Hiroaki Narikawa from “THE CONFIDENCE MAN JP – The Movie” – Producer

We decided to move forward with the whole project, in order to portray characters who are freely living life. This theme is particularly valuable, as the modern world can often be seen as a place bounded down by many kinds of aspects. I think that this Kanji character perfectly fits the story, as even though the theme is ‘scamming,’ I am sure that everyone will feel ‘refreshed’ after watching it.

Q Did you know that the Chinese version of 爽, also includes the similar meaning of ‘refreshing or invigorating’?

Really? Wow, then this was the perfect pick!

Q Why did you decide to go with Hong Kong for the movie?

When we were deciding the location, we wanted to select somewhere which has an aura of luxury, and also we wanted to produce a setting with an international theme. Dubai and New York were possible options too, but Hong Kong was our final decision.

Q Apart from the language barrier, what were some of the challenges of filming in Hong Kong?

It would have to be the hot weather which affected all of us. The filming process involved going back and forth between Hong Kong and Japan, which was also in the midst of a strong heatwave.

Q Did you enjoy the delicious food in Hong Kong?

The crew and cast members including Masami Nagasawa, Masahiro Higashide and Fumiyo Kohinata, were out there for about 2 weeks. During this time, we were ordering location craft service lunch boxes from ‘Cha Chaan Teng,’ a type of restaurant commonly found in Hong Kong. Compared to those in Japan, each take out includes just one side dish, so we had a lovely time sharing various kinds of condiments. This was one of our memorable experiences.

Q So the cast and staff members have a lot of time to interact in and between filming?

Of course. Whether or not it was a foreign country, we shared our feelings, especially after the end of each day’s filming. Like, “today’s filming was hard” etc. (Lol).

Q What were the exciting aspects about filming in Hong Kong?

Since Hong Kong is such an exciting location, all of this made us forget about some of the hardships of filming a movie, such as the requirement to film late into the night. Many were saying that filming was super enjoyable too, despite some of the challenges!

Q Were many of the surprise inclusions in the movie, decided beforehand?

Most of these were decided after prior discussions with the director. We also had a surprise inclusion for the special drama version, which was aired the day after the movie release.

Q Were movies from Hong Kong influential for the original planning?

Yes. For example, the ‘Hong Kong Noir’ is one of my favorites, and this was influential for the airport scene. (Lol)

Q And, about the upcoming sequels?

You bet! Japanese dramas are also popular in places such as Turkey, so maybe this could be another idea for ‘The Confidence Man TK? (Lol)

Q Lastly, could you give us a message for our global fans?

Starting from Asia, we hope that the series will become something which also appeals to fans from around the globe. We hope that all of this will become a vital source of energy for global expansion!

【Useful Trivia!】

The Kanji character爽 (Sou)  is made up of “大” and four “X”. In the ancient times, it was supposedly said that the character “大” depicts a human corpse, and the “×” symbolizes tattoos which are put into a corpse. When this character was first created, it was believed that one would be able to resurrect, by purifying the spirit of the deceased. The tattoos were put in to prevent evil spirits from entering the corpse, and to preserve the body in a ‘refreshing’ state.

【Creator’s Profile】

Born in 1970, Hiroaki Narikawa is a Japanese Producer at Fuji Television’s Programming and Production for hit dramas and films. Many of his great works include popular contents such as LEGAL HIGH and ABSOLUTE ZERO, and of course, THE CONFIDENCE MAN JP.