■ “Before shooting each scene, I would look at the same scene in the original, and I would try to recreate as many details as possible, like Aqua’s facial expressions and movements.” (Kaito Sakurai)
Amazon and Toei have launched a joint project to turn “Oshi no Ko” into a live-action film. The drama series will be exclusively distributed worldwide to Prime members on Prime Video from 9pm on November 28th, and the sequel will be released nationwide on December 20th, distributed by Toei.
In addition to the lead actress, Sakurai Kaito, the film also brings together some of the hottest actors of the moment, including Saito Asuka, Saito Nagisa, Hara Nanoka, Kayashima Mizuki, Ano, and Narita Ryo.
We have now received a comment from Kaito Sakurai, who plays the main character Aqua, who embarks on a brutal revenge drama that puts her life on the line.
“For me, acting is revenge.”
Sakurai Kaito took on the role of Aqua, a girl who infiltrates the entertainment industry with a burning desire for revenge to find out the truth behind the death of her mother Ai (Saito Asuka). In recent years, she has steadily built her career as an actor, appearing in popular shows such as “VIVANT” (2023/TBS) and “Ao Haru Ride Season 1” (2023/WOWOW).
Regarding her challenge in this film, she revealed, “I had originally read the original work before I was offered the role, and it was a work I really loved. I had thought, ‘If it were to be made into a live-action film, I would like to play the role of Aqua,’ and then I was actually offered the role. It’s a work I love, and it has a lot of fans, so I felt a lot of pressure.”
“But even more than that, my desire to play the role of Aqua was so strong that when I first spoke with the director and producer, I honestly told them, ‘I honestly don’t want anyone else to play this role,'” Sakurai said. Sakurai’s words about his feelings at the time of the offer are filled with extraordinary determination and overflowing respect for the original work.
■Kanon Sakurai meets Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari!
During the filming of this series, which took place over a long period of more than four months from November 2023 to March 2024, Sakurai re-read the original work and thoroughly incorporated the character of Aqua into himself.
“First of all, it was my feelings towards the original work. I wanted to see how I could project myself into the character that Akasaka Aka-sensei and Yokoyari Mengo-sensei brought to this world and act it out. I absolutely did not want to destroy the image of Aqua that was in the original work, so before shooting each and every scene, I would look at the same scene in the original and try to remember as much as I could about Aqua’s facial expressions, how she moves, whether she’s sitting or standing, whether she has her hands in her pockets or not, and so on, down to the smallest details.”
As if to embody that determination, he frequently showed up on set even on days when he wasn’t on set, communicated closely with the staff, and was seen sincerely watching and learning from the other actors’ performances, and trying to incorporate that into his own acting.
It seems that the original authors, Akasaka Aka and Yokoyari Mengo, also visited the filming location several times. Sakurai recalled, “The first time I met them, I was so nervous that I just stood there. I heard later that even Akasaka-sensei and Yokoyari-sensei were like, ‘You were really nervous’… (laughs). It was incredibly nerve-wracking to meet the authors of a work that I love and respect that much. But the second time I met them, they were very frank with me, so I was able to talk to them about various things without feeling nervous.”
Despite feeling great pressure, Sakurai was able to complete the fulfilling filming and revealed his satisfaction as the leader of the troupe, saying, “It’s a production I love, and a role I’ve always wanted to play. With the support of so many people, I was able to play Aqua, which was an incredibly valuable experience for me as an actor. I hope as many people as possible will see the live-action version of ‘Oshi no Ko’ that we all created.”
The stills released at the same time show Sakurai Kaito’s serious gaze as she takes on the role of Aqua, a woman who will stop at nothing to exact revenge, using desire and lies in the entertainment world, a world shrouded in light and shadow. Why was Ai killed? What is the tragic truth that awaits Aqua, who is obsessed with revenge? Keep an eye out for Sakurai’s passionate performance as she takes on new territory.
Information
“My Favorite Child”
Number of episodes: 8 drama series episodes + movie
◇ Drama series (8 episodes)
Available worldwide on Prime Video from 9pm on Thursday, November 28th
◇Movies
Nationwide release from Friday, December 20th, distributed by Toei
*Streaming and release content and schedules are subject to change without notice.
Original work: “Oshi no Ko” by Akasaka Aka and Yokoyari Mengo (serialized in Shueisha’s Weekly Young Jump)
Cast: Sakurai Umi, Saito Asuka, Saito Nagisa, Hara Nanoka, Kayashima Mizuki, Ano
Planning and production: Ryusuke Imoto
Screenplay: Ayako Kitagawa
Music: fox capture plan
Director: Smith, Matsumoto Kana
(C) Akasaka Aka × Yokoyari Mengo / Shueisha, Toei
(C) Akasaka Aka × Yokoyari Mengo / Shueisha, 2024 Movie[Oshi no Ko]Production Committee
“Oshi no Ko” drama and movie website
https://oshinoko-lapj.com/
Sakurai Kaito OFFICIAL SITE
https://www.kaitoweb.net/
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