Transcript/Interview: Kiyoshi Tane
Photograph: Yoshihiro Shinomiya
Profile:
Hirohiko Araki made his debut in Weekly Shonen Jump with Poker Under Arms, which was a runner-up for Shueisha's Tezuka Awards. He has serialized JoJo's Bizarre Adventure since the end of 1986. Part 7, Steel Ball Run, is currently in serialization in Ultra Jump.
"[Posing is] the border between fantasy and reality."
What were your thoughts when the decision was made to animate Part 1: Phantom Blood?
Araki: When the second half of Part 3 was turned into an OVA (1993-1994), the producer said, "Since we haven't depicted Dio (as he is in Part 1), writing the script has been difficult. As soon as we were done, we wondered whether we could do Part 1 as well." Thanks to the support of the fans from Part 1's serialization, it became a reality. I'm glad to have drawn it.
Did you have any specific requests for certain scenes?
Araki: Nothing that I wouldn't see done any other way. That's probably what I'd say, even if they asked me. It feels as though I'm giving away my own daughter as a bride. I've entrusted them with that responsibility, so I have nothing to say, except that I wish them the best of luck in their work.
What were your thoughts upon seeing the animated version of Part 1?
Araki: Animation is the work of its creator, so I see it as an expression of their individuality.
Part 1 really seems to emphasize muscles in its designs, doesn't it?
Araki: I'd agree. I suppose I'm focusing more on shading and mood at the moment. That's also a sign of the times, I think. Back then, Schwarzenegger and Stallone were big movie stars, so the main character simply had to resemble them. From then on, they got slimmer and slimmer. When I was working on Giorno (from Part 5) in particular, everyone said to me, "They've gotten quite small, huh?"
Are you conscious of the way you change your character designs?
Araki: I'm the type of person who doesn't want to stay in one place or fixate on any particular vision, so I'm quick to discard old designs. For example, when people ask me to draw Jonathan from Part 1, I have a really hard time doing so. I feel like I'm copying my own work, and it winds up looking ever-so-slightly off.
Your unique style prominently features what has been dubbed "JoJo posing." I heard they were inspired by seeing Michelangelo's sculptures during a trip to Italy?
Araki: That's right. Sculptures and paintings from the other side of the world twist as they stand, don't they? That felt fresh to me, so I tried to emphasize it. In any case, the goal is to make them stand in impossible poses. Those are the border between fantasy and reality, so it's strange that people actually try to do it (laughs).
So you're saying you draw them to be impossible (laughs). Was that trip also the reason that the main setting of Parts 2 and 5 is Italy?
Araki: Yes. At times, my editor just happened to say, "Let's go to Italy," or, "Let's go to Egypt." And when we went there, we ended up thinking, "Okay, let's have Dio live here." My editor back then had a massive influence on me.
It seems as though you're particularly attached to Italy.
Araki: I thought even the table settings alone were interesting. I saw so many things I hadn't seen before, from the flowers on the table, to the bottles of olive oil, to the black spaghetti. It was nothing short of a culture shock. That was the first experience that really imprinted upon me.
An animation that will hold up to JoJo fans' aesthetic sensibilities...
I had the impression that the direction of Part 1 changed drastically when Dio became a vampire, but did you have the "Ripple warrior" idea from the beginning?
Araki: I did, in fact. When I was a child, there were a great many mysteries. The Loch Ness monster, UFOs, and so on. In that context, supernatural abilities had quite a Romantic spirit to them. Mitsuteru Yokoyama's manga Babel II was about psychic powers, but he depicted them as invisible forces like electricity. That made me think, "What does it mean to depict a psychic power?" I started from the image of transmitting it like a wave. From there, the rules began to emerge, and I was able to understand its scope.
So what you're saying is, this is how psychic power can be expressed by scientific explanation.
Araki: Indeed. I wanted something a little more theoretical. I don't really like the idea of winning by guts alone (laughs).
Was the idea of the Joestar family lineage being passed down also there at the beginning?
