YUTA MEN’S NON-NO Special Interview for HiGH&LOW THE WORST X

YUTA MEN'S NON-NO Special Interview for HiGH&LOW THE WORST X
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Translated by @cloudNYT

[Yuta Nakamoto (NCT 127)] A magnificent movie debut. A long interview where Yuta talks about the biggest charm of the film and his acting and action performance where he gave his all!

HiGH&LOW THE WORST X, the highly anticipated latest installment of the popular battle action movie series HiGH&LOW of which has amassed a total audience of 5.56 million and grossed over 7.8 billion yen in the box office, will finally be released today on the 9th of September! To help you further enjoy this film, we have been delivering special contents every day on MEN'S NON-NO WEB for the past 9 days leading up to its release, and this marks the final installment of it! The one who will conclude it is him!

Vol. 5 YUTA NAKAMOTO

The final installment of this project features a familiar face to MEN'S NON-NO Magazine – Yuta Nakamoto, or also known to us as YUTA from NCT 127! With the release of the movie HiGH&LOW THE WORST X in theaters today, he thus makes his splendid silver screen debut. He plays Ryo Suzaki, the strongest man in Senomon Technical High School. Even though this is his first time acting, his high potential has been recognized and has been a hot topic even before the film's release. In this ensemble drama where clashes and friendships among various characters, including Fujio Hanaoka played by Kazuma Kawamura, intertwine, Yuta's performance showcased his outstanding presence. He spoke to MEN'S NON-NO remotely from South Korea and shared his thoughts on the film, his anecdotes with the cast, and his thoughts on the soundtrack Wings, in which he also sings in.

SPECIAL CAST INTERVIEW

The time spent preparing for the role

Congratulations again on your first movie appearance! We've been talking about it bit by bit in the MEN'S NON-NO Magazine and WEB, but now it's finally out.
YUTA: Yeah, I'm really happy!

When I first saw Ryo Suzaki in the previews, I thought he looked strong, sharp, and had this imposing presence to him. But when I actually saw the film, I found that he was more than that. He was someone who was burdened with sadness and faced various conflicts.
YUTA: That's right. After all, he isn't just strong. He is 'the strongest man' who had something weighing on his heart. I thought it was important that I express that.

How did you approach preparing for the role?
YUTA: The script didn't really mention how Suzaki was brought up or how he met (Kohei) Amagai. Even the setting and the situation before and after the lines were not elaborated in detail, so I felt that I needed to use my own imagination. I'm sure that this is a fundamental part of being an actor, something that the other actors must be doing, but since this was my first time acting, I felt like I had to learn from the very beginning. While reading the script, I discussed remotely with the film crew in Japan, asking, "Is Suzaki like this or like that when he says this line?", and worked on solidifying the image of my character. Then, I read through the lines of other characters written before and after my own lines multiple times. Although I had my own thoughts about the character of Ryo Suzaki, I couldn't completely create the character on my own, so while faithfully sticking to the basics of understanding the role I was playing, I received a lot of help from the other actors and the director to create it.

I feel like the best part of acting is when you take the words that weren't explicitly written down and act them out based on your own understanding.
YUTA: Right. What I found super interesting was that in a scene meant to evoke anger, the script would only say "…" after the dialogue. I thought that meant Suzaki was angry, so I made an angry face. But the director told me, "You don't have to do that. You just need to think about the emotion, and the expression will naturally show." It was challenging, but I thought it was really fun. It sometimes happens in dance too. This is just me, but even if I don't deliberately perform in an easy-to-understand manner, I feel like, "Ah, I think I did it. I think was able to express the message I wanted to convey." I feel like it might be linked to that sensation, where you feel, "Ah, expression is all connected." There isn't a clear and definitive way to do it. It seems like you can grasp it, but it remains just out of reach.

That's a feeling you can only understand because you've experienced various forms of expression.
YUTA: Exactly. It's difficult, but that is why I think if you accumulate experience in your own way, your expression will also gain depth. Even a single line or performance can convey hidden feelings or make things feel more genuine. I could feel that all the things I had done up until now were coming together.

A story where justice changes depending on whose perspective you view it from

This movie has a lot of intense fight scenes, but the other cast members have all said, "It's not just about fighting. We also wanted to show the personal growth and friendships of the characters." Is there anything you hope to convey through this film?
YUTA: This film is very much like a "coming-of-age movie", isn't it? But I think there are themes within it that connect to what's important for living in today's society. Like with Suzaki, I think that having the strength to not waver in one's convictions is something incredibly necessary in this day and age. These days, we are so overwhelmed with information that it's hard to tell what's left from right. It's an era where you need to have the skill to sort out what is necessary for yourself. In such a world, it's quite difficult to stick to what you believe in and put it into action. But like Suzaki, I'm the type of person who would like to value these things. Even if people think, "What's with this guy?", I want to always have the strength to carry out actions by my own will. In this movie, I think it's great that there are scenes where you can see each character display that kind of strong will. In the end, it's not that only one side is bad, but that both sides have their own sense of justice… That's the kind of thing depicted in the film. I think this message is very much in line with the current times.

