[Translation] SMAP Magazine: "To me, SMAP is..." series (Mitani Koki)
“To me, SMAP is…”
Koki Mitani (scriptwriter, director): I first met SMAP in 1999 for the drama “Furuhata Ninzaburo vs. SMAP” (t/n: detective drama where SMAP played the criminals). I researched about SMAP and tried to write their characters to fit the images the general public had of them. Looking back on it, I got some of their characters right, but I also portrayed some parts wrong. If I write the same script again today, the five characters will probably turn out completely different.
The person who is the most different from how I had portrayed him is Katori-san. In my mind, I imagine him as the youngest in SMAP, someone who would fly into someone’s embrace naively. In reality, he is a delicate and quiet young man, and a very clever person. He has a perfect grasp on how people view him and how they expect him to act. He is a pro in entertaining others. In the morning, he would walk into the filming site looking like he was going to die from his sleepiness, even making the staffs worry for him. Yet as soon as filming started he met all expectations. His ability to deliver when it counts is insane.
However I also observed that Katori-san is not someone who is only good at delivering in clutch moments. I was hoping that some day I would be able to work with him on stage-something that would call for his stamina-and it came true with “Talk Like Singing.” At first I didn’t know how he would handle this play because it was uncommon for someone as busy as him to take on one single project that, including rehearsals, would last for so long. I wonder if he was also exploring new waters. But once we started, he showed his extraordinary ability in absorbing new things and he successfully portrayed his character in his own unique way. I was so moved to see the birth of a new Japanese musical star.
Members of SMAP are technically performers, yet they also have a “creator” side. They always come up with things they want to try, and they possess a wide range of perspectives and insights. This is how I see them. Even though it is a little shocking, they are “people from the production side.” Yet they are still willing to trust their staffs, and they understand which part they should not get involved and let the staffs decide for them. I am the kind of person who has something to say about everything, and sometimes I can be quite annoying about inserting my ideas. So there are many things I can learn from SMAP in how they approach their work.
I think of Nakai-san as someone who belongs in variety shows, and I have this drama idea I want him to try. We actually had meetings to plan that drama. During that time I went on SMAPXSMAP. Because I had to wear a pilot uniform and had pies thrown at my face I regrettably was not able to fend the attack calmly. Nakai-san, why did you pick that timing to do that to me? But some day I will make sure the drama talk comes true.
Koki Mitani (scriptwriter, director): I first met SMAP in 1999 for the drama “Furuhata Ninzaburo vs. SMAP” (t/n: detective drama where SMAP played the criminals). I researched about SMAP and tried to write their characters to fit the images the general public had of them. Looking back on it, I got some of their characters right, but I also portrayed some parts wrong. If I write the same script again today, the five characters will probably turn out completely different.
The person who is the most different from how I had portrayed him is Katori-san. In my mind, I imagine him as the youngest in SMAP, someone who would fly into someone’s embrace naively. In reality, he is a delicate and quiet young man, and a very clever person. He has a perfect grasp on how people view him and how they expect him to act. He is a pro in entertaining others. In the morning, he would walk into the filming site looking like he was going to die from his sleepiness, even making the staffs worry for him. Yet as soon as filming started he met all expectations. His ability to deliver when it counts is insane.
However I also observed that Katori-san is not someone who is only good at delivering in clutch moments. I was hoping that some day I would be able to work with him on stage-something that would call for his stamina-and it came true with “Talk Like Singing.” At first I didn’t know how he would handle this play because it was uncommon for someone as busy as him to take on one single project that, including rehearsals, would last for so long. I wonder if he was also exploring new waters. But once we started, he showed his extraordinary ability in absorbing new things and he successfully portrayed his character in his own unique way. I was so moved to see the birth of a new Japanese musical star.
Members of SMAP are technically performers, yet they also have a “creator” side. They always come up with things they want to try, and they possess a wide range of perspectives and insights. This is how I see them. Even though it is a little shocking, they are “people from the production side.” Yet they are still willing to trust their staffs, and they understand which part they should not get involved and let the staffs decide for them. I am the kind of person who has something to say about everything, and sometimes I can be quite annoying about inserting my ideas. So there are many things I can learn from SMAP in how they approach their work.
I think of Nakai-san as someone who belongs in variety shows, and I have this drama idea I want him to try. We actually had meetings to plan that drama. During that time I went on SMAPXSMAP. Because I had to wear a pilot uniform and had pies thrown at my face I regrettably was not able to fend the attack calmly. Nakai-san, why did you pick that timing to do that to me? But some day I will make sure the drama talk comes true.