Yuya Yagira Talks Gut-Churning Series ‘Gannibal’

Gannibal, streaming on Hulu, is a horror/thriller series starring Yuya Yagira as Daigo Agawa, a police officer who is transferred to a sleepy village inhabited by murderous cannibals.

The series was written by Takamasa Ôe (Drive My Car), and boasts a gripping performance from Yagira as a man trying to uncover a gut-churning secret within the sinister Goto family, while keeping his own murderous impulses under control.

Yagira was the first Japanese actor and youngest person to be named Best Actor at the 57th Cannes Film Festival for his role in Nobody Knows (directed by Hirokazu Koreeda).

Yagira talked to me about playing the role of Daigo, and his interpretation of the themes of Gannibal.

How did you get involved with this project, and what appealed to you about the character?

I was offered to play the role of Daigo Agawa. I really liked the production team, including the screenwriter, so that’s why I got involved.

I had one thing in common with Daigo; I myself have a wife and child. So even though it is a very heavy, intense story, I could relate to the role. I also have acted in several works where there have been a lot of action scenes, which was an advantage that helped prepare me.

An important aspect of this series is that it shows how a police officer can use violence, and make the world a worse place. People watching will question if he is losing his mind; it’s a very sensational, or unique situation.

Either way, it was a very difficult role to play.

How did you prepare for your role?

The shooting for this series took 5 months, relatively longer than what is usually done in Japan. That meant we could really lean in and focus on the details. What made it easier for us actors, before we clocked in to shoot we had a lot of time to prepare.

The director, Shinzo Katayama, would make us act through some scenes which were not in the script which allowed us to prepare, to get into the role, which really helped us get into the shooting itself.

What was it like working with director Shinzo Katayama?

He is one of my favorite directors. He previously worked as assistant director to Bong Joon-ho, which is very rare experience. Even though Gannibal has very heavy themes, he somehow works it into something very entertaining for the audience.

Shinzo Katayama often came to me to exchange ideas, which was kind of different from my previous experiences. Usually, we would just listen to the director, and do what they tell us to do. The communication on this shoot was quite different, and there was more teamwork with the technical staff.

It was something new to me, and I really had a good time shooting.

What inspired you to deliver such a subtle performance for a violent character?

When you see the reactions of the Goto family or the people from the village, it is usually very intense; they all have very strong personalities.

In this story, I am more on the passive side. For most of the series, my character is not showing much of himself, he is listening to what others are showing him.

But at one point, I do explode.

Do you have a favorite horror or thriller that you took inspiration from?

To tell the truth, I’m not a big fan of horror movies. Horror movies made in Japan are usually very scary! So, I don’t watch them.

But I did see Train to Busan in Korea and it was very entertaining. Ma Dong-seok gave a great performance, I really liked him.

Do you see yourself working in the horror genre in future, or do you prefer action?

I would like to be in one of Marvel’s movies [laughs].

Did you read the manga the show is based on? Was there any major differences?

Yes, I did read the manga. This story is based on the conflict between Daigo, the Gotos, and the village people. But through the TV series, we also see the love between the family, even the love within the Goto family, and the relationship between love and justice.

What was the most challenging scene to film?

In Japan, there aren’t many occasions where you get to hold a gun, even while filming. As a police officer, I was armed with my gun, and the Goto family had their own firearm.

So, I had to get advice from an instructor how to do it properly; I found this quite a big challenge.

What would you like the audience to take away from this series?

The form of a family, and how to repair the relationships inside the family. For example, the Goto family, they have their own history but they also have their unique form of love.

All of the conflicts between our family, the Gotos and the village people is something I like people to see. How do you encapsulate madness, justice and love? How do you interpret that?

That’s something I’m really looking forward to seeing, the reaction from the audience and how they experience that.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity