Actor Masato Sakai appeared at the preview screening of his starring movie "Hiraba no Tsuki" (directed by Yuta Doi, scheduled for release on November 14th) held in Tokyo on October 29th. Regarding the finished film, Sakai said, "Everyone except me was good, because it's hard to look at your own acting objectively. I especially liked the two young actors (Aito Sakamoto and Kasumi Isshiki). Everyone should see it," and added, "It's a story that slowly builds up like a surging wave. I hope it will be loved for a long time to come."
Both Director Doi and Sakai are alumni of the Waseda University Drama Club. Director Doi revealed, "I've always wanted to film a film with Sakai," and praised his acting, saying, "I was impressed by how he was able to take on an ordinary 50-year-old person so sincerely."
Co-stars Igawa Haruka, Nakamura Yuri, Yoshise Michiko, Tsubaki Oniyatsu, Nao Omori, Sakamoto, and Isshiki also appeared at the premiere screening.
"Hiraba no Tsuki" is based on the novel of the same name (Kobunsha Bunko) by Asakura Kasumi, which won the 32nd Yamamoto Shugoro Prize. Aoto Takemasa (Sakai) and Sudo Yoko (Igawa Haruka), who were classmates in junior high school and each other's first loves, meet again for the first time in 35 years. The story depicts an adult love story in which the two, now single, hit it off and connect with each other after going through various life experiences. This is Sakai's first leading role in a film in about eight years, since "DESTINY: Kamakura Monogatari" released in 2017. It is his first time starring in a love story set in the present day.
