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sunniedesi · 5 days ago

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Future Diary: Another World

Live-action, interviews, fun facts and a question for y’all

If there’s one topic I’ve been meaning to discuss for the longest time, it’s the can of worms that is Another World, Future Diary’s live-action. I know many of you probably haven’t seen it before, which is only natural considering that this series is nearly impossible to find, subtitled or otherwise. Nowadays, it’s a forgotten piece in Future Diary’s history. And to be honest, that’s not a surprise. Many people (myself included) don’t care much for live-action adaptations, as we all know they tend to be quite cheap and reductive to the original material. However, Another World is an oddball amongst the sea of live-action adaptations, because it did the one thing many of them fail to do, and that is, well, adapt. This show features an original storyline that, while faithful to the basic premise of Future Diary, gives it a fresh spin I know many fans will enjoy.

That said, there’s a lot to talk about when it comes to this show: the overall story, cast, production, merch, interviews, etc. I’ve been working for a while to compile all of it, but I found this project has grown into a bigger fish than I thought I could fry. So, this will serve as an introductory post to my main analysis. Here, I’ll discuss all the things that didn’t quite make the cut to my main analysis, such as interviews with the cast, fun facts, merch, and other media associated with the show. All of this under the cut.

But before we start, I have one question for y’all. As I said earlier, my main analysis is pretty lengthy (my longest write-up to date, in fact). While my original intention was to make it into a post like I always do, I realize this format might not be the best to pack all of its information. So, I was wondering if making it into a video essay might be better. I’m still not 100% sure if this is the approach I’ll take in the end, but I’m leaning towards it.

Now, onto Another World talk!

For starters, there’s a big elephant in the room surrounding this show: where can I watch it? Many years ago, it was possible to watch the show online on certain drama websites, where it was subtitled to English and other languages. Nowadays, however, these sites have been nerfed one after another, making it impossible to find Another World available anywhere. The only way to watch it currently is by buying the DVDs or through this archive, though sadly both lack any form of translation. And y’all know I don’t like leaving things untranslated. For that reason, I decided to upload a little something to the Internet Archive. There are two versions (both are zip files), one with English and another with Spanish subtitles, both of which I had saved before the purge. One thing to keep in mind though is that the subtitles for the English version are a little corrupted, particularly for episodes 2, 4 and 10, which all experience a delay late into the episodes. Someone uploaded episode 10 on Dailymotion, so you’re better off watching it on there. Moreover, episode 8 of the eng sub has no subtitles at all. That’s why I also included the Spanish sub, so if push comes to shove, you can always translate the Spanish subtitles.

Moving on, there’s another (mini) live-action series associated with Future Diary, and that would be a series of advertisements for none other than Nissan (the car company). For a bit of context, Nissan was actually the main sponsor of Future Diary Another World, so they decided to create their own series of adverts following the show's success, in which they mixed the concept of the future diaries with ecological driving practices. It’s a bit… bizarre, to say the least. You may remember me mentioning this on one of my posts about Future Diary merchandising, where I said that all eight episodes of this show were lost, since Nissan’s Youtube channel privated them. Well, after a bit more digging, I managed to find an archive of the first episode! Of course, it is now up and translated on my Youtube channel.

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And by the way, you may have noticed that I updated that Future Diary merch post to include new photos I found of Another World merch! I knew of the existence of this merch for a while, but couldn’t find pictures of it for the longest time, until I incidentally came across it during my research. In case you haven’t seen it, this is all of the merch that was available for the show (except for a t-shirt which we don’t have an image of):

Now, onto something that won’t risk me getting a copyright strike, we have an interview with the lead actor of Another World, as well as Sakae Esuno. This was an interview conducted by Comic Natalie, an otaku news site, where they spoke to Masaki Okada, who played Yukiteru’s live-action counterpart. Due to its length and the interesting answers given, I felt that it was best to translate the entirety of it and include it here:

