Back to All News
in Love and Deep Water' Screenwriter Yuji Sakamoto Interview
Entertainment
24 November 2023
GlobalJapan
Link copied to clipboard
-When did you write the screenplay for this film?
It was after "My Dear Exes" and before "Love With a Case." It was written between the end of 2021 and February 2022.
-Why did you decide to set it on a cruise ship?
I always wanted to write a film about a mystery with romantic comedy elements set in a resort, like a ski resort or a tropical island. As one variation, I suggested setting it on a cruise ship. I actually proposed another work set on a ship before, but I was told it would be too expensive to film. Netflix was able to make this idea a reality.
-What did you keep in mind while working on your first Netflix title?
I have watched a lot of Netflix titles, so I simply wanted to write one myself. I may not have had any deeper thoughts than that. But I was used to writing TV dramas, where the staff changes for each show and everyone around me would be happy or sad depending on the reaction to each episode, and I was accustomed to writing under pressure while the series was airing, so the change in environment was much bigger than I expected.
-The works you have written in recent years have gained attention for their social aspects. Since "In Love and Deep Water" is a work of pure entertainment, is this title a return to your roots in some way?
This phrasing might lead to misunderstandings, but in general, I consider myself a writer of what are called trendy dramas. I intend to write screenplays that are necessary for each era we live in. In the 1990s, trendy dramas were needed, and a diverse group of titles were born from that need. But in the 2010s, the influence of TV dramas themselves began to weaken. In these adverse circumstances, I thought about what dramas I should make to capture the mood of the era, or even to love that era in time, and wrote those screenplays in response. So if there was a change in my writing style then, I think its because there was mainly a change in the era itself. There was an element of that in "My Dear Exes." The whole world, including the TV drama production environment, has been trending toward honoring austerity, so I wanted to rebel against that trend and depict a flashier world.
-You write screenplays that arent deliberately "matched" to society, but rather are "needed" by it. In that sense, have you always remained a "trendy" drama screenwriter?
I think thats right. It might sound a little arrogant to say that my dramas are needed by that particular era, but I always wanted to show love for that time period by writing screenplays.
-This is rather specific, but it almost seems like you were predicting the future with the conversations about eating insects and the Cannes Film Festival that appear in "In Love and Deep Water."
Well, I wrote the script in 2021 (laughs). Unlike TV drama screenplays that I write simultaneously as theyre being broadcast, the script strangely started matching up with reality from around the time of the film "We Made a Beautiful Bouquet." Despite writing it much earlier, certain things in it would become popular around the time the film came out.
-Isnt that a really good thing?
Many good things may happen as a result, but as a screenwriter, I want people to wonder what a particular work is or means when it comes out. Ideally, people would finally understand it after about three years (laughs).
-Ive heard that your screenwriting method includes creating detailed profiles of each character, even if they arent directly related to the story.
I didnt do that this time. I wanted to change my approach to writing screenplays. Unlike drama series, with feature-length films, if you dig too deep into the characters it can take too long to get the story moving. Thats why I wrote this screenplay centered on the story rather than the characters. That said, I did have something similar to a profile for each of them in my head.
-The very serious butler played by Ryo Yoshizawa seems like a particularly refreshing character, a type that hasnt often appeared in your past works.
I had some interest in the "butler story" genre, like Kazuo Ishiguros "The Remains of the Day." People who serve others, like butlers, must be serious even when no one is watching, right? When I thought about that, I saw some humor there.
-Were there any specific works you referred to when writing the script for "In Love and Deep Water"?
I didnt really reference them, but at home recently Ive been watching films directed by Ernst Lubitsch or starring Fred Astaire.
-In terms of genre, would those be screwball comedies?
Thats right. From the time I wrote trendy dramas, a big question was how to make sophisticated romantic comedies in Japan that were like the Hollywood films of that time. It was challenging to make those sorts of chic conversations between men and women or scenes of lovely parties fit within the setting of Japan. I still have that desire to make those kinds of back-and-forth conversations and aphorisms fit within the context of the Japanese language.
-If you had the time and money, would you want to go on a cruise like the passengers on the ship in "In Love and Deep Water"?
Not at all. On a long cruise, you have to get to know the other passengers. I cant imagine getting friendly with strangers there. (laughs)
(Interviewer: Koremasa Uno)
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
28/11/2025
Nadia Fall attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Brides at the Egyptian Theatre on January 24, 2025, in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donyale West/...
28/11/2025
It's easy to ignore those little red update available badges. But when it ...
28/11/2025
WASHINGTON Federal Communications Commission has released a tentative agenda for the December Open Commission Meeting scheduled for Thursday, December 18, 2025 ...
28/11/2025
The Professional Fighters League is looking to super-serve fans of mixed martial...
28/11/2025
Fubo has released in beta on select Roku devices a new feature that lets users display up to four simultaneous streams at once....
28/11/2025
The WNBA playoffs and Week 4 of the NFL regular season highlight the list of live sports events airing on television this weekend....
28/11/2025
The 32nd class of honorees to the B+C Hall of Fame took to the stage at New York's Ziegfeld Ballroom on September 26 for a gala induction event. Click below...
