Revenge on Repeat: An Interview with “Penalty Loop” Stars Wakaba Ryūya and Iseya Yūsuke

Director Araki Shinji’s feature-length debut, the dystopian mystery The Town of Headcounts drew attention for its innovative concept and quality of production. His follow-up Penalty Loop centers on the classic theme of revenge.

In its near-future setting, the “penalty loop” of the title refers to a new system for enacting revenge. The film falls solidly in the time loop genre but provides a twist as the lead character enters of his own will.

Angry and despondent over the murder of his girlfriend, Iwamori, played by Wakaba Ryūya, chooses to use the penalty loop system to enact bloody revenge on the murderer. However, the recurring experience exacts a physical and mental toll, with the journey of violence ultimately taking him to an unexpected destination.

Iwamori (Wakaba Ryūya) is woken by his alarm clock each morning at six on a recurring June 6. (© 2023 Penalty Loop Film Partners)

Iwamori’s girlfriend Yui (Yamashita Rio) is murdered by Mizoguchi (Iseya Yūsuke) when she goes out one morning. (© 2023 Penalty Loop Film Partners)

A Close Relationship

Playing opposite of Wakaba in the film is Iseya Yūsuke, whose character Mizoguchi is the focus of Iwamori’s wrath. Although 13 years Iseya’s junior, Wakaba started performing in movies ahead of his co-star, who mainly worked as a model before jumping into acting and directing. The pair seem to have developed a close, bantering relationship despite their onscreen animosity.

(© Hanai Tomoko)

“I’ve never met an actor like him,” Iseya says of Wakaba. “I think most actors have their own methods and keep their distance on set. But he would quite calmly ask me questions and seek advice about how to approach a scene.”

Iwamori keeps encountering the murderer Mizoguchi at his factory workplace. (© 2023 Penalty Loop Film Partners)

Having seen Wakaba go through a long process with director Araki Shinji to refine his character ahead of filming, Iseya was puzzled when approached. “I suggested a few things, which he said he’d try out,” he recounts. “It was really refreshing that he didn’t show any trace of the strange kind of pride you encounter sometimes in the industry.” Joking that although Wakaba killed him over and over on screen, the two felt a sense of fraternity. “It was the first time I’d acted with someone I thought had the same way of thinking.”

Iwamori exacts his revenge on Mizoguchi in many different ways. (© 2023 Penalty Loop Film Partners)

Explaining his reason for approaching Iseya, Wakaba comments that “I feel it’s more interesting to tap into others’ minds rather relying solely on my own. That’s why I ask actors and staff their opinions.” He describes feeling happy when Iseya accepted his inquiries so naturally. “Sometimes people tell me not to ask and to work things out myself.”

Wakaba insists that he starts out considering different approaches on his own, and only after that does he seek input from others. “With a creative job like this, it’s a shame to not be able to talk about ideas while you’re working,” he says. “When work’s over, though, I seldom spend my free time with others in the industry. But for some reason, this time I asked Iseya to teach me how to skateboard.”

(© Hanai Tomoko)

Iseya professes to having no interest in discussing acting theory with other actors. “That’s why it was so great to have a shared language with Wakaba of skateboarding and surfing,” he says. “Although I must admit that I was suspicious at first whether he had some hidden motive.”

Wakaba insists he is careful to not let work creep into his private time, preferring instead to hash things out on the set. “Sometimes I can feel a little agitated about a role, particularly if I’ve just been repeating the same performance from rehearsals,” he declares. “If I get bored, I’ll deliberately try to shake things up.”

Emotions run high. (© 2023 Penalty Loop Film Partners)

None Are Saved

Wakaba says he would like people who are not normally moviegoers to see the film. “With this kind of edgy movie, fans who watch films regularly will hear about it go and see it,” he says. “But I want people who only go to the theater from time to time to see this odd film and wonder to themselves, ‘What on earth did I just watch?’ It’s bound to be provocative experience.”

Iseya describes how the idea of the penalty loop as a revenge program against people who have committed crimes drew him in. “It’s gripping because it’s an unknown world,” he proclaims. “But a film resonates differently with different people.” Referring to the 2019 dystopian thriller Joker starring Joaquin Phoenix, he says that it “challenged people’s moral views. I want people who are skeptical about society labeling any wrongdoer as a sociopath to watch Penalty Loop.”

(© Hanai Tomoko)

Iseya says this idea stems from his own slightly altered view of the world. “It’s normal to have different ideas about justice and what constitutes evil. But people who take a much broader view to such issues can feel like outsiders in society. I hope people who are sympathetic to the conditions that cause a person to do wrong will relate to the film and enjoy the direction it takes.”

Wakaba muses, “The other day a writer notes that the penalty falls not on Mizoguchi, but on my character Iwamori. I felt that was a revelation.”

The South Korean actor Jin Dae-yeon, known for his appearance in Drive My Car, plays a key character for understanding the time loop mystery. (© 2023 Penalty Loop Film Partners)

Iseya comments that none of the characters in the film are saved, suggesting that audiences should try to find a way of living their lives that is different from Iwamori’s. “If the film becomes a blockbuster because there’s an explosive growth in the people who agree with the idea of a penalty loop, then Japan’s in deep trouble.” Wakaba agrees. “If a terrible system like that wins support and the movie’s a big hit, we’re all done for.”

Trailer (Japanese)

(Originally published in Japanese. Interview and text by Watanabe Reiko. Banner photo © Hanai Tomoko.)