Director Yamada Naoko’s latest original animated feature film, “Your Color,” will be released on Friday, August 30, 2024.
This is a “music x youth” story unique to Director Yamada, who has worked on “K-ON! The Movie” and “A Silent Voice.” It won the Golden Goblet Award for Best Animation at the 26th Shanghai International Film Festival and was entered in the Feature Film Competition at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2024 in France, attracting attention from all over the world.
As the scent of early summer began to drift about, we were able to talk to Director Yamada directly. When we asked him about his thoughts on the film, Director Yamada spoke in a soft tone like the pale pastel colors that Totsuko feels in people. However, the content he spoke had the strength of primary colors. The creative process gradually came to light.
*This interview discusses the ending of the story, so we recommend reading it after watching the movie.
–I saw “Your Color” and I couldn’t stop crying at the end. Thank you for the wonderful work.
Director Yamada Naoko (hereinafter Yamada): I’m happy. Thank you very much.
What was the inspiration behind this work?
Yamada: I was given the opportunity to try my hand at an original piece. One thing I really wanted to value was to create a piece that would “reach the hearts of the viewers.” And yet, I also wanted it to be an emotion that people would be familiar with. So, I wanted to portray something important in depth, without forcing myself. … How can I put it? It all started with the idea that it would be nice to portray something important as simply and uncomplicated as possible.
–What was the inspiration behind the phrase “without overdoing it”?
Yamada: It’s a film that doesn’t need to be set on a grand scale. It’s something closer to home. I think there’s a universe within it.
–It may seem like a forced connection, but could it be said that Director Yamada expressed that “universe” through “color”?
Yamada: That may be true. I choose colors so that they are not limited to one meaning and are not expressed in words. Colors are particles of light, so that’s not wrong (laughs).
–When this film was announced, Director Yamada commented, “I didn’t want to put it into words so that people could watch it in images. I wanted to make a film that would allow people to feel time, color, movement, and something sensory.” Is it Director Yamada’s preference to not put it into words?
Yamada: That’s right. I’m not very good at using words myself, but sometimes the meaning is limited by the words you say. Even if you think, “That’s not what I wanted to say, but there was a real meaning behind it,” as long as it comes out as words, it’s still limited… That kind of thing happens, doesn’t it?
— I understand that. It’s something I feel even more keenly in today’s social media society.
Yamada: That’s true. Even a single hiragana character can completely change the direction. Especially since I sometimes go all out in the direction of “that’s not it” (laughs bitterly). Things that are limited by those words are surprisingly not to the point. I couldn’t help but feel impatient and annoyed about that, so I wanted something that could be felt and imagined even unconsciously, something that wasn’t limited.
–Who did you first consult about this?
Yamada: I consulted with Yoshida Reiko when I was writing the script.
–Music also plays a big role, but did you consult with Kensuke Ushio at an early stage?
Yamada: This time, we had specific discussions after the scenario was decided. (As if remembering) Yes, yes. It was actually quite some time ago. So I was wondering what the chronology was.
–What you said earlier about words, I wonder if it was also influenced by changes in the way we communicate during the COVID-19 pandemic.
山田：あると思います。コロナ禍でSNSの普及が加速して、人が文字に頼ることが増えたように感じます。またコロナ禍という普段とは違う環境に置かれていることもあって「このひとはこういうことを考えていたんだな」と、思わぬ一面を見る瞬間もあって。直接話せないこともあり、どうしても人と人との心の距離が、一枚噛まれた状態になってしまうんですよね。どんなに仲の良かった人でも、良くも悪くも意外な一面が見えてしまうというか。未だにそれが尾を引いているところもあるんですよね。「ご飯誘って良いのかな？」とか。
ーー分かります。人との距離が遠くなってしまったと感じることが増える中で、気軽に声をかけて良いのかなと一歩立ち止まってしまうことも。
山田：そういった流れにモヤモヤしていたところがありますね。自分にとっての怒りではあるのかもしれません。人と人とがちゃんと話し合えたり、音楽を奏でたり……ちゃんと信用しあえる仲があるってとても大事だなと思っているので……ある意味、社会派？（笑）
ーー社会へのアンチテーゼと言えるかもしれない？
山田：ふふっ。
ーーでも本当に、そう思うところがあります。それこそ、今回も信頼できる方々との制作といえるのではないでしょうか。
山田：はい、本当にありがたいことに。だからこそ落ち着いて作業を進めることができました。制作・プロデュースを手掛けてくださったサイエンスSARUさんは、前作「平家物語」（監督・絵コンテ等）やオリジナルショートアニメ（『Garden of Remembrance』監督・脚本）で一緒に制作をしていて。チーム感が出来上がってきたところだったので、そういった意味でも、安心して、背中を任せられる人たちとお仕事できたという感覚があります。
ーー吉田さんの存在も大きかったのではないでしょうか。
山田：はい。いつものことではあるんですけども（笑）、大きい存在です。吉田さんはいつも新しいことを考えていて。自分にとってはお姉ちゃんのようであり、孫悟空のお釈迦様的な存在でもあります（笑）。ああだこうだと言っても、吉田さんの手中といいますか、吉田さんの愛の中に在るような感じで、とても頼りにしています。
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