Souen Interview with Mio Kudo, Ichika Osaki and Yuuka Eda [Call Me by No Name]

Full translation of the interview Mio Kudou, Ichika Osaki and director Yuuka Eda gave to Souen:

Interviewer: I remember when we were talking about your column series on Souen, you mentioned that the drama you were working on required a lot of resolve. I haven’t forgotten that. I’d like to ask you more about that later, but since you just wrapped up shooting, I want to start by asking Kudo and Osaki what this work means to you.

Mio: I’m thankful, from the bottom of my heart, to have encountered this work. Up until now, I hadn’t really had an opportunity to face my inner self head-on, but this project put me in the position to confront my flaws and weaknesses. I felt like I was meant to encounter this work at this point in my life.

Also, the fact that I got to play a type of character I had never played before was definitely a huge factor for me. The director engaged with every single issue with full commitment, and that allowed me to work up the determination to take on this challenge. There were moments of learning every day, and even though some instants might’ve been tough, ultimately, I felt very happy. I never had the chance to immerse myself in acting so intensely...I truly feel like this drama has become very precious to me, like a treasure.

Ichika: In my case, as well, working on this drama overwhelmingly forced me to recognize my weaknesses...

Eda: laughs

Interviewer: Was that in terms of your acting?

Ichika: Both in terms of my acting and generally as a person. I’ve often been told that I’m a "master of none", and that being skilled in multiple things is actually a waste of potential. The truth of that hit me hard while working on this project. I started noticing things I hadn’t consciously thought about before, and I realized I needed to confront them.

I dislike showing my weaknesses to others laughs. And that is something I have in common with the character I play, Kotoha. But when I had to act Kotoha showing her weakness, I experienced a resistance so great I ended up thinking "Wait, have I been this incapable all along!?". I found myself unable to do that not just as Kotoha, but as myself as well, which was surprising. I realized how much acting reveals about oneself. When it comes to things that come difficult to me in real life, turns out I can’t really fake them with acting.

Eda: That’s why it was so difficult to confront these two characters, right? It’s like looking in a mirror and seeing your own imperfections, without a way of escaping them. Before filming, I was wondering how I could link the characters appeal with the actresses’ individuality. But after the script reading, I realized that what Mio and Ichika had in themselves was already very much like their characters. To them, it might be a weakness they don’t want to show, but in reality it’s extremely charming.

In Kudo’s case, the points of struggle were immediately clear. She lacks confidence and is scared of water and yet she has a scene at sea, in which she has to confess her feelings

And...I hesitate to say too much in front of her, but this one (referring to Ichika) is... laughs

Ichika: Ahhhhh...

Eda: Until the very end, Osaki avoided showing her weaknesses, and tried very hard to only represent the version of herself she can keep under control. I kept wondering at what point of the shooting that wall would break down. Then there came a point in which she really hit on that "not showing her weak side" thing and I thought "Here’s the chance". I felt that if we didn’t manage to break that wall right then and there, there was really no meaning behind Osaki taking part in this work. As a creator, I have a sort of egoic instinct that makes me wish for people who worked with me to think, "this was my life’s masterpiece". Kudo’s challenges were clear, in front of her, and I saw her grow stronger day by day, as she faced her struggles. That’s why, even more so, I perceived Osaki as a sort of task to tackle. I think it was a couple of days before the final day of filming that I thought she was starting to realize it.

Ichika: Yes, it was December 2nd, my birthday!

Eda: During the final episode, there’s a scene in which Kotoha really must brace herself. When it came to that scene, Osaki lost control of her emotions and couldn’t find her way back. I thought, "This is the chance! If we let it slip, we’ll lose Osaki". So, under the cold sky, I had the staff wait for about 15 minutes, and I felt quite sorry about that, and I talked to Osaki. I was trying to find the weak small child hidden somewhere inside of her. She was so good at hiding it.
Sorry for saying this all out loud...

Ichika: It’s okay!

Eda: Until the very end, Osaki kept having this weakness that she didn’t want to show, but that from my perspective is a very appealing, unrefined and genuine part of her. I believe that it felt necessary for survival, like a sort of armor she wore to protect herself. At the same time, I felt like she didn’t need it anymore. That’s why I wanted her to strip it off, trust me, and dive into the new world. Under that cold sky, I searched desperately for that hidden little girl Osaki. But we didn’t have all the time in the world to film, so I was unable to find her fully. Then, right before we started shooting, I took my chance and spoke a few final words to Osaki. It was my last shot. And...it was as if a switch had flipped. I had won my bet laughs I captured her best expression ever. With that, I knew we had what we needed to finish the final episode.

Ichika: I have never cried as much as I did after you called that "Cut".

Eda: Compared to Osaki, Kudo is a crybaby. Her inner boundaries between herself and others are sort of fuzzy, so she tends to let emotions flow easily. In the beginning, that worked really well for the role, but as the story developed, she has to become more composed. So I told her she couldn’t keep going like that and after the filming of the scene at sea, she started to grow stronger and stronger. If it had happened before the filming started, seeing Osaki cry, Kudo would’ve surely cried with her. Instead, she stood firm and held back her tears.

