The October 2016 Nanimono Okada Masaki interview

The interview cover from Natalie.mu

I translated Okada Masaki’s October 2016 interview during the Nanimono promotion. I love this interview because it talks about his love for his career, the scene between him and Yamada Takayuki and his reason for not using any Social Network Service. 私は岡田将生の２０１６年「何者」のインタビュを翻訳しました。日本語の分は英語の後で。

The overall interview can be found here, and is titled as followed:

就活は静かな戦争！？６人の俳優語る若者たちの“リアル”Job searching is a quiet war?! Six actors speak of young people’s real experience

Okada Masaki (岡田将生)’s part as Miyamoto Takayoshi (宮本隆良)

Miyamoto Takayoshi (Okada Masaki)

I thought that “this guy is cute” 

Q: Takayoshi is a university student who aspires to be a creator, yet at the same time he looks down on Takuto and his friends for their job hunting endeavours. When reading the script, what kind of impression did you have of this Takayoshi character?

In some ways, I thought that Takayoshi is a character with a role to spice things up. The first time I read the script, I thought that “he’s a rather disagreeable chap.” But then upon talking to Director Miura (Daisuke), I realised that Takayoshi was not a disagreeable fellow. I thus changed my approach to this role.

[note: here Masaki used the word やつだ or 奴, which means a “chap”, a “fellow”.]

Q: Is there any overlap between your personality and Takayoshi’s?

No, there isn’t, is it? (chuckle).

Q: Since Okada-san is an actor, unlike office workers or employees who work for an organisation, I think it must be a place for solitude. In that sense, there is a similarity between you and Takayoshi. 

It doesn’t mean that there is no part that I can sympathise with. But Takayoshi doesn't seem have a social personality. I wouldn’t say what he said, just enumerating the words of others and then saying that there is no content at all. Besides, I don’t have the nerve to say such great things in front of people who are trying their best to look for jobs (chuckle). Although I think Takayoshi has an interesting personality, I still think that his personality is vastly different to mine.

[note: Masaki said “de ari” であり here, which gives a more official or literary impression than just “desu” です]

Takayoshi stunned when Mizuki lectured him

Q: He said big things, but because he just iterated the words of others, we cannot really tell whether he has self-confidence or not, can we?

There was a scene in the room where Takayoshi and Rika lived together where everyone met up to work on their job hunting progress. There, Takayoshi was lying on the bed alone, but he obviously wanted to join the discussion. There, although Takayoshi originally didn’t want to join in, he couldn’t resist and thus suddenly talked incessantly. It makes him looks so cute. After watching the movie, Suda (Masaki) also told me that “Takayoshi was very cute!” (laugh).

Q: The first impression was that “he is a disagreeable person”, but it changed to “he’s cute”.

I suppose, isn’t that what a person in Takayoshi’s age bracket is like? I think, it’s the stage when, if I were a high school or university student, I would also want to look great. Of course, I was like that, and perhaps I’m still like that.

Q: What was the difficult aspect in portraying this role?

Overall, although a realistic acting was wished for, when Takayoshi entered the scene, the tone could not be natural (chuckle). Thus, to have a natural-looking acting, it was good to explore the role during rehearsals prior to commencing filming. I don’t think I could have done it well had I entered the scene impromptu.

“Scary” and giving me a chill

Q: Were there anything you noticed once you saw the completed work?

Director Miura is someone who does repeated takes, thus at the scene, some meanings gradually became lost to me. However, watching the completed movie, I understood well the reason behind those repeated takes. Although I have seen Director Miura’s past works, I once again thought how amazing he was.  There were scenes that I thought were ‘scary’ and giving me the chill. I think my fellow actors were definitely performing well (chuckle).

Q: When you said “scary”, were you referring to the scene where Takuto, Sawatari senpai and Takayoshi were talking? 

I think that was when Takayoshi’s personality truly came out. While he was still agitated because of his interaction with Takuto, Sawatari senpai happened to swing by. Takayoshi then looked down on Sawatari senpai, thinking “This guy is interesting…” (chuckle). That scene was taken so many times. Upon Director Miura’s detailed request of “I want you to do this”, I responded and made minute adjustments, but all in all, it was pleasant to perform those scenes.

