Anime @ Work : Anime scriptwriter Yamanobe Kazuki's Anime and Historical Drama Update - No.8

Shuhei Fujisawa was a period novelist and many of his works have been adapted into movies in recent years. In 1972, he won Japan's most prestigious literary award, the Naoki Prize (69th) for his story, "Ansatsu No Nenrin (Annals of Assassination)" and in 1978, his popularity became unassailable with the release of "Yojimbo Jitsugetsu Sho." Thereafter, he went on to establish himself as one of Japan's most prominent writers of historical fiction, joining the ranks of Ryotaro Shiba and Shotaro Ikenami. In 1997, he passed away at the age of 69.

In the current decade of the 2000s so far, his works have been adapted into film on a continual basis. In 2002, "Tasogare Seibei (The Twilight Samurai)," directed by Yoji Yamada and starring Hiroyuki Sanada, was released, and in 2004, "Kakushi Ken Oni no Tsume (The Hidden Blade)," also directed by Yoji Yamada and starring Masatoshi Nagase, was released. In 2005, "Semi Shigure" was adapted and was directed by Mitsuo Kurotsuchi and starred Somegoro Ichikawa, while in 2006, �gMoumokuken Kodamagaeshi" was adapted into a film titled "Bushi No Ichibun," which was directed by Yoji Yamada again, and starred Takuya Kimura.

"Tasogare Seibei" won the 26th Japan Academy Award and "Bushi No Ichibun" did extremely well, garnering box office proceeds of 4 billion yen. This fast-paced film adaptation, which saw one of Japan's most prominent directors join forces with some of the country's most prominent cinematic stars, is exemplary of Shuhei Fujisawa's brilliance.

So what is it about Shuhei Fujisawa's works that appeal to the Japanese so much? In my opinion, it's none other than the fact that he is first and foremost a storyteller of the lives of ordinary people. In his works, there are no large-scale battles or larger than life characters, such as opulent shoguns. Instead, the people depicted in his works are strictly limited to farmers and samurais who work for local fiefdoms known as Han in the rural areas of Japan. The stories are told through the eyes of ordinary people and revolve around day-to-day struggles of life in the Han.

The Japanese market for films has been primarily driven by women in their 20s through 30s in recent years, but Fujisawa's stories have struck a chord with audiences across generations, including elderly fathers, who dedicate their lives for the well-being of their family. With such an appeal, I'm sure his works will continue to be adapted into films. While they may not have the razzle-dazzle lure of Hollywood movies, I still believe that if you take the time to watch them, you will find new reasons to like Japanese cinema all the more.


Profile of Yamanobe Kazuki
Scriptwriter
Member of the Writer's Guild of Japan
Representative Director of the scenario production company, Edgeworks

Official site of Edgeworks
http://www.edge-works.co.jp/