Interviewer: Did Eda’s direction help you both break out of your shell?

Ichika: Yes. It wasn’t forced, though. It was more like, before I knew it, the shell was gone.

Mio: Mm-hmm.

Ichika: It felt like we were just normally talking, but then suddenly I realized I was stripped down and I found myself able to act without being all worked up.

Mio: For me, everything was laid bare ever since the first script reading. I thought "Ah, this might be scary..." but then, during a certain scene halfway through the shooting, she conveyed something to me, very directly. The sort of perception she shared was something I didn’t have at that time, and I was unsure I would be able to express it. I had never met someone who communicated so openly, so I felt blessed for the realization it brought me.

Interviewer: Eda, you’ve mentioned that working on this project forced you to "face the dignity of being a woman and the reality of living as one". Which part of it made you feel this way most strongly?

Eda: The title itself. When you do this type of work, you need to face the question "Who am I?". You start wondering your reason for living, what brings you joy, and eventually you start losing sight of the answers to those questions. You might even lose track of where you stand in relation to your projects. You constantly need to keep yourself grounded.

Around 2023, I found my personal answer to the questions, "What do people live for?" and "What brings them joy?" It happened when people acknowledged me. I realized that the prime form of acknowledging someone is to call them by their name. When you’re there but nobody calls your name, when people ignore you... that’s enough to make one feel insecure and uneasy. On the other hand, having people remember our names tends to make us happy. To be honest, what made me understand this was watching Spirited Away. (laughs)

When I realized that being called by your name is an act of recognizing your existence and connecting with others, I bumped into the novel this drama is based on, and I thought “I think I’d like to do this...”. It’s a story about a girl who, due to various circumstances, has given up her true name and hopes for someone to find it.

Deep down, everyone wants someone to discover who they truly are. That encouraged me to confront something very essential in my own life. In the past, I have often worked on projects based on manga, filming by trying to find my own perspective in the original work, but for this project, I found myself confronting the very central part and going like "Here goes nothing..." laughs. And it was, indeed, greatly painful.

Mio: Oh, I see...

Eda: I’ve told both Kudo and Osaki things like "This is your weakness" or "Be more confident", but I was able to see that only because I saw those same elements in myself.

For example, if someone seems upset on a high-pressure set, I start thinking, "Is it my fault?" and I end up blaming myself, reflecting on my actions much more than necessary. I know I should just let it go, and yet... While working on this project, there were times when I wasn’t sure whether a take was OK or needed to be redone. But things were hectic, and I didn’t know what to do. I whispered to the lighting technician, Mr. Ippei, "I think we have to redo this before I can give it the green light." He told me, "It’s okay. You can say that. I’m with you all the way." And when I told everyone, they reacted very kindly, and we went on redoing the scene.

When I was younger, I’d been scolded for making mistakes and wanting a retake. I was told a director shouldn’t do that, so I got used to holding back. I wanted to break free from that constant desire not to upset or annoy anyone.

By the third day of shooting, our producer, Kamiura, told me, "You think too much about others. Just do what you want to do. Everyone’s here for you, and yet you’re thinking about them. It’s time for you to take the lead." My first reaction was just, "I can’t do it. That’s why it’s so frustrating!" That’s the biggest challenge for me. I haven’t yet been able to solve it, so it’s still a struggle. But without these shocks coming from outside, I wouldn’t be able to uncover my weaknesses, so I’m really grateful.

Interviewer: After hearing all that, I’m even more determined to watch the drama with a deep focus. I became initially very excited about the series due to the beauty of the trailer. Were there any acting challenges you had to face to achieve such stunning results?

Ichika: I made sure to take my time when delivering my lines, with deliberate pauses. Also... the visuals produced by Director Eda are so beautiful, and Mr. Ippei’s lighting is incredible. Since I was going to appear in this stunning footage that everyone worked so hard to bring to life, I thought it would ruin everything if I looked ugly.

Eda: I can’t believe you really said "ugly"!

Ichika: I mean, I thought that if I looked ugly, it wouldn’t match the beauty of everything else, so I found myself quite conscious of my appearance. I thought I had to slim down my face, pay attention to where I was looking, and so on. Sometimes, when watching past works I was in, I’d think things like, "Why was I looking down so much? That wasn’t my intent at all", or, "It looks unnatural to look up like that." Even if the emotions are there, it only takes your gaze being slightly off for it to convey something completely different. So, I took that into serious consideration during the filming of this drama.

Mio: I, on the other hand, tend to become paralyzed if I think too much.

Eda: laughs

Mio: I was told that by Director Eda as well. When I’m in front of the camera, I might think a little about what to do, but I never allow myself to overthink, fundamentally. I think I also paid quite a bit of attention to my gaze and eye movements, though.

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