The first event for the film "WIND BREAKER" (directed by Hagiwara Kentaro, to be released on December 5th), starring actor Koshi Mizukami, was held on October 20th at Starrise Tower (Minato Ward, Tokyo) at the foot of Tokyo Tower.
The original work is a popular delinquent manga by Satoru Nii, currently being serialized on Kodansha's web manga service, Magapoke. The story follows the protagonist, Haruka Sakura (Mizukami), whose only redeeming quality is fighting, as she grows as a member of " Bofurin, " a group that protects the town of Fuurin High School School, a school for delinquents. Other cast members playing " Bofurin" include Taisei Kido, Keito Tsuna, JUNON from "BE:FIRST,"Motoki Nakazawa, and Uesugi Shuhei. Yagi Rikako, the only female in the group, appears in the role of someone who watches over them. Koki Yamashita and Hamao Noritaka also appear. The narration is provided by Yuma Uchida, the voice actor who plays Sakura in the anime version.
The venue was bathed in the film's signature green, and the cast appeared amidst a blast of wind with a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 25 meters per second, sending leaves flying, just like the "wind action" in the film. Mizukami reflected on the grueling filming, saying, "The hurricane they used to express 'visualizing the wind' on set was nothing like this! We did the action scenes in a much bigger, more intense wind. All I could hear was the voice saying, 'Ready, set, go!' and it was only by the assistant director's gestures that I knew the camera was rolling."
JUNON, who played Sugishita Kyotaro, who is characterized by his long black hair, spoke of his difficulties, saying, "My character had long hair, so that was the most difficult part of the wind action. When the wind blew, my hair blocked my view, and even when I tried to avoid it, it stuck to my face...it was amazing." Director Hagiwara also spoke about what was going on behind the scenes, saying, "Apart from the wind that was actually blowing on the actors, we also had to make the trees that were shown in the background of the screen all sway, so the whole staff worked together to make them sway."
When asked how she felt when she received the offer to appear in the film, Mizukami, who plays Sakura, a girl who comes from outside the city believing only in her fighting strength, said, "This was my second time trying my hand at body action. Unlike sword fighting, which uses weapons like swords, I was initially taken aback by the 'real flesh and blood feeling' of punching people. But I told myself that if I didn't carefully consider the fact that I was making a work with this kind of theme in the Reiwa era, it would be a big deal, so I went into it."
Kido, who played Nirei Akihiko, a man who is terrible at fighting but skilled at gathering information, said, "I first read the original work and wanted to approach the role with a strong sense of respect." He continued, "Turning a two-dimensional character into a three-dimensional, living human being...to be honest, I was worried about how difficult that was until we started filming. But as I worked on the project with Director Hagiwara, I felt that the image of Nirei as a character was gradually taking shape in my mind."
Tsuna, who played Su Fang Junfei, whose trademark eyepatch is over his right eye, said with a smile, "I've always loved the original work, and Su Fang is one of my favorite characters, so I was really happy!" He continued, "Of course, there was a lot of pressure, but I faced the role head-on so well that I couldn't complain. I believe that if we actors truly live in that moment, that passion will definitely come across on screen. There were hectic days after filming began, but I did my best with all my might."
