PROFILE
After working as a graphic designer for the apparel brand A BATHING APE®, he became independent in 2011. While doing design work for a living, he also runs his own information website, "HIVISION," and introduces good design items and the latest gadgets to various media outlets, including serials in magazines and webzines.
PROFILE
After working for an advertising agency , he decided to go independent and work in the film industry in 2013. He has worked as a film sommelier for magazines, radio, and TV, etc. In July 2019, he produced a cafe in Shirokane inspired by the films of Hollywood stars of the Year of the King.
PROFILE
Film Advisor, WOWOW Cinepic Series, article writer for Eiga Board , contributor to film websites and magazines, radio and web programs, and cameo appearances in films. . Contributes to film websites and magazines, and makes cameo appearances on radio, web programs, events, and movies.
High Rock:How old are you guys?
East:33 years old.
Miyazaki:Mr. Azuma and I are the same age. . So our first Star Wars experience was "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" (EP1).
East:Hi Rock, have you seen the original trilogy (the old trilogy of EP4-6) in theatrical release?
High Rock:Yes, that's right. Our generation was at a time when superheroes were popular. Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and so on. I was crazy about Japanese special effects and anime when I was a kid, but the more mature kids who had older brothers and sisters were gradually learning about the latest in American culture, such as Star Wars and science fiction movies, which is an exaggeration. I knew I had to go see Star Wars. When I first saw "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope," I was fascinated by the design of the droids and spaceships. Boys like cars and mechanical things, don't they? In the same way, I was fascinated by the many cool gadgets that I had never seen before. I was also fascinated by the opening crawl with the first character and thought, "This is so cool! I had never seen anything like that. I had never seen anything like that before.
East:I was impressed by that "I've never seen anything like this!" I was so moved by the romance between Anakin and Amidala. ......
Miyazaki:Is it suddenly love?
High Rock:That's a different angle (laughs).
East:. yes, that's right. Star Wars started with the music of John Williams. The music of Star Wars is so famous that "Imperial March (Darth Vader's theme)" is used in TV variety shows. Then I learned that there was a Star Wars movie, and when "The Phantom Menace (P1)" was released when I was in the first grade of junior high school, I decided to go and see it. But at that time, I hadn't seen the original trilogy, and it didn't really click with me at all. But I went to see "Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones" (EP2) just to be sure, because it was such a famous film and there had to be something in it, and that's where I fell off!
Miyazaki:Indeed, EP2 is one of the most romantic films in the Star Wars series. That is sometimes said negatively, but it was good for Azuma (laughs).
East:That's right! I was a young love addict at the time (laughs). . I was reading all kinds of love stories. There is absolutely no other kind of forbidden love, either in manga or in movies, that takes place in such a grand world! I thought to myself, "What the heck is this? I was so moved by their supremely romantic relationship that I went to .......
High Rock:. that's not the impression of an old lady who likes Korean dramas (laughs).
East:Maybe so! But I admire you for wanting to protect the woman you love while struggling with the invitation to the dark side. Girls are weak against that kind of thing. There are a lot of women who like Star Wars who are attracted to that. There are hidden fans! The impact of seeing that movie when I was an adolescent is immeasurable.
Miyazaki:Likewise, I started with "The Phantom Menace (P1)," and I was in the first grade of junior high school at the time. At that time, I was in the first grade of junior high school, and the world presented in the manga and anime that I was absorbed in at that time was one where justice and strength were everything. But in the Prequel Trilogy (the new trilogy of EP1-3), the power of the dark side, born of anger and hatred, was depicted, and it was really shocking to me. It was in Star Wars that I encountered a film that told me that not only the positive side of human beings exists, but that everyone has the potential to fall to the dark side. I was moved by that, and I was completely captivated by it.
High Rock:Just how you got into it, it's a great three-way street (laughs). . with mecha, love, and the dark side.
