It has been announced that the film "Orokamono no mibun (The Fool's Status)" (directed by Nagata Koto), starring actor Takumi Kitamura with co-stars Ayano Go and Hayashi Yuta, will be released on October 24th. The film is based on the novel of the same name (Tokuma Bunko) by Nishio Jun, which won the 2nd Yabu Haruhiko Newcomer Award, and is a fugitive suspense story that depicts the "darkness" that exists alongside the young people living in modern Japan. Image visuals and project footage have also been released.
The film is a story about the fate and bond of three young people who, due to poverty, entered the world of shady business and could not escape. The events of their three days are told from the intersecting perspectives of the three people. This is the first theatrical work by "THE SEVEN," a group of producers who have worked on popular works such as the Netflix drama series "Alice in Borderland" and "Yu Yu Hakusho." The film is directed by Nagata Koto, who has worked on "Shibuya-ku Maruyamacho" and "Little DJ: A Little Love Story."
Kitamura plays the main character, Matsumoto Takuya, who poses as a woman on social media and takes advantage of orphaned men to make money by buying and selling family registers, Ayano plays Kajitani Kenji, an underworld courier who is like an older brother to Takuya and teaches him the business of buying and selling family registers, and Hayashi plays Kakizaki Mamoru, who grew up in a complicated family environment and never knew the love of his family.
In the released image visual, Takuya, Mamoru, and Kajitani are seen laughing with their arms around each other against the backdrop of the neon-lit Kabukicho district of Shinjuku. In the project video, in addition to behind-the-scenes footage, Kitamura, Hayashi, and Ayano talk about the roles they played and their passion for the film.
The comments from the cast and staff announced this time are as follows:
◇Comment from Takumi Kitamura
This is a movie about men who have nothing left to lose but still try to live. The filming period felt like a relay of feelings between three generations: Hayashi Yuta, Takumi Kitamura Takumi, and Ayano Go. From Go to me, and from me to Yuta. What do "Yuta" and "Mamoru" think about the future? I hope you will experience this for yourself at the cinema.
◇Comment from Go Ayano
Do they have names? Are they living as themselves? Since when have they had to embrace themselves? Takumi Kitamura weaves a delicate sparkle, and Hayashi Yuta creates a fresh glow. Director Nagata Koto continues to embrace the breath of these characters. This is a story of those whose light has been stolen, those who have given up on light, and those who carve out new paths for light. I hope you will experience this light at the theater.
◇Comment from Yuta Hayashi
I'm Hayashi Yuta, who plays Mamoru. When someone tells me to eat a lot, I feel like they're telling me to live! When someone tells me that everything will be okay, I really feel like everything will be okay. Before this film was made, many people gave Mamoru a place to belong. I think that wanting to do for others what others have done for us is what gives us the strength to live. This film taught me that. I hope it reaches many people.
◇Comment from Director Koto Nagata
Over the past few years, I have personally witnessed the serious poverty and crime among young people and was thinking about how I could express this when I came across Jun Nishio's original work. I thought, "This is it!" and decided to make this film. This is the first story about men I have ever seen, and it is brought to life by a cast of wonderful actors. Takumi Kitamura has a deep and pure presence backed by experience that takes your breath away the moment he appears on screen. Ayano Go pursues acting to the fullest, adding depth to the story. Hayashi Yuta captured my heart with his life-sized, delicate facial expressions. This is a masterpiece that exposes Japan's social issues while also creating entertainment.
◇Comment from the original author, Jun Nishio
"People cannot choose the status they are born into. But what if it could be bought and sold?"
This is the author's debut work, a story that depicts the distortions lurking in modern society and the people who are at its mercy.
It still feels like a dream that the characters that were born quietly in one room met so many people under Director Nagata and were brought to life on screen. Please come to the theater to see the choices made by these young men who are torn between good and evil, desire and despair. Takuya, Mamoru, and Kajitani who appear on screen are far more charming fools than they were in the original author's mind!
◇ Comment from producer Teru Morii
These young men have no help from their parents, society, or anyone else, and yet they continue to live their lives being consumed by the darkness of modern society and at its mercy. Who is to blame? Where did they go wrong?
The lives of these people happen and disappear in places we cannot know. However, it is right next to us and it could happen to us or our families. In this bleak world, Takuya, Mamoru, and Kajitani only want a small, ordinary happiness. I hope the audience will embrace them with warm eyes. I am very grateful to have been able to adapt this wonderful original work into a film with a wonderful cast, director, and staff.