Araki: Yes. There's a movie and novel titled East of Eden where the offspring atone for the sins of the mother across several generations. I wanted to show that the people of each generation are different, but are all connected by their karma and bloodline. So I worried about what I'd do if they made me quit early because it wasn't popular (laughs).
So the plan was to have Dio live on for about 200 years (sic)?
Araki: Yes. He would sink once, but then come back to life. I believe I was also thinking of having Dio take over another person's (Jonathan's) body. In Part 3, I planned to use Ripple again, but I wanted to depict the psychic powers more visually, so they became Stands.
That type of epic drama wasn't particularly common in manga, was it?
Araki: In the '70s and '80s, I was mocked for drawing similar manga to others. That's why I had to go after a different field entirely (laughs). But the prevailing theory at the time was, "Don't use a foreigner as the main character," and, "Don't set the story in a foreign country."
So you were going against the grain (laughs). When you submitted the idea to the editorial department, did they try to stop you?
Araki: They did for Cool Shock B.T. (lit. "Devil Boy B.T."), a predecessor. Mainly, they disliked the "Devil Boy" in the title. There was also a devious atmosphere to it, and they were absolutely opposed to that, and they would have forced me to drop it. But my editor at the time was on my side.
Is Dio's character also taken from Cool Shock B.T.?
Araki: Well, it's more of an extension of it.
If they were created nowadays, they'd both fit with the times.
Araki: That's very possible. Back then, books about real-life serial killers were hidden away in the backs of bookstores. That was the kind of thing I was fascinated by. What kind of pleasure comes from killing people? That kind of mystery is quite Romantic, isn't it?
Did Jack the Ripper also feel Romantic to you, Mr. Araki?
Araki: Yes, quite Romantic. Generally speaking, in both manga and music, there are a lot of things that make you wonder, "Why is this happening now?" It's especially common in progressive rock. If you listen to something like Tubular Bells without any knowledge of it beforehand, it's a shocking experience.
I remember hearing that you have around 3,000 CDs in your office right now?
Araki: I really do have that many. I listen to everything, in any genre.
Many of your characters and Stands are named after music, right?
Araki: Some of them are, yes. But I try to make sure that the meaning of the name overlaps with the Stand's image.
Are onomatopoeia like "Zukyuuun!" and "Go go go..." also taken from music?
Araki: Yes. The tempo of drawing a manga is rather like a beat, like a thump, thump, thump, and then a bang, or something along those lines. Doing things this way in a weekly magazine was difficult because the panels had to be divided so that the pages would split a certain way. There were times when I just couldn't make the rhythm match, and it all came down to the last page.
The same goes for the panel layout, and the dialogue also has a beat to it.
Araki: Absolutely. I think they place emphasis on the sense of rhythm. I hope the animation is like that, too. Even during breaks, the voice actors seem to be practicing their "Aaaah!" and "Haaaa..." and such. They seem to really be into it. Dio's voice actor, Mr. (Hikaru) Midorikawa, even looks a little bit like Dio (laughs).
Speaking of Dio, where did his "URYYYYY!" come from?
Araki: I've completely forgotten. I think it was something like rolling one's "Rs." As though he was already sucking blood, going "uryryryry..."
A demonstration from the author himself (laughs)! In Part 1, there was a lot of emphasis on not only those superbeings, but also on the backgrounds of JoJo and Dio.
Araki: Yes. I believe that in any story, the writer must know the protagonist's father. What kind of personality and upbringing did they have? I think about what kind of character they possess and how they were raised before I draw them.
It seems like Dio's father has an even worse personality than his (laughs).
Araki: It really does. It makes you wonder whether anyone that awful really exists. I love TV dramas that air around 1:30 in the afternoon, and I also collect DVDs of them. I like they way they perfectly depict the muddier side of human instinct.
So, to close us out, can you tell us what you would like the audience to look forward to in this film?