Amagai may seem like a villain at first, but he has his own convictions.
YUTA: That's right. He may seem like a bad guy from the protagonist's point of view, but if you look at it from his side, there's a lot of things he's dealing with too. I think it's something that really reflects aspects of the real world.

Suzaki was the very embodiment of that kind of grey area, wasn't he? He could understand the feelings of both Fujio and Amagai.
YUTA: Exactly! And because he's a good guy, he knows what choice he has to make in the end. Don't you ever find yourself caught up in that kind of frustration? "Which side is right? But this side isn't completely in the wrong." This kind of thing happens in everyday life.

The fight scene performed intensely

In that sense, Suzaki was a character you could relate to in some ways.
YUTA: That's right. But I'm not good at fighting (laughs). That's the one thing where we're a little different (laughs).

But the action scenes were really amazing. In a previous interview, you said, "We went all out with real power and real speed." And I could really see that.
YUTA: There was a quarantine period when I came to Japan for the filming. The hotel I stayed at provided dumbbells, so I was able to train there. But once the actual filming began, rather than the training I did, it was the solid communication with everyone on set that really helped me through it all. In the final fight scene between Fujio and Suzaki, I told Kazuma, who played Fujio, "Let's go for it even if we end up hitting each other." It was a scene where we were surrounded by a lot of the cast members. The sight of it gave me such an adrenaline rush, and it felt absolutely amazing.

It was like the audience was surrounding an invisible ring.
YUTA: Yes, yes! I think it's impossible to perform a fight scene well if you don't build a trusting relationship with everyone. "Let's go for it even if we end up hitting each other." isn't something you can say so easily to anyone.

What if living in the world of HiGH&LOW was possible?

In the ongoing column "SHOW YOUR VIBE!!!!!" featured in the October issue of MEN'S NON-NO, which is on sale today, we talked about other roles you would have liked to play in this movie. We'll leave it to everyone to check out the magazine, but what would you want to do if you were to slip into the world of this movie?
YUTA: I'd want to enter Suzuran (All-Boys High School)!

That was a quick decision!
YUTA: I'm from "Crows generation" after all! I'm super fascinated by them.

The others who did the interview seemed to have said, "I wouldn't want to go to Housen (Academy) because you have to start with a bald head."
YUTA: Ahaha! Right, that's true! I feel exactly the same! (laughs).

It would be great if you could become a top member immediately after joining (laughs).
YUTA: No, I'm sure that kind of weak attitude wouldn't cut it. Those who are like that shouldn't join Housen. You have to work your way up!

Being happy to hear the director firmly say, "Alright, OK!"

It looks like you've made a lot of memories with your co-stars, but are there any moments with the director that stuck with you?
YUTA: I still remember the director's "Alright, OK!" The tone of the director's voice is different when he gives a regular OK and when he says OK because he thinks it was a really great take. Or rather, there's a huge difference between a regular OK and a serious OK (laughs). So we would say among ourselves, "It's that kind of OK. It probably means we're out of time today and can't reshoot." But on the other hand, when we would really nail a scene, the director's "Alright, OK!" would be filled with so much energy, like a peak "Yes!" moment. Hearing that made me so happy.

Which scene did the director give a satisfied OK to?
YUTA: There were several, but the one that made me the happiest was the final one-on-one fight scene with Fujio!

The insert song "Wings" sang with the feelings of Suzaki

Speaking of the HiGH&LOW series, the theme songs and insert songs always become a hot topic. This time, you took part in the song "Wings" sang by the main cast. Please tell us what you focused on recording it.
YUTA: I really like all the lyrics in the second verse of my part. There's a part where I exchange words with Ryoki (BE:FIRST). The line "For me, you will. For you, I will." perfectly captures the relationship between Suzaki and Amagai. It links to the story, and so it's especially my favorite. Ryoki sang his part quite gently, so I sang mine with more strength. I wanted to convey the emotions properly because it's a song played during the movie. I sang more intensely than usual, so I hope everyone will pay attention to that.

Rather than singing it as YUTA, you sang it with the feelings of Ryo Suzaki?
YUTA: Yes, I think so! The parts were carefully divided, and it's designed so that the song can be sung with the emotions of each character, so it was a bit different from how I usually sing.