#masakiokada as Miyamoto Takayoshi, smoking scene (with Takeru Sato and Takayuki Yamada), #nanimono 2016. Yes you’re cute, but smoking is baaaad!!

格好いいけれど、喫煙はあぶないよ！#佐藤健#岡田将生#山田孝之#satotakeru#okadamasaki#yamadatakayuki#何者#宮本隆良#smokingbad pic.twitter.com/6D3131WyIS

— Southern River 南川雪月 (@snowmoon74) December 8, 2017

Q: On the surface, it seemed nothing happened, but there was this shimmering tension.

That was the mood that Yamada Takayuki-san gave me. I thought it was definitely amazing.

I don’t get the significance of sending information [about myself]

Q: In “Nanimono”, Social Network Service seems to be an important device, yet you don’t use Twitter or Facebook. Can you explain it?

I really don’t get the significance of sending information [about myself] (chuckle).

Q: Suppose you are being criticised by a person in SNS, do you think you can bear it?

I might think something like, “seriously?” or “is that so…” (chuckle).

Q: So, if a person you consider a friend said bad things about you, will you forgive him/her?

No, it's not like that. In the first place, I think not everyone would think highly of me anyway. Thus, I wasn’t so shocked if someone said bad things of me. I would just say “ah, okay, that’s right” or the like (chuckle). Also, it’s natural that everyone has good and bad sides.

[note: Masaki said 「人間って表とか裏があって当たり前です」or “ningen tte hyō toka ura ga atte atarimaedesu”, which directly translates to “every human being naturally has front and back sides”. I can’t find whether it means “everyone has good and bad sides”, or “everyone is multi-faceted” as he said in another interview, or “everyone has their hidden sides”. Help?]

Thus, I thought many times, “Shall I move on or shall I just stop?”

Q: If a job hunting is not successful, depending on the person, it can feel like your entire being is being denied. Have you felt such sense up till now?

I feel such a sense every time I start a new work. Whenever I couldn't perform as I hoped for, whenever the director couldn’t find what he looked for, I thought many times, “shall I keep being an actor or shall I just stop?"

Q: Yet in fact, you have persisted as an actor. Why is that?

That is because I truly love this job. Exactly because I like the job, if every time one hits a wall, if one does not like the job, I think it’s okay to quit. Yet, each time I’m struggling because of a rejection, I would try once more and keep coming back because I truly love this job.


-xxx-

Takeru Sato, Okada Masaki, Yamada Takayuki, and Suda Masaki, from here

就活は静かな戦争！？６人の俳優語る若者たちの“リアル”

岡田将生　「宮本隆良」

「こいつかわいいな」って思った

──隆良は、就職活動に励む拓人たちをどこか見下しているようなクリエイター志望の大学生です。脚本を読んだ際に、隆良という人物についてどんな印象を受けましたか？

ある意味、スパイスのような役目を持ったキャラクターだなと思いました。最初に脚本を読んだときはちょっと「嫌なやつだな」と思って。でも監督の三浦（大輔）さんとお話をして、ただの嫌なやつではないということがわかったので、役へのアプローチの仕方を変えました。

──ご自身と隆良には、重なる部分はありますか？

ないですね（笑）。

──岡田さんは俳優ですから、組織の一員である会社員とは違って、孤独に戦っているところがあると思うんですね。そういう意味では隆良と重なる部分もあるというか。

共感できる部分がまったくないわけじゃないんです。でも隆良って、個性があるようでない人なんですよ。自分の内から出てきた言葉じゃなくて、他者の言葉を並べているだけで、中身がまったくないというか。それに、就活をがんばってる人たちを前にして、あんな偉そうなことを言う度胸は僕にはないです（笑）。逆に、そこが彼の面白いところであり個性なのかなとは思いましたが、自分とはやっぱり全然違うタイプの人ですね。

