MASUMI plays Akemi, a long-lost daughter to a powerful Yakuza gang. When family relics reach Akemi in the Japanese community within São Paulo, Brazil, Akemi fights for her life as she rediscovers her past, hunted by a mysterious man with no memory. “Yakuza Princess” boasts a ton of action while introducing the world to MASUMI! In this interview, she discusses her first film ever, working in Brazil, and even a short detour of her time growing up in Dallas Texas.
Daniel Pappas: MASUMI I love the film. “Yakuza Princess” was so inventive! I wanted to ask what drew you personally to that, that film, and that story?
MASUMI: Right! Yeah! Thank you so much for watching it! Well, first when I read (the) script I felt how similar Akemi was to me. She was Japanese being raised in Brazil and I was born in America but raised in Japan. I always have at least two cultures that I dealt with – identity and belonging themes throughout. That’s what Akemi goes through right? I felt like there were a lot of similarities going on between Akemi and me so I was really excited to be a part of it.
DP: Yeah! I did not know about the large Japanese community inside Sao Paulo. And you were in Brazil to shoot?
MASUMI: I was in Brazil for the entirety of it! And we shot a lot in this area called Liberdade which is in Sao Paulo where all the Japanese were. There is a big Japanese community in Brazil, the largest next to Japan. We got to shoot a lot of our fighting choreography using that area, the unique buildings and so I think visually it looks really interesting – the Japanese community in Brazil.
DP: It had some of that neon-soaked lights that people associate with Tokyo and you’d look and it would be in Portuguese, which was so so fascinating and added that extra angle on it that I appreciated.
MASUMI: Yeah! I totally appreciated the cross-culturalness – the Japanese and Brazil and it’s really interesting you get to see both of them.
DP: Yeah! And you had the opportunity to work with a lot of Brazilians. Did you feel like that cross-culturalness was there in the crew as well as the cast and everyone present?
MASUMI: Absolutely! I mean, not everybody spoke fluent English so a lot of times we were lining up our thoughts and trying to communicate that way and that was really familiar to me. There was a point where I didn’t really speak English. I was born [in America], but at some point, I forgot my English growing up in Japan and when I finally came back to America, I had to express my feelings a lot through miming it and communication is not all about language. We understand each other in so many different ways. So, I’m really grateful we got – so we became like a family cause we really wanted to communicate with each other and we got along so well.
DP: That’s awesome! I imagine with all the fight choreography – there’s some complicated stuff going on there. How was being on set and having to navigate not just the cross-communication but the elaborateness of a movie set?
MASUMI: For me, everything was a first time. The acting was a first time. Martial arts. Kendo sword. Everything was a first time so I had a lot coming at me, but gracefully everybody was supportive and understanding of what I was going through so we prepared a lot of it. The first month we dedicated ourselves to rehearse the action and there were the English communication struggles and because of that we really took time to understand what we were saying. By the time we hit shooting I was comfortable with what we were doing with everybody as well.
DP: It’s almost like because you spent that extra time communicating, there was more prep work done so – Did the shoot feel like it flowed fairly well?
MASUMI: I would say – yeah! I mean, we all had a great amazing working chemistry. Everybody was always really happy on set. One thing I really loved about everything was that everybody loved the director Vicente (Morim). Everybody loved him. Sometimes it was difficult because it was ninety percent night shoots so we’re shooting the fight scenes from midnight to five AM. At that point, your body starts to cramp up a little bit and lose flexibility. So there was just that kind of challenge there. But other than that, working was very easy.
DP: The Kendo plays such a role for your character – how was it – I’m curious because that’s my first time seeing that on screen in that way. I’m curious – how was your experience learning it? I feel like you had to get the crash course?
MASUMI: Laughs Absolutely! There was a lot to learn, we couldn’t take too much time on one thing. I just knew my grandfather was a Kendo master and I’ve seen a lot of pictures of him being in uniform and he was a swordmaster as well so I just prayed that I was channeling that energy. That I had it in my genes. After that, it was just practice!
DP: Will you keep up with it at all?
