Nakajima Yuto - Barfout! January 2017 - English Translation
Nakajima: This is my first time at a genuine love story. It is a slightly different story from the kabedon and the excitement-filled standard romances that have become popular in recent years, but it has a certain warmth to it. It's a story about what occurs in people's everyday life and it's a story that cherishes the universality of things, so I thought I could perform it from my heart and it was right fit for me now.
Barfout: The scenes are not showy, it felt like your heart was gradually skipping a beat the whole time.
Nakajima: Yes, it's a movie where the slowdown might be impatient, but the small things can make your heart beat fast. Of course, my fans will love it, but I think people who aren't like that who love movies can watch this movie and see somebody close to them in this role. It's a story where Ryota grows, so you can sympathise with how he breaks through his shell. For example, if he's in a relationship with someone, I think he can review his relationship with his partner and return to his original intentions. I think it's a movie that makes you think, "This kind of closeness is important".
Barfout: Director Masahide Ichii said this time, he took a method of direction that involved drawing out the acting from what is inside the performers themselves.
Nakajima: The director told me he wanted me to find Ryota inside myself and expand it. Later, when he told me, "Ryota is already you", it made me very relieved. I was inexperienced when it came to this approach with this kind of role, so it was very scary to expose myself and I had to react by myself completely. At first, I was confused by the feeling of being able to do something within my experiences, but by doing so, I was able to get closer to Ryota the most, and I think I was able to think about Koharu and my brother closely too. Even though I thought I was doing a natural performance, there were times where the director also told me I was still creating something. Normally, I feel reassured when I prepare for a role, or I train my body for a role, or I have an easy-to-understand way to study for a role, it gives me mental stability. I was scared because I couldn't do that this time, but when I got it out of me and performed it, I was able to feel the lines properly as myself. In that sense, I think I was able to play the role from my heart without thinking about the technical aspects.
Barfout: You played the role of Ryota yourself, but you are generally similar to him.
Nakajima: Well, his negative parts are similar to mine. It's not that I think of it in a bad way, and I'm not going to reveal that to anyone. I'll hold it within myself, contemplate it and mope about it. But when I go out in front of people, I can act with a smile. It's a slightly troublesome characteristic, but that's apart of me and there are times when I will be melancholic (Ryota's day-to-day routine in his high school days when he was gloomy was being absent-mindedly melancholic).
Barfout: When I hear that, it makes the role seem more vivid, but Ryota is the type of person who wants to know anything about the person he likes, but is that the same for you?
Nakajima: I want to know (laughs). I want to share everything. The pain, sadness, fun, and happiness too. I don't force myself to listen to things I don't talk about, but I think it's good to have a relationship where you know you won't force yourself to listen. I feel that we can trust each other, and I have a strong desire to help that person, so I'm happy when I'm asked. I'm probably similar to Ryota.
Barfout: There is a very bittersweet scene in this film where two high school student participate in a jumping race in a rice bag at the sports festival.
Nakajima: No, really, we were close together there. When we lost our balance, there were "Ooh!" moments, and there are some parts of me that are cautious. The reaction of being put into an "Ooh!" environment when we still didn't know each other well, and being embarrassed to get closer to each other and rejected is realistic and necessary in the first step. The director said, "There's something nice about the two of them being very close together in a rice bag" and he desperately wanted us to be close and he was just like a middle-aged man (laughs). I think it's wonderful that someone can create a film with that kind of ordinary sensibility, and when I saw the completed scene, I got a little emotional.
Barfout: In that scene, it's rather nice to see you as clumsy or uncool in a sense.
Nakajima: I'm not cool at all (laughs). But there are times when awkward people might seem rather cool. I think it's very important to take things that might be considered ridiculous and do it in an overly serious way. Everyone is ostensibly worried about meeting others, and they don't do it for some selfish and silly reason, and Ryota works out his very pure feelings for Koharu. He doesn't worry too much about the people in his surroundings.
Barfout: But really, this is a film that carefully captures the accumulation of everyday life, and makes you realise that the repeated days are irreplaceable!
Nakajima: That's right. I want to think about the reason I'm alive, considering there are people who support me as I am. To be able to drink water normally like this, to have a starring role in a movie, to have a cool haircut and wear cool clothes, to be interviewed and published in a magazine, it's a very happy environment. I'm thankful for each and every one of them, and it made me realise that "there are so many more things I have to be thankful for". It's a film that makes you feel like you're not taking those things for granted, and that's why I want you to watch it and cherish this moment right now.
