(C) Tatsuki Fujimoto/Shueisha (C) 2024 “Look Back” Production Committee

Exclusive Interview with Actress Mizuki Yoshida 

Q: My impression of this film is that it is a tribute to manga artists and a supportive film for those who are striving for something. What was your first impression of Tatsuki Fujimoto’s original work?

Mizuki Yoshida: Well, I had seen the anime “Chainsaw Man” and knew of Mr. Fujimoto through that, but I had never read the manga, and with all due respect, I had a strong image of “Chainsaw Man”. So when I read “Look Back” for the first time, I was very surprised to see that you also draw stories about two girls like this.

I believe that every reader experiences something at the end of “Look Back.” Personally, I experienced the impact of the story and the pictures, and most importantly, I remembered feeling Ms. Fujimoto’s dedication to her work.

Q : Were you able to attend the audition after reading the original story and were you accepted? How did you prepare for it? Did you already know that you would be auditioning for the Kyomoto role at that point?

Mizuki Yoshida : At the audition, I tried out for both Kyomoto and Fujino roles. I recorded it using my smart phone at home and then sent it to them at first. As I am not a voice actor, I recorded Fujino and Kyomoto separately, making the most of my previous experience. I had previously auditioned for other animated films, but I had never performed well, resulting in a lack of confidence in my voice. I was not expecting to be accepted this time. After I asked Director Oshiyama about it later, he told me that I was lacking confidence in my voice, which matched Kyomoto’s. (Laughs) I think it must have been in my voice that I was trying my best, even though I wasn’t very confident.

Q : After auditioning, you chose to speak the Akita dialect. How did you prepare for the role of Kyomoto prior to the role, and how did you elaborate on it?

Mizuki Yoshida :At the first audition, I had a recording of my voice, but when I actually met Director Oshiyama at the second audition, he had a different impression of my voice, and he said, “Maybe that’s because I’ve been practicing and changed. Director Oshiyama told me something like, “I want you to keep it as it was when you auditioned, so don’t practice too much.

For reference, I was recorded by a voice actor who could speak Akita dialect, and then I practiced speaking Akita dialect fluently in actual conversations. I had to practice the dialect even though they didn’t want me to practice acting, which made it difficult for me.

However, by working hard to put the dialect in a flat way, I think it was easier for me to express my feelings during the recording and still come out with a relatively natural dialect.

(C) Tatsuki Fujimoto/Shueisha (C) 2024 “Look Back” Production Committee

Q : I heard that Mr. Tatsuki Fujimoto’s original work and Mr. Oshiyama’s script have some parts that have been expanded from the original work. Which parts of the character development differ from the original work?

Mizuki Yoshida: The original film did not include the scene when the camera descends from the sky to Fujino’s room, the classroom scene is where the film starts in the original work. While Fujino says she drew it in five minutes, she actually drew it throughout the night, and this scene gives us a glimpse of her effort.

Fujino, who has become a professional manga artist, is closely following Kyomoto’s existence in another scene. The original story did not have dialogue for this scene, but director Oshiyama added it as a supplement.

Q: Usually, the original drawings are used to create just the essential movement points, and the moving image complements them. The animation usually converts the rough drawings made by the original artists into clean lines, resulting in the lines drawn by the original artists not appearing on the screen as they do. When you saw it for the first time, did it leave you with a different impression than other animations?

Mizuki Yoshida: The animation we typically watch these days is becoming smoother and smoother, and I think we can sense that the technology is progressing.

Q : This was the first time for you and Yumi Kawai, who plays Fujino, to voice-act together. I heard that you two recorded the recording together. Do you think there was a synergistic effect of having Ms. Kawai by your side?

Mizuki Yoshida: I think there was definitely a synergy. Especially since it was our first time, there were many things we didn’t know, so it was hard to get an image of everything, and we didn’t know what kind of character the other would play, so (normally) it would have been very difficult.

I felt each other’s desperate enthusiasm all the time I was standing next her. We shot the film in chronological order, with many of Fujino’s scenes at the beginning, and we started with Yumi’s post recording scenes. When I heard Yumi’s voice for the first time, I was surprised at how amazing she is as an actress. I was surprised. Fujino’s character became clear at once, and I felt like I couldn’t lose to her. What made me very happy was when Yumi said, “I really liked the way my back looked when I was playing Kyomoto.

