!["Saint Young Men THE MOVIE: Holy Men vs. the Devils" Director Yuichi Fukuda: Why does Fukuda's work put actors first? [Director's Interview Vol. 461]](https://cinemore.jp/images/c4cdd36ec08dfca053256518960d885573f42e3d543f4a435b9d4c0c6540f4c9.jpg)
"Saint Young Men THE MOVIE: Holy Men vs. the Devils" Director Yuichi Fukuda: Why does Fukuda's work put actors first? [Director's Interview Vol. 461]
The revolutionary comedy manga " Saint Young Men " has been adapted into a live-action film for the first time! The director is the eccentric Yuichi Fukuda. This time too, the unique Fukuda world explodes, resulting in a film that is sure to make you laugh out loud. It seems as though the actors and staff are enjoying the complicity of Fukuda's works, but how exactly are they made? We spoke to Director Fukuda.
Summary of "Saint Young Men THE MOVIE: Holy Men vs. the Devil Army"
Earth is a shining, life-filled planet, one of many in the vast universe. Having safely survived the end of the century, the Son of God, Jesus (Matsuyama Kenichi), and the Buddha (Sometani Shota), who has attained enlightenment, are secretly enjoying a vacation below ground, feeling the changing seasons of Japan. The two share a six-tatami apartment without a bath in Tachikawa, Tokyo. They share ice cream, enjoy lucky draws at the local shopping arcade, and form a comedy duo, "Punch and Long Hair." One day, as the two spend their relaxed days, an emissary from heaven appears and makes a forbidden offer. Before long, this leads to an unexpected crisis in which gods, Buddhas, angels, and demons all mingle, and the Earth is on the brink of destruction!?
Index
- Original 60 minutes + original 30 minutes
- Prioritize the actor's output
- The reason behind putting actors first
Original 60 minutes + original 30 minutes
Q: I heard that the original author, Nakamura Hikaru, wrote a feature-length story for the film.
Fukuda: There was talk of making it into a movie, but there were so many religious issues that I, who am not a specialist in that field, thought it would be a bit difficult for me to write an original script. Moreover, the original story is a one-shot story. I told the producer, "If Mr. Nakamura can write a feature-length story for the movie, I think we can make it into a movie." And when Mr. Nakamura actually wrote it, I said, "Let's do it!"
Q: Did you have any requests when making the film?
Fukuda: It would be presumptuous to make a request. I would never be able to say to the sensei, "Please draw this for me" (laughs). If the sensei draws something interesting, then that's fine. But I never expected him to draw something like a Sentai character. He drew something that matches my style quite well.
"Saint Young Men THE MOVIE ~Holy Men VS Devil Army~" ©Hikaru Nakamura/Kodansha ©2024 "Saint Young Men" Movie Production Committee
Q: The director was in charge of adapting the story for the film, but were there any parts that you made adjustments to?
Fukuda: It seems that the teacher wanted to include a lot of characters, and after including many such as Brahma, Michael, and Taishakuten, he said, "Fukuda, please do whatever you want with the rest!" The original story has a lot of characters and a great tempo, and although there are some parts where the lines have been cut, I wrote the script almost exactly as it was. Then the producer said, "That would make it 60 minutes long" (laughs). So the last 30 minutes are completely original. Of course, I added it with the teacher's permission, but for some reason, the teacher who came to visit us on set in " Black Knight Parade " (22) was not there this time. I was very worried, thinking, "Is the teacher angry? Is my original part okay?", but after he watched the first screening, he said, "It was really interesting." I was relieved (laughs).
Q: Eastern and Western gods are mixed together in a wonderful way, which was interesting to see how it turned out.
Fukuda: I thought the same thing. The characters were originally from the original work, but I got the impression that they were brought out in a spectacular fashion over the course of the 60 minutes.
Q: In terms of the characters and cast, it had a very Avengers feel to it.
Fukuda: The producer said so too. I just think of them as comedic characters, so I feel a little embarrassed when they call me an Avengers. The title "THE MOVIE" also looks like the MARVEL logo. I just realized that this is a bit of a MARVEL ripoff. (laughs)
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