Love x 2 is over. It's now time to ask five cast members (Aya, Miki, Shiba-chan, Tsuyoshi, and Occhi) their thoughts. This is somewhat in the vein of
Fragments of What Brings Us Together, but a bit different.
The Interview[Six stools are arranged in a circle. Five of these stools are occupied by the following people: Matsuura Aya, Fujimoto Miki, Shibata Ayumi, Sekiguchi Tsuyoshi, and Ochiai Kiyomi. The sixth stool is occupied by an interviewer, a young man in his early thirties and dressed in an impeccably ironed suit and tie. The man holds a pad of paper and a pen. A tape recorder rests on a small table right behind him.]
Interviewer: Welcome, everyone. I want to start by thanking you for coming today. Let's get right into this, shall we?
[Everyone nods amiably.]
Interviewer: So now that this long story has finally come to an end, how do you feel?
Shibata: {Laughs} Relieved!
Fujimoto: {Scratches her nose} Like I have no work.
Matsuura: Well, I'm going to miss it, although it'll be good to move on to other projects that are always being put on the backburner. I like to vary my work, but the past couple of years it's been almost the same storyline with just a few alternate or unrelated stories thrown into the mix. Now that we've tied everything up here, I feel like there's so much out there to explore. You know?
[Shiba-chan and Miki exchange glances but keep quiet.]
Sekiguchi: Yeah, I'm relieved, but kind of sad it's over. It was a big chunk of my life, and I got to meet some great people.
Ochiai: I feel like I know all of you too well.
Interviewer: Is there some other work you've got lined up?
Ochiai: I'm going to spend some time with my husband. He's felt neglected the past year. So no, no work.
Shibata: Hmm. I've been offered the lead in a new story by the same author, but I'm not sure if I'm going to accept. I'll have to think about it carefully.
Fujimoto: Nothing planned yet. Need to find something that interests me.
Sekiguchi: I've been working on my own series, actually. It stars me, of course, and Fujimoto-san, so I'm trying to get her to join me.
[Miki glares at Tsuyoshi and Tsuyoshi cowers.]
Matsuura: There have been some role requests thrown out to me, and I'm tempted to take up one that looks promising. I wouldn't have the lead, but kind of close to it. The problem is that it looks like it might be a long one, and I want to do a few short stories before throwing myself into another long term project. Unless it's something that really reaches out and captures my heart, you know? A really moving story with some action and adventure. Actually, there is this kind of emotionally dark and intense story that's in the works, but it's a big secret. That's all I'm really allowed to say. The others haven't been approached about their roles yet because the story might not happen in the end. I've been given one of the leads, though, so I'll have to see. Does that, um, answer your question?
Interviewer: ...Yes...
[Miki and Shiba-chan share a subtle sigh.]
Interview: What was the first thing you did when you finished this story?
Shibata: Cheered!
[Shiba-chan and Occhi laugh]
Shibata: And after that, I went out with some friends for dinner to celebrate.
Sekiguchi: I treated my girlfriend out for a nice dinner.
Fujimoto: Kuni-chan's not your girlfriend. And you forced her into going with you 'cause she lost that bet. And you made her pay for half of it when you drank the entire bottle of wine on your own.
[Tsuyoshi hangs his head.]
Fujimoto: I went home and took a nap.
Ochiai: I donated blood.
[Everybody looks at Ochiai oddly.]
Ochiai: {Speaking calmly} It was for my daughter's school's blood drive.
[Everybody nods at this acceptable explanation.]
Matsuura: Well, initially I invited Miki-chan out for dinner just to chat since we've really gotten to know each other even better through this story. But she was tired and skipped out on that. So instead, I called up an old friend and went up to her family's home in Saitama for the evening. We had dinner and did a little karaoke. It was perfectly relaxing. Just what I needed after that intense last day.
[Miki and Shiba-chan sigh.]
Interviewer: Now I want to ask you a few things about the story itself. It's really long and there are so many different situations your characters go through. But in all of it, was there one particular scene that you were involved in that moved you?
