It has been revealed that Mana Ashida, Toko Miura, Toko Miura, So Okuno, Nobuyuki Suzuki , Tetsuji Tamayama, and Yuko Asano will appear in the film "Mystery Arena" (released May 22nd), starring actor Toshiaki Karasawa Karasawa and directed by Yukihiko Tsutsumi. The official trailer and poster visuals, which exude an ominous atmosphere, have also been released.
The original work is the novel of the same name by Fukimizu Reiichiro (Kodansha Bunko), which has been ranked in numerous places, including first place in the "Top 10 Honkaku Mysteries" (2016). The show is based on the hugely popular live mystery quiz show "Mystery Arena," hosted by Kabayama Momotarou (played by Karasawa). After a string of impenetrable mystery questions went unanswered, the prize money had carried over and ballooned to 10 billion yen. The question this time is "A murder that took place in an isolated Western-style mansion during a storm." Will the six contestants, who are selected with confidence in their deductive abilities, be able to solve this mystery? This is the story.
Karasawa will play Kabayama, a quiz show host who livens up the studio with his high energy, riles up the contestants with his sharp tongue, and smoothly guides the show along. He is a striking character, sporting teardrop sunglasses, an afro hairstyle, and a flashy white suit. This marks the first time director Tsutsumi has teamed up with Karasawa in about 15 years, since the film "20th Century Boys: The Final Chapter - Our Flag" (2009).
Ashida plays Ichiko, a contestant on "Mystery Arena" who is a genius girl with a sudden flash of inspiration who came in first place in the fierce preliminary round. She grew up in an orphanage without knowing her parents and spent her days alone, unable to fit in with those around her. She decides to take part in "Mystery Arena" in an attempt to turn her impoverished life around.
Miura plays Sango, a being that only Kazuko can see. Suzuki plays Gamble, one of the contestants and an intuitive gambler who wants the 10 billion yen prize more than anyone else. Asano plays Ano Misu, the knowledgeable mystery queen.
Other cast members include Tamayama as the first winner, Legend, Okuno So as the new human being of data analysis, Butsumetsu, and Nomaguchi as the theoretical pioneer Edison. Uno plays the second winner, Oana, and Trindl plays Monteleone Reika, the assistant to MC Kabayama, played by Karasawa.
The trailer, which was also released, features MC Kabayama (Karasawa) and his assistant Monteleone (Trindle), who liven up the live broadcast. In the glittering studio, the six contestants one after another present their theories. However, the moment an incorrect answer is confirmed, the atmosphere changes completely. Kabayama makes an ominous pronouncement: "If you lose, you will be forced to be institutionalized." Kazuko (Ashida Mana) exudes despair, saying, "We will never get the answer right." The video gives a glimpse of the furious developments of "Mystery Arena," which has transformed from a glamorous, nationally popular program into an extraordinary mystery quiz show where "if you can't solve it, you'll be eliminated!?"
In addition, the main visual released depicts the show's cast members centered around Kabayama, who is sporting a suspicious smile, and the copy written on Kabayama's forehead, "If you can't solve it, disappear," gives off an ominous feeling that this is not just "just a mystery show."
The full comments from Ashida and others are as follows:
◇Comment from Mana Ashida
The character I played, "Ichiko," is a very intelligent girl who came in first in the preliminary round of "Mystery Arena." She's a slightly unusual character who is accompanied by a woman named "Sango," who for some reason can only be seen by Ichiko.
In a typical mystery, you solve the mystery once, but this work is a quiz in which the interpretation of the text changes depending on the reader. Having read the original novel, I thought that the appeal of the story could only be conveyed through a novel, but the script ideas for adapting it into a film were also interesting, and I thought that the excitement of solving the mystery can be experienced multiple times depending on who solves it, which is what makes this work interesting and new. Also, this was the first time for me to solve a mystery with a long line of dialogue, so I was happy to be able to say the line I've always wanted to say: "The culprit is...!"
I read the script after hearing that Karasawa would be playing Kabayama, so I could immediately picture him and was really looking forward to filming. On set, there were a lot of dark jokes that were even more intense than I expected, and I thought, "Kabayama played by Karasawa is the best!"
I was fascinated by the fantastical story of Director Tsutsumi's "TRICK," so I was looking forward to filming. On set, the director kept coming up with ideas for how things could be even more interesting, and I was happy to be able to participate in the process of creating something interesting with that quick thinking. From the moment filming finished, I was excited to see the finished product, wondering, "What will happen when the footage is put together?" The story unfolds one after the other, full of excitement and thrills, and I think it's a new kind of mystery that has never been seen before. Everyone, please look forward to it!
