Osaka Day 1

We were going to start late today… but I couldn’t get out of the habit of waking early.
I had looked forward to sleeping, but found myself awake around six.

I had woken up because of the bright morning sun, so I must say luck was with us.
The forecast had predicted showers from evening till noon – they were completely wrong!The film crew took off for Tsuruhashi Station.
We met up with Lee Tae Sung　whom we had left in Pusan 2 days ago. Marky, who had given a live performance in Namba, Osaka last night showed up in good shape.
The setting of the scene - the two of them were visiting Osaka at the last stage of the road movie.
We were going to shoot in the biggest Korea town in Japan that lies between Tsuruhashi and Momotani.

It was the first time for Lee Tae Sung to visit Miyuki-dori (Korea town) and he was frankly surprised by the size of the town.
There were quite a few shops that probably did not exist 6 years ago, and had opened due to the Hanryu wave.
Many photos of Korean stars were being exhibited.
Lee Tae Sung　will probably join them in the future.

The streets were crowded because it was Sunday, but the people of the shopping area were very cooperative, and the shooting went smoothly.
Many supporter teams of the Kansai area came to see our shooting along with their friends.
My friends from the “Yume-net” and ex-Shinra were there, too.
This film is supported by so many people - how lucky we are!

Some of the locals of Osaka were not familiar with this area.
There are shops with kimchi and other Korean dishes that look delicious.
They must taste great, because they are authentic.
In the back streets of the shopping area, the houses made of wood stand right next to each other, and give us a good feeling.
Since it’s summer vacation, we could hear the energetic voices of children playing.
Also, the sight of elderly people working energetically could be seen everywhere.
The whole place gave me a nostalgic feeling. That was the impression of the town.

We decided to shoot the night seen the following day, and finished early.
Using the extra time, the make – up staff added some green color to my hair.
The hair dye they used was a new brand, and it was pretty god.
It’s been a while since I felt so energized.

In the evening, I watched the video which has roughly gone through 80 percent of editing.
Captivating scenes are shown one after another. And the acting is exciting.
The photography is good, and so is the lighting. I couldn’t help being glued to the screen, watching the scenes that came out effectively after a lot of time-consuming work.
The rush, which lasted less than 2 hours ended in no time.

I would be repeating myself, but our decision on the casting proved to be correct. Every single one of them was shining, vividly and with energy.
There were some scenes that brought back good memories, too… Yes, the part we filmed in Korea from the beginning of winter to New Year’s. The scenes of those times came flashing in front of me.

Hey! There’s no time to be sentimental yet! After seeing it through, we came up with many issues on how we would be finishing up the film.The battle goes on. We must aim to make it an even better film.
And tomorrow, there awaits a scene in Osaka, which will involve some serious acting.

(originally posted in Japanese on July 30, 2006)