``Your Eyes Are Asking'' I photograph the actors more attractively than anyone else. Director Takahiro Miki's secret "aesthetics" [Director's Interview Vol.87]

Hitmaker Takahiro Miki. Ten years after making his directorial debut with the feature film " Solanin " (2010), he has made a name for himself as a master of youthful love stories. He has also directed many music videos for musicians such as Ikimonogakari and Aimer.

Director Miki will once again team up with Yuriko Yoshitaka from " Where We Were " (2012) and the rising The Birds Ryusei Yokohama as his co-star in a new love story. Although the cast is solid, the story is a little different from previous ones.

The film, "Your Eyes Tell" (released October 23rd), depicts a fateful encounter between Akari (Yoshitaka Yuriko), who lost her sight in an accident, and Rui (Yokohama Ryusei), a kickboxer with a dark past, as they grow closer to each other as they try to heal their wounds, while also incorporating serious scenes.

The film features impressive fight scenes by Yokohama, who underwent intense physical transformation, including gaining 10 kilograms, and Yoshitaka's passionate performance as a blind character, in which she gives her all, making it a new frontier for director Miki.

How did this popular director, whose films continue to record hits, take on this new challenge? We take a closer look at Director Miki's "filmmaking techniques," which are rarely discussed in detail.

Index

• A long-awaited action movie. Hoping to team up with Yokohama Ryusei
• When I work with actors, I want to see their faces properly
• Director Miki's style of "beautiful way to photograph actors"
• I want to shock the actors' fans.
• Movies directed by Miki

A long-awaited action movie. Hoping to team up with Yokohama Ryusei

Q: "Your Eyes Tell" was a very fascinating work. It was not only a beautiful love story, but also had violent scenes, serious scenes, and intense action, making it a worthwhile watch.

Miki: Thank you!

Q: I felt that the depiction of violence was a new challenge for Director Miki...

Miki: Personally, I've always wanted to do this (laughs). I don't want to limit myself to a single genre, and I like violent movies. That's why I try to portray things in a more serious way in my music videos.

Q: Indeed, you have also worked on videos that highlight the darker aspects, such as Aimer's music videos.

Miki: Yes. Speaking of action, I've always loved martial arts and go to see a lot of mixed martial arts matches. So when I heard I could make a film like this, I thought, "I did it!"

That's why I didn't want the role of Rui to be cast by someone who could do action scenes. I absolutely wanted to work with Yokohama Ryusei-kun, so I was very happy that our schedules matched up perfectly.

Q: It was a long-awaited casting. Honestly, I think this film is filled with all of Yokohama's charms. He was a perfect fit for the role.

Miki: Yokohama-kun doesn't show fake emotions, he shows emotions that really come out on the spot. He can move the roots of his heart and express it on his face with incredible instantaneous power.

His way of creating emotions seems to be similar to that of an actress, and that is also one of Yokohama's charms. For example, it usually takes a lot of time to express "laughing and crying," but in Yokohama's case, it was almost done in one go. I wonder if it's the concentration and explosiveness he cultivated in karate? He can do action scenes at such a young age and has the expressiveness...it was really amazing.

Q: So it's not like you prepare it by yourself before the performance...

Miki: Actually, it's the opposite. Yuriko Yoshitaka is just like her public image, she's a very cheerful and fun person. She teases the staff and makes them laugh until the very last minute before the show... Yokohama joins in and they spend the time together in a friendly atmosphere, and when the show starts, they switch gears quickly.

I also want everyone to have fun making something, even if it's a serious piece, so it was very easy for me to work on it.

When I work with actors, I want to see their faces properly