Hoping the movie awakens something passionate within

The world depicted in this movie is far removed from everyday life for most people. But within that world, as you have mentioned earlier, the importance of having conviction and caring for someone are also depicted. There are points that viewers can empathize with and relate to on a personal level.
YUTA: I want that! I want people to feel that connection! (laughs). I think this movie has a bit of "cheesiness" to it. It's got this straightforward passion that can make you feel a little embarrassed. But, how should I put it… I think that kind of thing is very important. We aim to make it cool, but we're not going for a shallow kind of coolness that's all flash and no substance. I think deliberately choosing to include these cheesy elements really means something. We live in an era where anyone can easily create something that looks cool, but I think true coolness that goes beyond the superficial is something else entirely. I think HiGH&LOW THE WORST X is a film that values that. That's why I hope it evokes emotions that you don't feel every day and awakens the passion sleeping within you. Yeah!!

We hope a lot of MEN'S NON-NO readers will come watch it as well.
YUTA: I did my best for the action scenes and my first acting role~!! (laughs)

Several staff members from our editorial department attended the preview, and after watching the film, we went to a coffee shop and talked excitedly about what we liked about the film and which character we thought was cool. It's also nice to have that kind of fun even after watching the movie.
YUTA: Wow, that's great~!! I hope everyone has lots of fun like that. I would love to try that in the old coffee shop that Suzaki and his friends use as a hideout in the movie. I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts.

The big screen and powerful sound system in theaters will deliver an even stronger impact.
YUTA: Watching in movie theaters is the best! I can't wait to see it too.

Aside from the movie, you have a lot of news coming up this fall starting with NCT 127's latest comeback. We hope to hear more from you in the magazine soon.
YUTA: Thank you as always, MEN'S NON-NO! Fighting!

MEN'S NON-NO interviews of other cast members where YUTA was mentioned

Vol. 1 KAZUMA KAWAMURA

I heard you first met Yuta, who makes his debut appearance in this film, during practice.
KAZUMA: We started practicing together on the same day we first exchanged greetings. From the moment it was decided that he would appear in the film, I had heard that Yuta was a huge fan of the series. During practice, his eyes and overall aura radiated this extraordinary enthusiasm. I could really feel his determination, as if he was saying, "Let's give it our all!" It fired me up as well.
It might be presumptuous of me, but I tried to do whatever I could to help him comfortably concentrate on acting and doing action scenes. I introduced him to the cast members who were continuing from the previous film and actively tried to communicate with him during action scene practices. Especially when it came to coordinating movements to the speed of the actual shoot, even the slightest mistake in timing could lead to a serious injury, so I was very conscious about frequently communicating with him.

Vol. 2 HOKUTO YOSHINO

Each character is unique. Yuta and Ryoki appear as part of Senomon Technical High School, which clashes with Oya High, making it a magnificent collaboration.
HOKUTO: In the story, there were many scenes where we were involved with the Senomon team, so I had a lot of interactions with Yuta and Ryoki. At first, I wasn't sure how to interact with artists from other groups, but once we started talking, they turned out to be very friendly, so I was relieved (laughs). […] I chatted a lot with Yuta, and the three of us (Yuta, Ryoki, Hokuto) would talk for a long time inside his car. In the movie, we were fiercely fighting each other, but off-camera, the atmosphere was really fun (laughs).

Vol. 3 AKIHISA SHIONO

One of the highlights of this film is Yuta and Ryoki appearing for the first time. It's just as grand as the previous films in the series!
AKIHISA: I had heard about it when it still wasn't finalized. I couldn't believe it and thought, "That's crazy~!" It's already difficult enough to get groups from different agencies to collaborate together, then you add to the fact that Yuta is based in Korea. I thought it would be impossible, but it actually happened. I was extremely happy and once again felt the power of this series.

Do you remember your first impressions of the two?
AKIHISA: […] For Yuta, I had already been following NCT 127's activities on my own, so it didn't really feel like I was meeting him for the first time. The first time we met was during a rehearsal with Gouki (Maeda). Since Yuta had far more action scenes than us, I kept my greetings short so as not to bother him too much. When I talked to him again on the first day of filming, I was surprised to find that he was just a super normal guy (laughs). I mean it in a good way, of course!! I thought he'd be all cool, but he was actually really easy to talk to.

It sounds like such a fun set just imagining it!
AKIHISA: The shooting location was a school building, so it felt like we were living out our youth! I thought Yuta was probably anxious because he didn't have much acting experience, so I talked to him from time to time, and then he started coming up to me when he had some free time. We're both from Osaka, and I was sure Kazuma would like him too, so the three of us started talking. And sure enough, we became good friends! Kazuma and I are pretty much drawn to the same qualities in people.

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Please support YUTA by engaging with the original link to this interview here.

Other MEN'S NON-NO cast member interviews where YUTA was mentioned are linked here: Kazuma Kawamura, Hokuto Yoshino, Akihisa Shiono

HiGH&LOW THE WORST X is now available on DVD and Blu-ray with ENGLISH SUBTITLES. Buy your copy now here:

HiGH&LOW THE WORST X is now available on Netflix in over 60 different countries. Watch it now here.

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