Okada Masaki is starring in the currently-showing movie "The Last Mile" (directed by Tsukahara Ayuko). He plays Nashimoto Ko, who works at the Kanto Center of a global shopping site, just like the lead actress Mitsushima Hikari's character Funato Erena. This work is a non-stop suspense story set in a "shared universe" that intersects with the world lines of the dramas "Unnatural" (2018) and "MIU404" (2020), directed by Tsukahara and written by Nogi Akiko. Okada said he was "moved" to be able to participate in a work set in this world line, and talked about the behind-the-scenes of the filming with Mitsushima. (Part 1 of a two-part series)
◇I was "moved" because I had watched "Unnatural" and "MIU404"
The story begins on the eve of "Black Friday" in November, one of the biggest events in the distribution industry, when a cardboard box delivered from the Kanto Center of a global shopping site explodes. Eventually, it develops into a series of explosions that terrify all of Japan. Funato Erena, who has just been appointed as the center director, will work with team manager Nashimoto Akira to resolve this unprecedented situation. Also appearing in the film are Ishihara Satomi, Iura Arata, and Ichikawa Mikako from "Unnatural," and Ayano Go, Hoshino Gen, and Aso Kumiko from "MIU404."
Even before Okada was cast in this film, he had been watching "Unnatural" and "MIU404," which are made by the same group. When he read the script and found out that this film is a "shared universe" film, he said, "I was surprised. That was the first time I realized that the two series intersected. I think I found out in the same way that people do when they watch a movie. I myself have watched both dramas, so I was moved."
"I thought it was great to be able to appear in a film set in the same world," he said, but also felt "quite a bit of pressure."
"Because it's a book by Akiko Nogi, it's very satisfying to read, and I thought it was a very well-written book. I was exhausted after reading it, and it was a very complicated story, so it took me a long time to understand it. There were many things I still didn't understand during filming, so I discussed it with the director, producer, and everyone else."
Regarding the script, "Mitsushima-san said that there were many things she didn't understand as well. So the two of us shared what we didn't understand, and teamed up to tackle the difficult (script) script."
◇ "I felt like I was being tested by the script."
This is the first time Okada and Mitsushima have worked together in 14 years. In "Akunin" (2010), there was a striking scene where Okada kicked Mitsushima out of the car. This time, Okada plays Kong, a team manager in his second year at the company, and most of the scenes with Mitsushima, the newly appointed center director Elena, take place in a warehouse.
"We were inside the warehouse the whole time, and we didn't see with our own eyes what was happening outside. We only had information coming in, and I think we were able to create it by sharing with Mitsushima how we processed it, how shocked we were, and how much damage had been caused. We calmly considered, maybe about 50% of the shock."
Even though they created it by sharing their emotions, it must have been difficult to act in such a limited space.
"It's very difficult to have to face the same people in the same place for a long time. It's somewhat theatrical, and the expression will change greatly depending on the actor, and I felt that Nogi-san was trying something on me. But it was only possible with Mitsushima-san, and I could feel that Mitsushima-san really made it interesting, and it really helped me."
The set also had an environment where they could act carefully. "Mitsushima and I felt like we were lost in a maze. We didn't have our feet on the ground, and there were moments when we were filming feeling unsure, so I was a bit worried. But Director Tsukahara supported us firmly. I think what made it work this time was that Director Tsukahara was so grounded, and we were able to act in an environment where we felt at ease," he said with real emotion.
In the second part, he talks about what he paid attention to when playing Kong and his future plans.