Barfout: By the way, after Ryota breaks up with Koharu, he goes out with the very fashionable Emiri who likes him, but after he realizes that Koharu is important to him, the way he breaks up with her is a bit awful (laughs).
Nakajima: Yes... that's a weak point we shouldn't forget (laughs). I feel pretty sorry for Emiri... I was in a pretty serious state of mind when we were filming, but I was so emotionally invested in Koharu that when she climbed onto my lap, I was too assertive and she was confused (laughs). He still had feelings for Koharu, which he kept a lid on, after all, and he couldn't hug her the same way he hugged Koharu. Ryota's rejection is incredibly selfish, and he dumps Emiri unreasonably, but he has to be grateful for that because without Emiri, he probably wouldn't have noticed it. But I'm sure he thinks he's a pretty bad guy, too. It was super painful, the scene where he dumps Emiri. She's crying a lot, and it was sad. You know, I'm not the kind of man to dump someone without hesitation (laughs).
Barfout: You have a sense of guilt (laughs). This is a different piece of work compared to your previous work, "Pink and Grey", but what kind of new discoveries did you make?
Nakajima: It gave me another way of thinking. In this world, I don't think there is a right way to do things, but I think it's important to have objectives. With this role though, I learned how to feel it out as it was, and how to approach it without making too much of it, but with "Pink and Grey", I realised that I'm the type who gets better and better with each take, and I'm able to see more and more things. That's what director Yukisada Isao said, and he also told me that Suda Masaki is the one who makes the first move, so it's difficult to be opposite him (laughs). There are always situations where you can make use of what you have experienced. I'm actually in the entertainment industry myself, and things like the matters in "Pink and Grey" can be troublesome...
Barfout: The look on your face that says, "Troublesome." (laughs)
Nakajima: Ah, I'm sorry, it just shows on my face so easily (laughs). I'm even jealous of my peers like in the movie, and there are also times where I think about life's hardships, but that doesn't mean I empathise with everything. But I often feel like it's a word that's necessary because of who I am now, or because it resonates with me. When I think about it, it's strange to think that this is the case, because so far I've encountered the work as it comes to me. The one thing that's always been important to me is simple: whether I can get close to the role. I think it's a waste if I don't love my role.
Barfout: The scenes are not showy, it felt like your heart was gradually skipping a beat the whole time.
Nakajima: Yes, it's a movie where the slowdown might be impatient, but the small things can make your heart beat fast. Of course, my fans will love it, but I think people who aren't like that who love movies can watch this movie and see somebody close to them in this role. It's a story where Ryota grows, so you can sympathise with how he breaks through his shell. For example, if he's in a relationship with someone, I think he can review his relationship with his partner and return to his original intentions. I think it's a movie that makes you think, "This kind of closeness is important".
Barfout: Director Masahide Ichii said this time, he took a method of direction that involved drawing out the acting from what is inside the performers themselves.
Nakajima: The director told me he wanted me to find Ryota inside myself and expand it. Later, when he told me, "Ryota is already you", it made me very relieved. I was inexperienced when it came to this approach with this kind of role, so it was very scary to expose myself and I had to react by myself completely. At first, I was confused by the feeling of being able to do something within my experiences, but by doing so, I was able to get closer to Ryota the most, and I think I was able to think about Koharu and my brother closely too. Even though I thought I was doing a natural performance, there were times where the director also told me I was still creating something. Normally, I feel reassured when I prepare for a role, or I train my body for a role, or I have an easy-to-understand way to study for a role, it gives me mental stability. I was scared because I couldn't do that this time, but when I got it out of me and performed it, I was able to feel the lines properly as myself. In that sense, I think I was able to play the role from my heart without thinking about the technical aspects.
Barfout: You played the role of Ryota yourself, but you are generally similar to him.
Nakajima: Well, his negative parts are similar to mine. It's not that I think of it in a bad way, and I'm not going to reveal that to anyone. I'll hold it within myself, contemplate it and mope about it. But when I go out in front of people, I can act with a smile. It's a slightly troublesome characteristic, but that's apart of me and there are times when I will be melancholic (Ryota's day-to-day routine in his high school days when he was gloomy was being absent-mindedly melancholic).