Shibata: I think it would have to be the scene where I first really get to talk to Aya-chan. It's one of the early chapters when we're on the shinkansen home from the concert in Kobe. That scene moved me somehow. Even though we were just acting, there were elements of truth to what we were saying. Things about losing our best friends. It really hit close to home.
Ochiai: Definitely the scene where I cuss Fujimoto-san out for never ordering the special desert on the anniversary of Aya's death. It's my first scripted interaction with anyone. I don't even have a name in the story yet, and it happens just before Fujimoto-san goes off to Italy. That scene really shows the many sides of my character. I'm tough but thoughtful. I'm highly observant. I'm mysterious. I care about my patrons, especially the two main characters of the story. That my character would go so far as to prepare the shop for one girl's memorial day touched me deeply.
Fujimoto: {Pushes hair out of her face} None in particular.
[Aya glares at Miki.]
Fujimoto: {Straightens up properly and stops fidgeting} Well, of course there are lots. I can't really choose. Um... I guess the one at the end where I was crying and screaming at that time lady and getting angry at Aya-chan for not staying in my world. Intense stuff. It wasn't too hard to produce the tears for that one.
Matsuura: {Nods} Miki-chan's right. There are so many scenes that were moving. One of the best ones I did was the fight between me and Miki-chan on the phone. You know, while I'm in the park and I'm trying to get her forgiveness for not telling her I wanted to leave the Project. I had to get really upset and cry. And don't forget this in on a phone, too! There's nobody beside me. The things she said were also pretty cruel. She confused my character. Blamed me for things that I hadn't even done. It moved me, though, that despite being shot down with insults, my character kept going forward and trying to make everything better. It really shows you the love she felt. But then there was also the scene with Miki-chan's funeral.
[Miki and Shiba-chan exchange glares and roll their eyes.]
Matsuura: That was way later, but not any less touching. I had to have a really long face for that one. I had to be angry at the killer and also depressed because of the death. Oh, and lonely, too. I find it hard to be angry and sad at the same time. Maybe it's just me, but I can't do it. It's either one or the other, you know? So, yeah.
Interviewer: Are you done?
[Aya nods.]
Sekiguchi: For me it was the scene where Matsuura-san tells me Fujimoto-san's dead. Short, but sad. Shows how much I cared for Miki. I couldn't even think straight.
Interviewer: What about the funniest scene that you did? What do you think that is?
Fujimoto: Oh, any time I insulted Tachibana-san. {Laughs} I don't have a problem with him in real life, so it was extra fun to badmouth him because he'd pretend to get all insulted in real life. We laughed it off afterwards.
Ochiai: I didn't really have any funny scenes. I guess the one I mentioned before with the desert and Fujimoto-san. I kind of yelled at her, and it has this kind of this ironic air. Is that the right word? There I am trying to comfort her with a special cake and I'm scolding her. Not exactly what you would expect, right?
Sekiguchi: The one where I had a hangover at work and I had to go to the washroom. Hilarity. I'm so good at acting drunk-
Fujimoto: {Mutters} Lots of practice.
Sekiguchi: -so it was fun playing it up, especially with Fujimoto-san in there with me. {Looks at Miki with eyes wide as saucers.}
Fujimoto: {Rolls eyes} I wish he liked Aya-chan instead.
Shibata: Funny? Hmmm. I'm not really involved in funny things. Other people around me have funny moments, but I play the more serious character. Maybe the scene where I tell Miki-chan that I'm marrying my boyfriend and for her to lighten up about Aya-chan's death. I kind of got to be a bit random there and try to throw her off guard with a few sentences that didn't seem to fit. But other than that, not much humour for me.
Matsuura: Funny? Plenty.
[Miki and Shiba-chan smile warily.]
