by The first directorial movie, “The Deer King Yuna and the Promised Journey”, by Masashi Ando (53), an animator from Fuchu City who was the animation director for the animated films “Princess Mononoke” and “Your Name.” It will be released nationwide. In a fantasy depicting the bonds of people at the mercy of a mysterious illness, we asked Mr Ando about his work and his thoughts on the local community. (Mari Asada)
“Princess Mononoke” “Your Name.”
Based on the novel “The Deer King” by Nahoko Uehashi, a writer and cultural anthropologist (winner of the 2015 Japan Booksellers’ Award). In one empire, the epidemic that once invaded another country reappears. Around the journey of the warrior Van who has an antibody, and the girl Yuna who has no relatives, various stories such as searching for a cure and conspiracy between countries are involved in layers.
“I’ve received an easy-to-understand and compact movie, but it’s a departure from that trend. Complexity is one of the highlights. Think hard to understand it, and after watching it, draw it to yourself and imagine it. “
Because the story was complicated, the character tried to be simple—Van, who stands silently, and Yuna, who is bright and innocent at the bottom. He says, “Yuna as a small life that snuggles up with Van in a contrasting character design. I was conscious of making each silhouette stand out clearly.”
The movie adaptation was conceived before the Corona disaster and the social situation of suffering from illness overlapped by chance. “Now that I am confused by Corona, I hope it will allow me to think about my position and living together.”
The local city of Fuchu is said to be a “calm place. The original scenery for me”. “Mountains surround it, and if you go down a little, you’ll find the Ashida River. It’s the basis for thinking about the scenery,” he said.
It will be released at Fukuyama Corona Cinema World (Ichimonji-cho, Fukuyama City) and Fukuyama Egar 8 Cinemas (Kannabe-cho, Fukuyama City).
