The two are like childhood friends, but with a tense atmosphere. Kumiko Aso and director Satoko Yokohama team up for the third time in the film "The Road to the Seaside."

He is an adult who has retained the heart of a child. I feel like I can always see something pure and sparkling inside of him.

It's so embarrassing.

It's amazing that this hasn't disappeared at all even as he gains more experience as a director.

When I first worked with Aso-san, we were both in our 20s, so we were the same age, but on set she was cute and lively, and always supported me like an older sister. She was like a swan.

Is that so? (laughs)

The atmosphere is refreshing, and it's Aso who creates the rhythm of the film. His personality and acting are faithful and sincere to what the filmmakers want on set, so I feel like he's on my side. I think the fact that he doesn't change a single line is because he trusts the script that much. That's why there's a sense of tension.

Thank you. I made a weird noise (lol). I think the suspicious characters in this movie are how Yokohama sees adults. What do you think?

That's right. But Sumiko, played by Aso, isn't suspicious. Although there are many mysteries surrounding her.

I wouldn't ask him myself, but if I did, I'm sure he would have answered.

When I told Aso-san and Konosuke Harada, who plays Sousuke, that "Sousuke never calls Sumiko 'mother,'" they both agreed. I thought that if I called them "parent and child," the audience would feel at ease and just stay there.

That's so true! I like this kind of word choice. I had been given the hint that Sumiko was a lively person, but at first I was influenced by the impression I got from the original illustrations. After trying it, I thought it might be better to make her brighter, so I asked Yokohama about it, and he said, "That's right."

He then adds, "Please make it seem like a nasty thing to the cat. Sorry for giving away so much in bits and pieces," which I think is very Yokohama-like (laughs).

In this way, Sumiko was made more human.

I'm a big fan of Miyoshi Gin's manga, and while it may seem to depict everyday life, there's something unstable and unsettling lurking within. That's what makes the work interesting, and what made it rewarding.

I too was excited as I read the original novel, feeling the sense of unease, and strangely enough, I felt that the same atmosphere flowed through Yokohama's script. But Yokohama's films always end up being something more than just a script. I know this is rude of me to say, but the script is like a guide, and the finished product leaves a huge impression.

Since I was having Aso appear again this time, I wanted to show something more about Sumiko than what was written in the script, so I asked her to add some acting to the end of one scene. It's a scene I really like, where Sumiko is sleeping, Sosuke comes back, and then leaves again, and when I told her, "Sumiko may never see Sosuke again," Aso miraculously gave a wonderful performance.

It's fun and exciting for me as an actor to have such a directing style.

Aso-san has a solid foundation of experience, so he can come up with ideas, but there are many times when this is not possible. When I'm making a film, I feel like I'm transferring something that can't be put into words into another form. I'm not good with words, and I don't particularly want to write, so the only way I can communicate is through images.