Matsuura: The scene where we get back from Kobe and I fall asleep within ten seconds of hitting the couch... I was actually giggling into the pillow. The thought of just passing out while someone expects you to talk to them just tickles me. There was also that scene where I met Kuni-chan for the first time. Oh, she was great fun to work with, and we were so good together. I wish she could've been here for this interview today. The way we tease Miki-chan in the story isn't too far off from how we act in real life.
Fujimoto: {Laughs} This is true.
Matsuura: And I guess any time I got tease Miki-chan was fun to do.
[Miki rolls her eyes playfully.]
Matsuura: In real life I kind of do that, but not to such an extent. It was funny to have her overreacting to my insults, because in real life she's usually pretty good at brushing me off. Or at least lately. I guess she used to be more like she had to act in the story. Anyway, it's
so cute to see her get all angry and pouty. Absolutely adorable even though she's just acting.
Fujimoto: {Embarrassed} Next question.
Interviewer: How do you all get along or relate to each other? I mean, you worked together for so long on this project and you had a lot of deep, personal moments. How much of it is real? How much is accurate? How much is just how your characters have been interpreted?
[The five interviewees share thoughtful looks.]
Shibata: Well, the story vaguely follows our real life relationships with each other. Or at least the main characters'. Some things are downplayed. For example, my friendship with Miki-chan. Some things are exaggerated. For example, the whole thing between Aya-chan and Miki-chan. Actually, before we started this, I knew Miki-chan better out of the two because we both play futsal together. Also, I think the author wrote me as way more intelligent than I actually am. I would not classify myself as a ditz, but I'm not a world-travelling, dissertation-writing anthropology student. {Laughs} I get along with everyone here, though, so that much is accurate.
Ochiai: I haven't known everyone for so long, but I can say I've never worked with better people. Everyone here was so professional about everything. I'll be honest and admit that I had very low expectations coming into this project, but everyone here certainly changed my view. I've gotten particularly close to Shiba-chan. I guess she reminds me the most of me.
Sekiguchi: I loved our working relationships. It's tough being one of the only men in a story all about girls, but I got along with everyone. I feel like I developed a special bond with Fujimoto-san, too. I mean, we had to interact a lot, so I felt closer to her than anyone else.
Fujimoto: {Rolls her eyes and mumbles} He's in love with me and yet he claims Kuni-chan's his girlfriend.
Sekiguchi: {Oblivious} I wouldn't mind working with her - I mean everyone again.
Fujimoto: Well, Aya-chan's my best friend here, right? So at first it was super awkward to work with her on this story. I mean, we had to have all these embarrassing moments where we said and did all these mushy things. The first time we kissed was
so weird. Arg! {Aya laughs} But we got over it, and like Ochiai-san said, we're pretty professional. We said "Okay, let's put aside our friendship. Let's just stick in on the shelf and forget about it while we put on these other characters' skins." And so we did, and it worked out okay.
Matsuura: Oh, I love everyone. There's not a single boy or girl that I hated while working on this story. Of course working with Miki-chan was great because we get along, but like she said, we had our setbacks. All the romantic stuff, first of all, but also the fighting. We had to do quite a bit of arguing, and even though we knew we were acting, it's always hard to look into your friend's eyes and yell at her. Shiba-chan and I didn't know each other as well, but we're so much closer now after working together so much. It's great and I'm glad I've gotten to know someone who's been nearby for so long. I even enjoyed working with Tachibana-san. Funny, it wasn't awkward at all. He's also very professional, and Miki-chan was surprisingly good at making him feel welcome.
Fujimoto: {Looks bashful} I was just trying to make the situation run smoothly.
Matsuura: Tachibana-san's a very happy guy. Very easygoing. We made it work. As for all the supporting characters like Ochiai-san and Tsuyoshi-kun, I think we've formed a bond that can never go away. We'll always be part of each other's lives in a way. As for Kuni-chan... Well, I think she's become one of us. {Gestures to herself, Miki, and Shiba-chan} She's one of the gang now, and I don't think you'll be able to separate the four of us.