Araki: There are, of course, the screams, the dialogue phrasing, and the poses. That said, there will be people over the age of 30 watching the film, so I would be greatly pleased if the film held up to their aesthetic sensibilities.
Thank you for your time today.
Transcript: Yuki Masahiro
Photograph: Yoshihiro Shinomiya
What was your first impression of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and its distinctive designs?
Mizuki: I thought it was very stylish, and kind of wild.
They're all wild, aren't they?
Mizuki: A genuine wild man festival (laughs). The way they pose is very unique.
"JoJo posing," you mean?
Mizuki: Yes, exactly. Many of the people in my circle are JoJo fans, so I did a lot of research before the dubbing process started, and I thought it was cool.
What were your thoughts when you learned about the story of the movie?
Mizuki: It was much deeper than I'd imagined (laughs). But since I was working on the film without any preconceptions, I was able to naturally step into the role.
Mizuki, you play the role of Erina in this film, but the characters in JoJo are overwhelmingly male.
Mizuki: That's right. I was the only woman.
What was your first impression of the role of Erina, surrounded by all those men?
Mizuki: I thought she was really brave and lovely, and a wonderful woman. She has quite the old-fashioned image of what a Japanese woman should be: propping up her man and walking three steps behind him, like in the old days. She is truly devoted to her man. In a sense, to devote everything to the man she loves is rather manly and noble!
It's a contradiction.
Mizuki: A contradiction, yes (laughs). I think she is a very beautiful and cool woman.
By the way, are you more of a JoJo fan or a Dio fan?
Mizuki: I like mysterious men, but I feel like Dio goes a bit too far... (laughs).
He's too mysterious...
Mizuki: He's too much, certainly more than I can take, and I probably wouldn't be able to keep up with him (laughs). I guess I'm in the JoJo camp, then (laughs). But if I met a man like that, I'd probably just get all nervous and tense. I think he's a very secure man, kind of like a father.
He's the type of man who is very receptive.
Mizuki: That's right. He seems warm and wonderful.
How do you see Erina's role in the film?
Mizuki: She believes in JoJo and lives by her own word, so it's something like, "I will protect your house, so go follow your own path."
I see. A good wife...
Mizuki: Exactly. She can't do anything, but she can watch over him from the sidelines. No matter how things turn out, she'll see him through to the end, because he's the one she believes in... She really is a good wife.
Erina's key point in the story is when Dio steals a kiss from her with a "Zukyuuun!" (laughs).
Mizuki: That's so cruel of him. Seriously (laughs). I don't think Dio had any feelings for Erina, but instead it was more like, "You took my JoJo away from me. Only I'm allowed to be his friend." That said, from a girl's point of view, you can't help but be drawn to a situation where you're pushed around by two men... I think I'd like to experience that, at least once in my life (laughs).
I see... (laughs) So you want to be pushed around like that?
Mizuki: "Oh, whatever will I do?" The heart pounds... It doesn't happen very often, though (laughs)... I do kind of yearn for it (laughs).
Do any of Erina's lines or scenes particularly stand out in your mind?
Mizuki: Her reunion with JoJo after years of separation. When she reunites with JoJo again after he gets hurt, she probably really wants to jump into his arms, but she holds back and responds with, "It's been a long time." What a lovely woman she is, keeping her emotions in check like that... It makes you realize just how much she's grown up.
By the way, were you given any instructions for your performance, such as a particular way to perform a line?
Mizuki: I was told to express her straightforward emotions of having pure and innocent fun with her beloved JoJo during her youth. After she becomes an adult, I was instructed to keep my overall performance calm and not to waver too much, even while crying.
Finally, please give a message for the JoJo fans.
Mizuki: The whole film is full of highlights, and the succession of really tense scenes won't let you relax, even for a moment! It's a work with a lot of substance. The fights between the wild men are so intense and cool, so I hope everyone will be able to see it.
And then there's Erina, who remains chaste in the middle of all that.
Mizuki: Right. I'd be very happy if you could watch over the hard-working Erina as well!
