On Saturday November 29, “Love on Trial” was screened at the NTT Cred Hall No.1. The film tells the story of a young woman serving as the front member of a Japanese pop idol group who finds herself put on trial after breaking the unspoken rule that “idols must not date.”
The film depicts the protagonist’s loneliness, what she sacrificed for her life as a pop icon, and how she struggles to get back her own identity, which is hidden behind the brilliant surface of Japanese idol industry,
Director Koji Fukada is known for his works such as “Hospitalité” and “Harmonium” that have received international acclaim. The film has also attracted global attention, having been screened in the 78th Cannes Film Festival and the 30th Busan International Film Festival.
Following the screening, a talk session was held featuring Director Fukada and Mitsuki Imamura, who appears in the film as a member of the idol group. The interviewer was freelance personality Michita Kimura.
Director Fukada shared that he began developing the concept around 2015, inspired by a news report about a member of a Japanese pop idol group, who was sued for damages by her agency after violating a contractual ban on dating. He recalled being both shocked by the article and interested in the contrast between the glamorous, curved world of idols and the solemn, linear structure of the courtroom.
Regarding casting the idol group portrayed in the film, Director Fukada noted that selecting the lead role proved particularly challenging. Ms. Imamura reflected on her own audition experience, saying that she gave it everything while trying to present her own interpretation of what an idol could be.
As Ms. Imamura once served as a leader of the Japanese idol group STU48, she contributed greatly to building an authentic idol presence in the film—especially in the live performance scenes and improvised MC segments. Director Fukada also expressed how much her presence helped him throughout the shooting.
“Love on Trial” is set across two entirely different worlds: the everyday life of a Japanese pop idol and the courtroom. Director Fukada explained that while acknowledging the influence and propagandistic power of visual media, he aimed not to simplify its themes, but rather to present complex matters as they are.
He revealed that he intended to leave room for the audience to freely interpret and give each viewer an opportunity to think about freedom, human rights, and what a life as an idol would be.
As the film is also exhibited in film events held in other countries. Director Fukada remarked that he felt the work had become “a mirror reflecting viewers’ perceptions of idols.”
The NTT Cred Hall, venue for the Hiroshima International Film Festival, also served as the final audition site for local idol group STU48. Hiroshima-born Ms. Imamura shared her joy that she was happy that she could begin her acting career in a place so meaningful to her. Director Fukada also spoke about his ties to Hiroshima, noting that he stayed at Onomichi city (a town located in eastern Hiroshima Prefecture) for scriptwriting.