Shibata: True. Although I didn't have any scenes with Kuni-chan, we were on the set together a lot, and Aya-chan and Miki-chan always talked about how great she was, so I became friends with her almost by default! {Laughs}
Interviewer: Interesting. So you two {points to Aya and Miki} deny that there is anything betwe-
Fujimoto: {Rolls her eyes} It's fiction.
Matsuura: It's an exaggeration. We're really close. Just not
that close. Frankly, when I first read the original story and then started working on it, I thought that we'd do it and then drift apart. Drift apart in real life. End our friendship mutually just because we realised we weren't that close, or that we couldn't compete with the kind of people we were portrayed as in the story. And maybe that almost happened. I mean, at the beginning, like I said-
Fujimoto: {Quietly to the interviewer} You might want to grab a coffee. As you can tell, she's a hell of a talker.
Matsuura: -it was so awkward that we didn't hang out much after work. We'd just say good night and go our separate ways. I think it was right at the end of the second story when we kind of both snapped out of it and said, "Hey, we're friends. We don't have to put any distance between ourselves just because some story is smushing us together like monkeys in heat." So we let people talk and say whatever they want to about us because our friendship's too good to end over some stupid, embarrassing story.
Interviewer: Um, got it. Now I want to ask you this: What was the most difficult thing about doing this story?
Ochiai: Being so omnipotent with a straight face. If I was that all-knowing, I might laugh at everyone. Hah!
Sekiguchi: Being such a babe. I'm a pretty quiet, modest guy. I don't like to make a big deal about the dates I get and so on.
Fujimoto, Matsuura, Shibata: {Snort} Yeah right.
Shibata: Any time I had to get angry - or at least really sharp. Especially with Aya-chan. There's this one scene where I have to ask her, "Who
are you?" I don't recognise this angry, violent girl that she's transformed into after Miki's murder. She did such an amazing job acting that I sometimes just stared at her in awe and forgot to say my line.
Matsuura: {Laughs} Yeah, she froze up a few times, but I thought she'd just forgotten her lines.
Shibata: Nah. It's 'cause you were so good.
Matsuura: Aww, thanks!
Fujimoto: The mushy lines. Definitely. I'm not that kind of person. My first reaction was to laugh at the lines, so then Aya-chan'd hit me, which would make me feel even less like saying sappy things to her, which made me laugh, and... never-ending cycle.
Matsuura: Yeah, the most difficult thing about it all was simply working with Miki-chan.
Fujimoto: {Glares}
Matsuura: Joking! The most difficult thing would have been... hmm, trying not to overact. Like, I know it's really emotional. Lots of deep stuff. But I think I overdid it a bit. Don't you think? Got a little too emotional, reacted a bit too harshly... I don't think this was my best performance, but I certainly learned a lot from it.
Fujimoto: {Mouths silently} Is she done yet?
Matsuura: Besides that, the hardest scene was the last one in the story where I'm trying to avenge Miki-chan's death. I'm screaming at this guy, waving a
real gun at him and completely losing myself. I had to just let go and pretend that it was all true. That Miki-chan had been killed. The scary thing was that for a brief second, I actually believed everything, and the hatred that looked like an act turned real.
Everyone: {Shocked silence}
Matsuura: {Claps and smiles} But don't worry. It lasted, like, one second. I was totally okay after that.
Interviewer: Okay. What about your favourite thing?
Fujimoto: Do you mean favourite thing about working on the story or favourite scene?
Interviewer: Either. Both.
Fujimoto: My favourite scene was the one where I tried to cook breakfast for Aya-chan and ended up burning and dropping everything. I got to spill water all over the set. It was fun to make a mess without getting in trouble for it.
Matsuura: That's so typical of you.
Fujimoto: Hey! We can't all be perfect like you.
Matsuura: Very funny. It's not-
Ochiai: Girls!
Fujimoto and Matsuura: {Sheepishly} Sorry.
Shibata: See? We all have our roles. This goes back to that question you asked about how we get along.
Interviewer: So this is your group dynamic you're talking about.
