Director Toshio Tsuboi is in charge of the TBS Sunday drama "Reboot" (Sundays at 9 PM), starring actor Ryohei Suzuki. Ahead of episode 8, which is advertised as "revealing the full truth about the death of his beloved wife," we spoke with him about behind-the-scenes stories from the filming and what to look forward to in future episodes.
◇Thorough research into the realities of the underworld and "medical information"
--I heard that you did a lot of thorough preparation before filming this project. Could you tell us more specifically what you did?
The first thing we did was thorough research. Since the main setting for this story is the underworld, we had a detailed discussion with Mr. Maruyama Gonzalez, who came in as our supervisor for the underworld aspects. Regardless of how much of it we'll depict in the main story, we heard some very in-depth, realistic stories about the underworld that I can't talk about here.
We selected the elements we thought were necessary and reflected them in various settings and backgrounds. We also spent a considerable amount of time researching medical information necessary for the "reboot."
◇The “reboot process” was created with no effort or care spared.
--Screenwriter Tsutomu Kuroiwa and producer Keigo Higashinaka also mentioned that Director Tsuboi was very particular about the series of scenes depicting Hayase Riku (Ryohei Suzuki/Kenichi Matsuyama) "rebooting" Gido Ayumu (Suzuki).
Regarding the surgical procedure scenes, I wanted to convey to the viewers just how difficult it is to reboot a series, and also, as the story progresses because the protagonist takes on the role of Gido, I wanted to properly depict the circumstances that led to that change.
Based on the research results, we designed various stages to suit each scene, such as how to change the face and where to start creating the body. For the final stage, we decided that Ryohei himself would have undergone plastic surgery on his distinctive ears.
--Did you spend a considerable amount of time on the step-by-step filming process?
That's right. We didn't just focus on changing the face; we also considered the procedures for changing the voice and physique, and we worked out the details of what kind of surgery would be necessary and what the resulting state would be realistic.
During the actual filming, we had both actors perform the same scene in the same shot, capturing the gradual transition from Matsuyama to Ryohei. After filming, we edited the footage together, arranging it to create the rebooted sequence, which is how we arrived at the final version of the film.
◇The "underworld atmosphere" that creeps into everyday life
-- How did you translate the unique worldview and atmosphere of the underworld, which is the main setting of this film, into the visuals?
The underworld is two sides of the same coin as the legitimate world; it's something that exists close by, even if you don't realize it. I think there are quite a few instances where you're surprised to find out, "Oh, that's how it is."
This is something I also shared with Mr. Gonzalez, but we were conscious of creating an atmosphere that blends into everyday life, like the scene depicted in the play where "you think it's a law firm, but in reality they're making lists for illegal part-time jobs."
--I've heard that Ms. Suzuki and Ms. Matsuyama, who played the roles of pastry chefs, practiced quite a lot beforehand. What kind of discussions did you have with them regarding the scenes involving sweets?
As part of the preparation, we first had Matsuyama practice making cakes, but then, considering that Ryohei would have to perform similar movements as Hayase, we specifically decided on characteristic movements, such as how to hold certain tools.
I think that when Ryohei was actually making the cake, he watched all of the footage, including the practice videos Matsuyama had made beforehand and the footage of the scenes that had already been filmed. He was able to "extract" the finer points of the movements from those videos and incorporate them into his own performance.
◇A sad but hilarious "Ichika vs. Mayu" showdown scene
--This series has various hints and plot twists in almost every episode, but could you tell us about any memorable filming episodes from so far (up to episode 7)?
The scene in the first episode where Hayase, played by Matsuyama, says his final goodbyes to his son Takumi (played by Yazaki Kou) in the park, left a strong impression on me. I felt Hayase's determination that "this is where the reboot begins" and his strong will to "definitely protect his family."
Also, Ryohei was always present during Matsuyama's filming, and I later learned that he was moved to tears on set while watching the scene unfold. In fact, I was also getting a little teary-eyed while filming it myself; it was a truly moving scene.
On the other hand, the scene that I thought was particularly fun to film was the dramatic confrontation between Ichika (Erika Toda) and Mayu (Meisa Kuroki) from episode 2 to episode 3. Hayase is caught between Mayu, who thinks the person in front of him is Gido, and Ichika, who confronts Mayu despite knowing the situation, and he just looks bewildered, which made me feel sorry for him, but I also almost laughed (lol).
--The story is finally nearing its end. What do you think are the highlights of episode 8 and beyond?
While Hayase will continue to be involved in various events, such as Ichika's actions which still leave many mysteries and the whereabouts of the 10 billion yen, the story will delve deeper into the central theme of "family love," which is separate from these suspenseful elements. I hope you will pay attention to that aspect as well.
