The Colors Within, in theaters nationwide beginning next Friday January 24th, is from director Naoko Yamada. Three teens — Totsuko, Rui and Kimi — form a band as they figure out the next steps in their lives. Totsuko also has a unique power: sensing people as specific colors. (This Animation Scoop Q&A with Yamada was conducted on Zoom with a translator and was edited for length and clarity. Images: GKIDS)
Jackson Murphy: How did you become interested in this ability to see colors and wanting to explore that in your film?
Naoko Yamada: It’s really vague, but I think the way we sense each other in the world is very different. We all have our own different set of rules that we sense when we talk to people or when we interact with people. So for Totsuko, that in the sense is that’s color. But I wanted to make sure that the audience, when they see the movie, could adapt their own rules on how they sense other people or how they interact with others. And I wanted to incorporate that so the viewers could think about how they interact with others as well.
JM: You do an excellent job with that. And I love how you show the main characters’ personal lives in such real and honest ways. What was most challenging for you to present with the main trio, and especially with their personal lives?
NY: Even though they may be small issues or problems that they’re struggling with (it’s not very overly dramatic or anything — nothing huge happens out of it), it’s in their personal lives. It may seem small to others from other people’s perspectives, but to them it’s really big. It’s a huge deal to them. So I really wanted to focus on that and then also respect that they have their issues. I think that’s what was a challenge to me, or what I wanted to challenge myself with.
JM: I really like the character of Sister Hiyoshiko. She is very well written and kind of the beating heart of the film. What do you love about this character, and the emotion that she brings to the others into the story?
NY: Yeah, I love her, too, as a character. She’s one of my favorite characters as well. I really think her appeal is that she’s a young sister. She doesn’t have that many years of being a sister yet. She’s still like a novice. I think she’s very relatable as a human being, and she’s very young at heart. She still remembers what it’s like to be a young girl, or a younger woman. As the years go by she will be more sister-like and her experience will grow. But I think she’s still midway. She’s still malleable, and that’s part of her appeal as a character.
JM: I love her interactions with everyone. How would you compare directing an animated feature to the process of songwriting that we see in the film?
NY: I thought we were actually complete opposites. In the story, the three of them are not professional musicians. They were writing songs for themselves. It wasn’t for someone to listen to, or to make money, or etc. It was really a way to express themselves through music. I, on the other hand, created the story so that a lot of people could watch it. The way the three in the story and the way I approached this were completely opposite. I was really facing towards the outward world. And they’re more like looking inside themselves.
JM: And we see them feel the joy in music. How do you feel joy when you’re listening to music?
NY: Music, what’s important inside of me, or feeling the rhythm within my body, I want to treasure it. And I think that’s why I listen to music. I like going to concerts or live jam sessions with the people who like similar music as me. But what’s also important are these emotions that I can’t really share or express with others in order to feel it. I think that’s what music is for me.
JM: Wow. I think we’re almost out of time, but I think what you say about maturity and young people growing up and learning maturity is really powerful. And I thank you for your time today. Congratulations on this.
NY: That makes me so happy hearing that. Thank you as well for today.
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