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SPICE.EPLUS.JP: GACKT & Kyomoto Masaki, first encounter in 15 years between the two of "the same type". The charm of "Kyomoto's World" revealed in Tonde Saitama shoot
The Japan premiere for Tonde Saitama was held today, 28 January, at Tokyo Dome City Hall and was attended by the cast; Nikaido Fumi, GACKT, Iseya Yusuke, Brother Tom, Shimazaki Haruka, Kato Ryo, Masuwaka Tsubasa, Nakao Akira, Kyomoto Masaki, and director Takeuchi Hideki.
Tonde Saitama is a live-action movie adaptation of Maya Mineo-san’s manga of the same name. It is a comedy where Saitama citizens who are being oppressed by Tokyo citizens for them “Saitama Liberation Front” to fight for their freedom. The original was announced in the 1980s and was out of print for a long time until recently when it was revived after 30 years, becoming a hot topic on SNS for the intense dissing of Saitama citizens. In the movie, the legendary Saitama citizen, Saitama Duke, and Saitama Prefecture’s eternal rival, Chiba Prefecture makes an appearance too, adding new elements into the story.
Like in the movie, the Japan premiere too was set based on “Saitama disses”. In the hall, members of the “Saitama Assault Troops” = SAT were on the prowl, looking for hidden Saitama citizens, while the seats for the invited audience members who were selected before this event were “Saitama Special Seats” = SSS, which were aluminium foldable chairs put on straw. There was no let up on the dissing of Saitama even before the screening.
Dannoura Momomi’s Nikaido Fumi and Asami Rei’s GACKT arrived on the grass-coloured green carpet, which was inspired by the line from the movie; “Saitama citizens, eat
the grass over there!”. They showed their smiles as they faced the hall packed with fans.
In this movie, GACKT plays the role of Asami Rei, a high school student transferring from America to the prestigious Tokyo school Hakuhoudou (but he is actually a Saitama citizen). He confessed that when he heard that it was a role of a high school student, he initially immediately declined. However, “They said that ‘even though he’s a high school student, he’s a special high school student’. Wouldn’t you start to wonder, ‘what kind of high school student is a special high school student’. (From then on) I came to understand the movie”, and he read the original work and finally decided to do it.
Also, GACKT said with a smile, “When we started filming, on the first day, it was a kiss scene (with Nikaido). What a process”. Even so, he appealed with the charms of the movie, saying, “(The first day) was in a ornate and luxurious set, so it was as if our appearances matched while the staff’s clothes looked weird. The makeup of the other actors was also amazing, and since the gateway in was in such a form, I was immersed in the world view”.
Nikaido, who plays Dannoura Momomi, the student council president of Hakuhoudou school, recalled the filming, saying, “Highly individualistic people were gathered. It was as if people from different planets came to earth, did everything with a flourish, and then all went home with a flourish”. With regards to the equally quirky cast members, she admitted, “I did my job while thinking that I was the most decent one”, and immediately, GACKT too, asserted, “I thought I was the most decent one though”. The emcee then asked “Who thought that they were the most decent one around?” and almost all the cast members present raised their hands, drawing laughter from the audience.
GACKT finally got to meet Kyomoto Masaki, who plays Saitama Duke, for the first time. Looking back, GACKT said, “I’ve always been acquainted with Kyomoto-san’s makeup artist so I’ve heard of Kyomoto-san a long time ago. Probably 15 years ago”. In addition, speaking of their first encounter, he divulged that when he went to Kyomoto’s dressing room to greet him, Kyomoto called out to him, saying “We finally get to meet~! But, you know, we’re the same type, aren’t we!”, yet “without thinking, I ended up blurting ‘Are we!?’”. While the audience laughed, Kyomoto explained, “Throughout these 15 years, I’ve never met him, yet during that time, no matter where I went, I’d get compared to GACKT”, rousing even more laughter.
In addition, GACKT said, “Kyomoto’s world is amazing, you know?”, divulging how Kyomoto stopped during a long line of his during filming. He happily spoke of how Kyomoto kept insisting that his crisis was “an ‘interval’”, while Nikaido charmingly appealed with a smile, “This is a movie that is packed with the gallant figure of such a Kyomoto-san”. Continuing, she closed off the event with, “I hope that we will be able to increase the number of hearts that love their
local areas through this movie. Do watch it!”.
