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The strongest ninja and his wife: New action film ‘Shinobi no Kuni’ stars Satoshi Ono, Satomi Ishihara

By Emi Yamada / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer
Blessed with unmatched battle skills and dubbed the strongest in the Iga ninja group, Mumon is greatly feared by his enemies. At home, however, he’s a bit lazy and a henpecked husband.

Mumon is the protagonist of the action film “Shinobi no Kuni” (Mumon: The Land of Stealth) based on the deadly 1579 battle between the clan governing Iga Province and the troops of a powerful feudal lord. The film is now showing in cinemas.

The movie is an adaptation of the novel by the same name by Ryo Wada, who also wrote the screenplay for the film. It’s set in the Sengoku warring states period when mighty warlord Oda Nobunaga was expanding his influence, placing one province after another under his rule.

Iga Province — part of what is now Mie Prefecture — is a hard nut to crack for Nobunaga. The province is home to Mumon, a ruthless ninja with extraordinary weapon yielding and fighting skills played by Satoshi Ono, the leader of the super idol group Arashi. Mumon lives with his strong-willed wife Okuni (played by Satomi Ishihara), who he fell in love with at first sight and brought over from another province.

One day, Oda Nobukatsu (played by Yuri Chinen), a son of Nobunaga, deploys 10,000 soldiers to suppress the province. Despite the extremely unfavorable situation, a ninja team led by Mumon works out a secret plan.

The cast also includes Ryohei Suzuki as Shimoyama Heibee, a rival ninja whose duel with Mumon is a highlight of the film, and Yusuke Iseya as Heki Daizen, Nobukatsu’s brave liege man.

The following are excerpts from a recent interview with Ono and Ishihara:

The Yomiuri Shimbun: The dialogue between the two of you in the first half of the film sounds like a romantic comedy. Okuni is stern with Mumon because he earns very little. She even doesn’t allow him to enter the couple’s house.

Satoshi Ono: Mumon is probably happy about his wife’s attitude, which makes him even more passionate about her. The protagonist is a poor provider, but he’s committed to defending his loved one from any imminent danger, in any way possible.

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© 2017 eiga “Shinobi no Kuni” seisakuiinkai
A scene from the film “Shinobi no Kuni”
Satomi Ishihara: Mumon’s love is very sincere, like a little boy who loves his mother. Okuni sometimes cherishes him, while at other times she can’t help but urge him to pull himself together. Her love for him is similar to maternal love in the beginning, and changes to respect as the story unfolds.

Q: What do you think of a woman like Okuni?

Ono: Well, I’m rarely...

Ishihara: You’re rarely treated coldly [like Mumon]?

Ono: [Mumon] isn’t allowed to enter their house. It’s miserable. (Laughs.)

Ishihara: There’s a clear hierarchical relationship between the couple.

Ono: I don’t think I could stand [such a situation] ...

Ishihara: She’s only kind once in a while.

Q (to Ono): This is your first collaboration with director Yoshihiro Nakamura since the 2011 film “Kaibutsu-kun” (The monster kid). He said you were perfect for Mumon.

Ono: I don’t know why he said that. I was told to act natural, so I performed just as I usually do.

Ishihara: It seems Mr. Ono can do whatever he’s asked without much effort, even under the pressure of people’s great expectations. He may sometimes want to say, “I’ve made a lot of effort,” but he won’t say anything like that. He must have spent so much time and energy on performing better.

Ono: (Looks down shyly while rubbing his nose.)

Q: How did you figure out how to play the ninja role?

Ono: I figured out nothing!

Ishihara: See? It’s just how he is.

Ono: I’m not lying. I decided I would just let things go — I’d start the film shooting while keeping cool and just try to make myself more like the director’s image of my role.

Q: I was amazed to see [Mumon’s] powerful actions and acrobatic movements.

Ishihara: They were terrific. Watching the finished film, I was very excited and almost shouting: “Mumon, keep fighting! Never die!”

Ono: Mumon has a slight smile when he faces off against his enemies, who are desperate to attack him. I’d never been in action scenes without looking serious.

Ishihara: “Smile” was the most frequent instruction the director gave you during the shooting.

Ono: Even when I was tightly bound by wire [to perform in the air] and feeling like my ribs were almost broken.

Ishihara: The director also said things like “Smile to look a little more easygoing” and “Show your teeth more.” But in the duel with Heibee, Mumon suddenly becomes formidable-looking.

Ono: It took three days just to shoot that scene, which lasts only a few minutes in the film. Ryohei-kun [Suzuki] and I fought very close to each other [with daggers in our hands], so we could get hit right in the face if we made any wrong moves, so I was very tense. The two of us were always together [during the shooting of the scene], but we seldom talked to each other [even in our free time]. Instead, I always simulated the fight scene in my mind.

Q: How did you feel about this film?

Ishihara: It depicts ninja as a group of people who are greedy and savage. But even such guys can change if they have someone to defend, and can recognize that what they took for granted is not a matter of course.