East:But that's what Star Wars is all about . There are many ways to take it, and it changes with the age of the audience and the age at which they saw it.
Finally, the story of the concluding film, Star Wars: Dawn of the Skywalkers.
High Rock:So, what did you guys think of the latest and final film, "Star Wars: Dawn of the Skywalker"?
East:It was very good!
High Rock:Oh, I'm with you, I guess. I liked the last scene and all.
East:It's good, isn't it? I can't get enough of the scene where Ben, as Kylo Ren, and his father, Han Solo, are talking to each other. It's a scene that is a direct echo of the scene in "The Empire Strikes Back" where Solo answers Leia by saying, "I love you! Hmmm , it's numbing.
High Rock:I know, I know , I know.
East:. It is a highly accomplished entertainment film. The story, the excitement like the "Indiana Jones" series or "Treasure Hunter" that begins at the beginning, and the dizzying aerial battles that unfold in the latter half of the film. You feel as if you are being showered with fun the whole time, and you can run through to the end of the film with fun and enjoyment.
High Rock:I went to see the movie about two days after it opened. Many of my friends are Star Wars fans, so I had heard some negative comments from those who had seen the movie before me, so I wondered how it would be. I wondered how it would be, but when I saw it, it was great. After all, it's a movie . . as long as you can be entertained while eating popcorn and drinking Coca-Cola, that's all that matters. . there's a part of me that thinks people are asking for something too much.
Miyazaki:. I am one of those people who are not fully satisfied with the film (laughs). (Laughs.) I think that the sequel trilogy (EP7-8) was a bit short on time, and there were parts that I felt were not drawn out well enough. It may be important to pay homage to the past works and provide fan service, but I really wanted to see more new developments in the trilogy. The appearance of Luke, Leia, and Han Solo may be one of the highlights of the film, but by devoting so much time to them, the new characters, such as Rey, Finn, and Poe, are not fully focused on and portrayed in an attractive manner.
East:I do think there is a problem with this as a series of films. If you watch "The Force Awakens," "The Last Jedi," and "Skywalker's Dawn," each as a single film, they all have their own charm and I like them all, but then when you skewer the three films and connect them together, I can't help but feel uncomfortable. I think that's the biggest problem, but Star Wars is magnificent in its own way, and the way to enjoy it is very segmented. It's not something that can be divided into right and wrong, and I think it's no longer the same as entertainment.
High Rock:Entertainment?
East:It depends on the feelings of the recipient. When business people receive business entertainment, if they take their seats with the intention of looking at the other party from an unfavorable point of view or looking for something wrong with the other party, they will not enjoy themselves from the very beginning. However, if you are being entertained, and you sit down to enjoy what you have been given to the fullest, you will have a lot of fun, won't you (laughs). (laughs) . I think it is important to decide whether or not to take advantage of what is offered to you.
Miyazaki:That is true, isn't it? If you want to get it, if you want to understand it, you can say that with the Sequel Trilogy, we have achieved a balance between the light side and the dark side of the Force that the previous two trilogies did not achieve. I think the relationship between Rey and Kylo Ren is a new form of Star Wars.
High Rock:Director J.J. Abrams is a master at convincing fans old and new, whether it's "Star Trek" or not. It's not the Force, but I think he was very conscious of bringing balance to the production.
Miyazaki:That's exactly what happened when George Lucas made the Prequel Trilogy, which was met with mixed reviews. But that was the first shock to me, and I hope that the new film will surpass the prequels, or more specifically, the original. To be honest, I wanted to see the sequel that Lucas shot!
High Rock:. but I'd like to see Star Wars by different directors when we get to this point. It would be like a classic rakugo story. What would happen if Pon Joon-ho shot it, or Tarantino shot it, or James Cameron shot it... .
East:. that would be nice. I'd like to see Sion Sono's buck-buck-buck Star Wars or something like that (laughs). I think it's a good thing that Star Wars allows for that kind of possibility.
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