©Courtesy of MK2 Films
Love On Trial : Mai, a rising J-Pop idol, is finally about to have her big break when she unexpectedly falls in love. But in a treacherous industry where young singers must maintain an image of flawless purity, love is forbidden. When her relationship is exposed, Mai’s agency takes drastic action, dragging the couple to court over the “no love” clause in her contract, throwing her life into chaos.
Exclusive Interview with Writer/Director Koji Fukada
Q : In the film, the fans seemed to me kind of older than Idle, idle are teenagers, upon your research, Is that really like that in Japan?
Koji Fukada：There are male fans of female idol groups, and of course, there are young idol fans as well, but there are many in the older age fan groups in Japan. The trend of idol fans has been shifting gradually, and the number of young idol fans and female idol fans for female idol groups are increasing.
Q : How much of fan are you court room drama or film?
Koji Fukada : Yes, I like to watch it quite a bit. This trial is known as a Japanese civil trial, so there is very little movement to start with, and it is very low-key. Instead of a courtroom drama in which the characters argue intensely, as is typically the case in courtroom dramas, I chose to concentrate solely on the testimony of each character.
Q : How fun or difficult to create your own girl band for your movie?
Koji Fukada : The experience was a lot of fun. Despite the fact that the group was a Japanese idol group, it was important to ensure that the music was enjoyable for those who were not from Japan. The fact that Kyoko Saito(who played the character Mai), the lead actress, is actually a former member of an female idol group called Hinatazaka 46 and a herself as a female idol group fan added to the authenticity of the story.
Q : What can you tell us about the main character that you are making Kei(played by Yuki Kura) as a magician(mimi artist) , how did you create that character?
Koji Fukada : I was contemplating how to handle the character of the street performer, and I was thoroughly thinking about the various occupations that exist. I considered that street performance would be a fascinating contrast to the ideal profession. The entertainment industry’s relationship between fans and idols is a highly structured system that generates a significant amount of income. In the entertainment industry, street performances are a highly minimal form of entertainment. In the same way, idols perform on the street in a simple manner to receive money due to their appreciation. In my opinion, this contrast makes the idol profession stand out even more.
Q: You are very conscious to show the beginning part of Mai’s life, even with the forming of the girl band, glitter is subdued, even the way it’s portrayed, even though you don’t know about the girl band is, they are still in the beginning of life and the journey that depicted well in the film.
Koji Fukada : Happy Fanfare(The band that lead character Mai belongs) in the beginning of the film is not a well-known group, but rather a group that is in the lower middle of the popularity spectrum. It was an irregular case to bring a case against an idol, due to the fact that not all Japanese idol offices would take cases against such an idol. In my view, it was more realistic for a small, medium-sized idol agency to take a case to court compared to a large one.
Q : Do you think that your film will create the debate about the downsize of the Idol music industry?
Koji Fukada :I am highly critical of the aspects of the idol industry that prohibit love and promote pseudo-love, but I do not want the film to be propaganda that spreads my ideas to others. Regardless of the people’s approval or disapproval of the previous decision, I am optimistic that this film will provide a glimpse into individuals’ own ideas about idols, love, and gender.
Q : From European perspectives, this idol and fans relations is really strange, what is say about the sexuality and maybe solitude in Japan?
Koji Fukada : I am not certain, but idol culture has a long history and not just a new phenomenon. The genesis of it occurred in Japan during the 1960s and 1970s. The cause is uncertain, but gender roles that demand purity, modesty, and other similar things from women, especially in Japan, and not just in the idol industry, may be the cause of it.
Q : I was wondering about the English title ‘Love on Trial’. It’s a bit misleading in a way. It’s not much about love. Maybe, like a satire, how much irony does one have in the word ‘love’?
Koji Fukada : The Japanese title for this time is ‘Love Trial’. So, I am aware of the fact that what is called “love”, which is not supposed to be tried in a court of law, is seriously discussed in a court of law, which is supposed to be a very private and secret thing between a couple, and through that, the feeling of love becomes very relative. I am aware of this.
Q : Usually, in your movie, harmonium or love life, there are these kind of disruptions that leads to drastic changes in the male character. But here in all of one trial is quite different because the character herself know the consequences of her action. Are you conscious of doing this change in your filmography?
Koji Fukada : Kei was nothing more than a trigger, in my opinion. I believe that this film demonstrates three distinct ways of viewing idols. A lead character Mai, and Nanaka(Yuna Nakamura), causing a love ruckus, and Lisa. Mai went to court and decided to quit the idol group due to her romantic relationship, Nanaka had a romantic relationship, but after the breakup, she realized it was not a good idea to be in love and became a successful idol. My goal was to illustrate that there are many ways to approach idol culture, not just one approach that everyone will be negative about the idol industry after encounters like Kei.
