I was struggling until the day before the movie was released, but there was no sign of anything happening. As a last resort, I shot 400 original promotional videos dressed as Hoyaman and sent them to 400 people in my address book, from super famous people to just drinking buddies, to post on their SNS.

Ijuin Hikaru, who received it, said on the radio, "I can't cooperate with such a cheap promotion that is sent to everyone." And it didn't end there, he said, "I wanted to go see Godzilla, but there were no good seats available, so I went to see Hoyaman, and although I was underestimating it, it was fun." From there, it felt like it spread a little.

Not only did celebrities spread the word on their social media, but sending it to friends at the same time also promoted it a lot. For example, I sent it to actor Saito Takumi saying, "Hello everyone who is following Saito Takumi's social media, this is Hoyaman." I also sent it to my friend Sato, who has about 30 followers, saying, "Hello everyone who is following Sato's social media, this is Hoyaman." The strange feeling of receiving the same video from both Saito Takumi and Sato led to people asking, "What is this work about?" It was a discovery for me that there is such a way of promoting a work.

However, it's unfair to use my friend's fame, and I was conflicted about borrowing something they had built with their lives on the line. If this was MOROHA's activities, I would have thought that it was my and my partner's life, so we should do it on our own, but with the movie, I really borrowed too much from a lot of people, so I had the excuse that it wasn't the time to talk about my own policies. It was refreshing to be able to rely on them so honestly.

As expected, the Mainichi Film Award's Sponichi Grand Prix Newcomer Award caused a big stir. I was honestly happy. It's not a metaphor, I was really jumping for joy. When you receive such an award, there are people who believe it and go to see the film. I think that's the power of the Mainichi Film Award.

I still go to the talk events (after screenings of the film), and I hear people say that they saw it for the first time today, and others say they've seen it two or three times and have discovered something new, which makes me really happy.

Some people have seen it eight times. They were people who received flyers that I handed out. To be honest, I don't know how effective the flyer distribution was, but I handed them out directly, we had a conversation, memories were born, and as a result, they saw it eight times. When you think about it like that, there are some things that can't be measured just by efficiency.

So I think it's all about fate. There's a definite connection between me and the people who are opening this page and reading this interview. No doubt about it. I can only ask you to somehow find the film, whether it's in theaters or on streaming services. I want you to believe in this destiny and watch it.

The highlight is my beautiful butt (laughs). Also, it's the first movie that actor Kurosaki Koyo (who played the younger brother of the main character played by Afro) appeared in. He's definitely going to be one of the best actors in Japan. I'm really happy to have had the chance to witness it.

I met him for the first time in six months the other day, and his face had already changed. He had experienced the morning drama, and he had many realizations and a vision for the future, so he was completely different from the Kurosaki he was during filming. That, too, made this movie seem like a miracle.

And I think I did the best I could as an amateur. I don't have the skills to act, but I used my ingenuity and the light that shined on my life is reflected in the film. It's a work that's full of my efforts, the talent of Koyo Kurosaki, the power of Kumi Gojo, and the love of film of the director and staff.

I've been on many stages, but this was my first time cutting the ribbon. I panicked when I couldn't cut it in one go. But even so, I never thought I'd get to do something like this in my life.

When I stand next to all those great people at the panel exhibition, it makes me feel like I've risen in status, like I'm some cool guy (laughs). I think my parents will feel relieved when they see something like this. It makes me really happy.

This is probably my second time coming to COREDO Muromachi. I've participated in a guest performance by accordionist coba at Nihonbashi Mitsui Hall (COREDO Muromachi 1 5F). I couldn't get close to Nihonbashi much when I was in my 20s, but I'm glad I've been able to come here recently for work. I feel like I'm being welcomed into the inner Tokyo.

Also, today I went to Book Store Taro (COREDO Muromachi 1 B1), and the color of the town of Nihonbashi is coming out, and the books laid out flat have a cultured feel to them. It's definitely different from the bookstores in the town where I live. Everywhere you go is beautiful, and I think it would be fun every day if I could work in a place like this. After this, I'd like to eat something delicious at COREDO before going home.