Maria Ozawa: PH perfect; ‘it’s better here because there’s love’

Maria Ozawa as Miyuki in “Nilalang”/FACEBOOK PHOTO

How does Maria Ozawa find the Philippines?

“Perfect,” the Japanese actress told the media during a cast party for “Nilalang,” her first movie shot in the Philippines.

“Philippines is so different from Japan. It is better here because you guys have the love. In Japan, work comes before family,” Maria said.

“Work is so important in Japan. You can’t skip anything for work. But here it’s opposite. Family comes first. It’s hard for me to handle that because it’s different from how I have been raised,” she said.

Maria finished taping last month her scenes in the action-thriller film, which also stars Cesar Montano, Meg Imperial and Yam Concepcion.

“Nilalang,” an entry to this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival, tells the story of Tony (Cesar), an NBI agent who investigates a series of rapes and killings in the metro.

Cesar Montano and Maria Ozawa/FACEBOOK PHOTO

Maria plays the role of Miyuki, daughter of elder Yakuza member Mr. Kazudo. She will team up with Tony and together they will come face-to-face with their true enemy.

Maria said she enjoyed working in the Philippines the most, after also having done movies in Taiwan and Thailand.

“Philippines is way better. Everybody is way too nice.  They spoil me,” she said.

She added, however, that the working hours were crazy. “More than 15 hours every day. But still, because it is that long, I got to know the cast better. That was really good. The more I stay, the more I fell in love with them.”

Maria described her costar Cesar Montano as a gentleman who was kind and handsome.

“He is really good as a leading actor. He’s always worried about me and keeps me company,” she said.

Maria Ozawa holding guns during one scene in “Nilalang” movie. FACEBOOK PHOTO

She admitted she was nervous before filming started because it was her first time to do action scenes and wield a gun and sword.

“The shooting, there is no way I could practice so I just went on the set. I didn’t know the guns could be so heavy. But I got so excited. All my stress blew because I got to shoot bottles and I was like I want do this more,” she said.

Despite taking kendo lessons in Japan as part of her preparation, Maria said handling the sword was such a challenge. “It’s so hard to swing it and I had to run. And I got bruises all over my body.”

Maria got her role in “Nilalang” after saying in April on a radio program that she would love to be in a Filipino movie. She said she felt lucky that the offer eventually came.

Asked whether she’s open to do more films in the country, she said: “Of course! Definitely!”

Maria also shared she is very much single right now. What does she want in a guy?

“He has to be super romantic. That’s really a hard thing to do in Japan…to find a decent guy because they are not romantic,” she said.  RC

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