Source: spice.eplus.jp
Translation: GACKT Italia Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA
SAITAMA-NP.CO.JP: Tonde Saitama Movie Preview attended by Nikaido Fumi-san, GACKT-san and more. Shimazaki Haruka: "Something that Saitama can be proud of"
The Japan premiere for the movie Tonde Saitama, which is releasing on 22 February, was held on the 28th at Tokyo Dome City Hall in Suidobashi, Tokyo. Lead stars Nikaido Fumi-san and GACKT-san were gathered with the dazzling cast.
This movie is a live-action adaptation of Tonde Saitama, the manga that Maya Mineo wrote around 30 years ago, and was brought to life by director Takeuchi Hideki who was known for his direction in Thermae Romae and other series.
The extreme “Saitama jokes” featured in this work was a hot topic, while the original work sold over 690,000 copies since Heisei 31 until now.
■ Many Actors From Saitama Were Cast
The two lead actors appeared by sashaying down the green carpet. While tossing colourful balls referencing “Sai no Kuni (彩の国)” into the audience, they were greeted by loud cheers from the approximately 1000 people gathered in the venue.
There are many Saitama-born actors who are included in the cast. Brother Tom, who was born in Kumagaya City, loudly declared, “This is the only movie that can beat Queen (Bohemian Rhapsody)”, but without skipping a beat, director Takeuchi retorted with “I don’t think so”.
Shimazaki Haruka-san said shyly, “Something the Saitama can be somewhat proud of has been made”, and the audience clapped.
Masuwaka Tsubasa-san recalled, “I was troubled when I received the offer. I then decided to take on it and going into filming, we’ve made a fun movie that has a lot of love-filled disses”.
Nikaido-san appealed, “Please do watch until the very end, and I hope that through this movie, your love for your hometown will grow too”.
GACKT-san spoke of the movie’s highlights, saying, “When you think that it’s funny, I’d want you to let your voice out and laugh aloud. It would be nice if you would experience this spectacle that can only be understood in a theatre”.
■ Event Venue Packed With Saitama Punchlines
Based on the catchphrase “the grass over there” from the line “Feed Saitama citizens
the grass over there!”, a green carpet of artificial grass was laid out in the hall, inciting laughter from audience who gathered ahead of time.
Last year on 14 November, the official social media accounts selected people from those who trended the hashtag #埼玉県民の日 (#SaitamaCitizenDay) and baptised them with “loving disses” while giving them seats of aluminium folding chairs on straw called SSS seats (Saitama Super Sheet).
A female high school student (16) from Iruma City who was chosen was smiling as she said, “The name of my hometown appeared in the trailer so I retweeted without much thought. I’ll look forward to the movie going forward”.
In addition, the Prefectural Tourism Division distributed pamphlets of sightseeing destinations created by the prefecture and so on, spreading Saitama punchlines all over.
Source: saitama-np.co.jp
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA
TOKYOPOPLINE.COM: Saitama-born Shimazaki Haruka Elated By Completion of Movie Tonde Saitama "Something to be proud of has been made"
The Japan premiere for the movie Tonde Saitama was held on the 28th at TOKYO DOME CITY HALL in Tokyo’s Bunkyo-ku, and it was attended by Nikaido Fumi, GACKT, Iseya Yusuke, Brother Tom, Shimazaki Haruka, Kato Ryo, Masuwaka Tsubasa, Nakao Akira, Kyomoto Masaki, and Director Takeuchi Hideki.
The movie, which unleashes a crushing impact with the absolute dissing of Saitama citizens, is based on Maya Mineo’s original work “Kono Manga ga Sugoi! comics Tonde Saitama”. With Nikaido Fumi and GACKT as the leads, the movie tells of the characters who take on a battle involving the whole of Kanto for the freedom of Saitama citizens in a world where Saitama citizens are heavily persecuted by Tokyo citizens.
The original story ended after 3 parts when the author moved out of Saitama, so the movie builds on it, featuring the Chiba Liberation Front and a Modern Part which were not in the original work.
In the Modern Part, Saitama-born Shimazaki plays the role of Sugawara Aimi who longs for Tokyo. At the start of the stage greeting, she expressed her joy for the completion of the movie, saying “Finally, today, the day has come when I think I, for the first time, can confidently say that I come from Saitama”. Next to her, Masuwaka, who also comes from Saitama, shared a look with Shimazaki as she said, “We can finally say that we’re from Saitama without being embarrassed, right?”.
Shimazaki replied, “Though I can’t say it out loud”, and added with a bitter smile, “It’s embarrassing, isn’t it?”. When Masuwaka said, “There’s nothing (in Saitama) at all, is there?”, she went on to emphasis it, saying, “There really isn’t anything”, making the audience laugh.
