Reo Nagatsuma: Running at full speed in a world without a goal

An actor　Reo Nagatsuma　(Leo Nagatsuma)

■ Profile
Born in Ibaraki Prefecture in 1998. Vice leader of the male group "7ORDER." Launched the "7ORDER project" in 2019. Made his major debut in 2021, ranking second on the Oricon charts. Has appeared in numerous stage productions as an actor. Film appearances include "Jet Black Sky - The Final Story" (2022) and "Last Summer Wars" (2022).

Nagatsuma Reo, a member of the popular group "7ORDER," jumped into the entertainment industry, which he had no interest in, in his teens and has continued to run at full speed to this day. In the entertainment industry, where there is no goal, he continued to challenge himself without setting any limits, and as a result,"The dog spins and runs away"This time, we spoke to Nagatsuma about the film and his approach to his work.

■ What he valued was the spirit of inquiry to confront himself

I entered the entertainment industry when I was in elementary school. It wasn't that I was originally interested in the industry, but my mother sent out my resume without my permission. I was shy from a young age and didn't like speaking in front of others, but I was persuaded by the words, "We'll give you some pocket money, so just go to an audition," and so I went to an audition and entered the entertainment industry.
That was my initial motivation, but before I knew it, I was increasingly drawn to this job. I think the reason is that there is no "goal." For example, there is no correct answer in dancing or acting, and there is no guideline that says "Once you've mastered this, it's over." It's a world where "being good at dancing or acting" doesn't equal popularity or having work. I think I became addicted to this environment of infinite exploration, where there is no goal in anything. In terms of acting, of course you can play a role using a variety of expressions such as the tone of your voice, the direction of your face, and the number of times you blink, but there are also constant choices to make, such as looking at things from the director's perspective and considering how the performance is being performed when things are viewed as a whole. This is extremely difficult, but it's the appeal of being an actor.

■ Acting naturally

In the past few years, I've begun to think deeply about "my own way of acting." It's extremely difficult to make a choice while considering various aspects, such as "my own thoughts," "the director's thoughts," and "how I should act" when looking at the story as a whole. Also, the most important thing about acting is to act naturally. My ideal is to become so immersed in the performance that I can't tell if I'm acting or just being myself. No matter how unrealistic the set may be, I concentrate so much that I can't see the camera or the audience. And it's those moments when I'm alone in my own space that I feel the most like, "Acting is so much fun!" My goal is to eventually become a "sage"-like actor who can easily defeat formidable opponents while only focusing on what's necessary. (laughs)

■映画"The dog spins and runs away"　　

This suspense comedy captures the various incidents surrounding a young thief and a female police officer from a dog's perspective. When I received the offer to play the lead role, I honestly wondered, "Can I do this?" But if I didn't do it now, I'd never have another opportunity like this again, so I took on this project with the desire to see just how little I could do. While this film is notable for its unique worldview, I feel like I still have a long way to go to truly capture that worldview. So, this time, I simply gave my all to what was asked of me. I once heard someone say, "It's easy to tone down something you've raised to your full potential, but it's difficult to maximize something that hasn't reached its full potential." So, I always try to give 120% of my effort, and if I'm told to tone it down a bit, I always do so. I believe that overdoing it a little can have a positive effect, rather than leaving people thinking, "I wish you'd done it a little more." This is also my personal policy.　
In the final scene where the main character talks to the woman, I had to go through a lot of trial and error to figure out how to act as Nagatsuma Reo and how I should act as the character. It was a very difficult scene because the impression of the film could change drastically depending on the direction of the performance. The change in the impression of the work depending on the performance also depends on the different sensibilities of the performer and the receiver, so it made me realize once again that there is no end to acting.

■An opportunity to find "small joys in everyday life"

This film is basically about everyday life, so I think there will be parts that apply to your own daily life. I hope it will inspire you to find even one small joy in your daily life and give meaning to your life tomorrow.
I also wrote the lyrics, composed the music, and produced the theme song. The concept of this work is "everyday life," so I was conscious of how to express it in the song, and since Pachelbel's Canon appears several times in the film, I put a lot of effort into incorporating it. The lyrics are quite long and compact, so I hope you will pay attention to that when you listen to it.

■Message to university students

University is not a place you have to go to, but a place for those who want to go, so I think it can be rephrased as a place to do what you love. Being able to do what you love is something to be proud of. I also want you to understand that your current environment is not something to be taken for granted. If you can think that it's wonderful to be in this place, and that even if you're unsure of your career path, it's a positive thing, I think your possibilities will expand infinitely. However, I believe that diet and exercise are important in everything, so please make sure to value these basics as well.

Interviewed by Student Newspaper Online on December 6, 2022 by Hayato Tane, 4th year student at Chuo Gakuin University, Misaki Otsuka, 4th year student at Tokai University, and Maria Okabe, 2nd year student at Kunitachi College of Music