a lolita icon: novala takemoto - nt2099 media and entertainment

A MAN KNOWN NOT ONLY AS A BEST SELLING NOVELIST BUT ALSO HIS
CONTRIBUTIONS TO LOLITA FASHION IN JAPAN. J!-ENT INTERVIEWS “SHIMOTSUMA
MONOGATARI” (KAMIKAZE GIRLS) CREATOR & LOLITA ICON - NOVALA TAKEMOTO.
BY WYNNE IP & DENNIS A. AMITH
Photography by
J!-ENT | DECEMBER 06
NERGENE ARQUELADA
A LOLITA ICON: NOVALA TAKEMOTO
H
ello Kitty, Lolita, Vivienne
Westwood, Baby, 1745,
Kamikaze Girls, Un-birthday,
Kyoto.
There is only one name that can be
used to link all of these words together.
Enter Novala Takemoto, a charismatic novelist claiming to be born in the
year 1745 in Kyoto, Japan, who is also
a prominent Lolita lifestyle icon and
fashion designer.
While his novel debut did not come
until 2000 with the book “Mishin”,
Takemoto began his writing career in
1998 with a collection of essays called
“Soleinuit: How to Become a Proper
Maiden”.
In 2004, Takemoto’s novel “Shimotsuma Monogatari” was adapted into a
manga in Japan, and later an award-winning motion picture of the same title.
In June 2005, the movie now known
as “Kamikaze Girls” in the United States
was premiered at the L.A. Film Festival, and was a smash hit among fans of
Lolita fashion.
Once labeled as “Lolita Bard” by an
overseas newspaper, Takemoto searches
for the ultimate beauty by embracing the
lifestyle of a Lolita and supporting the
Lolita fashion, which is often presented
as Victorian and Edwardian style clothing.
He created the Pour Lolita clothing
line in collaboration with “Baby, The
Stars Shrine Bright”, as well as several
Pour Lolita versions of Hello Kitty
merchandise, such as Sweet Lolita, Punk
Lolita, Gothic Lolita and more.
On October 28-29, 2006, Novala
Takemoto made his first appearance in
America at Pacific Media Expo (PMX)
as a Guest of Honor, with his featured
film screening at the event.
But he spent his first couple of
hours of PMX at an Un-birthday Party,
enjoying sandwiches, pastries, tea, and
chatting with about fifty of his fans, all
dressed in Lolita-style clothing.
Shortly after the party, J!-ENT had
the opportunity to conduct an exclusive
interview with Novala Takemoto, who
was dressed sharply in his favorite designers clothing and accessories, among
which, his Vivienne Westwood rings,
earrings, rockinghorse shoes, and many
more.
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* NOVALA TAKEMOTO.
Photography by Nergene Arquelada
Wynne: With this being your first
visit in America, is there anything
you would like to do while staying here?
Takemoto: Before I got onto the
plane, I had no idea what Los
Angeles was and what there is to
see. So I bought a tourist guide at
the airport and found out that L.A.
is where Disneyland is and where
Hollywood is. Despite having a
very short stay, I would like to go
to Disneyland. I also took a trip
myself to Melrose yesterday and I
had a lot of fun.
you think of the fans in America,
and how are they different from
those in Japan?
Takemoto: The overall feeling I
get from the culture is similar to
what I have imagined. If I have
to find a difference, it would be
the fact that Japanese fans are
extremely shy, but on the other
hand, while American fans are
shy, they find a way to project
their views openly.
Wynne: You just had the Unbirthday Party with a group of
attendees from PMX. What do
Wynne: I read on the internet
that you have an obsession
with the Rococo era, and there
DECEMBER 06 | J!-ENT
A LOLITA ICON: NOVALA TAKEMOTO
* NOVALA TAKEMOTO DURING THE J!-ENT INTERVIEW. Photography by Nergene Arquealada
is a significance to the year 1745.
Could you explain that?
Takemoto: (laugh) Since I’d like to
hide my real age, when the need for
a personal profile came up, basically I just decided to use that year
as a small joke. There isn’t really
a specific reason why I chose that
number. If there is a problem with
it, I can change to a different year
altogether.
Wynne: How do you feel about
your novel “Shimotsuma Monogatari” being made into a manga and
a movie?
Takemoto: The overall work process
was a very interesting experience
for me. Especially with people shying away from the novel industry
nowadays, I have fans writing to
me saying, “I picked up the novel
because the movie was interesting,
and so I wanted to know what the
movie was based on. I also found
J!-ENT | DECEMBER 06
the novel interesting, but I had to
admit it was the first novel I’ve ever
read.” And I could feel that influence.