28/11/2025
We hold in our hands the very last Next Text for Next TV, the weekly back-and-fo...
28/11/2025
DirecTV said it made a deal with EchoStar to buy EchoStar's video businesses, including satellite-TV provider Dish TV and virtual MVPD Sling TV, for $1 plus...
28/11/2025
The Broadcasting+Cable Hall of Fame, the premier industry event paying tribute to the influencers, innovators and shining lights of broadcast, cable and streami...
28/11/2025
Friday 28 November 2025
Sky Sports x Slawn drop limited-edition football jersey...
28/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz shows resilience in a challenging environment, revenue exceeds t...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
LONDON Vizrt has added several AI-driven advanced features offering improved speed, intelligence and accuracy in the newest version of its media asset managemen...
27/11/2025
Prime Video has launched AI-powered video season recaps in a beta version for select English-language Prime Original series in the U.S., a move Amazon is callin...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's Raat Akeli Hai: The Bansal Murders Marks a Grand...
27/11/2025
27 Nov 2025
GSMA brings M360 Eurasia 2026 to Samarkand in partnership with VEON...
27/11/2025
Tahar Rahim and Izuka Hoyle star in the gripping six-part Sky Original from Acad...
27/11/2025
Thursday 27 November 2025
Sky Arts Reveals the Nation's Greatest Basslines - and Queen Reign Supreme
The UK's most iconic basslines have been revealed...
27/11/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things 5': Prepare for One Last Adventure With O...
27/11/2025
The media industry has a paradox at its core. It's an industry built on light, color and imagination, yet behind the scenes, it's powered by one of the ...
27/11/2025
Rating reflects rating progress across areas including policies, diversity & inclusion, health & safety and Net Zero leadership
Winchester, UK, 27 November 202...
27/11/2025
What are the industry standards for Retail Media? Kathryn explains that certification is based on the IAB Europe Retail Media Measurement Standards and the IAB ...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
27/11/2025
Black Friday is leveling up. Get ready to score one of the biggest deals of the season - 50% off the first three months of a new GeForce NOW Ultimate membership...
26/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: Prime Video EP Mike Muriano Previews Massive Black Friday Slate Fe...
26/11/2025
A cinematic snow sculpture at the 1995 Sundance Film Festival. Photo by Randall Michelson...
26/11/2025
Book podcasts are booming. On Spotify, you'll find everything from celebrity book clubs to deep dives with bestselling authors. And in markets where audiobo...
26/11/2025
Mumbai, November 24, 2025: In a first-of-its-kind initiative, JioStar, in collab...
26/11/2025
LONDON Factual content producer ITN Productions has launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins....
26/11/2025
MIAMI TelevisaUnivision said it struck a new multiyear distribution agreement with YouTube TV that includes distribution of TelevisaUnivision's U.S. network...
26/11/2025
OpenDrives, Inc., a leader in software-defined data storage and data services, today announced the launch of the Atlas Corporate Creative Solution. This new Atl...
26/11/2025
Disguise, the industry-leading company powering the world's biggest live performances, is partnering with pioneering LED wall manufacturer DVS to give atten...
26/11/2025
HighField AI, the pioneer in agentic and multimodal automation for broadcast and media production, today announced the expansion of its global channel partner n...
26/11/2025
As high-stakes Premier League fixtures approach and additional premium content launches, with MONO positioning themselves to dominate Thailand's sports stre...
26/11/2025
Hosting a wide variety of events from high-intensity NHL games to complex live music concerts and major entertainment productions, Montreal's 21,000 capacit...
26/11/2025
Vizrt, the leader in live production technology revolutionizing viewer engagement and experience, releases AI-driven advances focusing on speed, intelligence, a...
26/11/2025
ITN Productions, an award-winning factual content producer, today launched a new low-latency IP gallery for news bulletins. Responsible for delivering a leading...
26/11/2025
Ikegami reports ongoing advances throughout 2025 in developing and delivering coordinated television production solutions that maximize quality, versatility and...
26/11/2025
Following the Nov. 21 blackout of NBCUniversal channels on Fubo, the two sides have traded barbs about their inability to reach a new carriage deal....
26/11/2025
LONDON As TV sports rights become increasingly important for both broadcasters and streamers, Ampere Analysis predicts global investment in the genre will surpa...
26/11/2025
LOS ANGELES Vubiquity said it has achieved the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Media & Entertainment Competency as part of the AWS Partner Network (APN). This designa...
26/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau said it has entered into a consent decree with Comcast calling for the cable company t...
26/11/2025
Berklee Named to the Hollywood Reporters Top Music Schools List The publication highlights the college's screen scoring program, industry partnerships, and ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
Animated Series Love Through a Prism' Casts New Light on ...
26/11/2025
Back to All News
NALIP Unveils Fifth Cohort of Director Incubator
Social Impact
26 November 2025
United States
Link copied to clipboard
The National Assoc...
26/11/2025
YouView Achieves Greenly Gold Certification for SustainabilityNov 26, 2025
YouView is proud to announce a Gold Certification award from Greenly for our perform...
Back to All News
