Waseda WeeklyWaseda Weekly

An art unit that started in the world of theater. People can't understand each other, so they just talk.

Kesyuroom203 Kiyoko Nakai and Minami Nakai

(From left) Minami Nakai and Kiyoko Nakai

"100 Minute Masterpieces" (NHK Educational TV) is a popular program that takes 100 minutes to decipher difficult classics from all over the world, past and present. Since the program's inception, the art unit "Kesyurooｍ203" consisting of Kiyoko Nakai and Minami Nakai, has been in charge of producing the unique animations that help with comprehension. The duo's creative work is not limited to animation production; Kiyoko is also in charge of graphic design, corporate logo production, and book design. Meanwhile, Haru continues to be active in many fields, including writing scripts for dramas and plays.

The two met and honed their creative skills while working in the theater and film group "Kesh Harmonium" while at Waseda University. There was glory in winning various student film awards, but also chaos and discord. Through trial and error, what kind of transition did they go through to become professionals from a group founded by students? And what is the secret to maintaining a "good relationship" between the two who spend time together both at work as a unit and privately as a married couple?

Kesh Harmonium: Days of trying new expressions

What opened the door to Waseda for Minami was the presence of playwright Kokami Shoji (1983 graduate of School of Law), who is also a Waseda University alumnus.

"In high school, I was in the drama club and often read the plays of Daisan Butai, the company that Kogami-san presided over. The events at Waseda University that were written about in the afterwords sounded fun and I was envious. When I first came to Waseda to take the entrance exams, I saw students wearing costumes and having a lively parade, and I was convinced that 'this is the place I should be going to'" (Minami)

After entering university, Minami joined a long-established theater student club, but he quit because the direction of the group did not match the theater he wanted to do. He and a friend who loves movies decided to "create a place where we can devote ourselves to both theater and film," and so he started "Kesh Harmonium."

"The first film we shot after starting up, Nuetan, won the grand prize at the Waseda Film Festival and other student film festivals. The films we shot after that were also selected for the Pia Film Festival, and in 2001 we even won Waseda Student Culture Awardwhich was established that year." (Minami)

Kiyoko entered School of Letters, Arts and Sciences II in 2001. Wanting to study video and film production, she learned about Kesh Harmonium at a joint screening event held by video student club during the welcome period.

"The most interesting thing at the screening was 'Nuetan.' Afterwards, someone I happened to meet said, 'I'll introduce you to the person who made it,' and then, even though I hadn't decided to join yet, Minami suddenly started wrestling with the other members, shouting, 'new students has arrived!' That was my first impression. Waseda really does have some strange people." (Kiyoko)

Left: Minami, who entered School of Social Sciences after taking a year off from school. A scene from Entrance Ceremony
Right: Kiyoko in her university days. When she first met Minami, she was wearing all green.

In this way, after becoming a member of Kesh Harmonium, Kiyoko not only gained know-how in video production, but also deepened her knowledge of artwork in general, which is connected to her current work.

"The idea behind Kesh Harmonium is to express anything that interests you, whether that be through theater, film, or books. Being placed in that environment allowed me to try all sorts of expressions, even ones I'd never tried before." (Kiyoko)

Kesyurooｍ203: Continuing to Challenge Opens the Way to Animation

Apart from their work with Keshu Harmonium, Minami and Kiyoko began working part-time on video production for other theater companies, such as opening credits and wedding videos. In 2005, around the same time that Kiyoko graduated from university, Keshu Harmonium held its final performance, and they began to take full-scale action as an art unit called "Kesyuroom203."

"One of my senior theater friends was the video director Daiki Ueda (dropped out of School of Letters, Arts and Sciences I), who is known for his video productions of films such as 'Nylon 100°C' and 'Otona Keikaku', so the experience of watching and helping out Ueda's work up close was a big help. At the time, the apartment I was living in was room 203, and Kiyoko's family home also happened to be room 203, so we named the shop 'Kesyuroom203'" (Minami)

One of the turning points came when a former member of Kesh Harmonium, who had gotten a job at a video production company, asked, "Can you do animation?"

"Rather than thinking about whether I can do it or not, I just try. That's what I developed with Keshu Harmonium. The more I made anime, the more I realized the breadth of creativity, and as a result of trying out different forms of expression, the number of requests I received increased. That's exactly what happened with '100 Minutes of Masterpieces', which began in 2011." (Kiyoko)

Visuals from "Sherlock Holmes" from "100 Minutes Masterpieces"

Nowadays, the show is rotated among multiple writers, but when the show first started, Kesyuroom203 was in charge of producing it every week. Despite the heavy workload, he was particular about not solidifying his style, but instead changing the way he expressed each masterpiece he was in charge of.

"The main focus is always on the classics. Rather than trying to make our own style resemble classics, we try to interpret the theme of each piece and change the feel. Also, because I want what I create to always feel fresh, I keep trying to avoid making it into a rehash. Each time, I try to surpass my past self." (Kiyoko)

These days of challenges ultimately led to the development of the originality of Kesyuroom203.

"I didn't set out to be an animator from the beginning, and I didn't have any clear vision. But I kept trying new things, and now I think, 'Maybe I'm a pioneer of explanatory animation?'" (Minami)

"Misuzu Kaneko Poetry Collection" (left) from "100 Minute Masterpieces." In "Psychology of the Crowd" (right), the characters are recreated using automata as a motif to make the crowd easier to understand.

As a unit that shares public and private life. How to express trust

Currently, while working on various productions as Kesyuroom203, Minami is also active in the fields of scriptwriting and directing. Kiyoko is also expanding the scope of her work in general art direction. She says that she sometimes gets through busy days with the support of those around her, but the background to her work style was a certain "failure" she experienced during her time at Waseda University.

The cover of the June 2002 issue of Waseda Gakuho. The person holding the camera is Minami (then a fourth-year student School of Social Sciences). He spent his days engrossed in filming plays and movies.

"After launching Keshu Harmonium, we quickly received many awards, and as the founder, I became arrogant. I became self-righteous and forced everyone to take the stance that 'if we want to make something good, it's only natural to stay up all night.' We had intended to create a masterpiece, but I ended up causing the organization to fall apart." (Minami)

What helped Minami overcome that bitter experience was the theater project "Tahinoto Sequence," which was launched in 2015. For Minami, it was his first encounter with theater in 10 years, since his time with Kesh Harmonium.

"In theater, the director often creates the work in a top-down manner. However, being away from theater for 10 years has freed me up, and I was able to approach the work with the attitude of working together to enrich it. What I think is not the only correct answer, and I get ideas from the actors as well. Some of the actors were confused at first, but by having thorough discussions, we were able to move in the same direction in the end." (Minami)

The two spend time together not only as Kesyuroom203, but also as a married couple in their private lives. In order to maintain a good relationship, they try to "talk about anything" and "accept each other."

"My theory is that people fundamentally cannot understand each other. Therefore, in order to build and maintain a relationship of trust, you have no choice but to speak openly about your feelings and thoughts. When you think you understand the other person, your words and actions are nothing more than an assumption, and that's what it all comes down to." (Kiyoko)

"It's also very important to express your trust. I often say things like, 'What a genius!' just to be honest with you, but I think this is actually the key." (Minami)

"That's right. Everyone should be more casual and say things like, 'Genius! Genius!' It makes both the person saying it and the person being told feel good." (Kiyoko)

At Kesyuroom203's workplace. Neither of them is in charge, and it is important for them to work together with mutual respect.