At the same time, the manga version is probably the most circulated
version of the three. It was a good
overall experience for me, because
I was able to approach the people
who don’t pick up novels and whom
I normally wouldn’t have been able
to relay my ideas to.
I realized that there isn’t an anime
version yet, and that the manga
audience is different than the anime
audience. So since there is already
a live action movie and a manga,
what I would like to wish for next is
an anime.
Wynne: Are you aware that some
of the hardcore fans of the movie
“Shimotsuma Monogatari” really
don’t seem to like the title “Kamikaze Girls”? Did you have any
say to this title, and what are
your feelings about the title?
Takemoto: Let me first say that
there are a lot of secrets behind
the English title (laugh). But just
to let some cats out of the bag, I
have no direct involvement in the
decision of the English title.
When it was decided to release
the movie overseas, the production committee thought that
“Shimotsuma Story” wouldn’t
have much impact to the overseas
viewers. They wanted a more appealing title for people to accept
it as a foreign Japanese film. They
needed something that sounded
more Japanese. And with Japanese stereotypes being Mount
Fuji, kamikaze, geisha, etc., the
team decided they wanted to call
it “Kamikaze Girls.”
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A LOLITA ICON: NOVALA TAKEMOTO
* A LOOK AT NOVALA’S RINGS. Photography by Nergene Arquealada
I didn’t expect it to be a smash hit title
overseas, and so without giving much
thought to it, I agreed on the title. To
be honest, I’m not completely happy
with the title myself, but considering
how many people might have watched
the movie because of the title, it might
not have been too bad of a choice. At
the same time, I can understand why a
lot of hardcore fans are dissatisfied with
the choice of the English title. Thinking
on their behalf, I slightly regret not putting more thoughts into it. But in the
end, the title was the only thing that
was changed. The story itself remained
the same. So to me, it was an acceptable change that was made.
Wynne: Moving on to the topic of
fashion, a lot of people with casual
knowledge of Japanese culture might
associate the word Lolita with flashy
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clothing, sexy little girls outfit, or
Japanese rock musicians. What
does the word Lolita mean to
you?
Takemoto: My way of showing
my style is my belief that beauty
is supreme in life. The outlook on
how I view beauty is the biggest
virtue. While the biggest aspect of
beauty for me is being cute, life in
all aspect for me is the pursuit of
the ultimate cuteness, and the form
that is taking place to solidify this
pursuit is where Lolita is heading.
Wynne: Recently, Japanese rock
artists such as Mana and Nana
Kitade, who are known for their
Gothic Lolita fashion, have appeared in American conventions.
What are your thoughts about
their style?
Takemoto: First I want to say: send
more of them out to the world.
Mana is a long-time friend of mine,
and I am very good friends with
Nana Kitade, so it’s really good to
see positive reviews of artists who
have a common directionality with
me. It feels like I myself am being
accepted when I see artists with
similar values being accepted. I’m
very happy about that. But I don’t
feel that I need to match paces
with them, and neither do they,
and so it’s more like supporting
each other to improve the industry.
Wynne: As you saw, a lot of people who were dressed in Lolita
fashion today were inspired by
your style and designs, and a lot
of the same people do listen to
Japanese rock music. What kind
of music do you listen to?
DECEMBER 06 | J!-ENT
* THE ORIGINAL POSTER PRINT FOR “SHIMOTSUMA MONOGATARI” STARRING KYOKO FUKADA AND ANNA TSUCHIYA. THE MOVIE
WAS DISTRIBUTED IN THE UNITED STATES AS “KAMIKAZE GIRLS”
J!-ENT | DECEMBER 06
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A LOLITA ICON: NOVALA TAKEMOTO
Takemoto: I listen to all kinds of music, including classical, house, punk
rock, alternative rock, etc. There is
no particular genre, but I do have
an idea as to what kind of sound I
prefer.
Wynne: About your clothing collaboration with “Baby, The Stars Shine
Bright”, is that an on-going project
or just a one-time deal? Will those
clothes be available in the U.S.?
Takemoto: I have no set rules for
collaboration and there is no specific contract of a business deal with
them. We are just playing around
with each other’s ideas, and there
was no specific requirement to design a certain number of pieces for a
given season. If I feel like designing
something, I just do it and present it
to them, and I would like to keep it
that way. Most likely the collaboration will continue to exist, but there
is no definite answer because it is
not certain.
really know what it is but I just know
that there is a perfect outfit for a
particular day. It’s all about how to
find the right answer for that day.
a novelist, when in fact it was more
because of my being the Master of
Lolita. The invitation itself was very
punk.
