Akari Takaishi plays the heroine in the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake" (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times). In the 65th episode (aired on December 26th), the last one of the year, Toki (Takaishi) and Heaven (Tommy Bastow) finally understand each other's feelings, and in a beautiful scene where the two walk hand in hand, the change in their relationship is expressed. We spoke to production manager Hashizume Kuniomi and director Murahashi Naoki about the behind-the-scenes filming of this scene and the aim of the direction.
◇Photographed at Lake Shinji: "I captured the most beautiful thing on camera."
In episode 65, Toki's ex-husband Ginjiro (Kanichiro) and Heaven's co-worker Eliza (Charlotte Kate Fox) realize that Toki and Heaven have feelings for each other and leave Matsue. Later, Toki and Heaven bump into each other at the foot of a bridge. Heaven is about to go for a walk, and Toki stops her, asking, "Can I join you?" The two stroll along the lakeside. Heaven takes Toki's hand, who is feeling shy, and the two begin walking hand in hand. The episode ends with a beautiful sunset reflected between their hands.
This scene was the first to be shot at Lake Shinji in Matsue. It was shot in almost the same location and from the same direction as the soba restaurant where Yakumo Koizumi, the inspiration for Heaven, loved to watch the sunset.
Murahashi recalls, "I photographed the sunset that Koizumi Setsu (the model for the crested ibis) and the Yakumo couple would have actually seen. I told Takaishi and Tommy about it, and they allowed me to film their acting from a little distance away. I didn't do anything particularly directing in the process; I simply captured the most beautiful thing on camera."
"I didn't take any close-up shots of the two of them walking, but rather shot them in one take from a distance. I waited for the sun to be in the right position to shoot, but there was no rush, and I think we were able to record in a fulfilling atmosphere. I think you can get a sense of their feelings without seeing their expressions, and I thought it would be unnecessary to show something that is already clear, so I deliberately avoided taking any close-up shots that would show their expressions."
Apparently, this scene where they hold hands by the lake wasn't in the script. After a scene where Toki asks Heaven if they can go for a walk together at the foot of a bridge, the two act out holding hands, but they thought, "Let's shoot it in a better situation," so they filmed an additional scene at the lake.
Hashizume, who was unable to be on set on the day, recalls, "I was really looking forward to seeing this scene in the editing room. After seeing the finished edited version, it was so perfect that I hardly had any requests."
"I was simply moved, and my producer, Tajima Akihiro, who watched the footage with me, was in tears next to me. I think it's amazing that we were able to capture that sunset. Lake Shinji is usually cloudy, so it's not that easy to see such a beautiful sunset. But when we got such a beautiful sunset, I thought there must be something special about it. Being able to capture that shot gives it a convincing beauty, and I think it really supported not only the acting, but also the surrounding natural environment."
◇Why the simple title sequence?
About 13 minutes into the film, when Toki asks "Can I join you?" and Heaven replies "Yes," the theme song "Waratte Tachi Koronari" by the husband-and-wife duo Humbert Humbert begins to play, accompanied by a simple title sequence with only the credits on a white background. Usually, a photo of Toki and Heaven is used in the title sequence, so why was this sequence chosen?
Murahashi explains the reason for this, saying, "I was inspired by the lyrics of 'Laughing and Falling,' such as 'Just walking with you' and 'Shall we take a walk tonight?' and I created a relationship between Toki and Heaven that is connected not by 'I love you,' but by the line 'Shall we take a walk?' so I felt that this scene and the theme song were inseparable."
"From the beginning, I had the image of the theme song playing in the background during this scene. Because this was the scene where the image of Toki and Heaven as a married couple that had been created by the trinity of screenwriter Fujiki Mitsuhiko, our production team, and Humbert Humbert came to fruition, I felt like the image was in place from the start."
Hashizume explains his aim, saying, "That scene and Humbert Humbert's song really matched well. There are many ways to express this, such as including a photo in the title sequence, but I decided to do nothing and just let people listen to the song."
"The composition, with just a small caption in the middle of a pure white background, makes you wonder, 'Is it okay to use this in a Asadora?' It's bold. But I thought that was probably the best thing. I edited it that way, hoping to convey the beauty of not expressing anything at all."
The story has reached the halfway point, and Toki and Heaven have finally become one. How will their story unfold from here on out? I want to watch until the very end.
