Interview with Aoi Okuyama
Interview with Aoi Okuyama, who plays Taki in Giri/Haji.
Published: 2 October 2019
She’s a very honest girl with a strong core. I was drawn to how she is always searching for who she can be, rather than settling for who she is.
What was the appeal to you of Taki as a character?
She’s a very honest girl with a strong core, which I find attractive in a person. I was drawn to how she is always searching for who she can be, rather than settling for who she is. I felt I could relate to that.
Taki has a complex relationship with her father, which runs through every episode. What was that like to explore and play?
It does seem complex, but fundamentally Taki loves her father. That’s at the centre, but around it are complications which in many ways help Taki to grow as a person. So actually it’s simple, and there was not much need to play out the complexities.
You have many scenes with Will Sharpe, as Rodney. What is the key to Rodney and Taki’s friendship, and what was Will like to collaborate with?
Will always has a lot of ideas and is full of energy, so it was interesting to see how that formed the dynamics of each scene. I think Rodney is Taki’s first true friend. She admires his freedom and how he isn’t tied down by convention. He exists in a space which Taki wants to escape to.
There is an interesting tension between your character and the character of Sarah, played by Kelly Macdonald. What was it like creating that with her?
Taki and Sarah have a strange relationship, but I didn’t consciously try to play that out. Just as Kelly herself is warm and funny, Sarah is an attractive person, so Taki naturally ends up liking her - and that makes things even more difficult for Taki.
How was the experience of shooting and working in England?
Very new and exciting! We were mostly on location, so it was fun to be able to go to lots of places in London. I have fond memories of having fish and chips for lunch at the location for the beach scene.
Had you ever visited London before?
It was my first time. I thought it was a wonderful place. The air, the people and the way time-flows felt gentle there. I enjoyed going for walks, as the buildings and streets are so pretty and there are lots of parks.
Did the language barrier create any challenges for you on set?
The hardest thing to follow was the jokes! Julian was often cracking jokes, so one day I’d like to be able to respond.
The Legend Of Giri/Haji
“Let me tell you a story. It
starts with Kenzo Mori. A Tokyo
detective, living a quiet life...
Until his younger brother comes to
him for help. Yuto. The black sheep
of the family. He’d done something
very stupid. But, as it turns out,
not everything can be fixed. Fast
forward a year and Yuto is dead.
Just another Yakuza that met his
end in a hail of bullets. Except
maybe not... Because as Kenzo is
about to find out, the past has a
way of coming back to haunt you.
Rumours start to circle that the
younger Mori brother may be alive
and living in a far-off land. And
soon Kenzo is on a journey to see
for himself. Kenzo and Yuto. A
killer and a saviour. But which is
which? Now, trouble follows Kenzo
everywhere he goes, but so, as it
turns out, does his daughter -
Taki. Sixteen years old. A brave
girl who befriends a lost boy.
Rodney. Half Japanese, half
English. He thinks if he talks loud
enough he won’t be able to hear his
demons. But he doesn’t know yet
just how loud they can scream.
On his way looking for his brother
Kenzo meets Sarah. Another cop
trying to escape something she
can’t outrun. Two people in a city
of eight million and they find each
other. So I suppose this isn’t just
a story about death. It’s a story
about life. And love. And
heartbreak. About the split second
decisions that we make and the
things we lose and win as a result.
It’s a story about gangsters.
(Abbot and Fukuhara)
Killers.
(Donna and Jiro)
Cowards.
(Vickers)
And heroes.
(Rei, Natsuko, Eiko,
Toshio)
It’s about two brothers. Engulfed
in chaos.”