──大きなことは言うけど並べるのは他人の言葉だから、自信があるのかないのかわからないような人ですよね。

理香と一緒に住んでる部屋にみんなが集まって就活会議をしてる場面で、隆良はベッドに1人で寝転がってるんですが、明らかに彼は話に加わりたがってるんです。そこで加わらない自分がいいと隆良は思っていて、でもやっぱり我慢できなくて、いきなりべらべらしゃべり出しちゃう。そういうところは「こいつかわいいな」って。菅田（将暉）くんも映画を観終わったあと「隆良めっちゃかわいい」って言ってくれたんです（笑）。

──最初の印象は「嫌なやつ」だったけど、「かわいいやつ」に変わっていったと。

隆良ぐらいの年齢の人って、けっこうあんな感じなんじゃないかと思います。高校生のときとか大学生のときって、自分を大きく見せたがる時期だと思うんです。もちろん僕もそうだったし、今もそうかもしれない。

──役柄を作っていくうえでどのあたりが難しかったですか？

全体的にリアルな演技が求められていたんですけど、隆良が入ってくるとどうしても場面のトーンが自然じゃなくなっちゃうんですよ（笑）。だから、どう演じたら自然に見えるかということを、撮影に入る前にリハーサルで探れたのはよかったですね。いきなり現場に入っていたらうまくできなかったんじゃないかと思います。

「怖いな」と思うしゾクッとさせられる

──完成した作品を観て、改めて気付いたことなどはありましたか？

三浦監督はテイクを重ねる方なので、現場でだんだん訳がわからなくなってくるときがあるんです。でも完成した映画を観て、あれだけテイクを重ねる理由がよくわかりました。三浦監督の過去作は観てましたけど、改めてすごい方だなと思いました。「怖いな」と思うしゾクッとさせられる場面があって、出演者の皆さんも本当に上手だなって（笑）。

──「怖い」と思われたということですけど、拓人とサワ先輩と隆良が3人で会話をするところなんてまさに「怖い」シーンでした。

あそこは隆良の人柄がけっこう出るところですよね。拓人とのやり取りで動揺しつつ、途中でやって来たサワ先輩を見下すあの感じ……「面白いなあこの人」って思っちゃいます（笑）。あのシーンもすごくテイクを重ねたんです。三浦監督の「こうしてほしい」という細かいリクエストに応えて微調整していったのですが、演じていて楽しかったです。

──表面的には何も大きなことは起こってないんですけど、ひりひりするような緊張感があって。

あれは（山田）孝之さんが醸し出してくれた雰囲気なんですよ。やっぱりすごいなあって思いました。

SNSで情報を発信する意味がよくわからない

──「何者」ではSNSというツールが重要な仕掛けとして出てきますが、岡田さんはご自分ではTwitterもFacebookも使われていないですね。それはどうしてでしょう？

情報を発信する意味が僕にはあまりよくわからなくて（笑）。

──SNSで、自分が誰かに陰で批判されていたりすることに気付いたら耐えられると思いますか？

「マジかー」って思うぐらいですかね（笑）。「そっかー」って（笑）。

──では、友人だと思っていた人に悪く言われても許してしまう？

いや、そもそも僕は、自分が他人によく思われているとは思ってないんです。だから悪く言われていたとしてもそれほどショックを受けなくて「ああ、そうだよねー」みたいな（笑）。それに、人間って表とか裏があって当たり前ですしね。

「向いてねえな、やめようかな」と何度も思ってきた

──就活って、落とされると人によっては人格を全否定されたような気持ちになったりするものですが、岡田さんはこれまでにそういう感覚を味わったことがありますか？

新しい作品に参加するたびに味わってます。自分が思うように演じられなかったり、監督が求めていることができなかったときに。「（俳優に）向いてねえな、やめようかな」って何度も思ってきました。

──それでも、実際にはずっと俳優を続けられていますよね。それはどうしてでしょう？

それはもう、やっぱりこの仕事が好きだから。好きだからこそ壁にぶち当たるし、好きじゃないならやめればいいだけだと思いますし。毎回否定されて苦しんで、でもやっぱりこの仕事が好きだからもうちょっとがんばろうという、その繰り返しですね。

