Ae! Group Performs Maximum Difficulty Dance in Osomatsu-san Film
The film marks the first major starring role for Ae! group under their new system, and the cast's two-hour learning of a maximum-difficulty dance sequence demonstrates the physical demands placed on idol actors in live-action anime adaptations.
Reporting from 2 sources: Eiga Natalie, Cinema Today.
The cast of "Osomatsu-san: Jinrui Kuzuka Keikaku!!!!!?" appeared at a first-day stage greeting on June 12 at TOHO Cinemas Hibiya in Tokyo. The live-action film, based on the anime by Fujio Akatsuka, follows the sextuplet Matsuno brothers as they confront a world that has begun praising their lazy lifestyle. Members of Ae! group-Seimei Yoshinori, Masaki Sawa, Ken Kojima, and Masaya Sano-star alongside Takuya Nishimura, Miho Watanabe, Yusuke Onuki, Naenano, and Iori Noguchi. Director Taisuke Kawamura revealed that the choreographer said the sextuplet actors could handle the most difficult dance, so he requested maximum difficulty choreography, which the cast learned in two hours. The actors described the dance as more challenging than Ae! group's own songs and said it took a full day to film, like a music video. Koji Mukai of Snow Man, who played Osomatsu in the 2022 film, appears as "Old Osomatsu" and added ad-libs that raised the cast's morale. The film was postponed by about five months before its release.
The cast performed an acrostic poem with the theme "Daihitto" (big hit). In order, Nishimura, Kojima, Sano, Masakado, and Suezawa said, "With everyone I love," "Lots of," "I want to recommend to people," "There's not a single boring moment," and "It's an incredibly fun movie!" The venue erupted in applause. In line with the film's title, a "trash ball" (kuzudama) instead of a traditional kusudama was cracked open, bringing the event to a lively close.
Director Kawamura praised the cast, saying, "Everyone is good at acting." He added, "I thought it would be difficult because there are many surreal gags, but they landed them well. As a fan, I watched the filming on set. Without me saying anything, everyone moved freely."
Masaya Sano mentioned that his "LINE friend" Narimi Arimori sent him a message saying, "I'm going to see it. I'm from the generation that knows the original 'Osomatsu-san.'" Sano also named veteran actor Sei Hiraizumi, who texted him, saying, "I'm from that generation too, so I used to watch it." Sano said, "I felt again how wide the generation range of 'Osomatsu-san' is. I felt a sense of responsibility that they chose Aぇ! group to star in such a great film."
Miho Watanabe, who plays heroine Totoko, noted a scene where Totoko and Nyaa-chan sing together. She recalled, "Choromatsu (played by Sano) also appears in that scene, and his energy was incredible (laughs). The costumes were also amazing, and the staff worked really hard." Naenano, who plays Chibita, revealed, "My role speaks in Edo dialect, which was difficult. But when I searched online, I found videos like 'Edo Dialect Lessons You Can Use Today,' so I practiced with those."
Yusuke Onuki, who plays Iyami, said, "When I posted a photo of my character on Instagram, my mother asked, 'What's this photo?' When I said, 'It's a role I'm playing,' she asked, 'Who?' She didn't even realize it was me. I was really happy."
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Eiga Natalie Aぇ! group、映画「おそ松さん」で難易度MAXのダンス披露 向井康二との共演も振り返る
- Cinema Today Aぇ! group『映画 おそ松さん』公開に感慨「新体制の覚悟が詰まっている」