Takuya Kimura: “Preparedness” to play the role of Nobunaga Oda, which even his senior, Noriyuki Higashiyama, felt.
Takuya Kimura attended the press conference for Toei’s 70th anniversary movie “THE LEGEND &BUTTERFLY” held in Tokyo on June 21. He showed his confidence by expressing his passion for Nobunaga Oda.
At the press conference, Mr. Kimura said, “I have been given an unparalleled stage to perform on, and I have given it my all.
The reason for this is that the Oda family crest is the same as that of the Kimura family. He also said that he was deeply moved to play this role at the exact same age as Nobunaga, who was 49 years old when the Honnoji Incident occurred.
Coincidentally, the press conference was held on June 21, the day Nobunaga is said to have met his end in the Honnoji Incident. The production of the film, which seemed as if the demon king “Nobunaga” had come back to life in the modern age, also attracted much attention.
In this film, Nobunaga, known as the “big bull of Owari,” is married to Princess Nohime (Haruka Ayase), a “pit viper’s daughter” from the neighboring country of Mino, which is his enemy. The film is a blockbuster with a total production cost of 2 billion yen, and depicts how they gradually form a strong bond after the battle of Okehazama and pursue their dream of unifying the country, which no one had ever achieved before. In fact, it was Toei’s long-cherished wish to make a movie about Nobunaga with Takuya Kimura,” said a source involved in a wide-ranging news show.
At the press conference, Ayase said, “I’ve never seen a Nobunaga movie like this before.
At the press conference, Ayase said, “The film depicts a ‘husband and wife story’ between Nobunaga and Princess Nobuhime, which I have never seen before.
Ryota Furusawa, the scriptwriter, who also attended the press conference, said, “It’s a ‘husband and wife’ story.
If we depict it as a ‘husband and wife story,’ I think we can depict the so-called charismatic Nobunaga that everyone has an image of, and the other side of Nobunaga, the human Nobunaga.
He continued.
“I wrote about the other side of Nobunaga’s charismatic image.
He also said, “I wrote about the other side of Nobunaga’s charismatic image.
What does he mean by “the other side of the charismatic Nobunaga”? I am curious about that, too, but I can’t help but see the actor Takuya Kimura, who has been a top runner in the entertainment industry, and Nobunaga, who met a spectacular end with the unification of Japan in his sights.
Director Takashi Miike was asked why he chose Kimura for his lead role in the “Mugen no Nezumi” movie released in 2005, and he replied, “The two actors are similar in that Manji (played by Kimura), the man who never dies, is a top idol who can’t get off the stage forever. Takuya Kimura is also an “infinite dweller,” although he doesn’t kill people.
In this film, a man who is on the verge of becoming a military leader dies unexpectedly. There are high expectations for Nobunaga, who can play the role only because Kimura has been at the top of his game up until now.
Noriyuki Higashiyama, a senior producer at Johnny’s, made an interesting comment about Kimura’s portrayal of Nobunaga in this film.
There is no doubt that Nobunaga was a revolutionary, but he also killed the most people in the history of Japan. So unless you take on the regret of those who died, the anger of those who are left behind, and the kind of karma he must have had, it is a very difficult role to play.
He added, “I feel his determination.
“I feel that he is prepared for this role.
He commented, “I feel his determination. Higashiyama, who has played the leading roles in numerous period dramas, is very deep in his comments.
In recent years, Takuya Kimura’s leading roles have been characterized by one major characteristic. They are all revivals of those who have not been defeated. For example, in “A LIFE – A Loved One” in 2005, he played Ikko Okita, a doctor who was once forced to leave a Japanese hospital and lost his girlfriend to a friend. In “Grand Maison Tokyo” (both on TBS) in 2007, Natsuki Ohana is a chef who owns his own restaurant in Paris and wins two stars, but loses his restaurant, his fame, and his credibility.
In “10 Counts to the Future” (TV Asahi), which aired this year, he won four championships in high school, but retired due to a detached retina. Shogo Kirisawa, a former amateur boxer who lost his wife and his yakitori restaurant due to the COVID-19 crisis. And his resurgence seems to be escalating as the years go by.
One of the most notable of these was Yasushi Fukuda, who wrote the screenplay for “10 Counts to the Future”.
“This time, Mr. Kimura himself wanted to be the ‘moon’ himself.
This is a statement by Yasushi Fukuda, who wrote the screenplay for “10 Countdown to the Future”.
Kimura has played various occupations in serial dramas, embodying the dreams of young people. In other words, the main character played by Kimura has been a brilliant sun shining brightly. In this film, however, Kimura plays the role of the “moon,” a boxing coach.
As Kimura inspires the fighters through sparring, it is as if he is sending a message to the young actors who will lead the next generation. And the way Kirisawa (Kimura), who has lost all hope for life, gradually regenerates himself by coaching the boxing team has given courage to a wide range of people of all ages who have suffered from the COVID-19 crisis.
(Aforementioned producer of the production company) “Such a presence of Kimura was a source of encouragement to actress Hikari Mitsushima, who co-starred with him.
“I always felt a blue flame in Kimura,” commented actress Hikari Mitsushima, who co-starred with Kimura in the film.
(producer at a production company). The blue flame is a cool, burning inner fighting spirit. But that burning passion is hotter than a bright red flame.
But when did Kimura decide to “become the moon”?
Kimura, like Nobunaga, has lived his life to the fullest for 49 years and has always been a front runner of his time. By playing the role of Nobunaga this time, he may have thought that his acting career had come to an end and decided to reset his career.
At the press conference, he said
“I have been given an unparalleled stage to perform on.
Kimura said at the press conference, “I have been provided with an unparalleled stage. Coincidentally, the title of his album “Next Destination” was released in January of this year, so perhaps actor Takuya Kimura has made a big decision before turning 50…
Text: Ukon Shima (Broadcaster, Video Producer)
He is involved in program production in a wide range of genres, including variety, news, and sports programs. He has also planned and published many books on female TV announcers, idols, and the TV industry. While working on documentary programs, he became interested in history and recently published "Ieyasu was dead at Sekigahara" (Takeshobo Shinsho).
PHOTO: Kazuhiko Nakamura