MASUMI: Yeah! I’m thinking about it because it’s – Kendo is not just about the movement but it’s a lot to do with the practice and the spirit of it. There’s a lot of Japanese spirit in the Kendo martial arts. You know I love to be close to it. We’ll see!
DP: Okay! I’ll keep my eyes peeled in case we see you at a Kendo contest! You have a few veterans of the film scene [on set]. You said this was your first time. How was it having Jonathan [Rhys Davies] on set with you to be able to kind work with?
MASUMI: Jonathan was amazing! He was always very clear that he was there to help me and support me and he was my big brother in the movie. There’s a lot of things I didn’t understand about marking, lighting, the camera, and how to work with it and he was always giving me tips. I felt like I was so blessed he was the first person I got to work with.
DP: I’m really glad you had that experience! I understand you have a music career. Were there any skills from music or performance you brought with you to film or vice-versa?
MASUMI: With my music I’m writing my own songs so I’m like a full creator and with acting, I’m given the material and I’m trying to create something new that’s not entirely me. So there are big differences there, but I definitely used the artistic senses that are unique to me in order to approach acting. I guess that’s how it is for all artists in one way or another.
DP: I had a question and this is a little off but I read in your IMDb profile that you spent some time in Dallas?
MASUMI: Yeah!
DP: I live in Dallas! I was curious to see what you were doing in Dallas at that time?
MASUMI: I moved to Dallas, Texas – Highland Park to be specific – for my Dad’s work. He moved there so I went there for high school!
DP: Did you graduate there?
MASUMI: Yes I did! So by that time I had forgotten my English. When I went to Highland Park there was a lot of struggle cause there were not a lot of Asians but that’s where I relearned my English. Then I moved back to Japan.
DP: That’s a very nice neighborhood!
MASUMI: It is a nice neighborhood! Yeah!
DP: Sorry. I was just curious!
MASUMI: Oh yeah! So you’re in Dallas right now?
DP: I am! I was born and raised in East Dallas but I was a swimmer and Highland Park had one of the only pools. So, I was on their campus a lot.
MASUMI: Oh cool!
DP: Yeah! So there was just – I was just a little excited. Like, “there’s a little Dallas representation going on there!”
MASUMI: That’s awesome.
DP: So what would you say was the hardest part about filming the movie in general?
MASUMI: In general? I think because Akemi goes through a lot of turmoil she has a complex broken family dynamic and goes through a lot of – this turmoil of identity and belonging. Not just that but she’s being chased a lot of the time and she’s under this fear. So to channel that emotion throughout, ya know… It’s a night shoot. So it’s dark and you’re channeling this emotion all the time. That was not so close to my natural personality. So, that became tough at times and then also the violence, to be always channeling my anger through violence or – I shouldn’t say violence – the martial arts! The fighting spirit! It was new to me but I’m grateful that I got to do that cause it was a good learning experience for me.
DP: What will you take from having shot this film – I guess since it’s your first time there’s a lot to say – but is there any one thing that stuck out in your head that you’ll keep in your mind going forward?
MASUMI: Yeah! Definitely! Oooh. Yeah. Definitely. I’m like – a thousand things came to my mind just now. I think one of the things I would say is that partially the reason why I love Akemi in “Yakuza Princess” so much is: I felt like I was going through the same journey as her. I was a beginner actor. I didn’t know a lot of things. There was an incredible amount of fear for me of doing it well and then by the time I learned I can do this – I had more confidence like Akemi did by the end of it – and so I think that… What I took away from it, the way I grounded myself through that movie was that – I’m not just the only person carrying this movie. So many people are putting a hundred percent or a hundred and twenty percent and I was a part of that collaborative effort and all I wanted to do was give them my best effort. That was my power. That was always my power. That’s gonna ground me. Not about making it perfect or doing it perfectly but giving everyone my best.
DP: That mirror theme makes a lot of sense. Well, thank you so much for your time! I really appreciate you spending that time!
“Yakuza Princess” recently had its World Premiere at the 2021 Fantasia Festival
and Magnet Releasing will release it in the U.S. on Friday, September 3rd
