Kaito Takahashi will become a frivolous man of the Edo period, a lover of alcohol and women. The film also features a scene in which he draws his own works of art.
Kaito Takahashi has been confirmed to appear in the film “Ōi, Oui” (release on 17 October), starring actress Masami Nagasawa. This will be his first appearance in a historical film. He plays Keisai Eisen (also known as Zenjiro Ikeda), a painter specialising in the ukiyo-e style, who lived at the same time as Katsushika Ōi and Hokusai, specialising in portraying beautiful women. Zenjiro was a pupil of Hokusai and a close friend and comrade of Ōi, like a brother. He is a popular painter who lost his parents at a young age and earned his living by painting to support his family, but he also has a side that highlights his love of alcohol and women. Although he is presented as a frivolous man of the Edo period, Zenjiro is an attractive character who has witnessed up close the talent and unique bond between Ōi and Hokusai, and this is captured in Takahashi‘s interpretation; as a quiet man, full of sex appeal, who at the same time looks at the world with serenity.
Although this is his first time in a film directed by Tatsushi Omori, he commented that he has seen Omori‘s previous works and found that “all of his films have a rawness to them, and I thought they were great because they have beauty and a punk touch“. He also expressed his joy at being in the film: “When I heard that I could be in a period drama, I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve done it!’ Then, when I heard the director’s name, I remember I was so happy because he was a director I had always wanted to work with“.
Kaito, who plays the role of an artist, shows his skills in this film.
Kaito Takahashi has drawing as one of his many hobbies and a keen interest in art in general, in fact, he has previously shown various works of art on TV variety shows. Although there were no scenes in this film where he drew, the director added one after discovering that he could draw, and before filming, he practised brush drawing like an Edo period painter, fully demonstrating his skills in the film.
Nagasawa plays Ōi and Nagase Masatoshi plays Hokusai. On his co-starring role, he commented: “My challenge this time was to be able to have a natural conversation without worrying about my screen presence, but Nagasawa brought it out naturally. I was able to trust her and she pulled me along. Nagase is a very stoic person. Watching them discuss every little detail with the director made me want to do more and more. The relationship between the three of them was very comfortable, both on and off the set“. Although there were difficulties in his first appearance in a period drama, which was his dream come true, Takahashi reflected: “It was a learning period and every day was fresh and exciting“.
PLOT
In the Edo period, the unconventional painter Katsushika Hokusai and his daughter and pupil, Katsushika Oi, struggle to make a name for themselves. Ōi was said to surpass her father in painting beautiful women, and as Hokusai‘s right-hand woman and one of the few female painters, she portrayed his entire life. She did not even know how to make tea or embroider, but she inherited her parents’ artistic talent and daring to make her way in a male-dominated society. What kind of happiness did she finally find, living freely and true to her heart?
Comment by Kaito Takahashi:
I was very happy to participate in a period drama, which I had always wanted to do, and in a film directed by Tatsushi Omori, but I was also very anxious, so much so that before crank-in I asked Director Omori if I could do a reading. During the filming period, there was a lot to learn, such as how to behave in a period drama, and it was a fresh experience every day for a month. Nagasawa-san led the way and Nagase-san kindly created a space where it was easy to talk, making the relationship between the three of us very comfortable both during and outside of filming.
My character Zenjiro may appear light in some respects, but I see him as a realist who paints and changes jobs in order to survive and support his family. A scene in which I paint, which was not originally planned, was added at the last minute, and I had the valuable experience of painting with a brush. Ōi paints and lives her life with pride, doing what she wants to do as her job, and I think her strength and determination make the film make you want to challenge yourself in many different ways. Please enjoy the relationship between Ōi and Hokusai, who lives her life painting pictures without being confused by the environment around her, and Zenjiro, who is at the mercy of both of them, but is always by her side.
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