Thank you very much.
Transcript: Editorial Department
Photograph: Yoshihiro Shinomiya
Profile:
Speedwagon was formed in 1998. They are a comedy duo consisting of Jun Itoda and Kazutaka Ozawa, under the ownership of HoriPro Com. This time around, they have tried their hand at voice acting in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the source of the duo's name.
How did you feel after your first attempt at voice acting?
Itoda: It was quite difficult.
What did you find difficult about it?
Itoda: It was almost all strange sounds. "Kyaaah," and "waaah," and "keeheehee," and such. I tried doing one as an ad-lib, but then they started telling me, "Okay, now do the next ad-lib like this." From the second one onward, it was difficult to say whether they were really ad-libs or not. I'm looking forward to the finished product.
Ozawa: I played the role of Dario Brando, Dio's father. Dario Brando is a horrible person. It was really hard for me to play a role so unlike myself. I wish I had a little more of that in me, but I don't at all, so it was tough.
That said, your voice does sound rather villanous (laughs).
Ozawa: Hmm... Maybe I do sound a bit like a villain (laughs).
Incidentally, when did you first begin reading JoJo's Bizarre Adventure?
Ozawa: I was in junior high... The series is 20 years old, and I was 13 then, so I guess I picked it up midway through? I already treasured Weekly Shonen Jump at the time, but to be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. I liked it, sure, but it wasn't my favorite or anything. JoJo inspires a certain kind of enthusiasm, you see. The kind of people who love JoJo are the same kind who obsess over the Pacific League.
A certain kind of enthusiasm?
Ozawa: That's the kind of work it is. It's still entertaining, though.
Have you ever read JoJo, Mr. Itoda?
Itoda: I didn't read JoJo during its Jump serialization. You could call it the one that got away. I did read it about two years ago. I read it through Part 3, but by then it had tired me out.
And it's still ongoing.
Itoda: It's that long. I think I might pick up from Part 4 onward when I get the chance.
I might be asking too many questions here, but which of you came up with the "Speedwagon" name?
Ozawa: Oh, that was me.
Why that name?
Ozawa: Whenever we performed live, we usually did it as Itoda Ozawa or Ozawa Itoda, or something similar. For one performance, we were told that we had to give ourselves a real name. I found a copy of JoJo in my bag, and after skimming it a bit, the name "Speedwagon" stuck with me.
So it was really just decided on a whim?
Ozawa: Right. I mean, I liked it. If I hadn't taken a liking to it, I definitely wouldn't have used it.
And after all that, did you even like the character?
Ozawa: Hmm. Well, I do like the character, too.
Did the production team ask you for anything in particular? To perform with more excitement, for instance?
Itoda: We weren't asked for more excitement. I was asked to act "more Chinese," though.
More like a Chinese person (laughs)?
Itoda: Yes. My voice sounded "too Western" to them, somehow. They wanted "more Chinese." They wanted something that sounded more like, "Such-and-such, yes?"
Ozawa: Dario Brando has a line that goes something like, "One man's misfortune is another man's gain." I think the director did that one for me. And he was good at it, too. His voice gave off the exact image of Dario Brando's. He was so good at it that I thought, "He ought to do it."
Did you have anyone else perform the 'strange sounds' for you?
Itoda: The same old man did some of those for me too, "kee" and "keh" and such. I advised him on how I wanted it to be done. He was good at that, too. I also thought that he should've done it himself.
By the way, what were your thoughts when you were asked to take on JoJo?
Ozawa: I thought, "Finally." But, to be honest, I was a bit hesitant at first. I didn't want to meet Mr. Araki. Not that I was disappointed after I met him: as a matter of fact, meeting him only made him more likable. I just don't like meeting my heroes. I wanted it to be one-sided, as if he were an imaginary creature.
Did you meet him at the press conference announcing the production?
Ozawa: Yes, yes.
Did you talk to him?
