The TV anime "Red River," based on the popular manga by Chie Shinohara, will begin airing on Nippon Television's anime block "AnichU" every Tuesday night starting July 7th. This is the first time that Shinohara's masterpiece, which has produced numerous acclaimed works such as "Purple Eye of Darkness" and "Darkness of the Sea, Shadow of the Moon," and which celebrates its 45th anniversary as an artist this year, will be adapted into a TV anime. The manga was serialized in "Shoujo Comic" (Shogakukan, now Sho-Comi) from 1995 to 2002, and boasts a cumulative circulation of over 20 million copies. The story follows Yuri, a girl living in modern Japan, who is suddenly summoned to the Hittite Empire in the 14th century BC, where she meets Prince Kyle, who is considered the most likely candidate to inherit the throne of the empire. We spoke with Mirai Tachibana, who plays Yuri, and Wataru Kato, who plays Kyle, about their thoughts on the work and behind the scenes of the recording.
◇Tackling a masterpiece together
--What were your initial thoughts when you found out you were cast?
Tachibana-san was simply most surprised. She doesn't have much experience with voice acting yet, and to be entrusted with such a big role was unbelievable. She was so dazed, wondering if it was real, and thinking it might be a dream. She couldn't tell anyone, after all.
Mr. Kato has a confidentiality agreement, you know (laughs).
Tachibana-san couldn't even tell her parents. After about two weeks, the reality of it gradually sank in, and she told her parents, "Actually, I've been given a big role," and little by little, it sank in, and she savored the moment.
When I auditioned for the role of Kato-san , I didn't have much time. To play Kyle, I lowered my voice compared to my natural speaking voice for the audition. I was prepared to have to keep that voice throughout the actual recording.
--What did you focus on during the audition, Ms. Tachibana?
When Tachibana- san auditions, she usually trusts her intuition first, and then makes adjustments if something is off. What struck me most about her, though it's an impression that hasn't changed, is that she's straightforward, has conviction, and never doubts the path she believes in. I thought that was her charm, so it was something I kept in mind when we were actually recording.
--Have you heard from the staff what made you decide to land such an important role?
I haven't heard all the details from Tachibana-san , but apparently, when I auditioned, they had already gone through several rounds of auditions. I could sense that the staff wanted me to reflect the freshness of someone like me, who was still nobody and didn't have much experience, in Yuri. Although I felt my lack of skill, I reaffirmed my resolve to put my heart and soul into portraying Yuri as best I could.
When I auditioned for Mr. Kato's project, my name hadn't been announced as a main cast member for any other project, so I thought, "Me?!" (laughs). I wasn't specifically told, but apparently they listened to the tape and unanimously chose me. There was a line, "All troops, march out!" Since I was playing a prince, I imagined I would be calling out to a fairly large army, and that's how I acted it, and apparently that was good. I think I was probably chosen because of the line, "All troops, march out!"
--This is a work that has been loved for a long time. Do you feel any pressure?
Kato-san, I was mostly happy. This is a bit of a digression, but I'm not good with bugs. However, if there's someone next to me who's more afraid of bugs than I am and goes "Eeek!", I don't think much of it, just "Oh, bugs." But Tachibana-san, who was sitting next to me, was under so much pressure and was really stiff, so seeing that made me feel okay (laughs). Thanks to Tachibana-san, I felt a little more at ease.
It seems like it was all for Tachibana-san and Kato-san's benefit (laughs). When I first heard that I had been cast, I felt a sense of relief. It took a while for me to get a role, and the people at my agency kept telling me, "Let's work hard together." I was happy that they chose me, and I felt relieved when my manager said, "That's great. Congratulations." I was happy that I could finally give back to the people who had been supporting me all this time, and of course there was pressure, but I wanted to do my best to play Yuri in the best way I could.
Even Kato-san was only stiff at the beginning, right? I felt like he was getting more and more confident. I'm not talking about his attitude, though (laughs).
Is that really true, Tachibana -san!? So, I guess I was able to grow together with Yuri...? I had heard that the lead role is about "bringing the team together" on set, so I was wondering what I should do... but Kato-san and the other cast members supported me. Because of that, I felt like I had to confidently do what I could as Yuri, and I think I stopped being nervous.
