transitions101 | [ Media Commentary] Platinum Data

Here's an intriguing article written by entertainment journalist Otaka Hiroo, who has a regular column on Nihon Eiga. It's rather apt that I post this today, since I had only just watched Platinum Data yesterday. I'd love to hear your thoughts on the article and the movie too!

Nothing Unusual On The Entertainment Front

Platinum Data – a myriad of possibilities

Platinum Data, starring Ninomiya Kazunari, was off to a thought-provoking start. The movie premiered in 310 movie theaters nationwide on 16 March. Within 2 days, it garnered an audience of 305,743 people, with record box office earnings of 400,496,000 yen. It was truly a hit. However, to me, I wouldn’t have thought it strange if the box office earnings had been higher, given the ticket pre-sales. I had greater expectations.

This movie falls under the “Idol Movie” category. Amidst all that, I felt it was an original project. Whilst utilizing Arashi’s Ninomiya Kazunari as its protagonist, the film also touched on original material. It was a common tactic to cast a popular star as the lead and create an easy, upbeat film. Of course, there is room for adventure, and this movie felt noticeably ambitious.

I very much wish to commend that ambition. However, when you look at the demographic of this particular hit, a very large proportion of the audience was female. In other words, there were very few guys who went to see the film. We might take this as the norm, but I had hoped for this movie to surpass that “norm”. The favorable ticket pre-sales could be attributed to Ninomiya’s popularity, but how extensive an impact does his popularity and inner strength have? This should have been a factor of utmost importance in the movie’s performance.

On Wednesday, which was Ladies’ Day, the theaters which screened Platinum Data were filled with female audience members. It was the same case for Cinecon, which garnered ticket sales above the weekend numbers. Perhaps it was Nino’s inherent magic at work. You could say that if it weren’t for him, you couldn’t achieve these sales figures easily. But let me just say this again, the promotion method at this point was centered on his fans. I just felt that it was an incredible waste.

This is when the aforementioned ambition becomes an issue. As to whether [the movie makers] should have aspired to catch the interest of non-fans, it would have involved other factors. A suspense movie which revolves around a person’s DNA; we’ve stated it simply here, but to what extent has that topic pervaded the movie? And how much did it contribute to the public interest in the film? I felt that part was a little ambiguous.

You rarely come by an actor like Ninomiya Kazunari. He’s incredibly popular. The premise was interesting. That’s why I think it was appropriate for the movie to have a greater status as a hit. The movie might have been a success, but going forward, whilst expanding their possibilities, and leveraging on his personality, I hope both Ninomiya’s charm and the film’s content will reach out to a wider audience. I don’t think I’m asking for the moon here.

Read the original article in Japanese here.

Any thoughts on how the movie should have fared, compared to its actual performance? I thought Nino acted his tiny butt off but the script did not deliver its promise. If you wanna write about the movie, please warn others by leaving a SPOILER WARNING in your comment.

ETA: Oh, oh! I realize it's Nino month, so if you don't mind your F-list being spammed with little posts here and there, I'll be translating bits of stuff I find interesting. I look forward to being more productive.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I too saw it three times. Only Filmgarde picked it up for general release here, it was on both at the Kallang Iluma and the Bugis+Iluma. I saw it the first weekend, and I took both my hubby and son, as well as my daughter.

In Singapore it has been marketed as 'the film bassed on Higashino Keigo's novel ..." and although only three of his books have been translated to English, and only then quite some time ago (Naoko was published in 2004,秘密 in the Japanese original,) and a couple into French and/or German.

My sister saw it at Bugis and said that the screening she went to see it in was quite full. (I think she went on opening day) When asked if it was full of Japanese and fangirls. She replied that surprisingly it was full of Caucasians, and it was split half and half with men and women. Out of curiousity she went up to a woman to ask if she was a fan, to which she replied that she went because of the author.

On the first Saturday (with the family in tow) ... I asked hubby what he thought of it, and he said that now he wouldn't mind checking out the author's book in English. Hubby is into Japanese Literature though, so he might be an odd one. I also asked my boy if he enjoyed the film. He said "Yes" and thought Nino was cool. He is 10 going on 11 and a Nino fan-boy so he might also be biased. ^_~ The cinema on that day was 3/4 full (it WAS Saturday and June school hols started already) A mixed crowd I would say; fangirls, Japanese ladies (also fangirls maybe ^_~) and quite a few couples. A healthy mix of local, Japanese and other foreigners.

