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27-Foot Balloon Promotes Shinjuku Swan in Shinjuku
posted on by Eric Stimson
To promote the upcoming film Shinjuku Swan, based on the manga by Ken Wakui, a balloon of Tatsuhiko over eight meters tall (about 27 feet) has been erected in Shinjuku Station Square in Tokyo. The balloon was partially funded by the crowdfunding site Green Funding.
The balloon was unveiled and admired by Gō Ayano, who plays Tatsuhiko; Erika Sawajiri, who plays Ageha; screenwriter Osamu Suzuki; and TV personality Zawachin. Ayano and Sawajiri were overjoyed and approved of the balloon's position facing Kabuki Town, where the film is set. Suzuki took pictures of the balloon, posted them on Instagram, and commented excitedly at how much attention the balloon was gathering.
Left to right: Zawachin, Ayano, Sawajiri, and Suzuki
Zawachin appeared in makeup disguising her as Hideyoshi, who is played by Takayuki Yamada in the film. She is a big fan of Tatsuhiko and has impersonated him before, but she was still nervous about appearing before the actors impersonating Hideyoshi. "I couldn't sleep yesterday out of worry," she said. But Ayano praised her disguise, saying he felt as if "Takayuki had become more compact."
Reflecting on the filming of Shinjuku Swan, Ayano praised Sawajiri for the scene in which she runs barefoot and in her underwear down the street since she showed no hesitation. "She doesn't [just] go halfway with her actor's spirit, and I thought it was awesome in front of men." Suzuki explained that "Tokyo is the kind of place where even if you run into hard times, if you move to another neighborhood you can restart your life. I think those kinds of people especially gather in Shinjuku. I brought those people's sense of ambition to life in this work." Ayano further elaborated: "This isn't just a story about men being cool and trying to survive, it's about women going through their lives strongly and fleetingly. It wasn't just made with energy, we made it trying to reach everyone's hearts. So please go to the theater."
The Tatsuhiko balloon will stay up until May 24. Shinjuku Swan premieres on May 30 at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku.
[Via Comic Natalie]
