Saturday, September 14, 2013

Sakamoto Yuji - Soredemo Ikite Yuku interview Part 2A


Anyway, here's my crappy translation of the first half of part 2 of the interview. I hate the way this Abiko guy talks. He likes to say the same thing twice, completely differently and with slight nuances. As always, corrections are most welcome.

PART 2

AV STORY FROM THE FIRST CHAPTER

Abiko: In the very end, the main character returned the AV didn’t he? As for that, I think this dorama shows the attitude of not wanting to settle for mediocrity. Actually don’t you think that the ending is a bit light?

Sakamoto: For me, I don’t like the main character to disappear from the story. I’ve never written it like that.

Abiko: However, there’s the side story isn’t there? The AV story existed from the first episode. (translator's note - I don't even remember an AV side story. Need to rewatch)

Sakamoto: However, I didn’t intend for it to appear at the end. At that time I was thinking about for to end this and I thought, “He should pick it up and return it.” Actually in the first draft, I wrote a returning the AV scene.

Abiko: Aaa -, I see.

Sakamoto: After returning it, he would have met the dead sister’s family. That is what I wrote for the first draft. However for the second draft, that scene was erased. The situation where he did not return the AV was created.

Abiko: However, wasn’t there the scene where Mitsushima came to the house and found the AV? However, he hadn’t gone and returned it.

Sakamoto: He had forgotten to return it.

Abiko: The script writer as well?

Sakamoto: I didn’t forget it, its more it was forgotten in the story. That tends to happen. Whether to return or not, lets leave it for the time being.  I tend to do that sort of thing  I think guys would thinkg “Suddenly die in an incident, what is going to happen to the AV that is hidden from the family.” In this case what I imagined is “When is the AV that is borrowed around the time the sister dies going to be returned?” From the start of the AV thing, I wanted the theme of whole story to be about to living in unusual circumstances and having to deal with ordinary life. More than peeking at reality, I wanted to see the lifestyle of someone who cannot escape from such an incident because it is interesting. Once I pile that up, the dorama won’t be clichéd. I felt when writing that daily life can be unusual.


I HADN'T DECIDED ON WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE 2ND HALF

Abiko: How many revisions of the script did you do?

Sakamoto:  Err, 3 scripts. After that with some adjustments about 3.5 scripts. I felt that for the first pass, about 1.5 times of the material that I wrote were cut and amended. At the second script, the story began taking shape…

PAGE 2

After that the director and producer had their input. After that I would say it took roughly 3 drafts of the script before it came close to its final form.

Abiko: Before the shooting began, did you finish all 11 episodes of the script?

Sakamoto: Not at all. 3 or 4 books/chapters.

Abiko: But, did you finish the scripts from that?

Sakamoto: I had not decided anything about the second half.

Abiko: Ehhh?

Sakamoto: No matter what dorama, its going to be like that every time. If not, the dorama won’t be good.  I am asked the people around, “What is going to happen?” As I hadn't decided on anything yet, I could not give anyone a straight answer.

Abiko: Did you not have the image of the conclusion?

Sakamoto: Before I decided on the story, the only thing I come up with was the synopsis. ‘What type of person is this character’. It would be good if I could capture the character image.  Its is important to thing and write at the same time, but if I know the answer (to who the characters are), its is not necessary to write.

Abiko: When I rewatched the DVD, I thought I should think thoroughly. You finished writing 11 chapters from the beginning and how many time you had to revise your script. Ordinarily I know its not like this but was it like this in this case? (This paragraph does not make sense to me.)

Sakamoto: Are you talking about the side story?

Abiko: Yes, the side story.

Sakamoto: As for serial doramas, at first you need to sow a lot of the seeds. After that there are things you need to pick up, things you should not throw away will appear. Anyway, you need to sow a lot of seeds. Ahh, that thing was there! And you can collect/harvest and as  it grows into a side story. Anyway, scenes, dialogue and items that make an impression naturally become side stories.


A VERY BAD SCRIPT

Abiko: About TV dorama scripts, talk about casting?

Sakamoto: A lot of things have to be there. If I can’t decide on the casting, its is very difficult. Since I debut 20 years ago, at that time the system was that casting is already decided while the dorama is being being created. I am used to that and it is easier for me because I grew up in that system. Now its very difficult for me to  write a script before casting has been done.

Abiko: DVD special bonus was the script which I read slowly read . Of course, every even deleted stuff . Spoken words and conversation and verbal expressions are all in the script….

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