MODELPRESS.JP: Nikaido Fumi in a male role, shows off short bob haircut for the first time. Kiss with GACKT on first filming day Tonde Saitama

Actress Nikaido Fumi and artist GACKT attended the Japan Premier for the movie Tonde Saitama (releasing 22 February), which they co-starred in, on the 28th with Iseya Yusuke, Brother Tom, Shimazaki Haruka, Kato Ryo, Masuwaka Tsubasa, Nakao Akira, Kyomoto Masaki, and director Takeuchi Hideki.

Tonde Saitama Live-Action Movie Adaptation

This movie is a live-action movie adaptation of Maya Mineo’s original work, “Kono Manga ga Sugoi! comics Tonde Saitama”, which captured the media’s attention and became a hot topic online and on SNS in 2015 when it was republished as a special book for the first time in 30 years. It is constructed in 2 parts, using the setting and the stage of the original story, Momomi and Rei appear in the Legend Part, and a family who lives in Saitama retelling this legend to renew their local love for Saitama in the Modern Part.

Nikaido plays the role of Dannoura Momomi; the son of the governor of Tokyo and the student council president of Hakuhodo School (elite) who delivers a spectacular student life. It is her first time acting a male role. On the other hand, GACKT plays the role of a “high school student”, of Asami Rei; the good looking 18 year old transfer student from America who was actually from Saitama that Momomi has a mild infatuation for.

Nikaido Fumi Shows off Short Bob

On the 27th, Nikaido revealed on Instagram that she chopped off her hair and had donated it for medical wigs. On this day, she showed off her short bob, which reaches just under her ears, for the first time while dressed a mannish suit style in reference to her male role. As a greeting, she said, “I decided to attend with a boyish mood today. Please enjoy it”.

GACKT ‘Immediately Declined’ “High School Student” Offer Kiss Scene on First Day of Filming

When GACKT first heard of the offer to play the role of the transfer high school student, he said that he “immediately declined”, but “I was told that even if he is a high school student, he’s a special one… which then begs the question of what high school student is a special one supposed to be!?”. With his interest piqued, he listened to the details and eventually agreed to it.

Afterwards, as GACKT started filming, “what welcomed me on the first day of filming was a kiss scene. I thought, what a process”, he said, mentioning his shock at the sudden kiss scene, but despite that, “Because we began with an ornate and gorgeous set, it was at the same level as the appearances that we were put in, and it made the staff’s regular appearances look weird. The other co-stars’ makeup was amazing too, and with such a gateway as the entrance, it was off to an exceptionally good start for both me and Fumi-chan which made me feel that we’ve delved into a great world view”.

Nikaido described this movie, saying “Highly individualistic people were gathered, it was as if they all came to earth representing their own planets and gathering wiht a flourish, did whatever it is with a flourish, then went home all at once”. In it, she added with a smile, “I thought I was the most decent on site”. Finally, she appealed, “Halfway through, it starts to head towards the direction of love so I’d be glad if you’d enjoy the evolution from dissing to love”.