard time creating feelings in that part. She looks over the training, but in reality we're barely shot together in the movie. I wonder if keeping those emotions was hard.
Guessing from his speech and behavior, I get the feeling Rikiishi looked at Yoko as a woman. It's just that he was restraining himself, so no matter what he wouldn't say "I like you," in my opnion. Plus, the one who Yoko was looking at as a man was Joe. She loves boxing, so she treasured Rekiishi like a rough diamond, but that "love" towards him was absolutely as a boxer only. Rikiishi realized these feelings that Yoko had but didn't create any problems. He's an admirable guy (laugh). Joe's existence probably took over Rikiishi's heart more than it did Yoko's. It was the boxing that he gave all himself to. Then he felt Joe's talent in his bones, and felt respect and awe towards him, which I think is why he dwelled so much on it.
Yamashita-kun who played Joe's part seemed like he was holding back in our fistfights, so I paid attention to tell him, "Come hit me!" I thought that if I didn't get him to punch for real, the act wouldn't get through well. When it was my turn to punch, it felt like he was telling me, do it as if your life was on the line. For that, both him and I practiced like crazy whenever we had time. A boxer's movement is basically all about reflection, right? You don't have time to think, you have to sink all the movements in your body. I actually wanted to go that far, but unfortunately there wasn't time, I really regret that.
I did my training while dialoguing with my body at all times. My hips are in bad shape, and I don't have the age to afford it giving me trouble (laugh) [t/n: he was born in 1976, making him 34 years old during filming]. Another minus emotion is having to dive into the role as if you've lost it (laugh). Nonetheless, the preparation for that weigh-in scene was really tough. In a limited time, and even in the moment of the crank-in, my body weight had already dropped suitably. On top of that, it had to be tightened. [t/n: for body remodeling] When I looked at my body in the mirror on the previous day, it was quite imperssive. Nonetheless there was still some muscle left. It was mentally tiring. On the day of the shoot I took my position on location waiting for my turn to shoot, and all that time I think I was emanating a bloodthirsty aura around me (laugh). When it was over, the suppon soup [t/n: soft-shelled turtle soup] that I received from Umetsu-san flowed gently into my body. And before I realized it, the next day I'd already gained 5 kilos. I guess my body was longing for nourishment (laugh).
Thanks to Umetsu-san the parts we did came out well, starting with my beaten up face. We didn't use CG there either, it's all natural, a creation of Umetsu-san's and myself. A professional punch has a different quality, when I received one everything in front of me would turn pitch black, but I took that in as part of the job and thought that was the least I had to go through. Also, what I'd really like to say clearly is that, if it weren't for Kagawa-san, this piece of work wouldn't have come to existence. That's how big Kagawa-san's influence was in connecting us to the boxing world, and, as Tange Danpei, guided us into the world of "Ashita no Joe." There's no doubt that without him, this work would not have completed.
When you face someone who's trying to lay you flat, you get an adrenaline rush. Having experienced it on my own body, the way I now view boxing has changed. Whether it be Hasegawa Hodzumi or Charlie Oota [t/n: aka Charles Nathaniel Bellamy; both pro boxers], I can feel the enormity of what they had to go through to reach that point, and the amount of preparation they have is conveyed. I heard that, even if you become Japan's champion, you don't earn much. Yet they fight with passion and faith. I've developed a deep sense of respect for them. And in the case of Rikiishi and Joe, there was awkwardness as well. If Rikiishi hadn't been like that, would he have ignored Joe and become the champion? (laugh) But, it's exactly because of that, that there's that beautiful energy it gives out. People who watch, taking in that energy and turning into their own motivation... If they can transform it into power to live tomorrow, it will make me happy.
A memorable scene
The last in "Paris, Texas." It ignores the movie theory and reveals all the behind-the-scenes riddles. When I saw that I was extremely shocked.
Iseya's "Look here!"
What I definitely wish people to see is the end roll. A high-speed camera was used and it came out pretty nicely, so I'd like people to look forward to that. ...that's when Utada Hikaru-chan's song comes on. No, it's a really good song, but I would have liked to hear "Rikiishi's theme" there (laugh). In the movie, Ren Haruku [t/n: ex pro boxer Satou Osamu] and Charlie Oota appear as match opponents, so please pay attention to their "authentic" moves.
Back Shot Story
Rikiishi almost never smiles. Among all that, the smile he shows in the last cut is memorable. When we say that, he shyly smiles, "Thinking it was the end, maybe I was happy so that came out unintentionally." He was cheerful throughout the interview, we were surprised but the gap with Rikiishi, whom he just finished interpreting.
~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~
Asking the boxing trainer
Umetsu Masahiko-san
"If it weren't for this person, we couldn't have done it..." The person Yamashita, Iseya, and Director Sori talk about is the boxing trainer Mr. Umetsu.
He tells us anecdotes on "Ashita no Joe."
I feel that I was the one that was taught something important by them
I showed both of them top-level boxer training. It felt like I'd be laughed at if I'd had them do random things. I saw their fighting spirits were rising naturally and steadily with time. In the case of the gentle Yamashita-kun, I tried to stir him hard so he could lose it, so he finally changed into a rough, wild guy like Joe. Actually, he appears to be cool, but he's an incredibly manly guy. On the other hand, Iseya-san is cheerful. And clever. The training was severe, it can't be helped, but that cheerfulness saved the day on several occasions.
Beyond the movie, you'll see real guts. For that I made sure they got used to giving every single punch cleanly and correctly.
On the other hand, speaking of showing, we had to build up their bodies. But truth is body-building methods and the final results differ depending on the quality of msucle each person is born with. So, having the basics in mind, their menus differ.
As for myself, of course with the two leads, but also what Kagawa-san and I were able to achieve was worth it. My power alone is limited, and I wouldn't have been able to do it all on location. In such moments, Kagawa-san would say, "If you give up, it will all be ruined," and "Saying the harshest things and trusting most in the person who's beating you, do you understand that?" He followed up with the best timing. He did that to the very end, and it became great encouragement. I was blessed to be able to meet those 3 persons working on this, and I feel they taught me about how to live.
MASAHIKO UMETSU
Boxing trainer and action director. Coached boxing in "KIDS RETURN" and "Outrage." Coached and supervised in the dramas "1 Pondo no Fukuin," "Naito Daisuke Monogatari," etc.
Yamashita & Iseya, "A normal day of training"
[T/N: As I mentioned earlier, I did not understand half of this, I'm sorry about it >.< But the second half is interesting ^_^;]
First elaborate stretching to wake the body up. Next was rope workout 3 minutes x 3R, shadow boxing. When I had them hold the barbell, I put on load on purpose at first. Then we worked on the proper form. Next, we moved away from the barbell and had them move as if the dots were connected by a line. This went on for 3 minutes x 6R. Next was punching the sand bag. Then training according to situation. We did mitt punching the most. By receiving directly we can measure the boxer's stiffness and his physical condition, and when the boxer is suffering we can comprehend his mindset. That was all for one round, so then we went back from the top and repeated. After that we practiced to prepare for movie action. End result: adding that up to training time, it became double the normal time for a boxer. I really can't explain it with words. Just that, the sweat they shed does not lie. The acting spirit they put into this was truly amazing!
5 articles for dieting
o1. Don't overdo it, specially in the beginning.
o2. Number is more important than amount of time [in exercise].
o3. Follow a good instructor.
o4. Watch what you eat.
o5. Don't accumulate stress.
---
*stretch*
Next is FRaU. Please look forward to that (*＾▽＾)／