Asano vs. Zatoichi

Until recently, actor Asano Tadanobu has flourished in Japan's indie flick circles, starring in films like Takashi Miike's gore-fest, Ichi the Killer; Sogo Ishii's rock 'n' roll showdown, Electric Dragon 80,000V; and Ishii Katsuhito's gangster vision, Snake Skin Man and Peach Girl. He's also been part of the emerging Pan-Asian art film scene, appearing in visionary Hong Kong cinematographer Christopher Doyle's Away with Words as well as the up-and-coming Thai director Pen-Ek Ratanaruong's Last Life in the Universe.

Now he's made the jump to his first big-screen blockbuster, co-starring in Beat Takeshi's take on the popular Japanese film series about a blind swordsman, Zatoichi. Hanging out in a swank Hollywood hotel restaurant, Asano proved to be humble, personable, and engaging. We almost forgot that he is the coolest actor in Asia.

GR: Did you grow up watching the Zatoichi films?
AT: I wouldn't say I was a fan, but I did watch some of the original films. The last Zatoichi feature was released when I was in high school in the late '80s. I also saw a couple of episodes from the TV series and Zatoichi vs. Yojimbo, starring Shintaru Katsu and Toshiro Mifune.

GR: Was there extra pressure working on a new version of such a classic series? AT: Not at all. I knew that Takeshi Kitano was going to direct and star in a drastically different version of the original. I put 100 percent trust in what he was doing. GR: Did you research the period or the movies for your role? AT: Not really. GR: Does that mean you're getting pretty good at handling swords, or did you have to learn a new style for this film? AT: Actually I had to train two or three months prior to the shooting. We did dry rehearsal sessions with Kitano, and I practiced at home. GR: When you do a period piece like Zatoichi, are you more worried about capturing an era or making a connection to modern ideas? AT: Historical details weren't as important as other elements that Kitano wanted to achieve to rejuvenate the genre. Even the language we actors speak in the film is not ancient Japanese but the modern version. GR: You acted with Kitano in Gohatto. Was it different working with him as a director? AT: Filming Gohatto, I could feel the charisma that Beat Takeshi exudes as an actor although I barely had a chance to speak with him. But to work with him as a director and co-star in Zatoichi was a totally different experience. We had a direct dialogue. And when Kitano's on a set that he's directing, his degree of concentration is far more intense than on the sets of another director's movie. It was a very fruitful experience for me to observe Takeshi Kitano on the set. GR: You're often called "Japan's coolest actor." Have you always been cool, even when you were a little kid? AT: My closest friends see me in magazines and movies and say, "Why do you always look so cool onscreen? You're a dork." For the rest and much more than this short excerpt, read Giant Robot 34.