Shooting Starts for Live-Action Adaptation of Ichigo Takano’s Manga “Orange” Starring Tao Tsuchiya & Kenta Yamazaki

Shooting Starts for Live-Action Adaptation of Ichigo Takano’s Manga “Orange” Starring Tao Tsuchiya & Kenta Yamazaki

The movie Orange, a live-action adaptation of the popular manga by Ichigo Takano serialized in Monthly Action (Futabasha), is scheduled to premiere on Dec. 12. A bunch of high school students, after having received a letter from their future selves, try to change the future through trial and error. Their adolescence is woven together in a story of mystery.

They started filming the movie on Sept. 1 in Nagano Prefecture where the original manga was staged. This time, Tao Tsuchiya and Kento Yamazaki are trying themselves in a masterpiece of the shoujo genre. The two of them are also starring together in the NHK serial drama Mare.
The 20-year-old “Mare duo” combine their forces once again, this time for a much-talked about sci-fi love story. Besides Tsuchiya and Yamazaki, the main cast also includes promising young actors Ryo Ryusei as Hiroto Suwa, Hirona Yamazaki as Takako Chino, Dori Sakurada as Saku Hagino, and Kurumi Shimizu in the role of Azusa Murasaka. It will most likely be one of the most talked-about movies of this winter.

The ambitions of each six members of the main cast are growing as they just started shooting. These feelings were published in the form of comments, reflecting the cast’s enthusiasm toward the movie. They tell of a harmonious atmosphere at the scene, a kind only possible for members of the same generation. We can probably expect natural acting well in tune with each other.

In coordination with the start of filming, a user participation type project titled “Photo Hall of the Past and Future” was launched on the official site. The project is based on the story of Orange, where you get a letter from your future self. In the scope of this project, users have to find a photo from the past, and post a present reproduction taken at the same location in the same style. This way, they can experience the world of the movie before it even releases.

The original manga has just concluded in the October issue of Monthly Action, released on Aug. 25. The fifth, final volume is scheduled to hit the shelves on Nov. 12.

Orange the Movie
Premiers in Toho Theaters Japan-wide on Dec. 12, 2015

Comment by Tao Tsuchiya (Naho Takamiya)
“Many people imagine a shoujo manga, so I wasn’t sure how to express all those feelings. Naho is very gentle, she is a delicate girl you would want to protect. I think she is facing dangers unique to one’s teens and she can’t express what she wants to say very well. Actually, my role was decided before Kento-kun’s, and when I was reading the manga over again, I thought, “Kakeru could be Kento-kun.” Even today, when he sat beside me for the first time, Kento-kun was Kakeru, just as I imagined. I want to take on the challenge and make Orange a movie that gives joy and warm feelings to anyone who watches it.”

Comment by Kento Yamazaki (Kakeru Naruse)
“Kakeru is a boy who watches other people very carefully and puts other people’s needs before his own. The scene when he gave his curry bread over to Naho made me think that he’s a very gentle person. I was super happy when I heard I get to play with Tao-chan again after Mare. We started shooting from the scene when Kakeru changes schools, and since it was a scene of encounters, it made me think about various stuff. We were a couple until not long ago, after all (laughs). And this time, I get to become a person that makes you think, “I want to live!” What kind of miracle will be born at the moment our hearts become one in the genuine sense? I want to play my role talking to others about various things and making sure I have no regrets.”

Comment by Ryo Ryusei (Hiroto Suwa)
“At first, I thought making a live-action movie out of a shoujo manga would be hard. Although I didn’t know the original manga until my role was decided, there are many people who know it, and I feel I have the chance to play in a title greatly loved by many. Suwa is cheerful, energetic, and innocent, and he is also someone who observes people well. He might not be real in the manga, but he will come to life if he’s flesh and blood, and I want to deliver a performance where his personality really comes through.”

Comment by Hirona Yamazaki (Takako Chino)
“I loved the manga to begin with, so I’m really happy to be involved in the movie! Although I met the others before the shooting, this was the first time I’ve see them after our hair and uniforms were prepared; it was a fresh feeling. Suwa’s (Ryosei) hair was different from usual, I didn’t even recognize him (laughs), and Hagita (Sakurada) really has a Hagita-presence around him once he puts on his glasses! I want to make this movie with great care, valuing the relationships between the six friends of this story that is filled with the hopes of its original creator!”

**Comment by Dori Sakurada (Saku Hagino)
“The moment my role was decided, I thought, “Yess!” There are people I know in the cast, at any rate, I’m happy. Hagita might be quiet, but ‘he likes his friends. But he can’t really express it and that’s frustrating. Still, he is gentle, but he won’t call out on his own accord.’ He’s that kind of guy.
But usually, he tends to chatter because he loves everybody (laughs). I think Orange is kind of a reminiscence about the lives of the six central characters. I don’t think it matters whether you watch the movie after the manga or read the manga after the movie, I want to do my best in order to make this the best manga live-action adaptation that everyone can be satisfied with.”

Comment by Kurumi Shimizu (Azusa Murasaka)
“We started shooting today, and I sensed the atmosphere of the six friends for the first time! Since this is my first time doing something based on a manga, there was fun, anxiety, and pleasure. We rehearsed a few times before shooting where each of us thought about the setting of our own role and brought it together! Such as how long Azu and Hagita have been childhood friends. Azu is the most cheerful character in this story, but she can also read the situation and she shows great concern for her friends. I’d be happy if we could make use of the atmosphere in this beautiful land and express the worldview of the manga. As Azusa Murasaka, I want to enliven it with everything I’ve got!”

Movie Orange Official Site

Source: animeanime

© 2015 Orange Production Committee © Ichigo Takano / Futabasha -- Shooting Starts for Live-Action Adaptation of Ichigo Takano’s Manga “Orange” Starring Tao Tsuchiya & Kenta Yamazaki
© 2015 Orange Production Committee © Ichigo Takano / Futabasha -- Shooting Starts for Live-Action Adaptation of Ichigo Takano’s Manga “Orange” Starring Tao Tsuchiya & Kenta Yamazaki

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