Shibata: Mmhmm. Miki-chan and Aya-chan are like the kids who make noise, goof off, get rowdy, and bicker playfully, while Ochiai-san is like the mother. I take on the role of, hmm... what would you say?
Sekiguchi: {Confident nod} Older sister.
Shibata: Yeah, older sister. And Tsuyoshi-kun's like the-
Fujimoto: The annoying boy next door.
Sekiguchi: {Snorts} I'm n-
Shibata: {Quickly interrupting} And of course Kuni-chan fits right in. She's another one of the kids.
Ochiai: {Jokingly} I have many children.
Shibata: {Laughs} Sorry.
Ochiai: Quite all right!
Interviewer: That's quite the group you've got. So, back to the question...
Fujimoto: Yeah, so that was my favourite scene to do. My favourite part about working on it was probably getting to hang out with Aya-chan so much! {Laughs} I'm told we're fun to watch on the set.
Shibata: Well, let's see. I think my favourite scene was the one where I went with Aya-chan to the café for the first time to meet Ochiai-san. That scene worked so well because my character discovered a like-minded, even more brilliant character. It was fun to have both of us in the room trying to discuss Miki-chan and the secret meetings she'd been having before her death.
Ochiai: Hmm, likewise. I think that was my favourite scene, too. I finally got a name.
Shibata: {Laughs} As for the best part about working on the story, I'd have to say it was the amount of input we had. We got to add in a lot of our ideas and even ad lib some parts. Our opinions were constantly asked for. That was refreshing for me.
Ochiai: I'd have to say my favourite part about working on the story was not just the variety of cast members, but also the variety of characters and interpretations of those characters. Everyone had different ideas about each character. It was quite fascinating discussing one character with one person and then discussing the same character with another person and hearing a radically different analysis.
Sekiguchi: Well, my favourite scene was the one where I told off those girls who were threatening Fujimoto-san. I was totally the hero. And my favourite part about working on the story was obviously the cast. {Eyes Miki} I met some wonderful people.
Fujimoto: {Ignores}
Matsuura: I-
[Shiba-chan and Miki share nervous glances]
Matsuura: -loved the earlier stories. One of my favourite scenes was the one in the morning after the Kobe concert. Yeah, a bit awkward, but funny. My character didn't know Miki-chan was awake all that time - you know, during the morning call from the front desk and all my swearing - and so when I found out, I had to act so surprised. Kind of defeated, too. But insanely happy nonetheless. That kind of mix of feelings is something I can relate to. I think a lot of people can. When someone you really like does or says something that would frustrate you if that person were anyone else, it becomes endearing. Did I say that right? I think you know what I mean, right? My favourite part about working on the set was... hmm. Well, like Miki-chan said, working together with her was fun. We've always wanted to do lots of work together, so I guess we got our wish. I also enjoyed the travelling. All the way up to Hokkaido. Usually when we're on tour we don't have much time to enjoy our environment, but in this case we were working there for days, even weeks! We got to see a lot more of Japan than we normally would.
Interviewer: {Interrupts quickly} Okay, thank you. Now I think I'd like to ask you a final question. This one is short, but think about it for a minute. In a word, describe your character.
Matsuura: Only one word?
Interviewer: {Nods frantically} Yes.
[The interviewees take some time to think.]
Shibata: Steady.
Sekiguchi: Smooth.
Ochiai: Ubiquitous.
Fujimoto: Passionate.
Matsuura: ...
Fujimoto: {Whispers} Think she can do just one word?
Shibata: {Whispers back} We'll see...
Matsuura: Loved by everyone and bighearted.
[Miki and Shiba-chan exchange knowing smirks.]
Fujimoto: Didn't think she could do it.
Interviewer: Thank you, everyone, for agreeing to participate in this interview session. I'll be in touch with your managers about the publishing of this information. In the meantime, take care and good luck with your future endeavours.
[Everyone thanks the interviewer and files out.]
The (anti-climatic) end.
Topic: The Interview (Read 5417 times)