The prince of live-action manga adaptations discusses the charm and challenges behind the TV adaptation of “Future Diary.” “Future Diary” by Sakae Esuno is the hit series published on Shonen Ace (Kadokawa Shoten) from 2006 until 2011, with over 4 million copies sold. Its TV drama adaptation, “Future Diary - Another:World” is on sale on Blu-ray and DVD. When the show began airing in April 2012, it became a hot topic due to its dramatic changes from the original story, drawing viewers in with its unique plot. Comic Natalie interviewed the lead actor of the show, Masaki Okada. We asked him about the production process and his thoughts on adapting the original manga into a live-action. Moreover, the original author, Sakae Esuno, answered our questions about the drama adaptation of his work. Interview by Asuka Mashita / Pictures by Uon Katsuragi Overview Arata Hoshino (Masaki Okada) is a college student who spends his days lazily. One day, his friend Rui Moriguchi (Kanata Hongo) breaks his phone, so he gifts him a Chronus Seed phone as a replacement. He unintentionally downloads an app called "Future Diary," a mysterious app that continuously records events that will occur in the future. Arata is surprised but happy to see the entries become a reality, but that all changes when suddenly, the words "Hoshino Arata dies" appear on his phone... To add to his surprise, he meets Yuno Furusaki (Ayame Gouriki) who also owns a Future Diary. After meeting her, Arata learns that he is now involved in a Survival Game with seven other diary holders, set up by a mysterious entity known as "Deus." Yuno Furusaki: A strange but beautiful girl who is always there to save Arata whenever he’s in danger. She’s lovesick, calling Arata “Akkun” and being well-acquainted with his personal information. She’s part of the same Survival Game as Arata, but knows a little more about “Deus” than she lets on. Arata Hoshino: He’s a third-year student at Jousei University, and a picture-perfect protagonist. He gets roped into a Survival game created by “Deus” when he uses an app called “Future Diary.” Yuno’s one-sided affection perplexes him, though he gradually becomes drawn to her earnest devotion.

I couldn't help but think, “I really can’t play a middle-schooler right now!” — First off, what were your thoughts when you were asked to appear in “Future Diary”? I actually read the original work before I landed the role. I thought using cellphones to create psychological horror was fresh and interesting. The characters were all very unique and there were many funny scenes, as well as realistic drama and campy action. I really loved the series, so I was honestly really happy when they called me for this role. — What were your first impressions of your character, Arata? He’s quite a pathetic guy, isn’t he? (Laughs). In the original work, Yukiteru is still in middle school, so it’s natural that he behaves the way he does, but… my first impression was just how pathetic he seemed. However, he grows as the story progresses, and I think it’s wonderful that Arata still chooses to trust people after all the horrible betrayals he’s faced. — In the drama he was changed to a college student. That’s right, and it was a real life-saver. When I was first told about the role I was really happy, but at the same time, I couldn't help but think, “I really can’t play a middle-schooler right now!” So I was very relieved to learn that they had changed him to a college student. — Was there anything you paid special attention to when preparing for the role? I actually didn’t prepare much for the role. I think the only thing I paid special attention to was creating a character that was relatable for the viewers, have people think “ah, he’s so real” or “this is the kind of life a kid like that would have.” So, I tried to act naturally to convey the typical “ordinary college student.” — What were the issues or challenges you faced when playing Arata? I thought I could take on the challenge of playing an ordinary character, but then I realized just how hard playing a normal role can actually be. I also went to college myself, so I’m very familiar with college life. I could empathize with many feelings, like being anxious about the uncertain future. But when I was told to act “normal,” I felt strangely under pressure. I played this role remembering how I used to be as a college student. — Are there any similarities between Arata and your college-self? Probably how lazy I was. — Really? That’s a bit surprising. No, no, I’m pretty lazy (laughs.) But, I also think I’m a serious guy at heart, just like Arata. He has his moments where he’s indecisive, but he’s pretty straightforward about things and has a hold on reality. That’s the type of mindset I try to have, so I also empathized with that part of him while playing his character.