Q : In the sequences that when the magician starts flowing in the air, what was your inspiration of visual point of view? It reminded me of a Musical from Stanley Donen films.
Koji Fukada : Mai’s love for him may have created a half-false illusion. I intended to portray the magic that a movie can bring, the love between the two of them, and the kind of love that can only be achieved through a movie
Q : Do you have any cinematic idol?
Koji Fukada : I really like the director Eric Rohmer, and I like all the actresses in his films, but I like Amanda Langlet, the actress in “Pauline at the Beach”.
Q: I have heard that Kiyoshi Kurosawa was your mentor. Are you still in contact with him and what does he think of your new film?
Koji Fukada : Even though he is a film school teacher, we don’t keep in touch that often, and he is a very busy person. I hope he will watch the film.
©Courtesy of MK2 Films
Q: In the contract, they can’t have a romance with someone from the opposite sex, don’t even think about the possibility of homsextuality?
Koji Fukada : I have consulted the contracts of some idol agencies, and I believe that the concept of homosexuality is lagging behind in Japan. As stated in the contract, only heterosexuality is mentioned when talking about love, I think that the understanding is lagging behind.
Q : Are you already independent in Japan if you are 18 years old or above? There are no parents shown, so they all fight for themselves. Is that a depiction of Japanese culture? Do you have any thoughts on how to integrate into society in Japan, or, if you were in the U.S., would you leave your family at age 20 or become independent?
Koji Fukada : Yes, in the case of the trial, since they are from rural areas, they are relatively distant, so it is just a setting where they are doing it (the trial) together, but even so, they talk about borrowing money from their parents and such, and to some extent, there is the idea of leaving the nest in Japan as well. If they go to court, they’ll be fighting on their own since they’re already adults. But the office demanded that Nanaka return to her parents’ home because she was the youngest character.
Q : Overall, in Japan, is there a sense that from a certain moment, young people have to live on their own or not?
Koji Fukada : There is a certain number of them. There is still a sense of leaving college and living away from one’s parents, but it is not absolute.
Q : Do you read more director’s contract more carefully now?
Koji Fukada : Yes, I am reading this with my agent. (Lol)
Q : Were there any other choices besides casting Kyoko Saito, who is a former idol from Hinatazaka 46?
Koji Fukada : I had been doing auditions for actors, so I saw a lot of people at those auditions. Among them, Saito-san was the best, partly because she could incorporate the experience of being an idol, and also because she has a low voice for an idol in terms of acting, so I thought I could pull him away from the stereotypical image of an idol. On the other hand, Nanaka is an idol with a kind of typical high voice. So I thought it would be a good contrast.
Q : What are the typical quality that idol needs to have?
Koji Fukada : There is no single word that can describe this. I recently spoke to an idol (dance) choreographer who mentioned that there were many idol groups 10 to 15 years ago, but today’s generation’s kids are becoming more cute, and what they call “cute and adorable” is on the rise. South Korea is the destination of the dance and singing performers.
From my perspective, there are minor differences in trends depending on the country. In Japan, it is common to say that singing and dancing skills are not important, but there are several idol groups in Japan that value these aspects, so it is dependent on the group. However, it is relatively easy to be sought after for cuteness rather than coolness, as in Korea.
Q: Is the music being sung here at a level that the general public considers a hit in Japan when they hear it?
Koji Fukada : I hope so. The music was produced by Ageha Springs, a music company that produces Japanese idol songs and pop songs. My goal was to make a song that people around the world would enjoy listening to, rather than one that is more Japanese, so I was very particular about the quality of the song.
Q : Now, we are entering into a digital popster age, what do you think about that?
Koji Fukada : In Japan, Vocaloids, such as Miku Hatsune, who sings and dances, are very popular. I don’t think anyone likes idol scandals, and in that regard, CG idols who don’t commit scandals should be the preferred choice.
Although idol fans won’t go away, it’s crucial for idol fans to believe that all idols are real human beings. From my perspective, there are numerous idol fans who want to support them because of their imperfect existence. From my perspective, there are numerous idol fans who want to support them because of their imperfect existence
Q : The Cannes Film Festival is a dream and aspiration, do you have any advises to dreamers who want to have the film at the Cannes Film Festival?
Koji Fukada : Directors who often enter film festivals, such as myself, have been selected and come to film festivals, but there are far more film festivals that I have failed than those that I have passed (in the selection process). Even if you fail at one or two film festivals, I think you should keep sending your films to them without giving up.
Q : “Love Life” and “Love on Trial”, Are you already working on another movie about Love?
Koji Fukada : But I don’t put love in the title. (Chuckles) But I think that if you depict human beings, it will inevitably become a matter of love.
If you like the interview, share your thoughts below!
Check out more of Luis’ articles.
Here’s the Trailer of the Film.