Kunimura Jun Shares Insights on the Charm of Imo Tako Nankin and the Appeal of Morning Dramas, Discusses Challenges on Sets of Korean and American Film Productions
16 The morning drama “Imo Tako Nankin” rebroadcast after a year
Jun Kunimura plays an important role in “Onmyoji 0” starring Kento Yamazaki and directed by Tsugumako Sato, and “Goban Zanri” starring Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and directed by Kazuya Shiraishi.
It is still fresh in our minds that his name, the name of the role he played “Kenjiro-san
One of his best-known works, “Imo Tako Nankin” (2006), a morning drama starring Naomi Fujiyama and originally written by Chikako Nagakawa and modeled after Seiko Tanabe, was rebroadcast for the first time on NHK BS 16 years after its original broadcast.
So we asked her again about the masterpiece “Imo Tako Nankin”, morning dramas, foreign productions, and more.
Q: The dialogue between you and Naomi Fujiyama, who played the heroine Machiko in “Imo Tako Nankin”, was so natural that it was hard to tell how much of it was dialogue and how much was ad-lib.
Jun Kunimura (Kunimura): Naomi would not finish a scene even if her lines were finished in the script (laughs). The director didn’t know where to cut the scene.
In a sense, he is unrestrained because he is an actor who creates and manages a kind of atmosphere on the set. And when he goes too far from the script, the rhythm of the scene is always right on. Naturally, I was trained by interacting with such a person.
–Mr. Kunimura has appeared in many other morning dramas, including “Ayu no Uta,” “Yoi Don,” “Kokoro wa Itsumo Ramune Iro,” “Miyako no Kaze,” “Futarikko,” “Audrey,” and “Carnation,” and he and Mr. Fujiyama also appeared together in “Kono Shime Tomare! and “Heart is Always Ramune Color,” “Futarikko,” as well as “Audrey,” which is currently being rerun, and many others.
Kunimura: I saw “Audrey” just the other day, and when I watch it now, I can’t help but break out in a cold sweat (laughs).
In “Imotako nankin” I was pulled along by Nao-san, but I was able to play freely without being restricted by the lines. The current morning drama “Tora ni Tsubasa” has a different taste and a different world, of course, but I enjoy watching it, thinking that it is very similar to our “Imotako” in that I can see the clear concept of what we want to create.
The vision of why and how you want to do this is clear, and everything, including the casting, is well planned and imagined.
Imotako” also has a big framework to complete a story in a week, and multiple plots are carried out at the same time, a system that only Aaron Sorkin, such as “The White House,” was using in America at that time. It may have been a little difficult to get people to understand this system on location.
–It was known as a masterpiece among core fans of morning dramas from the time of its broadcast, but in the BS rerun 16 years later, it became so popular that names such as “Imo Tako Nankin” and “Kenjiro-san” started trending one after another. Did you feel that after 16 years, the show has finally gained the right reputation and the times have caught up with it?
Kunimura: I would be grateful if you feel that way. There were viewers who felt that it was a groundbreaking work created with a clear intention in the framework of a morning drama, and that’s why the reruns were so exciting again.
15 minutes I was convinced while watching “Tora ni Tsubasa” that because of the unique slot of a 15-minute morning drama, we could do something that could not be done elsewhere, and that if we had a clear vision and intention to create something like this, we would be able to create something interesting.
Korean film “Wailing”…First foreigner to win the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Best Popular Star.
–Kunimura, you have been active both in Japan and abroad, but do you have any criteria for choosing your work?
Kunimura: Speaking from my personal perspective, for example, one factor is that I would like to work with this actor or this director. Of course, it is important to consider what kind of character or role in the story they are offering me.
–What kind of films have you worked on in the past that made you say, “I would like to work with this person,” even under difficult conditions, such as schedule?
Kunimura: (Korean film) “Wailing” (’16). It was my first time working with director Na Hong-jin, and I fell in love with him. I thought it was amazing. But at the same time, I wondered if there would be any audiences who would come to see this film (laughs).
–(Laughs) Despite your apprehension, the film became a big hit in South Korea, with an audience of 7 million people. It was also the first film in which you won the Blue Dragon Film Award for Best Supporting Actor as well as the Popular Star Award.
Kunimura: Thanks to that film, I was able to get to know many people, and I have made friends with whom I can work with on various films to this day. In that sense, this film expanded my world.
–Kunimura: Was there anything that was completely different from filmmaking in Japan?
