Ooku press conference - Nino talks about kiss scene with Aoi

The cast of the upcoming movie "Ooku" recently held a press conference to commemorate the end of the filming.
The movie, based on a popular manga by Yoshinaga Fumi, is set during the Edo period with the twist that the roles between the genders have been completely reversed. In the story, the shoguns of the time are actually women, and the "ooku" (the "inner chambers" of the shogun’s castle) consists of thousands of men rather than women. Ninomiya Kazunari (27) and Shibasaki Kou (29) play the leading roles, but the supporting cast is packed with more great names such as Horikita Maki (21), Tamaki Hiroshi (30) and more.
Ninomiya, "The last scenes in the ooku were incredibly deep and strong, it made me quite sad when we finished filming everything. Whether I looked right or left, everyone was a leading actor in my mind and I'm really glad that I got to participate in such a wonderful movie." Shibasaki and Horikita both had nothing but high praises for Ninomiya as well. Shibasaki, "Ninomiya is such an openhearted person. He really lowered the threshold and made it easier for all of us." Horikita, "I had a lot of scenes together with Ninomiya and even during the more difficult scenes he was always so kind and looked out for me."
Speaking about difficult roles, Ninomiya also had to do a kiss scene together with young actor Nakamura Aoi (19). "It was soft and warm. If you think about it, I'm an 27 year-old ojisan, so it's me who has to be sorry for doing it with such a young person. We had to do that scene 4 or 5 times and each time I apologized to him," Ninomiya revealed. Did he maybe make the mistakes on purpose to repeat the kiss scene? "And so another rumor was born…," he bitterly smiled.
Horikita plays Onobu, a sweet neighborhood girl and childhood friend of Mizuno (Ninomiya) who is completely in love with him and while she had difficulties as well, they were on a far different level. "In the movie Onobu always calls Mizuno 'danna' (patron), but you usually don't say danna anymore these days. It was quite a difficult role," she said.
They've also asked the cast what they would want to be like, if they switched the gender. Horikita, "I'd like to be a man completely absorbed in sports, a real macho and muscle man." Shibasaki had similar thoughts and answered, "A lone traveler. I'd like to go wandering and go to places that would be too dangerous for women." Ninomiya would rather try to experience giving birth and Kanjani8's Okura Tadaoyshi (25) answered, "I'd like to be a Johnny's groupie."
Wakui Emi (39) and Abe Sadawo (40) also attended the event. "Ooku" will open in Japan on October 1, 2010. (Kawaii Joyuu)