I went on Sunday with a fellow fangirl and bumped into other fellow fangirls, again the cinema was 3/4 full. Again a mixed crowd too. One of the other fans said that she saw it three times and slept through most of the second and third go.

I went on Wednesday afternoon 3:50 pm show with my girl. (when I looked in the papers then it was still on at both Kallang and Bugis Iluma) and this is the second week already. Cinema was maybe only a third full. It's on a second week ... and I just looked at the Filmgarde site ... they're still showing it at both cinemas, and this would be counted as the third weekend. This is a hopeful statistic for a Japanese film.

So whilst the fangirls know that Nino is in it, it isn't marketed as a 'Ninomiya of Arashi' film. I think it has a more hopeful outing here because our international film scene is actually quite wide and varied.

Same as you I watched it with a view to look out for different things and things I didn't catch the other times I saw it. As a Chemist (who did a module on Biochemistry) and a math geek, I really tried to pay attention to the more scientific balancing the ethics of how such a system might work and/or fail, as well as the characterisations of the actors. (Yes I was actually checking mentally to see if the larger numbers she was writing down really were Prime numbers ... and they were ... they really were!!! maths geek go me!)

I thought (as Barbosa2007 does) that Nino acted his butt off. He did really well here, and playing a character with duality issues, isn't always the easiest thing. Also ... my heart did lurch every time Action!Nino took a tumble, because he seems so frail sometimes. But he showed us he can roll with them if he needs to. Go! Nino!

Personal opinion, the film was better than I expected, even with some developmental/continuity hiccups. Nino did so wonderfully with the script he was given. I think the lady who played the psychologist was wonderfully creepy and brilliant.

And maybe only in Japan would it be quite hard to market it as other than a Nino (an idol) movie. A friend who lives in Canada, (she's 60 and not a Nino fan) has said that there were whisperings of the film being released local to her in an arthouse theatre. She only knows the book because she's a linguist that worked in Japan for 10 years and has read Higashino's work. So like I said maybe it is easier outside of Japan to market it as something else rather than an idol movie.

Sorry for the long comment. "waves to fellow Singaporean* I thought it might be relevant here, as anywhere else. Apologies to all if I stepped on anyone's toes. ^_^

Edited 2013-06-07 16:51 (UTC)

Wow, your comment is long !! Hahaha >_______<

I didn’t know Kallang Leisure Park also picked it up. I was buying the tickets online and I only saw the listing for Bugis+ Iluma, so I assumed they weren’t showing it at their Kallang branch.

Yeah, I noticed it being marketed as a ‘film based on Higashino Keigo’s novel’ too, but the name isn’t very prominent here, therefore, I didn’t really understand this marketing strategy.

What disappointed me greatly about their marketing is that, it isn’t very much promoted to begin with. I’d expect to see more posters, or advertisements at the mrt station small tv (like there was for Gantz, but Gantz was under GV, so maybe it’s different) or just more exposure, but I only know of posters at Kinokuniya and that huge board at Filmgarde itself.

Personally, I mentioned to a colleague about wanting to watch the movie (my own little PR >___<) and was actually surprised she too said she wanted to watch it. She watched Japanese/Taiwan/Korean films, but she’s not a fangirl. She doesn’t really know Nino, and she doesn’t know of Higashino Keigo either, but she got to know of Platina Data as she was surfing the cinema sites for movies to watch.

I totally for Nino’s acting. Though sometimes, I’m not sure if I’m just saying that out of biasness or not, so normally, I try not to say anything unless asked x______x “my heart did lurch every time Action!Nino took a tumble, because he seems so frail sometimes.” Mine too !! I think it’s wonderful that I was able to feel for the characters as the characters themselves, and not Nino.

I agree with you though, that it’s easier to promote it as something other than an idol movie outside Japan. I always stayed until the very, very end, to see who actually sits through Breathless, bcos I think those are the Arashi/Nino fans that attend. And yes, only about half of the audience stayed behind.

Though as a whole, I don’t really mind if it’s not promoted as an Idol movie, I just wish that it gets more exposure.

P.S. *waves* Your son sounds adorable btw !! And thank you for sharing your observation, it’s nice to know. Oh, my comment is long too >_<

[ Media Commentary] Platinum Data – A Myriad of Possibilities

mild spoilers only for characterisation, no actual plot spoilers

Re: mild spoilers only for characterisation, no actual plot spoilers