Up-and-coming Japanese actress Nana Mori released the new animated music video accompanying her song “Henji wa iranai” (“No need to reply”), one of the tracks included in her new single “KAERUNOUTA.”
The song is a cover of J-pop icon Yumi Matsutoya‘s debut single from 1972 (Her name was Yumi Arai at the time of release). “KAERUNOUTA” is the theme of Japanese filmmaker Shunji Iwai’s new feature film, Last Letter, and he shares that Yuming’s song kept going through his head while filming the movie, in which Mori is cast as one of the key characters.
Iwai produced the visuals created by Ryo Furukawa, a musician and visual artist who linked the keywords “letters” and “communicating” with the movie and the song’s lyrics/message through his distinctively textured animation. Watch below:
Nana Mori’s “KAERUNOUTA,” which includes “Henji wa iranai” and another cover of a J-pop favorite from 1991 called “Anata ni aete yokatta” by Kyoko Koizumi, dropped Jan. 15. Shunji Iwai’s Last Letter is currently showing in Japanese theaters.