Nah ah nah ah~ The story of Kamusari Village that even moved Hayao Miyazaki

 

As I read on, I couldn’t help but marvel at how incredibly fun and captivating the story was—I started thinking about turning it into an anime. Then I began considering how to film it. Eventually, I swung back to thinking a live-action movie would be better, though I wasn’t sure I could pull it off myself. This whole back-and-forth during the reading process was very satisfying." The novel was the top-selling translated fiction title in Taiwan when it was released in 2011, and now, the highly anticipated live-action adaptation is finally hitting Taiwanese theaters. The film is directed by Hitoshi One, who previously helmed Water Boys and Robot & Frank. This is his first adaptation work, featuring action, romance, heartfelt emotion, a touch of risqué humor, and, of course, plenty of laughs. Director One said, "I wanted to capture something beyond the ordinary." Understanding the spirit of the original work, and after conducting on-site research, he reimagined the production, adding many entertaining elements drawn from his own experiences during research—elements the original author also gave high praise to after seeing the film script.

Both lead actors, Sōta Fukushi and Erika Sawajiri, worked with Director One for the first time. Sōta Fukushi shared: "I’ve always loved Director One’s films, but I never thought my type of roles fit his style. I went for the audition specifically because it was with Director One—I hoped for a chance to work with him, but didn’t expect much. So when he chose me, I was completely shocked and really happy.

I had no idea what the movie was about during the audition. I only found out later it was the film version of Nah ah nah ah~ Kamusari Village!" Erika Sawajiri also expressed that working with Director One for the first time was a great experience. "Director One is very relaxed and gentle, occasionally cracking jokes to liven up the set atmosphere. His directing style is very detailed—he always gives clear instructions, and he’s such a considerate director." Alongside the eye-catching Hiroshi Tamaki, the film boasts an unexpectedly stellar cast. Other characters from Kamusari Village were also cast through local auditions to find the most suitable actors—even the dog actors weren’t spared. The film faithfully brings the characters and settings of the novel to the big screen.