Profile: Mina Shimizu
Born in 1982 in Kanagawa province, Shimizu received the Yamaji Fumiko Movie Award for New Actress for her role in the movie “Warabinokou”(2003). She played the leading roles in movies such as “Inu No Eiga”(2005), “Ikutsumono, Hitori No Asa”(2006), “Breath Less” (2006), and other movies. She has gained recognition as a highly talented, up-and-coming actress.

★Warning: This interview includes information on scenes in the film. Persons who have not yet seen "Topless" may encounter spoilers.

--Which scene is your personal favorite?

My favorite scene is the one under the cherry tree - where Kana, the high school girl, asks “Will I ever be happy?” That’s also what Natsuko is always thinking - she’s always wondering, “Can I really go on like this?” Also, at this point, Natsuko realizes that other girls - not even lesbians like her - have their own worries as well. Personally, I want people who worry about being lesbian, or who are not able to come out, to see this. I want people to see that we are not alone and everybody has difficulties - I hope that this should lessen their burden. I really like the underlying sense in this movie that: “Not everybody is just bursting with happiness.”

--What was attractive about Natsuko for you?

Natsuko is a serious person. She hits on girls a lot, but she is still very serious and thoughtful. This side of her personality forces her to tackle all these tough realities before her. However, when she tries to resolve something, she often has to work out problems on her own because she doesn’t have anyone to confide in about relationships. I found this mixture of seriousness and stubbornness - stubbornness in not admitting her pain - to be adorable. I loved it. I found her attractive because while she is bright, she has her dark side too.

--Your hair is long right now, but it was short in the movie. Did you cut your hair for the movie?

No, it was just a coincidence.

--In the story, the friendship between the straight man and the lesbian woman was very compelling. What did you think of the relationship between them? Do you also have many guy friends?

Many people wonder whether friendship between a man and a woman is possible. I think it is possible. But, when I think of Natsuko’s situation, I wonder how she feels about it. From where she stands friendship between a man and a woman is just friendship between a man and a woman. However, when Koji thinks of it, he must think of it in another context. For Natsuko, Koji is just a roommate she gets along with easily. On the other hand, more than anything - Koji is in love with Natsuko. They look at the same thing from totally different angles. For Natsuko, living with Koji is just a lucky event that happened to her. Nothing is complicated. She can relax and be herself in front of him. Yet, for Koji, things are far more complicated.

--I see. I did feel that the movie portrays the reality of both the fun and the more complicated elements. Did you watch any lesbian films, or other material, to get some background?

Actually, I avoided seeing any because I didn’t want to copy anything or develop a slant.

--Who would you like to watch this film?

All kinds of people. But also, much like the director, I want people who don’t have much knowledge on the situation surrounding lesbians to watch it.

★A Message for Readers
Through this movie, I have learned and thought about a lot of things. Nothing would make me happier than to know people were able to empathize with this film when seeing it. I hope you can come to watch it at the theater!

Translated by Kaori Takyu