On March 12th, it was revealed that Taiga Kyomoto of the popular group "SixTONES" will be appearing in the movie " Mieruko-chan " (directed by Nakamura Yoshihiro) starring Nanoka Hara . He will play Tono Zen, a teacher who is assigned as a substitute homeroom teacher at the high school attended by the protagonist, high school girl Yotsuya Miko (played by Hara), who suddenly becomes able to see spirits one day.
Although Tono is a quiet, kind, and serious-looking person, he is also a mysterious character with a somewhat otherworldly aura about him. He has a hidden "secret" behind him, and the truth of this becomes clear as the story progresses.
Kyomoto reflected on the filming, saying, "It was a difficult role with a complicated background, so I approached the work by chewing over the script over and over again in my own way." He added, "I hope you enjoy this work, which in a sense breaks the concept of horror."
Director Nakamura praised Kyomoto's abilities, saying, "It's a really difficult role, so I was thinking about what tone to go for on the first day, but then it suddenly landed exactly where it was, and I have almost no memory of directing after that."
Furthermore, the original author, Izumi Tomoki, who met Kyomoto on the set, commented, "He looked so serious as he carefully read over the script, and he was taking pictures of all sorts of things during filming, so I got the impression that he has a way of looking at things differently from other people, and I felt that he had something in common with Zen."
The movie is based on the horror comedy manga by Izumi Tomoki, which has sold over 3 million copies in Japan and was also made into a TV anime. One day, high school girl Yotsuya Miko (Hara) suddenly starts seeing spirits, and she chooses to "ignore" them. If the spirits realize that she can see them, Miko fears what will happen, so she pretends to be calm and continues to ignore them. However, when the shadow of a spirit creeps up on even her best friend, will Miko be able to continue ignoring the spirits? This is the story.
The full comments from Kyomoto, Izumi, and Director Nakamura are as follows:
◇Comment from Taiga Kyomoto
My name is Taiga Kyomoto, and I played the role of Tono Zen.
I have experience playing teacher roles, but this was a difficult role with a complicated background, so I approached this production by chewing over the script over and over again in my own way.
During filming, I was able to enjoy acting thanks to the guidance of Director Nakamura, who gave me precise instructions, and the very cheerful cast members, and I also had a great time as an audience member at the preview screening I attended the other day.
Please enjoy this work which in a way shatters your concept of horror.
◇Comment from Tomoki Izumi
Taiga Kyomoto, who plays Tono Zen, had a chance to talk to me alone during a long break in filming (I might not have another chance to talk), and although he usually never speaks up, I spoke to him in a friendly manner when I spoke to him during the tour, and I was very happy to learn that he had read the original work thoroughly. He looked at the script carefully, and he was taking pictures of various things during filming, which gave me the impression that he has a different way of looking at things than other people, and I felt that he had something in common with Zen.
When I was writing the script for Good, I was nervous because someone saw me writing it (laughs). Also, if you watch the movie until the end, I think you'll see something amazing that's different from Good in the original work, so I hope you'll all look forward to it!
◇Comment from Director Yoshihiro Nakamura
When Kyomoto-san accepted this role, I thought, "Really?!" but at the same time, I was also relieved, thinking, "Now the movie is complete." It's a really difficult role, so I was thinking about taking my time on the first day to decide what tone to go for, but then he suddenly landed on the spot, so I have almost no memory of directing after that.
One thing that made an impression on me was when, at one location, a swarm of small insects targeted Kyomoto, who was the only one wearing a white costume, and they started clinging to his face and clothes. Despite this, he didn't show a single sign of displeasure, but there was a limit to how much he could endure, and it was really pitiful to see his cheeks twitching during the show... Anything I say would be a spoiler, so it's frustrating that I can't go into detail, but with the attitude of friend or foe? Taiga Kyomoto! I hope you'll go to the theater to see the movie.