Ono: [The Sengoku period] was a time when many people, including Mumon, didn’t feel guilty about killing people. However, I believe he will stop killing people in the days after the last scene of the movie. Perhaps changes of this kind have taken place over and over in history, helping to build a peaceful society today.Speech

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0003804399
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Suzuki-san increased 15kg of weight in “HK/Hentai Kamen” (2013), decreased 20kg of weight in TV drama “Tenno no Ryoriban” (2015), increased 30kg of weight in “Ore Monogatari!!” (2015), he was well-known as forming his characters thoroughly by changing freely his looks from action film to serious drama. Such Suzuki-san claimed that “the ‘Kawa’ filming was the most or second most difficult scene in my acting life”. “Ryohei-kun, your movie filming is tough…” While Ohno-san murmured unexpectedly, he replied with smile “No that was special!”.

Moreover when a perfect fight scene was decided but on the contrary the Director issued NG, he felt strongly the determination of Director Nakamura Yoshihiro. “We did as we learned, I and Ohno-kun thought the fight scene was ‘Yes, perfect!’, Director issued NG because it was too harmonious. Then in next take I shifted the timing a bit, one of us pushed forward, and the other one was trying to respond seriously, then the OK came at last” He expressed the difficulty of filming.

But in the close-up fight scene, Suzuki-san knew clearly it was difficult to “push more forward”. “In such a small space where we would touch each other just by reaching out our hands, we continued the skirmish, different from the past which bamboo imitation sword was used, this time we used the rubber weapons, I thought that that wouldn’t cause danger. However, of course we got injured if we got hit. In fact in the same day, I hit Ohno-kun’s body two times, I was really sorry. I apologised about this…” he looked back with fear.

This time, when asking his view towards Ohno Satoshi, he thought “he was exactly Mumon!”. “His heart was always airily and he didn’t show his true heart. For instance beside me who was “Ha- Ha-” seriously [probably deep breath after action scene], Ohno-kun said “I’m tired” but his breath was not disturbed at all. I thought that ‘He is Mumon!’ (Giggle)” Ohno-san was usually carefree, while in the time of filming Ohno-san overlapped with Mumon who was the Iga’s strongest shinobi.

Furthermore, “Because Ohno-san was in tour he couldn’t come for action scene practice, I worked hard three days to remember the action scenes, but it just took one day for him to remember the actions. I was cheated by that point of atmosphere (Giggle). Though he didn’t let us see his effort, he absolutely was practicing a lot in private!” he praised Ohno-san a lot “Ohno-kun is a splendid man”. This film with the two actors commented by the Director to be in different type “Hard (Suzuki) and Soft (Ohno)”, the serious collision between these two men is very much to be looked forward to.

Source: https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0073813?__ct_ref=https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FBKG16hOefi&__ct_ref=https%3A%2F%2Ft.co%2FiKnRTtnjOE

* Paragraphs related to Ohno-san were translated.

Translation invitation by A.M.N.O.S.C.Y.CNB.NS‏ @UknowMaxOhnoSho. Thanks for invitation.
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Thanks a lot to Winkychan (https://winkychan.dreamwidth.org/106325.html) for subbing and proofreading the episode. Please read her post for details and credits. RAW Provider: Aryun & 湮3259812 & miomio.tv.
To ARASHI fan communities: In case you would like to translate this episode to languages, please PM Winkychan at twitter (https://twitter.com/winkysakurai). Winkychan could provide raw + softsub.
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Working in collaboration with ARASHI・Ohno Satoshi in TV drama and movie “Kaibutsu-kun” (2010・2011) and then “Shinobi no Kuni” (released on 1 July), Director Nakamura Yoshihiro talked about the charm of actor・Ohno Satoshi. The original work is the novel in the same name written by young writer・Wada Ryo, who is well known as history novels such as “Nobou no Shiro” and “Murakami Kaizoku no Musume”. Ohno-san acts the hero Mumon who is the strongest ninja of Iga while behaves like an idle person and who is not strong at all in front of his wife. He also acts in vivid action scenes.

This work is about the historical fact “Tensho Iga War” which right before the unification of Japan by Oda Nobunaga, the Oda Army raised a war against Iga no Kuni which had not been invaded by anyone thus far. Having been interested in and looking up topics of ninja from childhood, the Director said that “It is not about visual expression of ninjutsu [secrecy practiced by ninja] practiced instantly when no one comprehends, but it should be seen in real, in timely manner, in detail”, showing full of fun being able to witness the trick of ninjutsu.

However the biggest highpoint is the ninja action. Ohno-san will demonstrate the Iga Ninja・strongest skills, the death fight of “Kawa” which during first half and second half change the opponent, with this close fight the strength of physicality of Ohno-san offered a reality to “the strength of Mumon which is beyond human knowledge”. No matter how many times the opponents attacks, Mumon’s movement easily avoids them, the Director looked back that “though there was a vague image, last year when I watched the twisting movement of the hero in “Dead Pool”, ‘If one had Ohno-kun’s power he would be able to perform that’ and every thought was confirmed”.