Dennis: If you could use one word
to describe yourself, what would
that be?
Takemoto: (long pause) Punk.
Dennis: Many people were very excited that you have come to PMX
in Los Angeles, and they wanted
you to go to their events. What
final words do you have for your
fans?
Dennis: And why is that?
Takemoto: I’m a novelist, and obviously I’m a guy, and I’m not as young
as many people think. With the
events such as today, many people
might think that I’m playing as Master of Lolita too much. Looking back
in history, it’s probably impossible to
find any other novelist like me in the
world. It might not be comprehendible to most people why I would get
invited to an event such as PMX as
Takemoto: I will go anywhere you
wish me to go, but you have to wait
for me, so please be patient.
WYNNE IP is an entertainment writer-atlarge for J!-ENT.
DENNIS A. AMITH is the founder/owner of
J!-ENT and is an entertainment-writer-at-large
for J!-ENT.
As for the retail outlets, there were
many questions at the Un-birthday
Party today. We’re considering a
direct retail outlet store in the U.S.,
but it is not yet certain because
we’re still in negotiation stage. If
things go smoothly, there might be a
store opening by spring of 2007. If it
happens, there will be collaboration
items on sale as part of the opening.
Dennis: Novala, you are very stylish. Do you choose your own style
based on your mood that day?
What inspires you to choose what
you want to wear?
Takemoto: First and foremost, I think
of a theme for the day. Based on
the theme, my mood, and whom I’m
seeing, I make minor adjustment and
customization to my outfit accordingly. I’m a pretty whimsical person,
so the mood I’m in when I get up in
the morning is probably the biggest
factor. I would put my outfit on and
then look at myself in the mirror. But
then usually there’d be something
wrong with it and I wouldn’t look
cool, and so I’d go back and change
over and over until I see fit. I don’t
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* NOVALA TAKEMOTO’S “KAMIKAZE GIRLS” MANGA AVAILABLE IN THE US FOR SHOJO
BEAT MANGA. DISTRIBUTED BY VIZ MEDIA. ARTWORK COURTESY OF VIZ MEDIA.
DECEMBER 06 | J!-ENT
“I’m a novelist, and
obviously I’m a guy,
and I’m not as young
as many people think.
With the events such
as today, many people
might think that I’m
playing as Master
of Lolita too much.
Looking back in
history, it’s probably
impossible to find any
other novelist like me
in the world.”
* NOVALA TAKEMOTO.
Photography by Nergene Arquealada
WHAT IS KAMIKAZE GIRLS ABOUT?
KAMIKAZE GIRLS depicts the seemingly odd friendship between a frustrated and bored country girl fixated on the lifestyle
of 18th Century France inclusive of frilly dresses and parasols, and a spunky member of an all female biker gang. Inspired by the
novel Shimotsuma Story by popular Japanese author Novala Takemoto, KAMIKAZE GIRLS takes plenty of influences from
iconic examples of pop culture cinema ranging from Tank Girl and the Outsiders to Kill Bill, combines it with some homegrown
Japanese eccentricities, and presents a film that gets inside the heart of any dedicated indie film lover.
“KAMIKAZE GIRLS is a riveting film that is sure to delight fans of Asian and action cinema, and we are pleased to bring the
film to North American shores,” states Seiji Horibuchi, co-chairman of VIZ Media. “It is a film followed by many awards and accolades in Japan and we look forward to its continued success here in the United States.”
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DECEMBER 06 | J!-ENT
Photos courtesy of Viz Media
AWARD WINNING FILM (2004)
YOKOHAMA FILM FESTIVAL (JAPAN): • Best Movie: SHIMOTSUMA STORY (KAMIKAZE GIRLS) • Best Director: Nakajima Tetsuya, SHIMOTSUMA STORY (KAMIKAZE GIRLS) • Best Actress: Kyoko Fukada, SHIMOTSUMA STORY (KAMIKAZE
GIRLS) • Best Supporting Actress: Kirin Kiki, SHIMOTSUMA STORY (KAMIKAZE GIRLS)
• Best New Actress: Anna Tsuchiya, SHIMOTSUMA STORY (KAMIKAZE GIRLS)
MAINICHI FILM AWARD (JAPAN): • Best Actress: Kyoko Fukada, SHIMOTSUMA STORY (KAMIKAZE GIRLS)
• Best New Actress: Anna Tsuchiya, SHIMOTSUMA STORY (KAMIKAZE GIRLS)
HOUCHI FILM AWARD (JAPAN: • Best New Actress: Anna Tsuchiya, SHIMOTSUMA STORY (KAMIKAZE GIRLS)
J!-ENT | DECEMBER 06
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