The heat is up in Japan. Temperatures breaking 100F/38C across most of the country, with 70% humidity, have been recorded. To escape, it’s time for natives and gaijin alike to hit the beach (within reason, given that COVID-19 is still a concern) and for everyone else to hit the movie theaters! Many films, such as Fate Stay Night: Heaven’s Feel III, and Given, as well as several Western films, were met with a delayed-release in Japan until August or September because of the COVID-19 shutdown that took place between March and May, earlier this year. Be sure to grab the extra-large popcorn, because we might be seeing two or three films in one day!
The perfect film to celebrate the summertime is arriving right on schedule. L’étranger de la Plage (The Stranger by the Beach) is not even a month away. Originally a manga by Kanna Kii, L’étranger de la Plage is a romantic boy’s love (BL) story about Shun Hashimoto, who’s run away from home, all the way from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Ashamed after coming out to his parents on the day of his wedding — a pre-arranged marriage — he is depressed and unsure of his direction in life. After running away, Shun begins work on his debut novel.
This will be Blue Lynx’s third film release, set to follow right after Given, and is arriving next week in Japan. Along with a new trailer, the L’étranger de la Plage cast and crew released commentary on their experiences working on the film, translated below.
Kanna Kii (Original Manga Author / Character Design): “It’s thanks to all the fans and readers that the L’étranger de la Plage film was possible. It’s been great to be part of the staff. I was supposed to have something else planned for this comment but I’ve been so busy in all the staff meetings and drawing. A lot of artists have been surviving off sweets and junk food, but we’ve been working hard every day to make something to be proud of. The atmosphere in the studio has been very calm and the staff friendly. We’ve worked well together so please look forward to a brand new L’éstranger experience.”
Taishi Murata (Shun Hashimoto): “It’s exciting to see this film happen. Thank you, everyone, for your support. There is a calm and innocent feeling to L’éstranger de la Plage that we really captured in the film. I’m looking forward to it and I’m glad I got to play Shun Hashimoto again. I hope there will be more opportunities with his characters in the future. Before this, I honestly thought there wouldn’t be further L’éstranger media after the drama CDs, for various reasons. But I was really happy, and it was a pleasure to get to work with Matsuoka-san who played Mio. I wanted to convey the charm of L’éstranger to both long-time fans and newcomers as thoroughly as possible, especially in everyone’s favorite scenes. Be sure to read the manga before seeing the movie! Thank you very much.”
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka (Mio Tachibana): “I’m really happy that L’étranger de la Plage is a movie at last. I’ve kept in touch with Murata-san since the recording of the BL drama CD and the story is really beautiful. We were both excited. I couldn’t believe a movie was really happening! Still, I was wondering about how the final cut would turn out, how the background music would flow with the scenes, or how beautiful the ocean would look animated (laughs). Voice actors really do their best to not lose the charm and beauty of the picture. Yes, it’s a BL, but that doesn’t matter. I still always give it my all. So please, expect to have fun in this movie, and thank you for your support. Enjoy it.”
Yuu Shimamura (Sakurako): “It’s good to see the movie adaptation finally happening. I remember Murata-san and Matsuoka-san saying how much they wanted to see L’étranger de la Plage animated when we were recording the drama CD. It’s a wonderful film and I can’t wait for you all to see it.”
Mina Kubota (music): “I’m glad to be in charge of the music for L’étranger de la Plage. After receiving the job offer, I read the original manga and expanded on the bigger picture in various ways, but I think the vibe of the songs was solidified by the story and it all came together in the final cut. It’s a pure love story surrounded by the beautiful ocean waves. I wanted to make music that expressed the character’s inner turmoil even though they meet each other amidst a gentle island breeze.”
Zokkon, from Mono no Aware (theme song): “This was our first time making a theme song for a work of fiction, so we were every bit as anxious as we were excited. Still, as a manga lover, I was happy to get the offer. When I read the original manga, I felt myself reflecting on my own life, my own words, and ways of expression. It was complicated. However, those complicated feelings are common in our music, so I’m glad we have the opportunity.”
L’étranger de la Plage is arriving in theaters across Japan on September 11th.
In addition, the fourth volume of the follow-up series, L’étranger du Zéphyr will be released — alongside Kanna Kii-sensei’s first artbook — to commemorate and promote the film on August 25th.
