The original animated film "Fureru (Touch)" is the latest work by the three creators behind the youth trilogy set in Chichibu, and is now in theaters. Set in Takadanobaba, Tokyo, the film depicts the friendship between three young men who live with a mysterious creature called "Fureru" As with the youth trilogy, it is directed by Nagai Tatsuyuki, written by Okada Mari, and character designed and chief animation director Tanaka Masayoshi. In this film, Okada repeatedly asks questions such as "What does it mean to speak your true feelings?" and "What is a true friend?" We asked him about the thoughts he put into "Fureru" (※The interview contains spoilers for the main story)
◇The other power of “touch”: Thoughts on communication
“Fureru” is the story of childhood friends Aki Onoda, Ryo Sobue, and Yuta Inohara, who grew up on the same island, who move to Tokyo at the age of 20 and start living together in Takadanobaba, Tokyo. Aki works part-time at a bar, Ryo is a new graduate at a real estate company, and Yuta is a vocational school student aspiring to be a fashion designer. Although they live different lives, their hearts are always connected by the special power of a mysterious creature called “touch” that they brought from the island, and each of their words flow into them without them having to speak. The friendship between the three people, who are connected by “touch”, changes due to a hidden “other power”.
Aki and the other three are able to hear each other’s inner thoughts by touching each other directly, and they should have been able to spend their childhoods in a state where their true feelings are completely exposed. However, when an incident causes their friendship to waver, they are no longer able to hear each other’s inner thoughts. This was due to another hidden power of "touching," the power to block out negative words that are against the other person and make them inaudible. The three were confused when they found out that they had not been able to speak their true feelings to each other, even though they thought they had.
In depicting the other power of "touching," Okada was influenced by the existence of social media.
"I heard that there is a service on social media that can remove words that hurt people, and I thought that was interesting. I think many people have the desire to "interact honestly" and "have others understand me." I think that people long for true feelings because they know that adjusting what they think and conveying it to others is necessary for human relationships. That is why, in places where there is anonymity, the feelings of people who want to be understood overflow and become excessive. I think it is a very difficult time to express true feelings."
Aki and the others are unaware that their true feelings are being "learned," but they think that they are interacting with each other honestly. That's why he feels that their friendship was born, but Okada continued to think, "It's like an illusion, or you can't be friends unless you turn your eyes away from reality a little. I think it's difficult to be honest with someone. But is that really the case?"
That's why it's like a process of 'getting in touch'. I didn't want to make it a story that denies something. In 'Fureru.', there are characters who say, 'That's not a real friend,' about what happens because of Fureru, and there is an uncharacteristic protagonist who says, 'That's fine.' I thought I could show these ways of thinking about communication, and each of their thoughts, through animation."
◇A story of friendship in the age of social media
As the story progresses, Aki and the other three go from being unable to hear each other's inner thoughts to being able to see everything through Fureru's blocking function being removed. What happens to friendship when you find out each other's true feelings? I felt that such questions were also included in 'Fureru.'
"Before I finished writing the script, I submitted it saying, 'This is the story,' and of course there was a discussion about, 'How do we end it?' There were all kinds of opinions, like the three of them no longer being friends, or that they stay together. When that happened, I thought, 'I'd like to write it for now.' I wanted to write about what the characters do, and see what happens to them, and see how satisfied I was with it."
The title, "Touch," includes the meanings of "touching each other's true feelings" and "touching each other's hearts." Okada also had a special feeling for the mysterious creature "Touch."
"Director Nagai said, 'This is a story about three people,' so I wondered what kind of feelings "Touch" has. When the hedgehog-like appearance was completed, he was a thorny child who was 'untouchable.' He wanted to connect with someone, but he couldn't. But when someone connected with him, he felt that he was needed by these people. When writing the script, I wanted to be conscious of "Touch"'s feelings as well." "Touch" seems to be an embodiment of the "true feelings" that you want to touch, but that can also be painful to touch. "Showing your true feelings is a reassuring thing in friendships, like 'If it's okay to say this much, then we're best friends,' or 'If you've shown me this much of your card, then you don't hate me.' Rather than a traditional friendship story this time, I feel that it's a modern friendship that has parts where they explore each other and become exhausted." ◇ A youth story, the adventure of three people who continue to seek modern dramas "Touch" was made after the youth trilogy. Okada says he is once again reminded that this is a story that could only have been made by the three of us, Nagai and Tanaka.
"From the planning stage, we were asked to make a coming-of-age story and a contemporary drama. In the past, the three of us wanted to try different themes. But recently, I've started to find that interesting. When I first proposed "Anohana," I thought it would never be approved. It was said to be too weak and uninspiring as an original work. But that's what we're expected to do. Being able to do a story that wouldn't be approved anywhere else is actually a very challenging thing."
Okada says that they've come to understand each other's likes and dislikes over the years, and says of Nagai, "He's very clear about what he doesn't want to do."
"I think he's a very difficult director, but I'm also a very biased person, so I can't really criticize other people (laughs). I think it's amazing that three people with such strong personalities, including Tanaka, have been able to work together for so many years. And it's miraculous that they can continue to inspire each other. It's also possible because we're so blessed with the staff around us. In both good and bad ways, I think it's a unique cast."
A modern-day story of friendship depicted by Director Nagai, Okada, and Tanaka. Let's touch on the thoughts that went into "Touch."