◇Comment from Toko Miura
Sango is a very difficult character to talk about, but she is Ichiko's "best friend." The first day of filming with Ashida was a scene that revealed the relationship between Sango and Ichiko, so I think that's when the atmosphere between the two of them was born. Thanks to that day, I was able to film the rest of the shoot in a very comfortable atmosphere.
I love mysteries, so I thought this was a work that had the appeal of unfolding purely as a mystery. The characters were well-defined and each had a well-defined background, so I was looking forward to thinking, "How should I play Sango?"
Director Tsutsumi told me that he liked the character's rough, old-man-like way of speaking, so I tried to play the role with a sense of generosity in mind.
The story unfolds quickly, and while it starts off as a seemingly simple mystery, I feel it gradually unfolds into a human drama for each character. Sango and Kazuko have a strong bond that they've built since they were born, but how does that relate to this quiz show called "Mystery Arena" and how does it affect them? That part really moved me when I read the script, so I put my heart into my performance so that it would reach the audience. I hope you'll see it in the theater.
◇Comment from Nobuyuki Suzuki
The character I played, Gamble, is a man who wants the 10 billion yen prize more than anyone else in this quiz competition called "Mystery Arena." And while he is participating in the competition, he has a "problem he must solve"... This was my first time acting in a mystery, and the story was completely unpredictable, so I enjoyed reading the script, imagining how it would end and who the culprit would be.
On the first day of filming, I felt a very tense atmosphere on set. It made me realize that I needed to think more about the man known as "Gamble" than I had imagined. This was my second time working with Director Tsutsumi (the stage production of "Sanada Ten Braves" in 2014), and it had been about 10 years since my last film, but I really felt the director's passion for the work and his attention to detail, and I wanted to embody the "Gamble" that he had in mind, so I focused on filming.
It's a work with a richer repertoire than any mystery work to date, and as various things happen simultaneously as the story progresses, it's a work full of moments you won't be able to take your eyes off of. I'll be experiencing gun action for the first time, smashing things with an axe... I'll also be taking on some impressive action scenes, so be sure to check it out!
◇Comment from Reina Triendl
I play the assistant host of "Mystery Arena," hosted by Karasawa's character, Kabayama.
When I received the script, it was difficult to understand after just one reading, and it wasn't until I read it a second time that I finally got the whole story. I can't go into details, but Reika is a character who undergoes major changes both in appearance and personality.
There are a lot of choreography movements, but I'm not very good at them, so I didn't want to cause any trouble, so I started learning from the teacher early on. Karasawa-san told me, "It's no problem!", but I was desperate to keep up with everyone! In the end,
It was a lot of fun, and Karasawa handled it with ease, so I thought he was truly amazing.
Director Tsutsumi has a great sense of humor, and was constantly adding funny and hilarious things on set. There was a tense atmosphere on set, but time passed calmly, and I was very relieved by the director's power and charm.
I think this is a very easy-to-understand work even for people who aren't good at mystery stories! It's not just chilling, but it also has some funny moments, so I hope you enjoy watching it all the way through!
◇Comment from So Okuno
The character I played is a boy whose catchphrase is "Your life is decided from the moment you're born..." and whose name, "Butsumetsu," suggests he has a dark, slightly twisted personality. The character is similar to me, and although I also try to say positive things, I'm also negative at heart, so I played the role with empathy (laughs). However, I felt that he was a character with a sense of "redeemability," as both he and the story change dramatically as Butsumetsu's emotions change.
When I received the offer, I was worried about whether I would be able to keep up with the senior actors, but I was really looking forward to it. The script took me the longest to read of all my previous works. The structure is complicated, and there are many characters, so it was very difficult to imagine it just from the script.
However, I remember it being very interesting. I was excited to see how it would be visualized, and the actual filming location was just like the world of the script, so I was able to act with ease.
Director Tsutsumi was very friendly and treated us very casually. It was so cool to see Karasawa and the other seniors effortlessly respond to the director's unreasonable requests of "please do it this way"...! I was so moved by seeing Karasawa perform that many lines every day, and I was simply overwhelmed every day.
It was an irreplaceable and wonderful time to be able to spend with all these great seniors. This film is thrilling, suspenseful, and will bring out all sorts of emotions. It's a film that many people can enjoy! Please enjoy the "Tsutsumi style" and "Karasawa style"! Please also look forward to "Butsumetsu" (lol)!
