The fourth installment of the live-action film series "Kingdom: The Return of the Great General" (currently in theaters), adapted from Yasuhisa Hara’s manga and starring Kento Yamazaki, has been a massive hit. Director Shinsuke Sato, who was initially told that it was "impossible to recreate" the manga "Kingdom" on the budget of a Japanese film, has skillfully brought the project to life.

In addition to the "Kingdom" series, Director Sato has successfully adapted numerous popular manga into spectacular films that transcend the boundaries of Japanese cinema and television, including the "GANTZ" series (2011, two films), the "Library Wars" series (2013, 2015), "I Am a Hero" (2016), "Death Note: Light Up the New World" (2016), "Inuyashiki" (2018), "BLEACH" (2018), and the Netflix series "Alice in Borderland" (2020, 2022).

Shinzo Matsuhashi, the producer who worked with Sato on all four "Kingdom" films, praised the director, saying, "I genuinely believe Director Sato is a genius. Without him, we wouldn't have been able to create such powerful films on this budget." What makes Sato a "genius," and what are the secrets behind his success in adapting manga into live-action films?

Inspiration for His Works Comes from Western Films!?

–– Did you always want to become a film director since you were a child?

Sato:
My father was a huge fan of Westerns. He spent his high school and college years in the United States, where he was immersed in Westerns from the 1950s and 60s. After returning to Japan and after I was born, all the movies my father showed me as a child were Westerns [laughs]. So, I was constantly watching Westerns, which sparked my love for movies.

The 1980s, when I started choosing movies on my own, was the era of Hollywood blockbusters like George Lucas's "Star Wars" and Steven Spielberg's "Indiana Jones" and "E.T.," which deepened my love for films even more. Yet, for some reason, I never thought of making movies myself.

When I was in junior high, I seriously considered becoming either a painter or a writer, or maybe both. In my first year of high school, when we were encouraged to think about our future careers, I was torn between pursuing art or literature. Then it suddenly hit me – what if I combined both, which I had loved since childhood, and pursued filmmaking? I still clearly remember that "Eureka!" moment [laughs]. From that day forward, whenever people asked me what I wanted to be, I confidently said, "I’m going to be a film director!" Even though everyone around me was puzzled, it made perfect sense to me.

–– You chose to attend Musashino Art University to become a film director, right?

Sato:
At that time, I thought I had to go to an art university. Later, someone pointed out that it might be because I saw films visually. Looking back, I realized that I had been making imaginary movies as a child. I grew up in a rural town without a nearby cinema, where I rarely had the chance to see new films, and there were no videos available at that time. It wasn't like today, where anyone can easily watch or film videos with a smartphone. I used to walk home from school, creating movies in my head that only I could understand, continuing them the next day. The films I envisioned in my head were imaginary ones. I was determined to become a film director, so during my university entrance exams, after taking a gap year, I rigorously trained in drawing, painting, and design fundamentals.

Once I entered university, I made friends, some of whom had already been making 8mm films since high school. The university had all the necessary filming equipment, and I was exposed to a wide range of cinematic tastes, from Mikio Naruse to Éric Rohmer and Howard Hawks. I helped out on other students' projects, and finally started making my own independent films.

My second film, "Strictly in the Dormitory," which I made during university, won the Grand Prix at the 17th Pia Film Festival (PFF) in 1994, which was a major turning point for me. By the time I received the award, I was already working on my third film and had just begun to grasp my own style. "Strictly in the Dormitory" is a story about a day in the life of some students preparing for college entrance exams, and it was the first film I felt truly represented me. Winning an award for that film was a significant achievement.

–– "Kingdom 2: Far and Away" (2022) depicts Xin's first battle, the Battle of Dakan Plains, marking the first step toward becoming a Great General. The battle ends the day after they set out, having spent just one night at the camp. It all happens within a single day.

Sato:
That’s right. In the "Kingdom" series, we often depict very short periods of time in a very intense way. Even in my independent films, I liked to tell stories that happened within a single day. I enjoyed telling stories that were confined to a specific place and time. In that sense, I secretly thought "Kingdom" was a film well-suited to my style [laughs].

Source : ORICON NEWS