#tr interviews

As stated before I plugged these through a translator so I am not sure if there are any specific connotations or distinctions with the verbiage used. But yes I find Nijirou Murakami’s iteration of Kazutora to be really interesting considering how his take on the character is so unique from the original source material; and I like that he wanted to do his own thing while also still making sense within the context of the movies as an adaptation.

Part 1: Bloody Halloween Destiny

“I had also seen the previous film, "Tokyo Revengers," and enjoyed it as an audience member, so I was surprised when I heard about the role, but when I heard I'd be playing the role of Kazutora, I immediately replied, "I want to do it!" I thought Kazutora would be the best fit for me in terms of my level of enthusiasm, so I was happy.”

“Regarding his appearance, I thought it would be good to create my own version of Kazutora while skillfully extracting the beautiful parts of the original work. In a sense, I think of Kazutora as a "tragic hero." It's precisely because I have fond memories of the old Tokyo Manji that I feel such self-loathing. It's not so much self-loathing as it is hating the whole world (laughs). The weight I was carrying was so heavy that it felt like I was the only one with a different gravity.”

“The scene when the Tokyo Manji Gang was formed was difficult. I felt that Kazutora was a bit of an outsider among the six of them. Of course they get along well, but with the members having such strong personalities, I don't think they see themselves as part of a group. Among them, Kazutora admires Mikey, but he has known Baji for a long time, so I think his bond with him is strong. He loves everyone and is deeply connected to them, but I tried to act with the intention of creating a feeling that there is just a slight sense of discomfort. I think Kazutora probably doesn't like being in groups, and his personality doesn't suit him.”

“Kazutora's defining feature is his dual personality. He has a baby face and is cute, but he's also comfortable tormenting the weak. He's third in line to Valhalla, but he's also the most spirited, so I was conscious of portraying him as a champion who doesn't fight easily. He's the kind of person who wants to fight with the attitude, "This isn't a child's fight." Because the original work has a cute and adorable touch, I approached the action scenes hoping to bring out the power that only a live-action film can have.”

Part 2: Bloody Halloween - Decisive Battle

“Looking back on the filming, I feel like I've pretty much done it, and I have a sense of accomplishment in my own way. The action scenes are great, but overall, I think the film is full of energy. But the character of Kazutora himself is not a character with a positive energy, so it was difficult to strike that balance. There were times when I felt like I was being taken over both physically and mentally, and I think the entire filming team also had to work hard, reaching their limits and then rebuilding.”

Something something sharing is caring. I found the DVD premium box-sets for the TR movies in Japan a while back and it came with two separate booklets interviewing the actors, which I thought were pretty interesting and I personally love “behind the scenes” stuff. I plugged the text through a translator since I do not speak Japanese besides knowing some basic tourist-level phrasing, so I cannot attest for any specific connotations in terms of language if there are any. Baji’s going to be first just because I’m biased lmao, and Kento Nagayama’s portrayal is one of my favorite renditions of Baji. I will also be doing Kazutora’s for sure because he’s my other favorite character. I’ll post the others if I’m motivated enough.

Anyways. Here you go, guys.

Part 1: Bloody Halloween - Destiny

“The previous work, "Tokyo Revengers," was also very interesting, and I read the original work and learned that Baji is an incredibly popular character, so when I heard about the role, I thought it would be a worthwhile role to act in. However, I also felt a lot of pressure and anxiety.”

“As for Baji's feelings for Kazutora, their relationship is well-drawn, so I didn't have to pay much attention to it, but when it came to his interactions with the other founding members (of Tokyo Manji Gang) in the past block, I felt I had to cherish my relationships with each of them. Since he had the least amount of interaction with Draken in the scenes, I made sure to make eye contact with him when he was riding his motorcycle. He also has the line, "The Third Division belongs to Pah," so I made sure to play around with Pah-chin. There were many people I was meeting for the first time, but they were all good actors and had a philosophical outlook in a good way, so I felt like we were able to face each other with a high level of awareness. However, there wasn't a single easy scene. Personally, I love motorcycles, so the motorcycle riding scenes were bonus time for me (laughs).”

“The action scenes were tough. Even though I'm the oldest, I had the most action scenes... I'm sick of fighting (wry smile). The fight scenes in the apartment complex, which are said to be "unrivaled in the field," depicted in the second part, were tough, and of course the action scenes in the second part were tough too. However, action scenes are often tougher for the receiver, but in the field, I didn't get "hit" much, and it felt like I was fighting alone the whole time. When I did action scenes with (Kitamura) Takumi in the apartment complex, I felt his outstanding physical ability. When the other person is skilled, it makes you look skilled as well, so I was grateful for that.”

Part 2: Bloody Halloween - Decisive Battle

“The second half was really tough because there was a lot of action. In the flashback scene where I save Chifuyu, there were a bunch of people lined up who were obviously bigger than me, and I thought, "There's no way I can do this..." (laughs), but once I started moving, it felt great.”

“In the first part, when Mitsuya stops me at the shrine, there's a line that says, "I'll kill you," and I was thinking about how to say it, but the director clearly told me, "Absolutely don't hint at (a lie)." So I tried to stay true to my true feelings. However, in the scene where I'm sitting on the jungle gym in the title sequence of the first part, I think I showed too much of my true self. I thought I was putting on a serious face, but I was actually putting on a kind face, right? (laughs). I was worried inside, thinking, "Come on!", but the director said it was OK, so I thought it would be fine.”

So, Councillor Vantas.

IS THIS GOING TO BE A THING. ARE WE GOING TO SPEND THIS ENTIRE GODSDAMN WASTE OF TIME CALLING ONE ANOTHER BY NEEDLESS TITLES. I'M SORRY, SHOULD I BE REFERRING TO YOU BY "THAT ONE ANNOYING AS FUCK REPORTERRIBLE".

...would you prefer Mr. Vantas?

I SUPPOSE.