■ “It’s like (Hinatazaka46’s) first step, and it shows a very fresh image.” (Director Kazuyoshi Kumakiri)
New stills have been released from the film “Zenbu of Tokyo” (released nationwide on October 25th), which stars all of Hinatazaka46’s fourth-generation members.
Five stills have been released. What was meant to be a fun school trip is when Ikezono Yurika (Shogenji Yoko) is caught up in the multiverse (?) and finds herself alone, conflicted and lost in thought. Kirii Chisa (Watanabe Rina), who is modest in nature, gathers up the courage to act alone to make her dream come true. Hanekawa Megumi (Fujishima Kaho) and Tsujisaka Mio (Takeuchi Kirari) are united to watch over Moriya-kun, a boy they admire, but their feelings intersect and a conflict seems to be in the air. The members of the foursome, Popozu, confirm their missions for the school trip and high-five with merchandise of their favorite characters. Setsuda Shiori (Ishizuka Yuki), Kadomura Wakana (Shimizu Rio), Yanatori Akane (Miyaji Sumire), and Kadobayashi Moe (Yamashita Haruka). The video also captures new sides to the eccentric characters, such as when they visit the cafe that Masutani Ayano (Konishi Kanami) frequents (?), where Hanari Miyuki (Hirao Honoka) casts a sparkling gaze at the Tokyo-born Masutani, while Masutani’s middle school friend Mitsutake Yumeka (Hiraoka Kurage) has a contrasting expression on her face, and Masutani appears nervous for some reason.
Ikezono’s cut has a nostalgic atmosphere that has never been seen before, raising expectations to see the other side of the 4th generation members besides being idols.
■Director Kumakiri Kazuya talks about his first impressions of the 4th generation members of Hinatazaka46!
The characters that the 4th Generation members will play in this work were created based on advance interviews with all 11 members, and the roles were decided by audition. Although the characters are life-size, they each have similarities to themselves, and also include expressions that we have never seen before. The new discoveries and sincere acting that does not appear in the group’s usual activities add spice to this work.
The first time Director Kumakiri saw the fourth-year students was in a video that had been recorded in advance for casting. He spoke about his first impression of the 11 girls when he saw their video.
“Masayoshi-san seemed to be glaring at the camera (!), as if to say, ‘Why are you taking a picture?’ It was interesting. Even when he was talking to someone, he would look straight at them, and the power of his gaze made a big impression on me.”
“Mr. Watanabe was the only one with a low energy level (laughs), and I thought it was funny how he seemed to be laughing along while the others were talking.”
“During our interview, Fujishima-san seemed quite relaxed, cheerful, and had a very attractive expression.”
“I couldn’t really get a sense of what kind of person Ishizuka was from the interview footage alone, but I felt that I could bring him to life by creating a strong character.”
“Konishi-san is very tall and eye-catching, but sometimes he shows a blank look on his face (laughs), so I thought it would be good to make use of that.”
“Takeuchi-san had a face that was indescribably funny (laughs). She didn’t have the idol vibe I had imagined, but more like the great actress Machiko Kyo of the past.”
“When Hirao-san saw the chocolates that were being presented to her, she reached out to them at her own pace, saying, ‘Yay! Can I have some?’ That was what caught my eye (laughs). At that point, I thought that she and the character of Hanazato seemed to match.”
“Rather than watching the interview video, Hiraoka happened to be watching the YouTube Hinatazaka Channel fishing video for reference. I also like fishing, so I felt a sense of affinity with him.”
“Shimizu-san has a cool presence, and I thought about how I could bring out the best in her character, and from an early stage I thought that if I took away the idol-like feel and instead made her more manly and straightforward, she would be attractive.”
“Mr. Miyaji is really like that in his everyday life (laughs). I wanted to make the most of his true form, so I cast him in the role of Yanagida.”
“I thought Yamashita-san was a really funny guy, so I was wondering how to make the most of that. I thought it would be good to make him a character who gets carried away and does something crazy, and that’s how a certain scene was born.”
Director Kumakiri added, “I thought it would be interesting to film people who don’t have much acting experience, and we discussed the story from various angles.” “I think they will appear in many movies and dramas from now on, but this is their first step, and they appear in a very fresh light, so I hope you enjoy it.”
Movie Information
“Zenbu of Tokyo”
Friday, October 25th, TOHO Cinemas Hibiya and other theaters nationwide
Cast: Yoko Shogenji, Rina Watanabe, Kaho Fujishima, Tomoki Ishizuka, Kanami Konishi, Kirari Takeuchi, Honoka Hirao, Kurage Hiraoka, Rio Shimizu, Sumire Miyaji, Haruka Yamashita
Nao Kosaka, Sei Matobu, and Tomohito Yashima
Director: Kazuyoshi Kumakiri
Screenplay: Shohei Fukuda, Ryoichi Tsuchiya
Distributor: Gaga
(C)2024 “Zenbu of Tokyo” Film Production Committee
“Zenbu of Tokyo” movie website
https://gaga.ne.jp/zenbu_of_tokyo/
Hinatazaka46 OFFICIAL SITE
https://www.hinatazaka46.com
