Is the film "Meets the World" a new frontier for Daigo Matsui? Thinking about Ozaki Sekaikan

The idea came from producer Fukase (Kazumi). But because we'd had such a close relationship up until then, having shot music videos and made films based on Creep's songs, I felt embarrassed to ask them to do the music for a project I was working on independently of them. So Fukase approached me.

However, Ozaki-kun didn't respond directly, saying, "I've received a request," but instead said through his producer, "I'm positive about it" (laughs).

I wanted to ask how the request came about, but just like Matsui-kun didn't want to ask himself, I didn't want to ask either (laughs).

"Meets the World" is a story about meeting people from a new world, so I wanted to ask someone new to compose the music, and not a film composer.

I see, that's what I thought now (lol).

During the editing stage, I asked where the music would go and then created it to fit that length. However, the number of seconds wasn't strictly decided, and it was quite loose.

In fact, I was planning to edit it again at the end to match the music. But when I first heard the finished music, it really hit me. The melody sounded like it was about to start singing. It was so good, I thought, this will be fine.

If CreepHyp were to create film music, I wanted it to be more than just an instrumental piece, something that sounds like it could be accompanied by a song at any moment. The thing I hated most was that it would blend in too well with the visuals. If it blended in too well, it would blend in with the sound, so I tried not to think too much about the story.

Of course it's film music, but I liked the way CreepHyp approached it with music that was true to themselves. Because the visuals and music are independent, I feel like it's a stronger film. The relationship between Jim Jarmusch and Tom Waits is my ideal, so I feel like it's close to that. Although that may be an exaggeration.

If anything, the fact that the setting was Kabukicho may have been a big factor this time. I thought that something rough and a little bit out of the ordinary would be more suited to Kabukicho than smooth, rounded music.

"Meets the World" doesn't get too involved with the characters, and has a perspective that's just as objective as possible, which I feel is a little different from Matsui's previous works. It's like you don't know anyone, but you also know everyone. That also really captures the feel of the town of Kabukicho.

I didn't have any particular intention of changing it. The theme of this film is meeting all kinds of people in a new world, so rather than placing other people on the protagonist's path to make it look beautiful, I wanted to make even those who only appear for a moment seem lovable. As for the protagonist, I trusted Sugisaki Hana, who plays Yukari, so I may have spent more time gazing at the people around her.

This may be a new frontier for him. Up until now, there have been moments when Matsui's switch would flip and he would go too far or chase after someone too much, but I don't think that happened this time either.

It's true that in the past, if there was something I wanted to do, I tended to overdo it (laughs). But now I'm being held back more and more. For example, at the end of "Just a Little Thought," I wanted to show that the main character, a taxi driver, was finally able to be alone by having the taxi fly in the sky, but many people opposed it, so I ended up having the scene go straight through a green light.

I wonder if I've become able to stop for a moment and think about what's going on? There's a scene in Kurenaizume where the main characters throw their hearts at each other, and I thought it was the best. But I've heard a lot of people say, "If only that hadn't happened..." and I felt like maybe I went too far after all. But for me, it was something I had to do.

When I think about it, I end up doing it (laughs).

That's right. But perhaps stopping there would have allowed us to find an answer that everyone could agree on.

I wonder... Matsui-kun is the type of person who people tend to say, "If only that hadn't happened..." and I'm the same way (laughs). I think that's why we've been such good friends for so long. Even if it's an obvious mistake, he did it because he wanted to, and I find that clumsy part endearing. I think that kind of essence probably hasn't changed between the two of us.

I wonder? I think there are a lot of reasons... Hmm...

So it's the same as before?

No, that's not true (laughs). There was a time in the past when I was taking photos with the feeling that I wanted to get inside the camera, but I feel like I got out of that about seven or eight years ago. Now I feel like I try to take photos from a bird's-eye view as much as possible.

Matsui-kun is the type of person who is strongly influenced by the people around him, so I think that's a big factor, more so than any change he may have made himself.

That's right. For example, I made a movie with producer Fukase-san, who I've known for a long time, for the first time, and Sugisaki-san and I had been talking about working together for about seven or eight years, and now that it's finally come to fruition. I also met Aoi Yu-san again for the first time since "Azumi Haruko is Missing," and of course, I asked CreepHyp to do the music. If there have been any changes this time, it may be thanks to the people around me.

Surprisingly, the people who make it don't really understand it. Music can be made with a small number of people, but movies involve a large number of people. It must be hard to put into words.

It's because it's hard to put into words that I feel like I'm making a movie.

I didn't intentionally leave out the music in the film, but I created the theme song with the intention of making it fit in with the story at the end.

The theme song was a great, refreshing song that was fitting for the end of the movie. With lyrics like "If I loved you, I might like you a little," I think it will reach people who have seen the movie, and even if sung live, it will resonate with people who think of a special person. I was so happy to have been involved in the creation of such a song.