At the same time, “In ‘Ocean’s Twelve’ Vincent Cassel, in the space where laser beams were crossing around, listened to songs with his Walkman and danced to escape and go through the beams, when I watched this scene, ‘Because I want to film with such feeling, anyhow please make your body soft’ and I sent a DVD to [Ohno-san] as reference” he revealed his intention and the materials from which he got hint for this movie which spent him eight years to prepare since the concept came to his mind.

Making all the ideas and requests of the director come true, “Because he is Ohno-kun who remembered many dance choreography, with such skills he’d be able to remember the action like that” he was astonished. In contrast to the “Hardness” of Heibee acted by Suzuki Ryohei, Mumon demonstrates “softness”, the way these two people learn about action is also like “Soft and hard”, they both live the characters and the whole movie. What’s more Ohno-kun overlaps with the character of Mumon” the Director analysed.

“Overlap with Mumon” is that, “Ohno-kun, between cut and cut he was with su~ch charm that really showed no motivation (giggle). But once we said “official filming!” and the camera started to roll, anyhow he was splendid!! Actually he prepared more than anyone did, but he didn’t let others see such side of seriousness, I think this is the aesthetics of Ohno-kun” he was impressed.

Such Ohno-san, it was right before the last scene that the Director could get a glimpse of his serious face. The Director, in his usual tone, talked to Ohno-san “Is the girl next to the Twelve Hyoujyousyuu (Influential persons of Iga) cute?”, and was ignored and he scratched his head. “Uwa, Ohno-kun was also serious, I thought. When he really concentrated to act his character, I disgusted myself ‘such stupid director!’ and at the same time … I was supremely thankful to that Ohno-kun” he recalled with bitter smile.

Director Nakamura continued to praise Ohno-san’s charm as actor with “anyway there is no lie in acting”. “In good sense, he appeared in the filming site only with scripts remembered. He entered the filming site without thinking about any unnecessary thing, while fully experiencing the moment the clapperboard sounded, the tone of the actors as co-acts, weather, the situation of setting and location, time, hotness or coldness, he entered the character neutrally. Therefore this was not a lie” he gave a great appreciation to Ohno-san’s acting performance. Director himself highlighted the impressive last scene by speaking joyfully “I was thrilled by the expression showed by Ohno-kun at the end!”

Translation request from tumblr @orsa2014. Thanks for asking me for translation.

Source: https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0092159
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[Eng Sub] 17.05.29 NEWS ZERO Ichimen: Exclusive Economic Zone + Ralph-san comment - Sakurai Sho + 17.05.31 NZ Shinobi no Kuni premiere - Ohno Satoshi

Thanks a lot to Winkychan (https://winkychan.dreamwidth.org/104827.html) for subbing the episode into the video. Please read her post for details and credits. RAW Provider: Aryun@Clubbox & KJ MN@youtube.
Please also note Winkychan’s additional information on this topic.
To ARASHI fan communities: In case you would like to translate this episode to languages, please PM Winkychan at twitter (https://twitter.com/winkysakurai). Winkychan could provide raw + softsub.
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It is confirmed that ARASHI’s 52nd new single “Tsunagu” [Bond] will be released on 28 June 2017 (Wed)!

This single is the theme song of the movie “Shinobi no Kuni” in which Ohno Satoshi takes the leading role. ARASHI performs movie theme song since four years. It is a song of bigger scale in terms of the world view depicted by the lyrics and the breadth of the melody. Even in the uncertain world of war, wholehearted love and the heart to think about human being lead people to save the era. The guitar and samisen delivers a thrilling melody mixing ARASHI’s vocal which, though sorrow, resonates in one’s heart, this is the “ultimate love song” which has not been made before.

In addition, the coupling song of the regular edition includes 「Reach for the sky ~天までとどけ~」 which is the CM song of “JAL Early Bird Campaign 2017” in which ARASHI works as CM character. It is a refreshing cheer song giving a feeling of flying out under the summer sky.

【Limited Edition】
Includes lyrics booklet (page not confirmed)
・CD
01. Tsunagu (つなぐ) [Bond]
02. Title not confirmed A
03. Title not confirmed A(Original karaoke)

・DVD
「つなぐ」 Video・Clip + Making

【Regular Limited】
・CD
01. つなぐ
02. Reach for the sky ~天までとどけ~
03. Title not confirmed B
04. Title not confirmed C
05. つなぐ(Original karaoke)
06. Reach for the sky ~天までとどけ~ (Original karaoke)
07. Title not confirmed B (Original karaoke)
08. Title not confirmed C(Original karaoke)

Source:
J-Storm News: https://www.j-storm.co.jp/arashi/news/3260
J-Storm つなぐ Discography: https://www.j-storm.co.jp/arashi/discography/%E3%81%A4%E3%81%AA%E3%81%90

Shinobi no Kuni Website: http://www.shinobinokuni.jp/news.html#arashi

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