(C) Tatsuki Fujimoto/Shueisha (C) 2024 “Look Back” Production Committee

Q :  Director Oshiyama also wrote the script and designed the characters for this project. What attracted you to his direction when you actually worked with him?

Mizuki Yoshida : During the recording, he used precise and easy-to-understand words to direct us. I think we were able to perform with a deeper understanding of the work and the characters than we could have with our own prepared acting plan under the direction of Director Oshiyama.

When the movie was released, Mr. Fujimoto, the author of the original work, said that “the characters come to life,” and that is exactly what I felt as I watched Fujino and Kyomoto live in the world through the camera. The drawings and voice actors’ performances were so natural and wonderful. I cried because I thought that I would never be able to have my work made with such sincerity again in my life. There were so many surprises and discoveries in the 58 minutes that it is impossible to pick up one by one and praise them all. Many people were involved in making this a truly wonderful piece of work, and I want to thank them all. Thank you!”  I could really feel that Director Oshiyama really tried to understand this work deeply as Mr. Fujimoto said like this.

Q :If you were to meet the original author, Mr. Tatsuki Fujimoto, what would you like to ask him, or actually see him work in the field, or what would you like to do if you did meet him?

MIzuki Yoshida : Neither Yumi nor I have met Mr. Fujimoto. We have talked about what we would do if we met him. The work “Look Back” is really important to me, and he is the creator of that work, so I am sure there is nothing I would be able to do if I met him, but if I may be so extravagant, I would like to see Mr. Fujimoto drawing.

Q : This film is set in Akita prefecture. Did you actually visit the places depicted in the film?

Mizuki Yoshida: I have never actually been to Akita, but Director Oshiyama is from Fukushima Prefecture, and the regional dialects are similar in some ways. The director would tell me little bits and pieces, and I would develop my image.

Q : Fujino stopped drawing manga once he saw Kyomoto’s overwhelmingly good drawings. How do you respond to actresses of the same age who you think are overwhelmingly better than you?

Mizuki Yoshida: There are many times when I look at other people’s performances and think, “This person is amazing! Of course, I take responsibility and pride in my own performance, but I am not the type of person who is confident in herself…. I knew that in the beginning, I was depressed by every single one of them and wondered if I could survive in this job. And to be honest, there were many times when I wondered.

There was a time when I had a hard time getting auditions. But recently, I was not very happy with my voice, or the way I pronounced it, or the fact that I was not satisfied with my voice. I felt like my voice was affirmed for the first time, and I felt that the parts of my voice that I consider my weak points might have a positive effect, and that they might be accepted as part of Mizuki Yoshida’s individuality.

So, while I of course refer to actresses of my generation whom I think are good at what they do, I thought I should not just try to be that person. I think it is important to see and know the elements of other people as a drawer within myself, but I stopped trying to be that person or to be like that person because of this film.

Q : What significance did the relationship between Fujino and Kyomoto leave for you?

Mizuki Yoshida : My mother always told me, “You are very blessed if you have one person in your life who is important to you. When I was a little girl, I was having a lot of trouble with my friendships, fighting and all, and she would say to me, “If you meet even one person, that’s a wonderful thing, so you don’t have to worry about such relationships. I think it’s a great thing that you can meet an important person in your life at such a young age, like Fujino and Kyomoto did. I thought that was really wonderful.

Q : The title “Look Back” can be read in various ways, such as “look back”, “look behind”, or “look at the background”, etc. Looking back on this film, what do you think you gained as an actor?

Mizuki Yoshida: First of all, one of the biggest things for me personally was that it was the first time I had my voice affirmed in a film, and I gained confidence in myself, or rather, I was affirmed that it was okay to have my unique voice as it is.

It is often said that an actor’s voice is important, and I realized that this is very true. I had never acted with a strong awareness of my own voice before, but now that I had the opportunity to try my hand at voice acting, I realized how important it is to have a voice in acting. This time, “Look Back” was seen by many people not only in Japan but also around the world, and together with “Look Back,” it became an opportunity for people to know the name Mizuki Yoshida. I also received more comments of support from people overseas on SNS, so I will continue to do my best.

(C) Tatsuki Fujimoto/Shueisha (C) 2024 “Look Back” Production Committee

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Here’s the trailer of the film.