During the talk that followed, the MC asked Shimazaki, “With this movie, are you no longer embarrassed (about coming from Saitama)?”. She replied, “There’s embarrassment but something to be proud of has been made”, and the audience clapped. She then added, “Since we’ve only had Saitama Super Arena so far”, making the audience laugh again.
In this movie, quirky actors starring in the roles of rich characters appear one after another.
Nikaido, who takes on her first male role as Dannoura Momomi, the son of the governor of Tokyo and the student council president of a prestigious school in Tokyo, looked back on the filming scene, saying, “Really highly individualistic people were gathered this time, as if they all came together to earth to represent their own planets, do whatever it is with a flourish, then return home all at once. I worked with the feeling that I should just do my own part properly while thinking that I was the most decent person there”, but GACKT disagreed, saying “The whole time I kept thinking that I was the most decent one though”. Right then , the MC asked, “Who thought that they were the most decent one?”, and almost the entire cast raised their hands, filling the hall with laughter.
On this day’s event, a green “grass from over there” carpet was laid out in the venue in reference to the line “You can even feed Saitama citizens with the grass over there” by Nikaido’s Dannoura Momomi, and the 30 invited audience members selected through this movie’s campaign were seated on folding chairs placed on straw, also known as “Saitama Super Seat”. These and more brought the unique world of the movie to life.
The movie Tonde Saitama will be released nationwide on Friday, 22 February.
Source: tokyopopline.com
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA
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”.
Source: modelpress.jp
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA
CINEMATODAY.JP: GACKT "immediately declined" offer to play a high schooler in Tonde Saitama
Musician GACKT attended the Japan premiere in TOKYO for the movie Tonde Saitama, which he co-starred with Nikaido Fumi, on the 28th, and unveiled the backstory to the offer to play a high schooler, saying, “I initially immediately declined”.
This movie is a live-action movie adaptation of Maya Mineo’s popular comic. Set in a world where Saitama citizens are discriminated by Tokyo citizens, the love that defies prefectural boundaries between Dannoura Momomi, the son of the governor of Tokyo and the student council president of Tokyo’s most prestigious school, and the handsome Saitama-born transfer student returning from America, Asami Rei, unfolds. This day’s event was also attended by his co-stars Nikaido Fumi, Iseya Yusuke, Brother Tom, Shimazaki Haruka, Kato Ryo, Masuwaka Tsubasa, Nakao Akira, Kyomoto Masaki, and director Takeuchi Hideki.
GACKT, who co-stars with Nikaido, acted his role as the handsome transfer student Rei with decisive visuals, but despite that, he revealed that “When I first heard that it was a ‘high school student part’, I immediately declined the offer”. Even so, as he listened to the plot, he came to understand that both the world view of the movie and the role are special, and he gradually grew interested. He was even looking forward to it, saying, “All my co-stars’ makeup was amazing too, and the set was ornate and gorgeous. We managed to film with a good flow”.
This movie was one that had a gathering of quirky, individualistic actors, including GACKT. As she looked across the audience, Nikaido said, “They were like quirky people who gathered to represent their own planets”, adding, “I thought I was the most decent one on site”. To Nikaido’s declaration, GACKT asserted, “I, too, also thought that I was the most decent one”, and wry smiles showed up on Kyomoto’s and the other members’ faces.
With an amiable atmosphere, GACKT spoke of the occasion when he first met Kyomoto. It seemed like it was an ‘over the edge’ first meeting as he said, “I went to his dressing room to greet him, and when the door opened, Kyomoto Masaki was just standing right there as he said to me ‘We finally get to meetー. We’re the same type, aren’t we’.”. Aside from that, GACKT went on to reveal parts of the unique Kyomoto world, making the audience laugh.
One of this movie’s highlights is the intense battle between Saitama citizens and Chiba citizens. Speaking of his enthusiasm with the filming, Director Takeuchi said that he “wanted to settle it properly”, and Shimazaki, who is a native of Saitama, said, “Until now, the only thing that we’ve ever had to be proud of was Saitama Super Arena, but with this movie, there’s something else to be proud of now”. Even so, Shimazaki said, “But it’s still embarrassing (to say that I’m from Saitama) after all”, drawing laughter from the audience.
Tonde Saitama the movie releases on 22 February
Source: cinematoday.jp
Translation: GACKT ITALIA Team
Translation © GACKT ITALIA