Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1541592
M OT I O N P I CTU R E S O U N D E D I TO R S 49 back in the studio while recording the vocal and guitar tracks. Both the lead actress and the music team found this process really intriguing, and I think we were able to capture at least a touch of that live feeling. Akihiko was particularly fond of the song "Good-bye Days" (by the singer Yui) that we recorded for that scene— he liked it so much that he used it as his cellphone ringtone for years. As for me, I especially loved the ocean wave atmosphere he created, which served as an essential layer in the film's mix. The film opens with a long shot of the ocean, layered with bird calls, and subtle camera movement. As the morning breaks, the score begins to gently sneak in. That sequence filled me with a quiet excitement. In another scene, the protagonist— who suffers from a life-threatening sensitivity to sunlight—stays out too long after a date, and rushes home just before sunrise. There's a cross-cut between her, panicking indoors, and the boy outside, calling for her to open the door, unaware of what's happening. After that scene, Akihiko turned to me and said with a grin, "Did you notice how the wave atmosphere on the boy's side changed with each cut?" He explained, "I kept the wave level low at first, and then raised it back to the normal atmosphere level when he gave up and walked away." That moment really struck me. It showed how atmosphere wasn't just background sound for a location—it could serve as a powerful expressive tool that supported the emotional tone of the acting and narrative. Akihiko taught me that. Later, I worked on the film Rebirth ( Yōkame no Semi, 2011), which marked my first collaboration with director Izuru Narushima. Because it was also his first time working with me, the director initially suggested bringing in a veteran effects mixer he had worked with before. But since it had been a year since my last project, and I was feeling a bit anxious, I strongly recommended Akihiko instead— someone I knew well and could trust completely. More importantly, I believed that Akihiko's style was a perfect match for the film. Thankfully, the director accepted my proposal. Narushima was deeply impressed with Akihiko's work on the film and described his sound design as refined and full of grace. From that point on, Akihiko became the sound effects mixer on all of Narushima's subsequent films, even when I wasn't the production sound mixer! As I mentioned earlier, it had been a year since I last worked, so I was understandably nervous going into the shoot. Fortunately, after just one day on set, the rhythm came back, and I felt confident again. Still, I wasn't sure how things would go in post. But once we began the sound mix, my doubts quickly faded. When we reached the premix stage and I heard the ambient wave sounds Akihiko had crafted —especially in the scenes set on Shōdoshima—I thought to myself, "Yes … I'm finally back." I'm proud to have been involved in The Eternal Zero (2013, Dir: Takashi Yamazaki), a film with an anti-war message. As a teenager, I was deeply moved by anti-war films from around the world, and I had always hoped to one day be part of such a project. When this opportunity came along, I was thrilled—it felt like a dream come true. The most important sound in this film was, without question, the sound of the Zero fighter plane. The Zero sound in Akihiko's sound library was an older recording and I really wanted to capture it afresh using modern microphones and multichannel recording. Since the director was Takashi Yamazaki, known for his powerful VFX, I anticipated highly realistic battle sequences. I proposed to the producer that we travel to Chino, California, where a Zero fighter could be flown, to do a field recording, but it was rejected due to budget constraints. I even threatened to use the sound of a fan recorded on set as the Zero engine if we couldn't go, but that didn't work either. While the VFX was still in production, I happened to reconnect with someone from the effects department who had previously recorded the Zero in Chino. They agreed to sell us some of their recordings at a very reasonable Kenichi Fujimoto (L) and Akihiko Okase (R), Dubbing Studio No. 2, Toei Studio, Tokyo for Solomon's Perjury (2015) Kenichi Fujimoto and Akihiko Okase 2013 Eternal Zero JPAcademy