Who Is Keishi Otomo? A Director Who Crosses Visual Boundaries
Although both are audiovisual works, films and television dramas differ greatly in their production approaches. Keishi Otomo crosses this boundary with ease, establishing new visual expression by applying directing techniques developed in television drama to cinema.
Otomo began as an NHK director and pursued realism in works such as Hagetaka in 2007 and Ryomaden in 2010. He later entered cinema, bringing fresh energy to Japanese film with the Rurouni Kenshin series from 2012 to 2021.
How did his visual expression connect television and film and open new possibilities? This article focuses on Otomo’s visual beauty and explores his directing methods.
1. Realism and Drama Developed at NHK
Otomo’s filmmaking origins lie in directing NHK dramas. Hagetaka and Ryomaden featured cinematic image-making absent from conventional television drama.
1. Hagetaka: Cinematic Direction in an Economic Drama
In Hagetaka, he introduced dynamic, cinematic camerawork and meticulous editing into a serious drama about corporate acquisitions. Frequent handheld camerawork, in particular, created a realistic, documentary-like texture. This allowed audiences to feel immersed as though actually present at the scene of a corporate takeover.
2. Ryomaden: A New Style of Period Drama
Ryomaden pursued a raw quality absent from conventional period drama. Rejecting the formal direction of earlier taiga historical dramas, it portrayed Sakamoto Ryoma’s life as a gritty, realistic human drama. Low-angle camerawork and backlit filming also created a texture like watching a film.
2. Cinematic Direction in the Rurouni Kenshin Series
The Rurouni Kenshin series is a leading example of applying direction developed in television to film. It renewed action expression in Japanese cinema, combining dynamic camerawork with realism.
1. Wire Work and Realistic Sword Fighting
Many period action films commonly used excessive wire work and computer graphics. Otomo, however, emphasized practical action as much as possible and had his cast learn genuine sword techniques. The result was combat scenes combining realistic movement with a cinematic sense of speed.
2. The Skill of Camerawork and Editing
The Rurouni Kenshin series frequently uses distinctive camerawork in battle scenes. Handheld shots that seem to chase the action, combined with slow motion and rapid cutting, create action with both anime-like exhilaration and live-action realism.
3. Direction Beyond the Boundary Between Television and Film
Otomo’s works are not simply television-like films or cinematic television dramas. They represent a new style of visual expression that successfully combines the techniques of both.
1. Direction That Makes the Most of Actors’ Performances
A major difference between film and television drama is the pace of performance. Films can be shot over longer periods, allowing actors to develop performances carefully. Television dramas are shot quickly, making tempo important. Otomo understands these differences, drawing out subtle emotions in film and emphasizing pacing in television drama.
2. Diversity of Visual Expression
Otomo has successfully combined realism with dynamic imagery across genres. In March Comes in Like a Lion, released in 2017, for example, beautiful camerawork and lighting turn quiet shogi matches into cinematic drama.
Conclusion: The New Visual Expression Opened by Keishi Otomo
Otomo built a distinctive style by combining the realism he developed in NHK dramas with cinema’s dynamic visual expression.
In Hagetaka and Ryomaden, he pursued visual beauty beyond the boundaries of television drama, while the Rurouni Kenshin series renewed action expression in Japanese cinema. Above all, his defining characteristic is his constant effort to expand the possibilities of moving images regardless of genre.
Watching his work will surely make you feel that moving images still hold many possibilities. If you have not yet explored his films, experience their visual beauty.
