Final day in Nagoya… and back to Tokyo

Half of the troupe went back to Tokyo.We took things slow during the day, and took off for ZEPP Nagoya late in the afternoon. We were going to shoot the rest of the live scene using the actual WIF venue. We asked for 30 minutes of their time for the film. Because it was actually the day for the event, we had no choice but to shoot the scene like a documentary.
It was the last scene for Marky playing “Yuri”…. the scene for the last song.
Words were not necessary any longer. She had spent a deep and meaningful time as Yuri in the film. I could tell that many memories were already filling her up.
Only one take. That was all that was necessary.
It was the first time for the audience to hear this song. But everyone was listening to her attentively. The song was reaching their hearts…I could tell that even looking at them from the stage.
I did not have time to immerse myself in this ending..

I was invited to see High and Mighty Colors’ live performance after that. And I was amazed. The Marky I saw there was someone totally different. I had gone to see their performance before we had started filming a few months ago. But the Marky standing on stage in front of us was much more radiant than she seemed back than.

She was so magnetic that I was not able to avert my gaze for even a second. Her presence on stage was that great.
The same could be said of Lee Tae Sung. During the period we were shooting this film, both of them showed definite signs of progress and change.
It was as if an even greater layer of aura had enveloped them.
After going back to the hotel, I went to a nearby restaurant with the producers.
We had an exciting conversation about the future …but surely I was sleepy.

I was so weak from exhaustion. My whole body felt limp and heavy. But inside, I felt great.
Now, the only thing we had left was to go back to Tokyo… and go into the final stage of editing.

(Originally posted in Japanese on Aug. 13, 2006)