The much-talked-about film depicting the advertising industry "Judge!" Opening Day Stage Greeting

From left: Yoshimitsu Sawamoto, who gave the stage greeting; Kyoka Suzuki; Satoshi Tsumabuki; Keiko Kitagawa; Etsushi Toyokawa; Satoshi Nagai

 

On January 11th, the opening day stage greeting for the nationwide release of the film "Judge!" (distributed by Shochiku) was held at Marunouchi Piccadilly in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Alongside lead actor Satoshi Tsumabuki, the star-studded cast including Keiko Kitagawa, Kyoka Suzuki, and Etsushi Toyokawa took the stage, joined by director Satoshi Nagai and screenwriter Yoshimitsu Sawamoto.

The film is set at the Santa Monica International Advertising Festival, where the world's best commercial is decided. It depicts the struggles of a young advertising agency employee, unexpectedly thrust into the role of judge, who must fulfill the mission of getting his company's commercial awarded, competing against top creators handpicked from around the world.
Director Nagai is a commercial director at CluB_A, while screenwriter Sawamoto is a commercial planner at Dentsu Inc. Both are top-tier creators in the industry, responsible for numerous hit commercials. Sawamoto has also won many awards at international advertising festivals like the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and has extensive experience as a juror. This collaboration between two leading figures in Japan's advertising world comically depicts the behind-the-scenes world of advertising festivals while also questioning true justice through the protagonist's almost foolish devotion to advertising.


Mr. Nagai, directing a feature-length film for the first time, expressed surprise: "I envisioned my ideal casting, and it came true exactly as I imagined." At the same time, he admitted, "The pressure was immense, to the point where I thought, 'This is too much.'" He also expressed gratitude to the companies that agreed to appear in the film with their real names, stating that this "added realism to a story about the advertising industry, which is generally hard for people to relate to."
Sawamoto greeted the audience, saying, "When making commercials, you can't see the faces of the viewers, but today, seeing so many faces is scary," drawing laughter from the crowd.
Sawafuji, who played the unremarkable young creative lead, described the role as "the culmination of all the 'loser guy' performances I've done in commercials and films." Kitagawa, who played his colleague and portrayed his wife at the advertising festival, chimed in, "If you're choosing a partner, personality matters more than talent." After a video message from Sakanaction, who performed the theme and ending songs, Sawafuji stated: concluded, "The year has just begun. I think this is the perfect movie to start the year with a laugh. It's also a growth story about a loser achieving something, so I'd be happy if people felt inspired to think, 'This year, I'm going to do it!'"