On February 24, 2017, the Final Japan Premiere of “WE ARE X”, X JAPAN’s documentary film (March 3rd 2017 release), was held at TOHO Cinemas, Roppongi Hills. There was a red carpet on the main entrance and stairs, related to the X JAPAN’s classic piece of music, “Kurenai”, and huge art work of “X” was appeared on the top of it. By gathering a lot of fans at the place, it was literary dyed the color of X JAPAN. Hence, we could find the great enthusiasm and excitement of this documentary film.
Also, there were special guests in many genre including top models, TV personalities, artists. Firstly, Mayu Watanabe, Sayaka Yamamoto, Yuki Kashiwagi, Yui Yokoyama, Sakura Miyawaki from AKB 48, a Japanese idol girl group, appeared wearing same white dresses. From musicians, MAY J with a tight short black dress, and from celebrities, Uno Kanda attended wearing an elegant purple dress. From animation, Conan Edogawa came because of the connection with “Kurenai” of his latest film “Detective Conan: Crimson Love Letter (Meitantei Conan: Kara Kurenai no Love Letter)” (April 15th 2017 release).
What is more, from Japanese government, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), Hakubun Shimomura, an Executive Acting Secretary-General, and Akira Amari, the Deputy Chairman of Research Commission on the Tax System and the former minister for economic revitalization attended there. And from designers, Yuko Yamaguchi who designed Hello Kitty joined. Finally, when X JAPAN was announced by MC, screams from fans who could not get the tickets burst out from outside of the venue. When YOSHIKI, Toshl, PATA, HEATH, and SUGIZO appeared, they made the hall in a tide of enthusiasm. In the soundbites area, they enjoyed communicating each of their fans by handshaking or writing their signatures.
For X JAPAN, this is the first time to join a film event.
Then, the members went to the stage greeting of the premier of “WE ARE X”. During lots of fans were waiting, again with huge screaming, they came and commented about the film enthusiastically.
＜Member Comments＞
YOSHIKI: “Thank you very much for coming to the premiere of “WE ARE X”. I’m really appreciate it.”
Toshl: “I am fulfilled with happiness by watching our film with you. Thank you so much.”
PATA: “I appreciate everyone for coming! I’m so glad. Please enjoy watching it. Thank you!”
HEATH: “Thank you for coming today. I’d like you to be relax and watch our movie.”
SUGIZO: “I am really happy. Actually, I feel very strange to be on the stage in this event because I’m those who usually sit down and watch films in cinemas.”
In Q&A time after the brief greeting, MC asked several questions such as the story of making “WE ARE X” and the decision of releasing it as a film. YOSHIKI answered, “I was talking with the member a while ago, why such pieces of movies were available. Ordinary, since we formed the band, we have wanted to make several documentary movies, so we have filmed from contract with Sony Music. However, thereafter dramatic or tragic events happened to us: the split of X JAPAN, the death of HIDE, the brainwash of Toshl, the reunion of the band, the challenge to overseas and the death of TAIJI. In such chaotic situation, the plans to make films were gone because we were never able to look back the catastrophes and it was very hard to watch such scenes for us. We were thinking that even watching the last live concert made us so painful that to illustrate the whole X JAPAN would be impossible. Yet, in such condition, X JAPAN has been continuing or existing. We were convinced that the story of X JAPAN may help those who are heartbroken or depress with the life by providing courage and may save lives, and if so, we should proceed the plan. By chance, the time was same as the concert at Madison Square Garden, New York, we began to work on the film and looked for the movies since now.”
Toshl told, “To be honest, I declined to watch the film about five times at first”, and illustrating the situation that he watched it, “I was asked to come as a recording, but when I got at a studio, there was a place like cinema inside it, because YOSHIKI wanted me to watch it at any cost, so it was not recording but alone film watching”, and “After watching it, I could not move and voice at all for 15 to 20minutes.”
Also, YOSHIKI spoke, “I could not stood up like Toshl. Through watching the movie, I realized that tragedies were all real, which I believed it might be dreams since somehow I could not understand what happened.” He added, “Though I watched it eight times, I cried every time and I could detect some facts from the movie.” Then, PATA seemed to make the sad atmosphere warmer, he told the audience, “So, you must come again and again to watch it. You may not be able to watch it by your tears!” and let them get laugh.
