Haruka Ayase’s ambition to “enter Hollywood” as seen in her many famous scenes in “Legend & Butterfly

Takuya Kimura stars in “Legend & Butterfly,” a film commemorating the 70th anniversary of Toei’s founding. I am not the only one who is captivated by Haruka Ayase, who plays the role of Princess Nohime, a beautiful and noble woman who is as free and innocent as a butterfly, while being manly and skilled in martial arts and other artistic pursuits.

In this movie, Nobunaga Oda, the “big bull” of Owari, and Princess Nohime (Haruka Ayase), known as “Mamushi’s daughter” in Mino, are married for political reasons. Nobunaga despairs when Yoshimoto Imagawa’s huge army approaches, but Nohime inspires him and leads him to victory, and the two eventually deepen their trust and aim to unify the country. The film is also a love story set in the Warring States period, where death was a fact of life and death was a fact of life.

The first highlight is the scene between Nobunaga and Princess Nohime on their wedding night. Nobunaga pulls out his sword in an argument. However, Princess Nobunaga throws Nobunaga to the ground, grapples with her, clamps her legs together, and repeatedly strikes Nobunaga on the buttocks with the sheath of his sword.

Kimura laughed at the scene, saying, “The sheath of the sword hit me in a place I can’t mention on the air, and it hurt a lot. The acrobatic scene also resulted in a series of accidents, including the tearing of the sleeve of Princess Nohime’s kimono. I was again surprised by Ayase’s physical ability.

A major change in their relationship occurs on the eve of the Battle of Okehazama. Nobunaga visits Atsumori, who is prepared to lose the battle, and while praying for victory in the battle and for Nobunaga’s safety, she gives him the “Mamushi no Saku” (strategy of the pit viper).

This scene lasts about six minutes. The scene lasts about six minutes, and Ms. Ayase’s performance gradually becomes more passionate with each take, as she matches Nobunaga’s performance. Her smile is dazzling as she glows with joy at being relied upon by Nobunaga. Even without the battle scene, it was a wonderful scene in which the two communicated with each other,” said the production company director.

The two are then visited by a love scene that makes their hearts pound.

It is when Nobunaga and Princess Nohime, who have just arrived in Kyoto, are taking a secret stroll at a festival in the capital. Nobunaga has just bought some kompeito (kompeito sugar) and a purse, but they are stolen by the crowds, and he chases the children into a poor village.

There, they were attacked by the inhabitants, and Nobunaga and Princess Nohime pulled out their blades and made a great fight for their lives. The “bloody love scene,” in which the two escape the bloody battlefield in a state of excitement, became the most famous scene in the film.

The scene was shot at the 88 sacred sites in Omuro, adjacent to Ninna-ji Temple, which is registered as a World Heritage site. Actually, due to scheduling conflicts, only the bloody love scene was shot over a new year. In 2010, after greeting the New Year, Ms. Ayase confessed that she was “embarrassed” to be asked to play the intense love scene in which she takes Nobunaga’s lips and confirms their love to each other.

Eventually, Nobunaga loses his mind and becomes a “demon king.” Unable to stop him, Princess Nohime finally breaks up with him after suffering a great deal. The fantastic scene in a place reminiscent of a seminary filled with candles is both poignant and unforgettable.

Takuya Kimura, who has an extraordinary passion for playing Nobunaga, and Haruka Ayase, a nationally known actress, play the roles of the two. The title “LEGEND (Nobunaga) & BUTTERFLY (Princess Nobuhime)” shows Toei’s new enthusiasm to create a glamorous and gorgeous “Hollywood historical drama” that goes beyond period dramas. Ayase has been a regular star in the drama series “Oku Oku”.

Previously, Ayase has performed action scenes without using stuntmen in the drama “Okusama wa Hattori ni Beware” (NTV), which became a big hit and was made into a movie. And in the epic fantasy series “The Guardian of the Spirit” (NHK), she took on the challenge of sword fighting and wire action. He is also working on English, and if this work attracts a lot of attention, it is not a dream for him to enter Hollywood,” said a producer from a production company.

Legend & Butterfly” has created a stir in the Japanese film industry, which is at a crossroads as it enters an era of competition and coexistence with distributed films. This film may have given Haruka Ayase, an actress, a chance to evolve even further.