Episode 8: Musical is so awesome!!

Host: Ririko

Guest Speakers: Urara and Karin

Question 1: What is your favorite musical movie?

Urara: My favorite musical movie is "SUNNY --Strong Feelings, Strong Love". It's not a musical, but rather a movie where the story is told through songs. The movie is set in the '90s, and songs by PUFFY and Kenji Ozawa, who were famous at that time, are played in the movie. The main characters are high school students who grew up in the countryside, and the movie touches on social issues such as drugs, which were The story is nostalgic for adults, but fresh for us. At first glance, we want to go back to that era, but at the same time, we don't want to go back because the problems of alcohol and drugs are still ongoing. My favorite scene is the dynamic scene where the actors from childhood and the actors from today dance together.

Karin: My favorite musical movie is "La La Land". Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be someone who would build the entertainment industry. This is a dream that is not supported by many people, so the main characters, Anne, who continues to pursue her dream of becoming an actress, and Steve, who wants to open a jazz bar, which is said to be outdated, overlapped with me. My favorite scene is the one where Anne sings at the audition, "Here's I think it's more of a dream chasing story than a romance movie. I think it's more of a dream-chasing story than a romance movie.

Ririko: My favorite movie is "Dear Evan Hansen". A boy suffering from depression is told by his therapist to write a letter to himself to encourage himself. The boy who stole the letter commits suicide, and the letter that Evan wrote to himself is interpreted by his parents as his last will and testament. Starting from that misunderstanding, he eventually made his song to inspire people suffering from depression known to the world through social networking. Not only is the song great, but it is also a highlight to see How a boy who cannot express himself grows up.

Question 2: What do you think makes a musical movie different from other movies?

Karin: The difference is that all the lines are put to sound. I feel that just by being put to music, a single word becomes many times more powerful and meaningful I also think that the angle of view is unique to musical films. In a normal movie, there is a lot of scene development, which is why the cut parts are pieced together, but in a musical movie, because of the dancing, the shots are drawn out and each cut seems to be longer.

Urara: The music exaggerates the expression of emotions. Even if a person doesn't express himself in words, he can say, "Look at me! I think that's the beauty of a musical film. I think that is the beauty of a musical film. Even if a person is usually quiet, they can express their strong feelings through songs. There are many ways to express emotions. Also, because they express their feelings in an exaggerated way, it is easy for children to get into the world of the movie.

Question 3: How do you think musical movies have helped you in your life so far?

Urara: When I was struggling with my basketball team, or when I was walking alone, I thought that just by listening to the soundtrack of a musical movie, I could forget about my surroundings and get into the world of the movie. When I sing in a musical movie, I feel like the tragic heroine is sympathizing with me because I am either at the peak of joy or in the middle of tragedy, and it makes me feel positive.

Karin: The ability to travel to an unreal world. I can immerse myself in a musical movie and watch it when I'm depressed and it gives me energy. Also, because there are so many things to take away from the movie, you can think more for yourself.

Ririko: When I was studying in the US, my English was not as good as anyone else's, and I felt a barrier between me and others. However, I was able to express myself by singing, and I felt that I could be understood and connected with many people through singing.

Q4: Some people may think that musical films are not very deep in terms of content, what do you think about that? 

Karin: I don't want people to judge a musical film as a genre of film, but as a category of the film That is to say, depending on the quality of the film, some films are musicals but a depending on the production of the film, if you have thought of the music you want to include in the film first, then the music will be the focus rather than the content.

Urara: Some musical films are so packed with content that it's hard to understand. In that case, I think I can understand the parts that I didn't notice by watching the movie more than once.

Q5: What do you think is the greatest appeal of musical films?

Urara: I think it's the expression of emotions through music. You can simulate the peak of emotions of many people. I can express my positive emotions, but I can't express my negative emotions very well, which is why I feel like the actors in musical movies can express my feelings for me. After watching the movie, you can feel the pleasure of having done it together. I think you can absorb the material for emotional expression.

Karin: Like Urara, I think it's about emotional expression. Because the song contains the main character's feelings, I can empathize with her and immerse myself in the movie like no other song can. I think it's attractive that it can express both joy and sadness.

Ririko: It makes me feel good to see the main character expressing her feelings with all her might through music, and I think how much my heart would be saved if I could express my feelings through song. I think one of the charms of musical movies is that you can find music that suits your feelings.

The last thing that we wanted to say!
Watching musical movies with other people allows you to learn about opinions that differ from your own. It's fun to see what's going on inside everyone's head, so please watch it with everyone!