‘Buzzy Noise’ an inspiring experience for Takumi Kawanishi, Hiyori Sakurada; Actors sit down for an interview

A live-action film adaptation of Jun Mutsuki’s popular manga ‘Buzzy Noise’, which offers a realistic portrayal of the music scene, opened in theaters nationwide on May 3.

Kiyosumi, the main character, is a condominium manager who likes to compose and play music on his computer, a hobby that disconnects him from the world. Ushio, who lives in the apartment directly above Kiyosumi, has been moved by his music for some time. One day, a heartbroken Ushio jumps from the balcony into Kiyosumi’s room, and both of their worlds begin to change.

The film’s soundtrack was created by Yaffle, a music producer for Kaze Fujii and other artists, who has credits on several film scores.

Kiyosumi is played by Takumi Kawanishi, member of the popular boy band JO1. It is the first time that he plays the leading role in a film. Hiyori Sakurada plays Ushio, a key figure who helps Kiyosumi come out of his shell. Kawanishi and Sakurada recently sat down with The Yomiuri Shimbun to talk about some of the film’s highlights and share a little about themselves.

The Yomiuri Shimbun: What was the atmosphere like during the shoot?

Sakurada: My social anxiety started in the first half.

Kawanishi: The same goes for me.

Sakurada: The social anxiety between Mr. Kawanishi and I was five against five [in that we were equally anxious]but when it came to feeling nervous, it was more like 10 to zero, because I had already worked with the director, Mr. Hiroki Kazama, in the TV series ‘Silent’.

Kawanishi: Ms. Sakurada is quite experienced in acting, but it was pretty much my first time. I learned a lot from watching her.

Sakurada: I hope you’ll let me know what they were. (laughing)

Kawanishi: The scene that made the biggest impression on me was the one where Ushio breaks the window of my character’s room. Ushio’s sadness at that moment and her feeling of wanting to break something to get someone’s attention came across strongly just in her facial expression. We looked at the monitor behind the set and everyone said, “Wow!”

Sakurada: Hey, glad to hear that! Mr. Kazama is a director who is very meticulous about every detail, so he tends to have actors do a lot of takes. But I got permission from him for that scene after one take.

Often fails

The Yomiuri Shimbun: What did you find difficult about playing your roles?

Kawanishi: Kiyosumi is not very talkative, so it was difficult to show his emotions using only facial expressions and the direction and movement of my eyes. The director tried his best to explain many things to me. Although I could understand his words well, there were times when my abilities were not up to the task of doing what he told me to do. To be honest, I often thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t go [on set] tomorrow.”

Sakurada: The director told me about many things, like my character’s background and her feelings from scene to scene. Besides all that, he also said he wanted me to talk about myself more. He helped me bring out all kinds of things that had been dormant in me, which I think I was able to reflect in portraying Ushio. But Ushio is a very crazy girl, so I became very aware of how to find the right balance and how to portray her behavior convincingly.

Kawanishi: Thanks to all the staff, the director and Mrs. Sakurada, I was able to stick it out until the end. I owe everyone in the true sense of the word.

Sakurada: When the camera wasn’t rolling, the staff and I said that while Mr. Kawanishi has many of Kiyosumi’s characteristics, he himself is direct and energetic. There is no one other than Mr. Kawanishi who can replicate Kiyosumi’s understated personality and calm demeanor.

Kawanishi: I’m really happy to hear that.

Sakurada: I also had trouble with the Kansai dialect.

Kawanishi: I had problems too. Even though I am from the Kansai region, I didn’t know what to do.

Sakurada: You’ve been given more instructions than I have. (laughs)

The Yomiuri Shimbun: What are some highlights from the film?

Kawanishi: Bonding with your friends and meeting people can change your life. I hope that comes across, because I also enjoy meeting new people. That’s probably the point I want people to feel the most.

Sakurada: The impression I have is that the characters in this movie are all very clumsy. You can try to look at your own problems through the eyes of one of the characters. I think the work will make you realize that there are different ways to solve your problems. And the musical performance scenes are a must because everyone worked so hard on them.

Kawanishi: I practiced very hard. For finger drumming (making drum sounds by hitting electronic pads with fingers), I took lessons and took the (drum machine) home for about two months to practice.

The Yomiuri Shimbun: You both have successful careers in a wide range of fields. Is there anything you’d like to do next?

Kawanishi: I’m the kind of person who doesn’t think much about the future, but there have been countless times when I’ve thought, “I want to play a role like this.” I really want to do everything. This time I have released the theme song of the film as a solo singer. I hope I can release a song on my own.

Sakurada: I think acting suits me, so I would like to appear in different productions. Plus, I tend to retreat into my home, so I want to expand my mind by going to some different places and listening to a lot of people’s opinions. It has nothing to do with my work, but I also want to try skydiving.

Kawanishi: You’d better leave that out. It’s dangerous and scary.

Sakurada: Why? How about doing it while shouting “Buzzy Noise”? Maybe that’s lame. (laughs)

Takumi Kawanishi

Born on June 23, 1999, Kawanishi is from Hyogo Prefecture and belongs to JO1, an 11-member boy band that has performed in NHK’s “Kohaku Utagassen” (“Red and White Year-End Song Festival”) for two years in a row. 2022. Last year he starred in the TV miniseries “Cool Doji Danshi” (“Play It Cool, Guys”).

Hiyori Sakurada

Sakurada, born on December 19, 2002, is from Chiba Prefecture. She gained attention as a child actor in the 2014 TV miniseries ‘Ashita Mama ga Inai’ (Tomorrow Mother Won’t Be There). She has also been successful in modeling. Her filmography includes “Kokan Usonikki” (“Our Secret Diary”).