Last month, renowned “A Silent Voice” director Naoko Yamada unveiled
her latest animated work titled “ The Colors Within ” (Kimi no Iro) , an original
project that has captured the attention of critics. Following its premiere in
Japan, Makoto Shinkai , the famed director behind hits such
as “Your Name” and “Suzume no Tojimari ,”
praised Yamada’s talent and expressed his deep admiration for her work.
“The Colors Within” tells the story of three high
school students who decide to form a band, a premise that brings back memories
of Yamada’s previous work on “K-On!” The film centers on Totsuko
Higurashi, the protagonist, who has a unique ability: she perceives colors
surrounding people, which attracts her to those around her.
In a recent joint interview, Shinkai and Yamada
discussed the film’s release. Yamada commented that he feels Shinkai’s
cinematic legacy as “a wall he must overcome.” For his part, Shinkai
admitted that while he deeply admires his work, he also experiences a sense of
“jealousy” when watching Yamada’s works. “ My first contact with
Yamada’s work was through ‘K-On!’. The freshness and enjoyment that emanated
from the animation struck me so much that I wished it was made by someone far
removed from me, with a different background ,” Shinkai commented.
This feeling of jealousy stems from Yamada’s enormous talent, which he says is
hard to ignore.
One of the highlights of “The Colors Within” for
Shinkai is the way the characters interact. “ There were many
moments I enjoyed, but my favorite was the scene right before the school
festival, when Kimi-chan is hesitating whether she is ready to act. Totsuko, in
a motivational tone, replies, ‘What are you talking about? You look very
motivated. ’ The handling of that scene, with Kimi-chan standing up in a
completely ‘rock’ style, was wonderful ,” Shinkai noted.
Shinkai, who has been an influential figure in the
anime industry since the release of “The Place Promised in Our Early
Days” in 2004, commented on Yamada’s impact on his own style. In fact,
he revealed that he has taken inspiration from her technique: “ I
remember seeing a scene where the character’s feet were shown instead of their
face while they were talking. I was told that this choice allowed for a unique
emotion to be expressed, and I didn’t hesitate to imitate it in my own work .”
One of Yamada’s distinguishing traits is his focus on
treating characters with dignity. In a previous interview, he
mentioned the importance of understanding characters without arbitrarily
controlling them. This ability to capture the emotional reality of
characters is something Shinkai also admires, confessing that he often feels
unsure about whether his expression will reach the audience, opting to make
less risky choices.
Source: EigaNatalie
