The latest film in the "GARO" special effects drama series, which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, "GARO TAIGA," was released on October 17th. Directed and written by original author Amemiya Keita, the film depicts the exploits of Saejima Taiga, the father of Saejima Koga, the protagonist of "GARO," in his younger days. We spoke to lead actor Kitada Shoichiro, who was chosen to play the young Taiga, and director Amemiya about the production process and their thoughts on the late Watanabe Hiroyuki, who played Taiga in the TV series.
◇What was the deciding factor in selecting Kitada Shoichiro?
--Why did you decide to create a work with Saejima Taiga as the main character on this 20th anniversary milestone?
Director Amemiya: This may seem blunt, but last year I was asked to write and direct a film about Saejima Taiga's younger days to mark the 20th anniversary.
What did you think when you received the proposal?
Director Amemiya: I was approached at the end of June last year, but they wanted me to complete the script and design within four months, and on top of that, the lead actor hadn't even been decided yet, so I was starting from zero, and I thought it might be a bit difficult (laughs). However, I'm the type of person who gets fired up when I think something is impossible, so I took on the challenge, thinking it would be interesting once it was completed.
-Please tell us how Kitada was chosen for the lead role.
Director Amemiya: At first, I was going for an actor with a certain amount of experience, but it was difficult. So I shifted gears and thought maybe a newcomer would be okay, and then I happened to see some materials about Kitada sitting on my desk. I had the first design drawing for Taiga, and I thought Kitada looked similar to it! That was the deciding factor.
--The design drawing looks exactly like Kitada-san, but you drew it before you knew about Kitada-san, right?
Director Amemiya: That's right. I thought the photo I saw at the time looked similar to the design drawing.
Kitada: This is the first time I've heard that... (laughs)!
--I see! How did you feel when you found out you'd be appearing?
Kitada: I was more surprised than happy.
-Please tell us your impressions of Taiga and your thoughts on the characters.
Director Amemiya: I imagined the character, but it was the hard work of the actor, Watanabe Hiroyuki, and the staff at the time who brought it to life. Because the character is symbolic of "GARO," we took great care in expressing it.
Kitada: When I saw the TV series (in which Watanabe played the role), I got the impression that he was strong, kind, and cool, so I played the role hoping to be able to express that in this work. The director repeatedly told me to be "unwavering," so I was conscious of being "unwavering."
-For you as a director, is the word "unwavering" the most appropriate word to describe Taiga?
Director Amemiya: That's right. It's quite difficult to express an unwavering character, but I tried to find that out while filming.
◇Aiming to surpass "National Treasure"? Confident in the result
-- Watanabe's presence is indispensable when talking about Taiga dramas, but what were your thoughts as you played the role, Kitada?
Kitada: In the TV series, there is an episode called "Taiga" (Episode 12), which mainly depicts Taiga. During filming, I would watch the episode before going to bed or while traveling on the location bus, and I would then approach the filming. Every day I thought about how I could portray Watanabe's Taiga. However, I couldn't just do the same thing as Watanabe, so I thought about the strength, kindness, and coolness of Watanabe's Taiga in my own way and acted accordingly.
-In terms of directing, were there any similarities between Watanabe's character, Taiga?
Director Amemiya: There were some parts where I aimed for a hairstyle and makeup that would create a good connection with Taiga (played by Watanabe). However, that was something I told the staff, and I didn't tell Kitada to "be conscious of Taiga played by Watanabe." I just wanted him to be himself and act freely without thinking too much about that sort of thing. I talked with the other staff members and devised ways to make them similar.
--As this is a story about Taiga's younger days, expectations are high for the future.
Director Amemiya: First of all, this film needs to be a hit before we can move on to the next one (laughs). I want it to be a huge, surprising hit, surpassing "One Cut of the Dead" and "National Treasure" (laughs). Then maybe it will be decided to make it into a series.
-Finally, please tell us what the highlights of this film are.
Director Amemiya: I can say with the most confidence I have in my 20 years of work that we have created a "GARO" that even people who have never seen a "GARO" before can enjoy. I would be happiest if people watched this film and then went on to watch the other series.
Kitada: I want people to see this film on the big screen. When I'm in a film, I have a habit of having a little debriefing session while watching it, but this film has turned out to be so immersive that I even forget about that. The action is flashy and it's packed with various elements, so I definitely want people to see it in the theater. (Interview, text, and photography: Endo Masaki)
