WOWOW Interview with Sato Takeru

WOWOW Interview with Sato Takeru

Rurouni Kenshin, a manga that gained immense popularity back in the 1990s, is going to be shown as a live action movie this August. Sato Takeru plays the role of the legendary assassin who vowed not to kill again.

Sato Takeru said he had fun shooting the film in Kyoto even if it took them four long months to do it. He has worked with director Otomo Keishi and many of his co-stars in the drama Ryomaden before and Aoki Munetaka is a good friend so the atmosphere was harmonious even if the scenes they were shooting were hard. For him, the most challenging and impressive scenes in the movie were the action sequences with Kikkawa Kouji (Udo Jine).

When asked what he felt when he was chosen to play Kenshin, Sato said that he felt lucky. He shares that he used to watched the original anime and copy the moves of Kenshin with his friends when he was younger. He practiced a lot for the action scenes and studied Kenshin’s facial expressions and gestures to portray both the assassin and the wanderer sides of the character. Sato also said that he was happy and honored that Watsuki liked his portrayal of Kenshin.

Sato was also asked if he thinks there will be a sequel to the movie that will cover the Kyoto Arc. He answered that he enjoyed doing the first movie so he hopes there will be another one and will be glad if fans ask for more. When questioned about the popularity of the manga overseas, the actor said that he hopes foreign fans would enjoy the film as well but he’s not aware of their reactions about the movie yet. He shares that he wants to work abroad someday.

Rurouni Kenshin live action will be shown in Japan on August 25 with advanced screenings on August 22, 23 and 24.*