I felt like I was growing with him as a character. — Was there any scene that left an impact on you? The last scene, where Yuno and Arata separate. In dramas, we often shoot scenes separately, regardless of the flow of the story or emotions, so it’s a bit hard to switch up your emotions at times like that. Of course, I eventually manage to switch up my emotions while filming, but the last scene was the only one where Gouriki (Ayame) and I talked about how we really wanted to do it in one continuous shot. When we told staff about it, they completely understood and helped us with the filming. That’s why I feel so different about that scene, and I get a sense of accomplishment, like “I did that!” Even now, I still feel really happy when I think back to that scene, it still remains in my heart. — Were there any scenes that were difficult to film? The storyline is different from the original, but the drama still follows a pretty complex story, where we travel from the “real world” to the “virtual world.” So my co-stars and I often joked about “which world am I in again?” “Which world are we filming now?” (Laughs). As I said earlier, we don’t shoot scenes in chronological order, so we had to go to the real world, then the virtual world, and back to the real world, multiple times a day. Filming those scenes was quite a pain. — Since it’s a Survival Game, I imagine there are a lot of fighting scenes. Well… to be honest, I didn’t do many fight scenes myself. It was Yuno (Ayame Gouriki) who did all the fighting (laughs). — That’s right. Yuno is devoted to protecting the protagonist. That’s right (laughs). As a man myself, I felt quite conflicted about this, but I guess that’s just Arata’s character and one of his many quirks. He does become more reliable during the second half of the show. — As the story progresses, Arata stops being pathetic and his feelings evolve. He begins to feel a sense of responsibility, not wanting to be saved anymore, rather wanting to save those he cares about the most. The hardest part of this drama is that you have to kill others in order to survive, but I think that what made Arata grow is having to carry the guilt, hopes and dreams of the users who have died before. I think “Future Diary” is also a story about Arata’s growth, which is something that I tried to carefully portray. — That must be a difficult situation for a college student who has lived a very comfortable life until now. But I think it’s because he managed to overcome that fear that Arata was able to grow. At first, he was lazy and carefree, but as he solved many of the challenges he was roped into, he turned many of his horrible experiences into positive growth, which is quite moving. I felt like I was growing with him as a character.

If you had a Future Diary… — If you actually got your hands on a Future Diary, what would you do? I’d never use it! — That was a very quick no! I thought it’d be pretty tempting, though… Well, if someone actually gave me a Future Diary, I’d have no idea what to do with it… I understand wanting to rely on it, and there are certainly moments where you’d want to take advantage of it. There were times during the filming of the drama where I felt mentally exhausted, and wished I knew what would happen in the future. But I’m sure that once you look at it, you wouldn’t be able to stop… so I’d destroy it before even looking at it (laughs). — Maybe you feel that way because you were able to act it out, like a simulated experience. I think that’s part of it too. Considering my acting experience, I think it’s more interesting to not know what the future holds. — But the interesting thing about the Future Diary is that you can change the future with it. The diary doesn’t just write unavoidable events. That’s right. If I had to use it for something, I think it’d be best to change the future with it. That’s still pretty scary, though… — Speaking of scary, Yuno is an important character in this series, and she’s meant to be a scary young girl. The drama, however, made her much milder. When we started filming, I often asked the men on set: “what would you do if someone like that really existed?” — Well, Yuno’s so cute that you can’t flat-out reject her… That’s a man’s weakness (laughs). — During the second half of the story, we learn the reasoning behind Yuno’s actions, so I think some of it makes sense. As I was acting, I gradually began to think “whoa, she’s so cute.” Her devotion, how she’d sacrifice herself for me… But once filming was over, I realized I couldn’t really date someone like that (laughs)… At least as an outsider I can cheer her on.

I'm most pleased with my work when it satisfies the original author. — You’ve had many opportunities to play the roles of manga characters. Besides “Future Diary,” you’ve been in “A Gentle Breeze in the Village” (original by Fusako Kuramochi/ 2007), where you played Hiromi Oosawa, and Space Brothers (original by Chuuya Koyama/ 2012), where you played Hibito Namba. I’ve appeared in many adaptations of manga so far, but to be honest, I’ve never thought much about it. Normally, I want to appear as close to the character as physically possible, for the sake of the fans. But with this work, I didn’t have to worry too much about that, since the age of the character was changed. — You have to appease both the original author and the fans, so it must be difficult to play a character that’s already so well-loved. I try not to think too much about it. At first it did make me worry, but then I realized that there’s a difference between what I can perform as an actual human and what can be drawn in a manga. I like to think of the series on its own. As long as it’s fun to watch and the story and characters are well-established, then it’s all good. — So you don’t worry too much about sticking to the original work, and instead aim for the live-action to be perfect as a live-action. Exactly. I hope viewers will enjoy the manga as a manga, and the drama as a drama. But of course, I can’t forget to respect the original work, in fact, I think it’s the most important thing. I'm most pleased with my work when it satisfies the original author. — In that case, is there any message you’d like me to share with the original author, Sakae Esuno? A message? … Please ask him: “was Arata good in the drama? I’m really sorry if it wasn’t.” — We’ll make sure to ask him. Thank you very much for your time.