Ozawa: Mr. Araki told me then, "Mr. Ozawa, you're just not my type of person." You know how enthusiasts tend to say things like, "This is how this part goes. But I think it should be like this"? What he said was, "Mr. Ozawa's too much of an enthusiast for me..." (laughs).
Can you tell the people going to see the film what the highlights are, and what the scenes you feature in are like?
Itoda: Certainly. The highlight of the movie, for me, are all the strange sounds we made. Some are delivered with emotion, and others are said without any emotion at all. I would like you all to try to pick up on that, if you could.
Ozawa: I can't possibly discuss all of them. Highlights aren't something you find by having someone tell you about them. I want everyone to see it with their own eyes and find them themselves. With that said, Speedwagon withdraws coolly.
Itoda: We withdraw coolly.
Ozawa: Coolly.
I see. Thank you both for your time today.
Transcript: Kiyoshi Tane
Photograph: Yoshihiro Shinomiya
Profile:
Katsuyuki Konishi made his debut in The King of Braves GaoGaiGar as Volfogg and Big Volfogg. He usually plays mild-mannered and warm-hearted characters, making the role of JoJo a good fit for him.
Hikaru Midorikawa debuted in Kiteretsu Daihyakka. He typically plays cool yet ruthless villains. The role of Dio fits him perfectly.
Have either of you read JoJo's Bizarre Adventure?
Konishi: I've been reading it since the beginning of Part 1. I'm still reading Steel Ball Run now, and being deeply moved by it.
Midorikawa: Same here. But I forget a lot of things, so I read it over and over again.
How did you feel about being able to play characters from the manga?
Konishi: I never thought that I would become the main character of a manga I read 20 years ago. I did my best not to betray my own expectations, and to live up to everyone's image of me.
Midorikawa: It is a superb work that almost everyone knows about, so I was under a lot of pressure, to be such a great villain and the pinnacle of the natural world and all. It was tough, but it was also an incredible experience.
In this film, both of your characters grow from boys to young men together, right?
Konishi: That's right. JoJo starts out as a little boy. Dio comes and does all kinds of things to him, but JoJo still tries to believe in him. I took on the role with the thought that JoJo must have grown stronger from it, both mentally and as a human being.
Mr. Midorikawa, not only did you play the young Dio in the game, but you also performed your role's younger self in the film.
Midorikawa: Yes. I was very happy to get the chance to do that this time around. It was like, "Okay, let's do it. Tell me about my youth" (laughs). This is very rarely the case, but frames from the video were shown to us during the dubbing process, so it was simple and fun to act out the scenes alongside the subtly-changing facial expressions.
In youth, you two play the bully and his victim. Did your exchanges ever get intense?
Konishi: Obviously, being bullied's not something to get fired up about (laughs), but as Erina says, "You really are a gentleman." Even after his room is ransacked and his dog is beat up, JoJo's big-hearted nature was fun to work with.
And on the other hand, how did you feel about Mr. Midorikawa's Dio, who backs him into a corner?
Midorikawa: It's fun to play the villain, but I have two dogs, so some lines and scenes were rather heartbreaking. I had to kick them, burn them, and so on. At home, when I sit under the kotatsu, my dogs climb on top of me. It's really hard for me to say such things when I'm relaxed like that. "But if I can't overcome it, I'll never be Dio," I thought.
I didn't mean to get personal (laughs). And, Mr. Konishi, how did you change your performance when JoJo grew into a young man?
Konishi: I thought about the life this JoJo must have lived and thought up my own version of it. I expanded on the roles I had played up to now while continuing to live as JoJo, or something like that.
I think Dio stands at the apex of villainy, but did you feel any sense of exaltation from the role, Mr. Midorikawa?
Midorikawa: It felt incredible. Dio goes through various stages, from his youth to when he wears the stone mask, and then things get a little strange (laughs). Some of the line delivery is taken from foreign film dubs that I have taken part in since last year. I'm glad I had that experience before I started work on JoJo.