In fact, there were times when I acted like Kyle towards Yuri. I thought there must be certain ways of behaving that are appropriate for someone in a supporting position. It was a first-time experience for me as well, but I felt that we could both do our best together.
◇Yuri pulled me along
--This work is considered a masterpiece of shojo manga.
Tachibana-san is full of various charms. As it's a historical story, there are political situations in various countries, and I think the intrigue is one of its charms. Yuri sometimes makes mistakes, but he ends up stirring things up, and he's endearing, making you wonder what will become of him, which is exciting. I was drawn into the world of the story more and more by seeing things from Yuri's perspective.
Actually, when recording started, Kato-san hadn't finished reading the original manga. When there's an original work, I usually change my approach depending on the project, but with "Red River," I tried to act without reading ahead. As I was reading through the manga in order, corresponding to the episodes we were recording, spoilers started flying around on set (laughs). Tachibana-san would just blurt it out too.
Sorry , Tachibana- san (laughs).
Aside from what Ms. Kato and Ms. Tachibana said, the most appealing thing about it for me was how "the illustrations are just too beautiful" (laughs). I actually bought my first tablet partway through this recording to check the original work and rehearsal videos. When I read the original work on my tablet, the double-page spreads are just so beautiful. Also, the cover of the one-shot story "Heaven is on the Banks of the Red River ~Letters~" shows Yuri and Kyle facing each other, and I've set that as my wallpaper.
--Mr. Kato, you seem to be a history enthusiast. What aspects of history did you find appealing as a history buff?
Kato-san, the story is becoming more and more of a political drama with themes like "the imperial throne" and "the right of succession," and then elements of romance are added, which I absolutely love. I want to see more! (laughs)
Ms. Tachibana isn't particularly good at history, but as she read the original work, she was drawn in by Yuri and learned about this world. Yuri moves the world, and he also moves people. She enjoyed reading about both the big picture and the finer details.
--The original manga series began serialization in 1995, before you two were born.
Mr. Kato, this work started before I was born, but I've been reading it regularly since I was a child, from the 1990s onwards, and even the earlier works. I felt that it was a somewhat unusual work even back then. It has a strong element of stylistic beauty, which I personally found fresh and interesting. My favorite scene is the close-up of Kickri's face as he peeks in on Yuri and Kyle, and I talked about it a lot on set. Also, Kyle has a lot of lines like "What?", "What?", "What did you say!?", "Yuri...", "What...!?". When I tried changing some of them to "What!", the sound director, Hiroto Morishita, told me, "Don't try to resist~" (laughs). Those are some of the good points of the original work that are brought out in the anime, so I hope you'll pay attention to them.
Tachibana-san's gags were refreshing, and when I was acting, I tried to make them funny and cute, with the help of the director.
◇Everything is a learning experience
-- Kyle is a popular character.
Mr. Kato, I think everyone has their own image of Kyle and the prince in their minds, but I didn't approach it in a calculated way. We had many discussions, and I was sometimes told that I was "a little too seductive," and although I wasn't consciously trying to be seductive, I did try to tone it down.
--Yuri is a character that can be very encouraging to watch. Were there any aspects of him that you found encouraging while playing him?
I was encouraged and empowered by every action of Yuri , played by Tachibana-san. Playing Yuri made me feel braver and more positive, and I tried to internalize her power as I felt it.
--Were there times when you were able to run alongside the characters and grow together with them?
Yes , Tachibana- san! It was a truly wonderful experience. I learned so much, from how to feel when standing in front of the microphone to how to check the script. It was the first time I'd had so many lines, and my co-stars taught me how to highlight the script.
Mr. Kato, I was also taught by my seniors, such as "You should think about the timing of when you stand up from your chair," and everyone supported me. There were many seniors, but Tomohiro Ono, who played Kickri, is a friend of mine. Ohno was the mood maker on set, and I relied on him a lot. I'm truly grateful. (Mitsuru Anima/MANTANWEB)