-xxx-

Please note that I agree smoking is bad.
But I cannot resist Masaki's charm here, so I'm beating myself for putting this GIF...
(and let me know if you made the gif, I forgot where I got it from)

Shūkatsu wa shizukana sensō! ? 6-Ri no haiyū kataru wakamono-tachi no “Riaru”

Okada Masaki (Miyamoto Takayoshi)

`Koitsu kawaī na' tte omotta 

─ ─Takayoshi wa, shūshoku katsudō ni hagemu Takuto-tachi o doko ka mikudashite iru yōna kurieitā shibō no daigakuseidesu. Kyakuhon o yonda sai ni, Takayoshi to iu jinbutsu ni tsuite don'na inshō o ukemashita ka?

Aru imi, supaisu no yōna yakume o motta kyarakutāda na to omoimashita. Saisho ni kyakuhon o yonda toki wa chotto `iyana yatsu da na' to omotte. Demo kantoku no Miura (Daisuke)-san to ohanashi o shite, tada no iyana yatsude wa nai to iu koto ga wakattanode,-yaku e no apurōchi no shikata o kaemashita.

─ ─ Go jishin to Takayoshi ni wa, kasanaru bubun wa arimasu ka?

Naidesu ne (Emi).

─ ─ Okada-san wa haiyūdesukara, soshiki no ichiindearu kaishain to wa chigatte, kodoku ni tatakatte iru tokoro ga aru to omou ndesu ne. Sōiu imide wa Takayoshi to kasanaru bubun mo aru to iu ka.

Kyōkan dekiru bubun ga mattakunai wake janai ndesu. Demo Takayoshi tte, kosei ga aru yōdenai hitona ndesu yo. Jibun no uchi kara detekita kotoba janakute, tasha no kotoba o narabete iru dake de, nakami ga mattakunai to iu ka. Sore ni, shūkatsu o ganbatteru hito-tachi o mae ni shite, an'na era-sōna koto o iu dokyō wa boku ni wanaidesu (Emi). Gyaku ni, soko ga kare no omoshiroi tokorodeari koseina no ka na to wa omoimashitaga, jibun to wa yappari zenzen chigau taipu no hitodesu ne.

─ ─ Ōkina koto wa iukedo naraberu no wa tanin no kotobadakara, jishin ga aru no ka nai no ka wakaranai yōna hitodesu yo ne.

Rika to issho ni sun deru heya ni min'na ga atsumatte shūkatsu kaigi o shi teru bamen de, Takayoshi wa beddo ni 1-ri de nekorogatteru ndesuga, akiraka ni kare wa hanashi ni kuwawarita gatteru ndesu. Sokode kuwawaranai jibun ga ī to Takayoshi wa omotte ite, demo yappari gaman dekinakute, ikinari berabera shaberi dashi chau. Sō iu tokoro wa `koitsu kawaī na' tte. Suda (Masaki)-kun mo eiga o mi owatta ato `Takayoshi metcha kawaī' tte itte kureta ndesu (Emi).

─ ─ Saisho no inshō wa `iyana yatsu'dattakedo,`kawaī yatsu' ni kawatte itta to.

Takayoshi gurai no nenrei no hito tte, kekkō an'na kanjina n janai ka to omoimasu. Kōkōsei no toki toka daigakusei no toki tte, jibun o ōkiku miseta garu jikida to omou ndesu. Mochiron boku mo sōdattashi, ima mo sō kamo shirenai.

─ ─ Yakugara o tsukutte iku ue de dono atari ga muzukashikattadesu ka?

Zentai-teki ni riaruna engi ga motomerarete ita ndesukedo, Takayoshi ga haitte kuruto dōshitemo bamen no tōn ga shizen janaku natchau ndesu yo (Emi). Dakara, dō enjitara shizen ni mieru ka to iu koto o, satsuei ni hairu mae ni rihāsaru de sagureta no wa yokattadesu ne. Ikinari genba ni haitte itara umaku dekinakatta n janai ka to omoimasu.