And then the two of you have your showdown. Was it physically challenging for you to scream in the heat of battle?
Konishi: It took a lot of strength, but I really enjoyed doing it, especially when most of them were lines from a manga that I read with such excitement. I also feel like I've been able to finally say, "My heart is resonating! With the heat of a burning fire! Sunlight Yellow Overdrive!" in a real and authentic way.
Did you attempt to convey the feeling of Ripple breathing?
Konishi: Yes. I read somewhere in Part 2 that the Ripple breathing technique involves inhaling for 10 seconds and then exhaling for 10 seconds. I practiced that even when I was a child. Both at home and in rehearsals, breathing 10 seconds at a time was always in the back of my mind.
You've faithfully followed Lisa Lisa's teachings (laughs). Meanwhile, as for Dio, I think what everyone pays the most attention to is his "uryyyyy."
Midorikawa: Back when I was working on the game, I would ask what kind of feeling they wanted from the "uryyyyy" or "muda muda muda," and did various takes according to their requests. New orders came in this time as well, and I tried my best, even though it was really difficult (laughs). It was quite rewarding, actually.
When you two worked opposite each other, did you feel any sense of rising tension?
Konishi: It certainly rose more than if I'd done it alone. Even the temperature seemed to rise, and it felt as though I had to turn on the air conditioner.
Did you ever see Mr. Midorikawa's face mimic Dio's, or anything like that?
Midorikawa: What I felt was a growing sense of exhaustion.
Konishi: That makes sense. It was as if the very life was being sucked out of him. It was a strange thing--when we were away from the mic, I thought, "Oh, it's you, Mr. Midorikawa," but when we were performing together, we became JoJo and Dio as we gazed into the world in the monitor. And I found myself calmly recognizing that very thing.
Midorikawa: If I worried too much about unnecessary things, I wouldn't be able to match the image, so I concentrated on the screen. Maybe we just couldn't afford to look away?
Have you already finished recording your lines?
Konishi: We have, in fact. Now we're both resting at the bottom of the ocean (laughs).
At that stage, they both toe the boundary of life and death, don't they? JoJo releases his final Ripple, and Dio is just a head. At the grand finale of Phantom Blood, did anything in particular come to mind for the two of you?
Konishi: Yes. Part 1 contains many episodes, and the real challenge was to condense them into a limited amount of time. So, to be honest, it seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. I feel as though I've gone through a lot and accomplished so much.
And what about Dio, who stubbornly went where no man has gone before by existing as only a head?
Midorikawa: We were already being reckless, of course. He cut off his own head, stretched his veins to hang on the ceiling, and fired something out of his eyes. It was spectacular. I'm sure this will become a fine fertilizer for my acting career.
Mr. Midorikawa, doesn't the villain in another work you feature in travel to a different dimension of the universe?
Midorikawa: Really, now. Actually, that is rather neat.
Finally, this is a question for the both of you. If the JoJo series were to continue being animated in the future, what roles would you like to do next?
Konishi: In any case, (as Jonathan,) I'm dead (laughs). If I get the chance to do something else, based on what I did this time... Maybe not as a future JoJo, but I would love to play another role, I think.
I'm sure Dio would appear in everything except Part 2. What do you think?
Midorikawa: Of course, if I get the chance, by all means. Also, (as Dio,) my personality would be much too strong, so I think it'd be interesting to appear as a more casual character. Not a character that asserts himself to the max, but one whose interactions with others make people go, "Wait, Mr. Midorikawa was there too?" No matter what character I play, I'll make sure to do my best.
Transcript: Editorial Department
Photograph: Yoshihiro Shinomiya
Profile:
Junichi Hayama made his film debut in 1984 with Gu Gu Ganmo. He has previously worked as a character designer and animation director for the OVA adaptation of Part 3, specifically the "Iggy the Fool and N'Doul the GEB" episodes. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Phantom Blood is his debut as a director.
Did you reread the source material before directing JoJo?