Overview Second-year middle school student, Yukiteru Amano, is a lonely, introverted boy whose only friends are a product of his imagination, those being “Deus Ex Machina,” the god of time and space, and his servant, “MurMur.” His daily routine consists of keeping a diary on his phone, but one day, he notices that events that haven’t happened yet are being written on his diary. Once these events become a reality, Yukiteru is ecstatic over knowing what the future holds. However, he soon learns that there are eleven other people who also own a “Future Diary,” and that all of them are now part of a Survival Game, where they must kill each other to become the next god of time and space. He also learns that his classmate, Yuno Gasai, is one of the owners of the Future Diaries, joining him in the Survival Game. Yuno Gasai: Nicknamed 2nd, she’s the owner of the “Yukiteru Diary," which only records Yukiteru’s future. Despite being admired by everyone in her school for her beauty and excellent grades, she’s actually Yukiteru’s stalker. Even though her erratic behavior confuses Yukiteru, she’s willing to risk her life in order to protect him. Yukiteru Amano: Nicknamed 1st, he’s the owner of the “Indiscriminate Diary,” which records everything that happens around him. He’s a shy, introverted second-year middle school student. He gets caught up in a Survival Game thanks to “Deus,” a being that should’ve been but a figment of his imagination. He’s also good at darts.

Questions about the TV drama for the original author, Sakae Esuno — We have a question from Okada-san: “was Arata good in the drama? I’m really sorry if it wasn’t.” It was totally okay (laughs). Thank you for your hard work. — What were your thoughts when you saw Okada-san playing Arata? He’s introverted, but also quite witty. I think that’s part of Okada-san’s personality showing through (laughs). A protagonist that makes impulsive decisions while faced with hardships can leave a bad impression on the audience, but I feel like he did a really good job with Arata. — What did you think of Ayame Gouriki, who plays Yuno? I heard that Gouriki-san was very worried about her character because she had a difficult time understanding Yuno’s thought process. However, her wonderful performance was worth the struggle. I feel like it’s good to see a new side of Gouriki-san as an actress. I also enjoyed the new version of Yuno that she created. — The drama version had a unique plot. What were your thoughts after watching it? It was certainly unique, but watching it, I felt like it was a parallel story that reinterpreted the themes of the original. So it didn’t make me uncomfortable, in fact, I enjoyed it. It was a very entertaining piece. — Were there any scenes that left an impact on you? As the original author, I couldn’t help but wonder, “what will Deus do? … Will he do this? Will he do that?!” I was very intrigued by the changes from the original work, but on the flip-side, they had me the most entertained. Before the show aired, I already knew the basic outline of the story, but the unexpected developments during the second half of the show and the changes from the manga made the most impact on me. — “Future Diary” has been adapted to a TV drama, a game and an anime. How did your involvement vary in each adaptation? And what do you think is the core aspect of this series that has been adapted across multiple media? I was involved in many aspects of the game and anime, from putting forward ideas to supervising the story, as well as the tone of voice, art, adding, deleting and replacing sequences. On the other hand, I left the drama entirely up to the production staff, so it was fun to see the staff show me all sorts of things I wasn’t involved in making. The core aspect shared amongst all adaptations is that “knowing the future can be both a blessing and a curse,” which I find to be an interesting theme. — Would you recommend the drama to the people looking to buy it on DVD? It’s an entertaining series that’ll keep you wondering what will happen next. The unexpected twists will definitely surprise you. It’s a must-see for fans of Okada-san and Gouriki-san!

Aside from this interview, there were a few smaller ones that appeared on the official site for Future Diary Another World. You can find the original website here. The site has several subpages, such as "introduction," “story,” “cast & staff,” “character chart,” “topics,” “message,” and “FOD.” The first three have pretty basic information about the show’s plot and actors, while the character chart dives into the relation the characters have to one another. The message board is simply for fans to leave their comments, while the “FOD” page is where you could originally purchase the show. The “topics” page is the most interesting of them all, because it gave updates about the show's production, short interviews with the cast and little fun facts. I’ll insert some images of the posts I found the most interesting:

(Note: I’m sorry if the translation is a bit wonky, the content of these images is Google Translated. Normally, I don’t like to do this, but this site had a lot of content that was difficult to parse through during the little time I had. Since translating the site isn’t a priority of mine, I decided to take the short-cut)

Also, here's the character chart (translated by me this time):

That marks the end of this post. Stay tuned for the main analysis coming… somewhere in the future lol

#future diary #mirai nikki #the future diary #yuno gasai #sakae esuno #anime #japanese drama #dorama #Youtube

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