Director Kinoshita Mugi, who worked on the much-talked-about TV anime series Odd Taxi that aired in 2021, and manga artist and screenwriter Konomoto Kazuya have teamed up again for the new original animated feature film, "The Last Blossom." Akutsu Minoru, an elderly man serving a life sentence who is about to die alone in his cell, is approached by a mysterious The Last Blossom, who wrote the original story and screenplay, about the thoughts he put into the film.
◇ A glimmer of salvation emerges from the awkward persistence of those on the fringes of society
-How did you end up teaming up with Director Kinoshita again?
When I received the offer, I wanted to work with him again. With "Odd Taxi," there was minimal consultation and I was given a lot of freedom to write, so I realized the weight of the responsibility that ultimately rests with the director, regardless of whether the film is well-received or not. So this time, I tried to write the script in line with the director's perspective and chemistry, and aligned the direction from the ground up.
--Director Kinoshita also said that he "valued beauty and innocence." What is the significance of depicting "beauty and innocence" in this day and age?
The initial project notes I received from the director were mostly about the yakuza. So I thought I would fill that vessel with the sustained emotion that cannot be measured by external "righteousness." The "beauty and purity" I'm referring to here is not a judgment of right or wrong, but rather the way you hold on to the time you spend thinking about someone. A faint salvation is born from the clumsy persistence of someone who stands on the fringes of society. I wanted to carefully capture just that moment.
--Why did you choose middle-aged, elderly people as the main characters? Is there anything you can depict because the main characters are not young?
From the director's proposal, I chose a scenario in which an old man, dying in his cell, talks to The Last Blossom and looks back on the past. Middle-aged protagonists are quite common in novels and foreign films. Meanwhile, the Japanese box office grammar places a strong emphasis on the "dream" of a young protagonist, and there are already many writers honing this form. However, I feel that there are still not many creators trying to update this "dream model." That's why this time I chose a middle-aged protagonist, and made a story about emotions that cannot be measured by correctness, and are proven over time. I feel that it is in this continuity that a faint hope shines. If you ask me, "Who is this for?", I would say it's for the living.
◇Did you think about the ending first?
--The story carefully depicts the mundane everyday events, with hints scattered throughout. It seems to be meticulously calculated. Did you think about the ending first?
I believe a story needs both unexpected and predictable parts. If it's too unexpected it feels fake, and if it's too predictable it becomes boring. This is not something I can completely control, but the balance only becomes clear as I write. That's why I don't completely fix the ending.
--What are some things you can express because it's an anime and not a manga? Are there any things you can express because it's an anime and not a live-action film?
The director is an anime person, and I'm a storyteller. That's why I wasn't particularly conscious of the necessity for it to be anime. I see the medium as a means, not an end. Manga can be made into anime or live-action, and vice versa. This time, I think that anime was the most natural fit for the cast.
-Finally, please give us a message.
If you suddenly remember even one face after watching it, that will be enough for me. Please watch at your own pace.