◇Comment from Shohei Uno
It's a very difficult role to explain, and anything I say would be a spoiler, so I can only tell you the character's name, "Oana," but I hope you can imagine a lot of things from the name (laughs).
I had read the original novel, and my first thought was, "How will they turn this into a movie?" The role of Oana is also not in the original novel, so I had no idea what it would be like until I got to the set.
Director Tsutsumi had seen my work even before I decided to become an actor, so it felt very strange to be able to appear in his work. Even on set, it didn't feel like we were meeting for the first time, which was another strange feeling.
The filming locations, sets, and art were all amazing, and when I went to the set, there were things I couldn't imagine while reading the script, but the world of "Mystery Arena" was recreated, which was a great help in preparing for the role.
Personally, I think that while the original work is of course fantastic, it's a more interesting work if you have no prior knowledge of it. I'd be happy if you could watch it with a completely blank mind!
◇Comment from Toru Nomaguchi
The character I played, Edison, is a scientist whose research has come to a halt for some reason and who joins the Mystery Arena in need of money.
As I was reading the script, I was thinking, "I don't know which one I should read as the main axis..." (laughs). The two stories go back and forth continuously, so I was surprised to see how they connected.
For us small theater people, Karasawa-san is a big star. Even on set, I was like, "It's Karasawa-san...!" and participated in the quiz in the answerer's booth (laughs). I never thought I'd have the opportunity to spend such a long time with Karasawa-san in my life, so I was very happy.
This was my first time working on a film by Director Tsutsumi, and I think he has a never-ending stream of ideas. He's always overflowing with interesting ideas, and I don't know how much of them he puts into words; I think he's a director who really enjoys the joy of adding things together.
The charm of this work is that the characters are jam-packed with unique personalities, and it's hard to know what the main story is or what the mystery is. Be sure to come and see for yourself at the theater!
◇Comment from Tetsuji Tamayama
"Legend" is literally a "legendary man" and a former winner of "Mystery Arena." The opening of this work sets the bar high for the character, so I gave it my all, aiming to surprise the legend and make the audience chuckle.
The original work and script exquisitely express the sense of bewilderment that bewilders the reader (audience), and within that, each character's individuality stands out, giving the impression of a well-balanced work.
Karasawa-san is a senior I've admired since I was a child, so I was happy just to be able to spend the same time in the same space, and I kept watching him even when the cameras weren't rolling. He was desperately moving, talking, dancing... It was a very refreshing and meaningful time to be able to see Karasawa-san, who is rarely seen.
When I was fitting the costume with the director, he told me, "The legend is confident, but also a bit absent-minded. I hope that this character will make people laugh at that absent-mindedness," and I expanded on that statement. I wanted to make a character who was annoying but also a bit lovable, so I took the brakes off myself and tried to do everything that came to mind when I played the role.
This time, the original story and script are excellent, and each character is well-developed, making it a work that you can enjoy while thinking about it. Please be sure to see it at the theater!
◇Comment from Yuko Asano
The character I play, "That Mystery," is a mystery writer who had a huge hit 40 years ago, but hasn't had another hit since. She's putting her life as a writer on the line by taking on the "Mystery Arena." I'm participating in the show with the hope that if I get the answer right, I might be able to shine a new light on myself.
When I read the synopsis, I got the impression that it was a well-thought-out, unprecedented mystery novel, not just your average one. Afterwards, I read the original novel and was surprised and impressed by how meticulously constructed it was, a type of mystery novel I had never read before. It was a new world unlike any other mystery or suspense novel I had participated in in the past two-hour dramas, so it was very stimulating and fresh. As a viewer, I am excited that this work, which was said to be impossible to film, will be adapted into a film by Director Tsutsumi.
It's been a while since I last worked with Karasawa-san, but he was able to take the director's words and adapt them to his own liking so quickly, and I thought he was a really skillful person. That's why I could see him trying to make the story more and more interesting, and I was reminded once again what an amazing person he is. Everyone I worked with was wonderful, and the characters were so perfectly suited to them that I wondered if they were written specifically for them, so I had a lot of fun filming.
It's a work with an unprecedented sense of speed and excitement. It's a work that can't be described simply as a mystery. It's full of highlights that will make you wonder, "Can something like this really be done with film?" and "Can the story develop like this?" It's a thrilling work that will leave you with no time to close your eyes! As an audience member, I'm looking forward to it just as much as you all are! Please be sure to see it at the theater!
