Nakajima Yuto - Barfout! January 2016 - English Translation
Nakajima: First of all, it's amazing that an active idol, Kato Shigeaki from NEWS wrote this work. It's impressive how an idol can skillfully depict the boundary so realistically between the entertainment world and ordinary life. Even though there are some parts that have been removed from the novel, there are parts that have also been boldly added for the movie that make it easy to understand, so those who have read the novel can also enjoy it.
Barfout: When did you read the original work?
Nakajima: It was last year for me. Originally, my mother was reading it and recommended it to me, but during the promotion of the drama "Yowakutemo Katemasu", there was a time when I felt like things weren't going well for me personally. I thought, "Well, I've messed that up," and then my chief manager at the time handed me Pink and Gray. I wondered to myself, "Maybe the promotion I did earlier was really bad?" and overanalysing, thinking I'd be asked to give my own impressions (laughs). But after I read it, nothing happened and I went about my normal routine when I was surprised to hear it was going to be made into a movie.
Barfout: I see. When you went to the shooting location, what did you speak to Director Yukisada Isao about?
Nakajima: Regarding the theme of the work and Gocchi, we talked about how to expose the emotions that everyone has. By showing it, I wanted to make the character more human-like and loving so basically, it was a barrage of questions from me. The director wasn't really someone who said a lot, so I became very anxious and asked about the role. I'm the type who obediently listens to things I don't understand.
Barfout: Director Yukisada also said, "Nakajima-san was cute because he would ask about various things honestly". Was there anything unexpected about the answers you received?
Nakajima: I thought Gocchi was a cool person and he didn't smile much, but I was impressed when he said, "No, you can smile" and that was big. I realised I could also act while having ordinary feelings. I think the relationship between Gocchi and Riba-chan is also a possible story, so I consulted with the director and sought, "How can I make this look realistic?". There is a sense that this work was conscious of realism besides the parts of the relationship between the two. I'm actually in the entertainment world.
Barfout: In fact, everyone in Johnny's & Associates advances through Johnny's Jr., but did you have friends debut first, or any impatience or conflict?
Nakajima: Although I can say it myself, but when I was a Jr. I was pretty elite so I wasn't impatient (laughs). That time was very enjoyable in a good way. But, I realised later that it was not through my own efforts at all. Maybe some people had impatience or conflict with me, so I understand. I sometimes feel that way, and I think it's scary because they can realistically come out in the world. It was only after I started to see my surroundings that I was able to empathise.
Barfout: From when were you able to see your surroundings?
Nakajima: I realised that there were times that I was unexpectedly looking at my surroundings since I was a child, but in a different sense, when I grew up, I came to understand many things. What made it possible to see my surroundings clearly... I think I was able to see things objectively sometime between elementary school and high school.
Barfout: That was early!
Nakajima: I guess so. However, from that time onwards, people started to say, "You are like an adult", and a lot of people still say now, "You aren't born in the Heisei era, right?" It's troubling (laughs).
Barfout: (Laughs). While the sense of responsibility is strong when I hear you, but on the other hand, I wonder if you make a mistake, are you someone who drags it out?
Nakajima: I drag it out (laughs).
Barfout: This role has strong emotional scenes with many ups and downs. In this case, I think there are scenes you can't do without exposing yourself more, so did you have days where you were feeling down depending on the shooting?
Nakajima: The day after I started shooting, I didn't talk to anyone. I took it upon myself to be completely alone. It would have been cool if I could do it when we were shooting the heavy scenes in the second half from the beginning, but there were thoughts inside me saying I couldn't do it. So even if I watch the completed preview, when those scenes come close, I feel my feelings become heavy and it takes my breath away. However, since it was my performance I had to watch it and check it. It's a complicated feeling (laughs).
Barfout: When you feel like that, what do you do to return to a flat condition?
Nakajima: I wonder what did I do at that time... I couldn't wait until I spoke to the cactus (laughs), but I observed it. In my home I have a small and cute cactus. I was in mental state where plants could heal me (laughs)
Barfout: This work has a composition where the worldview is changed in the first and second half and I think that was difficult, so what points did you pay attention to when acting?
Nakajima: Hmm... How would I make these worldviews different? It would be that. Whether to change completely... Even when I read the script, there were surprising moments for me although I read the novel, but the world changed from that point on and I divided myself as if I was shooting a different work. However, I think since I could put the break in myself, I was able to compare the two worlds and perform without hesitation.
Barfout: Regarding the character, Shiraki Rengo, who is a star, did you draw from the image in the original story to perform him? Because compared to his image in the original work, in the movie I felt a more charming humanity. What do you think was charming about Shiraki Rengo that attracted people to him, and what do you think made him have an active role in the entertainment world? I'm curious.
Nakajima: When I read the original work, I felt he was a cool and attractive person who didn't know what he was thinking. He might've been preparing for it gradually, but he suddenly became active in the entertainment world. I wonder if I was aware of that kind of strange thing... but I think he had talent from the start. That's why he could do something astounding and had the courage to do it. However, it's also his intention too and I actually think he was really influenced by other people, so I feel one of his attractions is that mysterious feeling.
Barfout: So someone who is mysterious and can see the true nature of people. It's said that, "Riba-chan is someone who wants to live", because he looks closely at his surroundings and analyses them, rather than dedicating himself to the world of arts and performance. The dialogue is also impressive.
Nakajima: But you know, there is also a line from Riba-chan to Shiraki Rengo that says, "I was nobody after all" and I think that too. It didn't end with an inferiority to Shiraki Rengo and I was able to affirm myself about it. Riba-chan is a person who wants to live, and I think he lived by clinging, but as a human he is weak and breaks easily, but I feel his humanity. Surprisingly, I like it, that part of Riba-chan. It's said, "That kind of thing, it's surprisingly human". It's the same with idols, but the bigger they are, their surroundings will get on as well, and I think that legendary things have a big influence on one's surroundings. It's not just about pursuing a false image, but I also empathised with the thought of, "I can do it myself".