Hayama: No, I didn't reread it. What I mean by that is, I loved it when I read it the first time, so I already had it completely memorized.
You were the animation director for the video adaptation of Part 3. Have you faced any new difficulties as an overall director?
Hayama: Difficulties? Yes, yes. I don't have any experience in directing. To be frank, this was the first time I've ever had to do something like this. In terms of "difficulties," everything about this is new to me, so it all feels like difficulties.
And to have it be a film, too.
Hayama: Actually, I was supposed to be the animation director and character designer this time, too. I wasn't supposed to have this job, but a lot of things happened (laughs).
Did you feel any pressure as a director?
Hayama: Of course. This work has so many core fans, and I had the faint feeling that I wouldn't be able to convince them after all. I understand how those fans feel. The entire time I was working on it, I wondered, "How will I make this work?"
What were the tricky parts of making an animated adaptation?
Hayama: I feel as though, ever since Part 3, the people who love JoJo's source material have been attracted to the unique designs, the posing, and the onomatopoeia. That said, it's difficult to incorporate all of those elements into a single film. There are some things that can't be achieved when maintaining a balance across the overall work. For example, something like an opening or ending might be able to incorporate the poses and flavor of the original work. I've always considered that fans of the source material might not be able to understand that.
What are some of the things you were most careful about, as a director?
Hayama: Take, for instance, the scene in Part 1 when Zeppeli first appears, where he splits a rock without crushing the frog on top of it. I think fans of the source material are really looking forward to that one. We almost cut that scene, but we stopped ourselves in time. If you keep the volume down and show only the important parts without destroying the mood of the original story, it'll all work out even if you don't punch the frog. But I felt that I had to include that image. In addition, there are some episodes from the original work that I had to cut with tears in my eyes.
By the way, when you were working on the film, did Mr. Araki have any requests for how things should be done?
Hayama: Nothing particularly major. I remember meeting him back when I worked as an animation director. I was happy that he remembered me and said something to the effect of, "What? He's the director this time?" When I told him that I was struggling because it was my first time, he encouraged me by saying, "Even so, you should try to have fun with it." Also, when we were first deciding on the composition of the film, I remember Mr. Araki saying, "I want you to do the childhood part right."
When JoJo first meets Dio.
Hayama: Right. JoJo, who probably lived a happy life prior, goes through hard times after Dio arrives... He wanted me to properly depict that.
As the director, how do you interpret the relationship between JoJo and Dio, and Dio's inner thoughts?
Hayama: To put it simply, Dio is a villain... or at least, someone you can safely call a villain. He's the type of person who rises to the top, even if he has to push others out of the way. He did come from a poor family, didn't he? So I figured he was a man with an overwhelming desire to rise to the top.
In the end, Dio essentially becomes the strongest creature on earth, right? What a difference there is from how he started out.
Hayama: Dio ends up wearing the stone mask, right? At that point, Dio knows what will happen if he wears the stone mask, so I think he ended up wearing the mask because he wanted to be socially successful at first. But when his attempts to poison Lord Joestar, his poisoning of his own father, and various other evils of his come to light, he thinks, "Enough is enough." In other words, I think he considered himself a loser. On top of that, he's also a man who prefers to be number one, so he puts on the stone mask thinking, "What's the use of being number one in such a socially-awkward position?" From that moment onward, I think his purpose changed dramatically.
I suppose you could say he got over it. His obsession with living after that is quite amazing, isn't it?
Hayama: It really is. Can you really call it an obsession with life, though? Even though he's become a vampire, I don't quite know whether he's alive or dead.
Finally, being the director, what do you consider the highlights of this film?
Hayama: And there it is (laughs).
It's really more of a promise. Something that, as a director, you would like people to watch closely.
Hayama: Quite honestly, I can't really tell you what the highlights are, for the filmmaker or the viewer. I think the most important thing is the overall balance of the finished product. I want people to see everything, and if you were to ask me what the highlights are, I'd say, "Everything." People often say to me, "I have no words." I can imagine why.
