The new Disney film, "Encanto", was released in Japan on November 26. Set in Colombia, it follows a young girl called Mirabel, who is the only one in her family without the gift of magic.
Natalie.mu interviewed artist Riho Sayashi and asked about her thoughts on the film. Sayashi said that she was lucky to have seen it at this time, as the film's message coincided with her own thoughts. What is the appeal of this film, which is full of songs that make you want to dance?
Disney or "AIBOU"?
First, please tell us what are your favorite Disney films.
The first Disney film I saw was "Finding Nemo". It was at a theater in Higashi-Hiroshima (my hometown) when I was in kindergarten. I loved it so much that I watched it again and again at home. After moving to Tokyo, I rarely went to movies with my family, but when I returned home, we saw "Frozen" together. Disney films can be enjoyed alone, but I feel there are many movies I would like to watch with my family.
So you've been familiar with Disney since you were little.
We used to have the Disney channel at home. I used to watch old Mickey Mouse cartoons. The only Japanese program I watched was "AIBOU: Tokyo Detective Duo".
Disney or AIBOU? Difficult choice (laughs)
That's true (laughs). I also learned about musicals through Disney, and realized it was possible to express emotions through songs. I think many kids, like me, were first exposed to musicals by watching Disney films, and then learned that musicals are also performed at the theater.
I remembered when I dreamed of becoming a singer
Let's talk about Encanto. Mirabel, who was the only one in her family not to be given a "magic gift", remained positive, but deep inside was insecure.
I think Mirabel is someone many people, myself included, can relate to. I have often felt that everyone else is shining, but me. I've had jobs, where I worked with other girls, both friends and rivals. I often felt inferior, thinking "she has something I don't have" or "I wish I could sing better".
Everyone can have such feelings from time to time, so Mirabel is easy to relate to.
There were parts of the story that coincided with my own thoughts. When Mirabel's family is in danger, even though she doesn't have any powers, she thinks "What can I do?" I, on the other hand, often hesitate to take the first step. I may wish I could sing like someone else, but that's not possible immediately. So instead I think "What can I do now?", and focus on what I can improve now. Like Mirabel, I feel it is important to focus on the goal in front of me and take action.
That's surprising to hear, because the image I have of Sayashi is someone who takes initiatives like you did when you graduated from Morning Musume, and went abroad to study.
I often overthink things. Instead of making a decision quickly, I tend to think "and what if I do this instead?", and this is something I have in common with Mirabel.
It reminds me of a line from the movie: "I want you to find what you can do, even if you can't use magic". You said that you began crying at the start of the film...
Yes. The first scene that made me cry was when Antonio (Mirabel's cousin) received the gift of magic. I could see the feeling of "my future is about to begin!" It reminded me of when I dreamed of becoming a singer, and I couldn't help but cry.
You also started lessons when you were young and debuted when you were 12, so I think that's something you had in common with Antonio.
That's true. After I left the group to study abroad, I had a lot of time to reflect on myself before I resumed my activities. Naturally, it made me think about today's children. When I see children walking to school or back home, I find myself wondering "what kind of future awaits them?" or "I hope they don't suffer too much" (laughs). Because I also went through a lot. Of course, some hardships are necessary, but I don't want them to suffer more than necessary. I'm sure Antonio will have some difficulties, but the way he accepted his "beginning" made me cry. It made me think "I hope you will have a good future".
Were there any other scenes that impressed you?
Luisa (Mirabel's older sister) being concerned about living up to the expectations, was very moving. When I was in the group, each member might have felt pressure to be good at singing, or do their best at variety shows. I knew that of course, but I would tend to forget it. Mirabel's point of view is that since she is the only one without magic powers, her family are probably worried about whether she can live up to expectations. But I was reminded that having a special power isn't always a great thing.
You would think that an older sister, like Luisa, would be an example. You also have a younger sister and brother, right?
Yes, I am the oldest like Isabela. Therefore, I always think I should help my siblings when they are struggling with something. I tend to think I'm the strongest one, but when I struggle, my sister will say "Don't worry, it will be fine", which surprises me! It reminds me to treat them as individuals, and not younger siblings.
It made me want to dance
I would like to hear your thoughts on the world presented in "Encanto". The film is set in Colombia. How did you feel about the vivid colors in the film?
It was colorful, but not distracting. Colors can be more distracting than black and white, but not in this case. It was rather beautiful.
There are some exciting effects, such as the stairs or floors moving magically.
I was thinking that I want to do a tour of the Madrigal family's home (laughs)! Also, when I was studying in New York, I met someone with a Colombian, and a Japanese parent, and I remember that he always talked about his family. I was aware of the culture of valuing family, and the strong bonds that exist, so watching this movie made sense to me. It's nice to have a house where the entire family can live together, right?
It's not something you see often in modern Japan.
It used to be that 30-40 relatives from my father's side of the family would gather at my grandmother's house every year. You would meet relatives such as "my grandmother's sister's son and his family" and it was always crowded. When I saw the Madrigals I was reminded of that and was jealous.
The members of the Madrigal family have various magical gifts, such as making flowers bloom, being powerful, controlling the weather with emotions, or talking to animals. What power would you choose?
I like the healing gift Mirabel's mother has. I think it would be useful if I could cure everyone's illnesses with delicious food (laughs). Recently I've come to realize that food is important for our health, and I've begun to think about the long term effect of what I eat. I can't cook every day, but I've found myself thinking "When my blood sugar rises, I get sleepy and can't concentrate." I could never imagine as a child that I would one day be thinking about my blood sugar level (laughs).
(laughs) How was the music by Lin-Manuel Miranda? I thought the latin rhythm was amazing.
I don't know much about Latin music, but I enjoyed it. The song about Bruno ("We don't talk about Bruno") made me want to dance.
Speaking of dance songs, Luisa's song had an EDM style, similar to your music. It stood out among the many Latin style songs.
It was so cool! As a dancer, I enjoyed many of the songs. Most of the musicals I have performed in have dramatic songs, and I like that music too, but I also like musicals where I can dance to the beat.
It was fate that I was able to see this film now
The message of this film is that everyone is special in some way. Have you ever had an experience where you were made aware of your "special something"?
I have an inferiority complex about how I express myself in words. It was something that used to bother me a lot in the past. But lately I have been more and more able to express what's inside me. So I was very happy to realize that I didn't have to feel that way. My manager and the staff who worked with me during the songwriting process told me "I knew you had it in you", but I didn't, and it was good to discover that.
It's good to be able to make such discoveries about yourself.
I felt that I couldn't do it, because I never said anything interesting. I couldn't really speak well on my own, but I spoke a lot during conversations. So even if you think you can't do something under the current circumstances, you could change them, and you may realize you can actually do it. There's still a lot that I need to overcome and think about every day. As this movie teaches us, there's so much more to each one of us.
Who would you like to recommend a film with such a message to?
I would like everyone to see it... It may be wrong to say this, but I felt that "Encanto" has a similar message to what I try to convey with my songs.
What are the similarities?
I also lack self-confidence and dislike myself. But with the support of the people around me, I wrote lyrics and delivered the songs, to move forward, with the hope that everyone could do the same. We often describe one's strength as talent, but there is more to each person. I am currently working on a song that says "Facing your weaknesses is strength". The idea that everyone has different strengths is similar to the message of this movie.
It would be interesting to watch "Encanto" and then listen to your next album to discover the similarities.
I agree. Watching this movie now, felt like fate.