`Kowai na' to omoushi zokutto sa se rareru 

─ ─ kansei shita sakuhin o mite, aratamete kidzuita koto nado wa arimashita ka?

Miura kantoku wa teiku o kasaneru katananode, genba de dandan wake ga wakaranaku natte kuru toki ga aru ndesu. Demo kansei shita eiga o mite, are dake teiku o kasaneru riyū ga yoku wakarimashita. Miura kantoku no kako-saku wa mitemashitakedo, aratamete sugoi katada na to omoimashita. `Kowai na' to omoushi zokutto sa se rareru bamen ga atte, shutsuen-sha no minasan mo hontōni jōzuda natte (Emi).

─ ─ `Kowai' to omowa reta to iu kotodesukedo, takuhito to Sawatari senpai to Takayoshi ga 3-ri de kaiwa o suru tokoro nante masani `kowai' shīndeshita.

Asoko wa Takayoshi no hitogara ga kekkō deru tokorodesu yo ne. Takuto to no yaritori de dōyō shitsutsu, tochū de yattekita Sawatari senpai o mikudasu ano kanji……`omoshiroi nā kono hito' tte omotchaimasu (Emi). Ano shīn mo sugoku teiku o kasaneta ndesu. Miura kantoku no `kōshite hoshī' to iu komakai rikuesuto ni kotaete bi chōsei shite itta nodesuga, enjite ite tanoshikattadesu.

─ ─ Hyōmen-teki ni wa nani mo ōkina koto wa okottenai ndesukedo, hirihiri suru yōna kinchō-kan ga atte.

Are wa (Yamada) Takayuki-san ga kamoshidashite kureta fun'ikina ndesu yo. Yappari sugoi nā tte omoimashita.

SNS de jōhō o hasshin suru imi ga yoku wakaranai 

─ ─ `nanimono'de wa SNS to iu tsūru ga jūyōna shikake to shite dete kimasuga, Okada-san wa go jibunde wa tsuittā mo feisubukku mo tsukawa rete inaidesu ne. Sore wa dōshitedeshou?

Jōhō o hasshin suru imi ga boku ni wa amari yoku wakaranakute (Emi).

─ ─ SNS de, jibun ga dareka ni in de hihan sa rete i tari suru koto ni kidzuitara tae rareru to omoimasu ka?

`Majika ̄ ' tte omou guraidesu ka ne (Emi). `Sokka ̄ ' tte (Emi).

─ ─De wa, yūjinda to omotte ita hito ni waruku iwa rete mo yurushite shimau?
Iya, somosomo boku wa, jibun ga tanin ni yoku omowa rete iru to wa omottenai ndesu. Dakara waruku iwa rete ita to shite mo sorehodo shokku o ukenakute `ā ,-sōda yo ne ̄ ' mitaina (Emi). Sore ni, ningen tte hyō toka ura ga atte atarimaedesushi ne.

`Mui tenē na, yameyou ka na' to nando mo omotte kita ─

─ shūkatsu tte, otosareru to hito ni yotte wa jinkaku o zen hiteisareta yōna kimochi ni nattari suru monodesuga, Okada-san wa kore made ni sōiu kankaku o ajiwatta koto ga arimasu ka?

Atarashī sakuhin ni sanka suru tabi ni ajiwattemasu. Jibun ga omou yō ni enji rarenakattari, kantoku ga motomete iru koto ga dekinakatta toki ni.`(Haiyū ni) mui tenē na, yameyou ka na' tte nando mo omotte kimashita.

─ ─ Soredemo, jissai ni wa zutto haiyū o tsudzuke rarete imasu yo ne. Sore wa dōshitedeshou?

Sore wa mō, yappari kono shigoto ga sukidakara. Sukidakara koso kabe ni buchi atarushi, sukijanainara yamereba ī dakeda to omoimasushi. Maikai hitei sa rete kurushinde, demo yappari kono shigoto ga sukidakara mō chotto ganbarou to iu, sono kurikaeshidesu ne.