Kunimura: In Japan, actors and directors don’t have much discussion or communication on set, but in Korea and the U.S., the cut that has just been shot can be viewed immediately on the spot because of the digital technology nowadays.
So, the director would always say, “Please watch it with me. I’m thinking of shooting before and after this, and I want to start here and connect it to here. What do you think? What do you think? In Japan, the actor responds to the director’s wishes and instructions, but in Korea and the U.S., the actor and the filmmaker see things from the same perspective, share the same feelings, and work together to create the film.
–Does your play change as a result of being in the same line of sight as the creator?
Kunimura: It’s not so much that it changes, but rather, by discussing the director’s vision, we both become clearer about what we want to do and how we should do it.
In the Japanese way of filming, where the director’s instructions are followed, there is a subtle gap between the two filmmakers. The person being photographed as the subject has something in common with the photographer in their mind.
I always try to be that way on set, and I think that may be the most important job of an actor. That may be the biggest difference between a play on stage and a play on film.
Learning from young actors…
–Kunimura, in recent years you have been playing an increasing role in leading young people in domestic productions.
Kunimura: I think I have reached that age (laughs). (Laughs.) But, I did “Trillion Game” (TBS) with Ren Meguro, and I don’t know what it was, but he kept looking at me and would come up to me and say, “How can I act like you?
Meguro-kun is a very natural person. He does not put on airs, and he is the type of person who is very sincere and works very hard on his plays. I think that is why he came to me to ask me such a question. The character he was playing (Yo Tennoji) was a very difficult character, and if you make a mistake, you end up looking like a thug.
The lines are written in a mischievous way, but if they come off as vulgar, I think he will fail. I told him that he looked relieved. I hope I was of some help (laughs).
(laugh) — Conversely, do you get inspiration from younger people?
Kunimura: “When I was your age, I was just sitting around, but now I can do something like this. I am always happy when I meet someone on site who says to me, “This person is amazing.
Since I started thinking that my job is to feel the other person’s feelings, when that person is trying to feel my feelings, there is a synergistic effect on both of us, and we can enjoy working together.
I think our job is to create an atmosphere. When you think about how to do that, you have to feel the other person and the situation in your own way, and if you feel it, you will naturally react to it. The atmosphere is created by how we connect what we feel with each other and what kind of relationship we have with each other, and when we are able to do that, it’s just fun.
–When that happens, it’s just a lot of fun.
Kunimura: Yes, there are. I am surprised and happy at the same time. Naturally, I get reactions, and I am also carried away by them, which makes for interesting performances.
For example, Kusanagi-san is younger than me, but he is a very focused person.
It is very interesting to work with him because he is so focused that he is able to create a lot of tension (laughs). (Laughs.) In “Goban Zanri,” he was really scary, and even Genbei (Kunimura’s character) was scared of him.
Each work has its own required language level…I am trying my best to manage that.”
–Kunimura-san, you have a rich experience and career, but are there any things you are not good at or are afraid of?
Kunimura: I think the number one problem is language. For example, when I speak English, it is not in my native language, so even if I don’t express myself in my lines
The barrier of having to express oneself in a language that is not one’s native tongue as a tool for communication is still quite steep. Just the other day, I was working on an international drama for TV distribution, and before that, I was working on the movie “MINAMATA”.
In a drama for distribution, my English skills for “MINAMATA” are not good enough, and I am required to go to the next stage to make it in the field.
This is a good thing because it leads to skill improvement, but each film requires a different level of language skills, and it is difficult to perform at all levels unless you are able to handle all levels of language.
–You are trying to make it work for each production, and you are trying to make it work for you.
Kunimura: I am not a native English speaker, so when I use English or Korean
I have to feel the performance, but I can’t help it if I get distracted by pronunciation and neglect what I feel. It’s not just about words, it’s about the performance with heart and soul. Naturally, native English speakers will be watching the performance as the audience. If I don’t have English skills as a base, I can’t play freely in the field.
–Kunimura: I thought you were in the position of teaching and guiding the younger generation, but you are still challenging yourself, aren’t you?
Kunimura: No, no, I am still a developing person (laughs). I am still challenging myself, bumping up against walls like this.
Interview and text by： Wakako Takou
Born in 1973. After working for a publishing company and an advertising production company, became a freelance writer. In addition to interviewing actors for weekly and monthly magazines, she writes columns on dramas for various media. His major publications include "All the Important Things Are Taught by Morning Drama" (Ota Publishing Co., Ltd.).
PHOTO： Kyodo News (1st photo), Afro (2nd photo)
