Nagisa Saito Stars in Live-Action Adaptation of Junji Ito's "The Rib Woman"
Actress Nagisa Saito stars in Episode 4, "The Rib Woman," of the TV Tokyo drama series Strange: Junji Ito's Strange Stories for Sleepless Nights.
In "The Rib Woman" (from Junji Ito Masterpiece Collection Vol. 4: Lovesickness of the Dead), Saito plays Yuri, a college student who admires the beautiful waistline of her older brother Keisuke's girlfriend, Ruriko.
One day, a terrified Ruriko mutters disturbing words:
"I can hear the sound of strings…"
"They're going to take my ribs."
Several days later, Ruriko is found in a horrifying state, and strange, inexplicable events begin occurring around Yuri as well. Before long, the mysterious "sound of strings" begins echoing once again—but what is its true source?
--What was your honest reaction when you received the offer?--
"I'd known Junji Ito's work since I was a child, so when I heard one of his stories was being adapted into live action, I was surprised and wondered how they could possibly recreate that unique atmosphere. Once I was cast, I wanted to give everything I had to do justice to one of Junji Ito's wonderful works."
--What kind of impression did you have of Junji Ito's work?--
"I've always thought his artwork has a strangely cute quality while also being incredibly eerie. He creates such fascinating characters. I often saw his work going viral on social media, so I felt it was something people have continued to love for a very long time."
--What did you think after reading "The Rib Woman"?--
"Even though it was written quite a while ago (in 2017), I felt it still speaks to issues we face today. There was a time when I pushed myself really hard to diet. Even when I thought, 'I'm still not skinny' or 'I'm fat,' people around me would say, 'You're so thin your bones are showing—you should be careful.'
Because of that experience, I felt the story overlapped with my own life."
--This is your first time appearing in a full-fledged horror production.--
"I'm incredibly scared of horror. I once went into a haunted house and my legs literally gave out. (Laughs)
I couldn't even read the script when I was alone, so I first read it while traveling.
After I was cast, I thought, 'Maybe I should try watching horror movies like IT, Smile, and A Quiet Place,' but… I just couldn't do it. (Laughs)
Even Honto ni Atta Kowai Hanashi was too scary. I managed to watch it by squinting and turning the volume way down."
--What do you remember most from filming?--
"Because of the tone of the story, I screamed more during this shoot than I ever have in my entire life. (Laughs)
The shoot itself wasn't very long, but I'd be screaming in the middle of the forest, then screaming all day from morning until night.
I'm really excited to see how it all turned out."
--Were you frightened during filming?--
I think what you saw was just the real Nagisa Saito reacting naturally. I think people watching on TV might end up so scared they can't sleep."
--What was the biggest challenge of adapting a horror manga into live action?--
"The facial expressions needed to genuinely scare the audience were very different from what I'd normally do in romance or coming-of-age dramas, so that was difficult.
Physically, all the screaming really took a toll on my throat. (Laughs)
Yuri gradually starts losing her grip on reality midway through the story, and portraying that kind of mental deterioration was difficult because your own emotions get pulled along with the character."
--What was your impression of the character Yuri?--
"Yuri admires her older brother's girlfriend because of how beautiful her body is. She spends time looking at pictures of girls on social media and constantly thinks,
'I want to look like that.'
'I have to become beautiful no matter what.'
I felt she has an incredibly strong obsession with beauty.
That's why she's willing to impulsively do something as extreme as removing her ribs—something no ordinary person would ever want to do. In that sense, she's fearless.
I'm somewhat similar, in that I used to have a very strong desire to lose weight and become thinner. I think I often drew on memories of my past self while playing her."
--Have you ever had any paranormal experiences?--
"I have absolutely no psychic sensitivity. And honestly, I think it's much better that way! (Laughs)
But I do have really strong intuition.
Sometimes I'll think, 'I have a feeling this is going to happen,' and then it actually does.
Or I'll get the feeling, 'Something about this place doesn't feel right,' and I'm often correct.
That's honestly what scares me the most." (Laughs)
--Finally, what would you like viewers to look forward to?--
"I worked as hard as I could to bring Junji Ito's world to life.
I think The Rib Woman also says something important about lookism and our obsession with beauty.
I hope people won't become too consumed by the desire to lose weight.
I believe the finished drama faithfully recreates the original, so I hope even longtime Junji Ito fans will feel it captures the spirit of the manga.
I'd be very happy if lots of people watched it."
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