From the casting of Erika Toda to the behind-the-scenes story of the production… Director Tomoyuki Takimoto talks about the charms of “I’ll Go to Hell,” a film about the life of Kazuko Hosoki.

I hated her regular TV show. I would change the channel as soon as I saw it on TV. So when I was offered the role, I thought to myself, ‘I can’t do it.

The director, Tomoyuki Takimoto (59), a prodigy known for his films “Brain Man” and “Grasshopper,” began his story with a wry smile. The film, “You’re Going to Hell,” which will be distributed exclusively on Netflix from April 27, depicts the light and shadow of Kazuko Hosoki, who dominated the TV world in the Heisei era, in an unprecedented way. The film depicts the light and shadow of Kazuko Hosoki, who dominated the television industry in the Heisei era, on an unprecedented scale.

I’m going to hell!

Hosoki Kazuko’s powerful and definitive words made viewers fall in love with her. However, what this film depicts is not only what we have seen on TV. Takimoto says (all statements in parentheses are his own).

The book is based on Hosoki’s autobiography, “Onna no Rirekisho” (Kosaido Publishing Co., Ltd.), and Atsushi Mizoguchi’s critical biography, “Majo no Rirekisho” (Kodansha Ltd.), which reveals Hosoki’s true face. Her life was reconstructed based on these front and back resumes. The present axis of the drama is ’05-’06. While she was at the peak of her career, her past was exposed through a series of articles in a weekly magazine, and coincidentally, she was about to enter the world of the six axes of astrology, which Hosoki herself had advocated. We thought this would be an appropriate starting point for the drama.

As Takimoto’s research progressed, his “dislike” of the character turned to interest.

She is truly one of the symbols of postwar Japan. She rose up from the burnt-out black market, established a successful club in Ginza, and awakened to fortune-telling while carrying a debt of 1 billion yen in today’s value. The process is filled with an overwhelming power that makes viewers want to ‘see the rest of the story.

The script for this film also reflects the director’s opinion, and the negative aspects of Hosoki’s life are also depicted without mercy.

He was not at all timid about depicting the other side. The relationship with the gang might have been something that a terrestrial network would have said, ‘Give us a break,’ but Netflix said, ‘Let’s go for it. However, we drew a line that no matter how fictional it is, you wouldn’t want to see this much. We discarded episodes that were too dark and sublimated them to make her a lovable character in the drama.”

Chiyoko Shimakura (75 years old), a famous singer who plays a key role in the story, also appears in the film under her real name. At first, there was a proposal to use a pseudonym, but Mr. Takimoto decided to go through with it after obtaining permission from the bereaved family, saying, “If we use a pseudonym, it would ruin the drama. With such determination, the complicated relationship between Shimakura and Hosoki is also depicted in an open and transparent manner.

When the casting announcement was made, the topic of conversation was the disparity in appearance between Toda Erika (37), who plays the lead role, and Hosoki. How will Toda, who is slender, play the role of the plump Hosoki?

There was an option to use special makeup to make her look thicker, but it would have distracted the audience if she looked like a stuffed animal. I believed that if she played the mentality of Kazuko Hosoki, the audience would not mind the difference in appearance after two episodes. As it turned out, that decision was correct. Toda-san’s performance was beyond my imagination.”

Takimoto recalls being overwhelmed by Toda’s explosive power.

She was so detailed in her acting in the sensitive scenes, and the way she turned up the gears in the scenes where her emotions were exposed. I truly felt that only Erika Toda could play the role of Kazuko Hosoki. She also seemed to enjoy working with the gorgeous men who appeared one after another. She seemed to regret every time she finished filming with one actor, but when the next “guy” appeared on the scene, she was freshly sparked as an actor.

On set, Mr. Toda and I talked a lot more than we normally do in the making of a film. We communicated with each other until we got to the bottom of what we were doing before acting out a scene, and once we got to the bottom of it, she literally transformed into a witch in front of the camera.

The production cost was also unbelievable. The production cost was unbelievable. A huge set was built for the entire town to recreate the Shimbashi of the 1945s, Ginza and Akasaka of the high-growth period.

Just recreating the burnt ruins of the postwar period and the streets of the Showa era cost so much money that a small movie could be shot. For each period, about 30 vehicles from that era were prepared, and the hairstyles of about 100 extras were individually set to match the fashion of the era. If there are any lies in what is shown on the screen, it will be boring,” he said.

What was it that Mr. Takimoto wanted to depict?

I grew up in a generation where school violence was at its height, so I honestly dislike authority figures like her. But I must say that her vitality to survive even by deceiving and humiliating others, true to her own desires, is amazing. She is a person of many detractors and detractors, but I wonder how people will perceive the fact that there once was a woman with this kind of energy. I am looking forward to seeing how people will perceive a woman with such energy.

Desire and hell. The truth about the legendary fortune teller will knock us down.

The Netflix series “You’re Going to Hell” is now available exclusively worldwide!

Click here for “Witch’s Resume,” which was used as a reference!