Barfout: When I hear that, it makes the role seem more vivid, but Ryota is the type of person who wants to know anything about the person he likes, but is that the same for you?
Nakajima: I want to know (laughs). I want to share everything. The pain, sadness, fun, and happiness too. I don't force myself to listen to things I don't talk about, but I think it's good to have a relationship where you know you won't force yourself to listen. I feel that we can trust each other, and I have a strong desire to help that person, so I'm happy when I'm asked. I'm probably similar to Ryota.
Barfout: There is a very bittersweet scene in this film where two high school student participate in a jumping race in a rice bag at the sports festival.
Nakajima: No, really, we were close together there. When we lost our balance, there were "Ooh!" moments, and there are some parts of me that are cautious. The reaction of being put into an "Ooh!" environment when we still didn't know each other well, and being embarrassed to get closer to each other and rejected is realistic and necessary in the first step. The director said, "There's something nice about the two of them being very close together in a rice bag" and he desperately wanted us to be close and he was just like a middle-aged man (laughs). I think it's wonderful that someone can create a film with that kind of ordinary sensibility, and when I saw the completed scene, I got a little emotional.
Barfout: In that scene, it's rather nice to see you as clumsy or uncool in a sense.
Nakajima: I'm not cool at all (laughs). But there are times when awkward people might seem rather cool. I think it's very important to take things that might be considered ridiculous and do it in an overly serious way. Everyone is ostensibly worried about meeting others, and they don't do it for some selfish and silly reason, and Ryota works out his very pure feelings for Koharu. He doesn't worry too much about the people in his surroundings.
Barfout: But really, this is a film that carefully captures the accumulation of everyday life, and makes you realise that the repeated days are irreplaceable!
Nakajima: That's right. I want to think about the reason I'm alive, considering there are people who support me as I am. To be able to drink water normally like this, to have a starring role in a movie, to have a cool haircut and wear cool clothes, to be interviewed and published in a magazine, it's a very happy environment. I'm thankful for each and every one of them, and it made me realise that "there are so many more things I have to be thankful for". It's a film that makes you feel like you're not taking those things for granted, and that's why I want you to watch it and cherish this moment right now.
Barfout: By the way, after Ryota breaks up with Koharu, he goes out with the very fashionable Emiri who likes him, but after he realizes that Koharu is important to him, the way he breaks up with her is a bit awful (laughs).
Nakajima: Yes... that's a weak point we shouldn't forget (laughs). I feel pretty sorry for Emiri... I was in a pretty serious state of mind when we were filming, but I was so emotionally invested in Koharu that when she climbed onto my lap, I was too assertive and she was confused (laughs). He still had feelings for Koharu, which he kept a lid on, after all, and he couldn't hug her the same way he hugged Koharu. Ryota's rejection is incredibly selfish, and he dumps Emiri unreasonably, but he has to be grateful for that because without Emiri, he probably wouldn't have noticed it. But I'm sure he thinks he's a pretty bad guy, too. It was super painful, the scene where he dumps Emiri. She's crying a lot, and it was sad. You know, I'm not the kind of man to dump someone without hesitation (laughs).
Barfout: You have a sense of guilt (laughs). This is a different piece of work compared to your previous work, "Pink and Grey", but what kind of new discoveries did you make?
Nakajima: It gave me another way of thinking. In this world, I don't think there is a right way to do things, but I think it's important to have objectives. With this role though, I learned how to feel it out as it was, and how to approach it without making too much of it, but with "Pink and Grey", I realised that I'm the type who gets better and better with each take, and I'm able to see more and more things. That's what director Yukisada Isao said, and he also told me that Suda Masaki is the one who makes the first move, so it's difficult to be opposite him (laughs). There are always situations where you can make use of what you have experienced. I'm actually in the entertainment industry myself, and things like the matters in "Pink and Grey" can be troublesome...
Barfout: The look on your face that says, "Troublesome." (laughs)
Nakajima: Ah, I'm sorry, it just shows on my face so easily (laughs). I'm even jealous of my peers like in the movie, and there are also times where I think about life's hardships, but that doesn't mean I empathise with everything. But I often feel like it's a word that's necessary because of who I am now, or because it resonates with me. When I think about it, it's strange to think that this is the case, because so far I've encountered the work as it comes to me. The one thing that's always been important to me is simple: whether I can get close to the role. I think it's a waste if I don't love my role.