Exclusive Interview with
Ogusu Nanoka
Your debut title was an instant hit, winning you a spot among the most popular authors in the country. It’s been a few years since then, and I can only imagine your life has changed completely. Tell us, how are things for you now?
I feel truly blessed that my story has found its way to so many people who love it as much as I do. However, I wouldn’t say my life has changed dramatically. My writing has more reach now, and I get a lot more feedback than I used to, but I’ve always known that I live in a world where my outlook is not shared by the majority. For me, the greatest prize is that I’ve found a community of like-minded people, as well as those who can disagree in a respectful way.
A lot of us are excited for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of your third book, Girl’s March. How does it feel to have your writing recreated on the big screen?
Film and prose are two completely different mediums, with completely different ways of making a story come to life. All of my novels, including Girl’s March, utilize the unique strengths of the novel format, but I hope my readers are looking forward to seeing how those elements are repurposed to suit the nature of the adaptation. Of course, it’s possible some who love the book will inevitably be disappointed by the film’s rendition of the story. If I could, I’d reassure those people that no adaptation will ever have the power to invalidate their personal interpretation of the original.
How involved were you in the adaptation process?
I met with the director in the planning stages and explained the overall message embedded in the work. Since then, I haven’t really given feedback on the script or camera work. They’re the experts, not me. As the author, I think it’s only fair to stay in my lane, so to speak.
Can you go into more detail about this “embedded message” you explained to the director?
That is something I’ve only ever told the team directly involved with creating the film, and in my opinion, it’s nothing the audience needs to worry about. I want my readers to have the freedom to love the story well beyond any limits I set for it. The way I see it, they have every right to discover the message for themselves, and not even the author has any business getting in the way of that.
In other words, there’s no singular interpretation you want everyone to share?
I want the readers to have a good time, and there’s a lot of feelings I want them to experience in the process. But most of all, I want it to simply be a story that they can pick up and put down as they please.
Many say your writing has a knack for reaching into the minds of your readers and letting them see through the eyes of your protagonists, making readers feel as though your story is just for them. What are your thoughts on that?
I think everyone in the entire world has, in some form or another, been depicted in a book or song or film or work of art, and I think this proves that the characters in our stories are very much real. Perhaps this is what gives us meaning, as writers. If you as a reader feel that you or your life is portrayed in the story, well, maybe you’re right! Maybe someone out there is living a “storybook” sort of life. Maybe they transform at night. Maybe they rescued a princess. I’m not going to try to invalidate that.