[Part 1] Kyoto is the universe, an idol, and Ohtani

I intend to write a series of articles about how the film 'Bubu-zuke, How About It?' was made. I plan to introduce the outline and origins of the work ahead of its theatrical release on June 6th, but I won't be giving away any major spoilers. My name is Masanori Tominaga, and I am the director.

First of all, this is a film set in Kyoto. Furthermore, it could be said that it is a film that uses Kyoto to depict the workings of the human heart. The idea that longing acts upon the heart to transform a person. Under this theme, Kyoto takes on the role of the object of longing. However, if that is the theme, it doesn't necessarily have to be 'Kyoto'... for instance, it could just as well be 'the universe,' 'an idol,' 'Shohei Ohtani,' or 'art.' This is because even if you replace the protagonist who 'transforms for the sake of Kyoto' with one who does so 'for the sake of the universe,' the goal of depicting the workings of the human heart remains valid (regardless of whether it is Kyoto or the universe).

You might ask what the point of that is, but what I, the director, am confessing right from the start is that although this film is set in Kyoto, it barely shows Kyoto at all. In our promotional materials, we are constantly highlighting Kyoto, but in reality, this film hardly features any of the typical Kyoto landmarks, such as tourist spots or historical heritage sites. Despite filming in Kyoto for about three weeks, it is a narrow-minded film where the only landmark that appears is the Kamo River. I, the director, even found myself inwardly relieved when a shot taken with a telephoto lens from Kyoto Tower looking toward Kyoto Station happened to capture a Thunderbird express train, which serves as a landmark for the Kinki region.

When the screenwriter Atsushi Asada and I first started discussing the project, we intended to capture various parts of Kyoto on screen. After all, Kyoto is exceptional in that every corner is filled with refined taste. It's an amazing city, isn't it? That is precisely why the protagonist, Madoka Shibusawa, longs for Kyoto, but as we conducted research and developed the screenplay, both the screenwriter and I realized something at one point. Perhaps a film with this theme wouldn't show anything 'Kyoto-like.' I will write about what I mean by 'Kyoto-like' on another occasion.

The major premise that Kyoto is a very attractive city is always accompanied by another premise: that it is a closed and exclusive place. The plot, centered on this duality, was originally a thriller about a protagonist who moves to Kyoto and gets brainwashed by a secret society of proprietresses of long-established businesses. It has since become a comedy with no trace of a thriller left, but every time I remember our initial ideas, I feel that our choices were the right ones.