The conversation then moved on to the film's guest characters. Renjii, the convenience store robber who appears at the start, is played by actor Renji Ishibashi, who left a powerful impression despite his brief screen time. According to Director Watanabe, screenwriter Keiko Nobumoto said, "If you just tell me 'Robber A,' nothing comes to me and I can't write it," so they decided to set a specific model for the character. Once they based him on Renji Ishibashi, the image took shape and she could write smoothly. On casting, Watanabe shared a rare behind-the-scenes story: "We thought we'd ask him in person, knowing he might say no. He was also told that the part was written with him in mind, and he said, 'If you need me, I'll go anywhere,' and appeared in the film." He added that the distinctive way "curry" is pronounced was Ishibashi's own insistence.
Yamadera also told a story about experiencing Cowboy Bebop's popularity in Hawaii. In a taxi he had called to leave a scenic viewpoint, he told the driver he was from Japan, and the driver played a playlist of Japanese jazz, which included "Tank!", the TV series' opening theme. "Then I told him, 'I play the lead in this anime,' and he said, 'Spike is my favorite character!' The taxi showing up about an hour late was wiped out, or rather, it became a plus (laughs)," he said, recalling how moved he was at the time.
Recalling the film's voice recording sessions, Director Watanabe remembered that the cast seemed extremely happy during the scene in which Faye, who was present at the tanker truck explosion, returns to the Bebop and all four crew members are together. "It's an ordinary scene, but I felt they were truly happy to be acting together, the four of them," he said fondly. Yamadera followed up, "I think there was an atmosphere that only the four of us could create. Honestly, it makes me want to say, what on earth are you doing, Unsho!" mourning Unsho Ishizuka, who passed away in 2018.
Incidentally, to make the portrait of Vincent that Faye draws in this scene truly bad, the staff looked around for someone who was poor at drawing. They reportedly had a Chinese restaurant employee look at Vincent once and then draw him from memory. Yamadera was hearing this for the first time and was amazed at the level of commitment.
The warm, fun time passed in a flash, and the guests moved on to messages for the fans in the venue. Yamadera, who has appeared in countless works, said, "I try not to name my favorite work, because so many people's faces come to mind, but... it's Cowboy Bebop." He then addressed the audience: "Honestly, I'd love for more to be made, and I feel we could still do a bit more, but with Unsho, whom I loved dearly, and Nobumoto no longer with us, I think that's difficult. So I'm truly happy that you all keep enjoying and loving the works we've made so far, again and again."
Finally, Director Watanabe, who is by his own and others' admission a shy man, closed the event with a bashful smile: "I'm always tempted to say, 'Just watch it casually.' But in truth, I'm very grateful. I'm really happy that you've come to see something we made 25 years ago again. But it's embarrassing, so, well, watch it if you want to (laughs)." The stage greeting ended to enthusiastic applause.
■Event Overview Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door 4K REMASTER Release Commemoration Stage Greeting ●Date: Saturday, October 31 ●Venue: TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku ●Guests: Director Shinichiro Watanabe / Koichi Yamadera (voice of Spike Spiegel) MC: Dai Sato
■Film Information ●Cowboy Bebop: Knockin' on Heaven's Door (released September 2001, 114 minutes)
The theatrical film of the TV anime Cowboy Bebop, broadcast in 1998. It depicts an incident that the Bebop crew encounter on Mars during the period between episodes 22 and 23 of the TV version. In addition to the Bebop crew, familiar supporting characters also make appearances throughout, including Punch and Judy from "BIG SHOT" and the trio of old men.
Synopsis: An incident believed to be bioterrorism occurs in Alba City on Mars. The Martian government places an unprecedented bounty of 300 million woolongs on the culprit. Spike and the others try to track down the perpetrator using footage shot by Faye, who happened to be at the scene, but the man shown in it is one who should have died in a past war.
(C)サンライズ・ボンズ・バンダイビジュアル
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