HEATH mentioned, “Though there are shocking scenes in the film, I think you can recognize or understand why X JAPAN has become huge and attracted a lot of people.” Additionally, SUGIZO told, “It is dramatic or tumultuous. In X JAPAN, which has very dramatic life and great history, I am just one recent part of them, I feel whether I am allowed to be here. It let me consider what I can do for them.” Then, YOSHIKI commented, “Thanks for SUGIZO, X JAPAN can exist still now.” SUGIZO told, “I think we cannot live with normal mental here. There were HIDE and TAIJI, and it is impossible to replace the positions without craziness.” And YOSHIKI said, “I think it may be so.”, and PATA said, “I’m also crazy and my body condition as well.” Audience were laughed by their good combination.
Toshl, commented, “I have, indeed, past that is hard or struggle to look back even by myself, so I have had pretty long interviews one by one. In the interviews, the director was eager to use stories which I want to forget and eliminate, and he told it was rather worth showing. Then, I thought if so, it was better to expose everything, thus this film includes many of such scenes. I thought I should break clearly with my past by this film, then as X JAPAN, we are going to face big challenges with HIDE and TAIJI. And with our fans, I want to share and understand the facts or history of X JAPAN and want you to watch it with all my gratitude as we are in the same boat.”
Also, YOSHIKI said, “Not all of parts in this film are very cool. I, personally, have scenes that I do not want to show same as Toshl, but the director force to show them. I had psychotherapy in Los Angeles after HIDE past away because my heart was broken and I thought I could not live anymore and perform as a musician. My doctor sympathized me during the therapy, but I used to get angry and shout “you cannot understand it”. Due to such time had continued, I gave up on that therapy. So, I could not talk at all in the interviews of the film at first. I could just tell about superficial facts but I hardly shared my true feelings. I locked my heart and never opened the door. Nevertheless, I gradually remembered about when I had the therapy, and unintentionally I was speaking with tears. I had been believing the door in my heart would lead me to dark, hurting, sad future at first, however, after watching the documentary, I realised the door rather had full of hope. We cannot be here, make the film, and the accomplishment of our world tour like next place, England, without our fans supports. I really appreciate each of our fans. Thank you very much, indeed.” He told his feelings towards the film and thanked to fans of X JAPAN with tears.
In the photo session after that, Toshl cared YOSHIKI if his makeup was not gone by his tears. We could recognized the strong ties of X JAPAN through the Final Japan Premiere. At the end of this event, they struck their “X” pose for taking photos with their fans, and waved their hands to each of their fans. With applause, X JAPAN left the event.
【Story】
It was the Japanese rock band, X JAPAN, that was chosen as the next legendary musician by the production stuffs of “Searching for Sugar Man”, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 85th Academy Awards in Hollywood. “WE ARE X” was made by the talented director, Stephen Kijak, and he illustrated their unparalleled story impressively. It has exhibited more than 20 film festivals and got attentions from foreign media and critics by winning awards like the Special Jury Award for Best Editing in Sundance’s World Cinema Documentary Competition in January 2016 and the Audience Award for Excellence in Title Design at South by Southwest in March 2016.
The band has had the dramatic tragedies including challenges of overseas, quitting of its member, the split of the band, the death of HIDE and TAIJI, the brainwash of Toshl, etc. The history of “craze” and “madness” has been produced for the 30 years from the formation of the band. There are the mental and physical grief and pain that they have had. We can glimpse the track of the challenges of the top Japanese musician – the glory and frustration, life and death, split and reunion-. Looking through the offstage of the live concert at Madison Square Garden, the breathtaking stage will be waiting in the last part of the film. “WE ARE X” closes up, for the first time, blight and dark aspects of the band which plays an active role in the world with deep pains.
X JAPAN is Japanese unique “monster” rock band. Why now, X JAPAN’s music and story make the world crazy?
The dream of HIDE and TAIJI, the responsibility and resolution in adversity, here is the story that people sympathize around the world.
Finally, the film, “WE ARE X” will be released on March 3rd in Japan.
【Film Information】
■ Title: “WE ARE X”
■ Director: Stephen Kijak
■ Running time: 96 minutes / American movie
■ Official Site: http://www.wearexfilm.jp/
■ Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/wearexmovie
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