What you receive is the message of the work

Screenwriter: Akiko Nogi

■ Profile
Screenwriter. Born in 1974. Debuted after winning the Young Scenario Award in 2010. Dramas include "Unnatural," "The Kotaki Brothers and Their Struggles," "We Can't Become Beasts," "MIU404," "Fence," "Diamonds Sleeping in the Sea," and "Slow Train," as well as films such as "Let's Go to Karaoke!" (based on a story by Yama Yama) and "The Last Mile."

Akiko Nogi has written many screenplays, including "It's Embarrassing to Run Away, but It's Useful (based on the original work by Umino Tsunami)" and "Unnatural." The characters and lines in her works evoke a wide range of emotions. We spoke to Nogi, who creates such films and dramas, about what inspired her to become a screenwriter and what she values ​​when writing a script.

◾️What made you become a screenwriter?what

　I went to a vocational school called the Japan Institute of the Moving Image. I decided to go into film because I'd always loved it, and also because a coworker at my part-time job at the time recommended it. I was also interested in photography and design, but film, with its movement and breadth, felt like the most promising field for me as an artist.

　There aren't many job opportunities for film directors, so I first got a job at a production company that made TV documentaries. I did everything from interviews, on-location work, filming, and editing. However, I felt I wasn't suited to on-location work, and began to think that editing and structuring would suit me better. After thinking again about what I really wanted to do, I applied to a screenwriting competition, and from there I embarked on a path to becoming a screenwriter.

◾️What is a script?

　The fun thing about television and movies is that they are collaborative efforts. They are a comprehensive art form, so to speak. Within that, the script is like a blueprint. What kind of house will the staff and cast build based on the blueprint I create? I don't want to write a novel. Not that I want to read what I've written. To put it in perspective, the most enjoyable moment is when I see the house as a whole, with its decorations, colors, and so on, and think, "Wow, what an amazing house we've built." When I've finished writing the entire script, I feel a sense of accomplishment and think, "It's done!", but I also write parts of it with the expectation that it will become a play, so I think of the finished product as a work when it's released to the world.

　 However, because many people are involved in the process from the blueprint of the script to the finished product, there have been times when the finished product was different from what I had imagined. Recently, to avoid this as much as possible, I have been taking the time to thoroughly confirm things, especially when working with people for the first time, saying things like, "Please be careful not to do this here," or "This is not OK." Since everyone perceives things differently, I try to verbalize and confirm each and every point.

◾️Please tell us about the thoughts you put into the script.

　I personally don't try to convey a strong message. I think it depends on the recipient. Lately, I've felt like people are looking for too many answers. If they hear in the text, "This is what I'm trying to convey," there's no need to see the work. It's different for dramas and movies, but sometimes a work doesn't have a single message. This is because the world isn't that simple, and there isn't just one answer. A work can be a multifaceted portrayal of the various issues and perspectives that accompany it. What you receive is the message.

　I try to create my work from various perspectives, but I'm sure there are some things I've missed. It's difficult, but I have no choice but to always be conscious of not making it one-sided and do my best.

■Message to students

　I think it's best to try a variety of things. There are many things that you may think are useless that you can use later in life. However, if you do things carelessly, they will end up being of no use, so if you're going to do something, it's important to do it well. Also, once you start working, even if you have money, you won't have time. Do what you can while you still have the energy and time!

Student newspaper April 2025 issue Rinno Koshiyama, 4nd year student at Toyo University

Tsuda University second-year student Ishimatsu Karin / Toyo University second-year student Koshiyama Rinno / Sophia University third-year student Ikehama Momoka / International Christian University second-year student Watanabe Waka / Showa Women's University third-year student Tatsuzawa Ai / Toyo University third-year student Ota Fuuka / Otsuma Nakano High School third-year student Kato Mayuka / International Christian University second-year student Maruyama Mitomo / Josai International University first-year student Watanabe Yurie