"Kaiju Yarou!" Director Junichiro Yagi x Gunpi: "I didn't believe the offer because it was a prank" [Director's Interview Vol.467]

A meta-structure in which Director Yagi is the protagonist

Q: The main character, Yamada, seemed to be a projection of yourself, but how did you create the character for Gunpi to play?

Gunpi: I thought this was Yagi's story, so I've been asking him about Yamada. Yagi wanted to make a movie but couldn't, so he became a manager at an entertainment agency. But then, by chance, he was told, "You can make a movie," and his dream came true. When I asked Yagi, "How do you feel when you're in that situation?", he replied, "Of course you'd go crazy!" (laughs). We had an exchange like, "Okay! I'll act like that!"

Yagi: There are some scenes from my middle school days in the movie, but those are also my real experiences. I projected myself in a lot of ways, so Gunpi asked me questions each time and helped me expand the role.

"Kaiju Yarou!" (From left) Director/Screenwriter Junichiro Yagi, Gunpi

Q: The fact that you are making this film is similar to Yamada's.

Gunpi: That's right. That's why it has a meta structure. Just like Yamada's actions in the movie, Yagi himself actually went to companies to propose sponsorship.

Yagi: The companies that appeared in the film also sponsored the film. There were some parts that were directly reflected in the script, based on what they said when we went to consult with them. Like, "I don't usually cooperate, but I lost to the monster," or "Water and monster movies have nothing to do with each other!" (laughs). It feels like reality and drama are linked.

Q: Was it easier to act with a model in front of you like that?

Gunpi: It was certainly easy to understand, but I was careful not to deviate from what Mr. Yagi had in mind.

Yagi: Gunpi told me at the beginning, "Please point out any mistakes." I felt relieved by those words. But there were almost no mistakes, and although there were some subtle adjustments to the nuances, I never thought, "This isn't Yamada!"

The atmosphere at the site was warm