Yoshino Aoyama x Masami Seto："Overlord" movie interview: Full throttle! Neia and Shizu are unyielding

The latest film in the Overlord anime series, based on Maruyama Kugane's light novel Overlord: Holy Kingdom Arc, will be released on September 20th. This popular series has aired four seasons as a TV anime, and this will be the first completely new film in the series. The story follows the Holy Kingdom of Roble, led by Holy Princess Calca, as it faces the threat of collapse after being invaded by Demon Emperor Jaldabaoth and the Demi-human allied forces, and as such, it begs the Sorcerer Kingdom of Ainz Ooal Gown for help. New characters will also appear, including Neia Baraha, a servant of the Holy Knights of the Holy Kingdom of Roble. This will be Aoyama Yoshino's first appearance in Overlord, who will play the role of Neia, who holds the key to the film. We spoke to Seto Asami, who plays Shizu Delta, who plays alongside Aoyama and Neia in the film, about her thoughts on Overlord and what went on behind the scenes during the recording.

◇Expressing Neia's inferiority complex and admiration

--What is the appeal of Overlord?

Aoyama: It's just epic! I get the impression that what started out as a small plan gets wrapped up in many things and becomes grandiose. I was amazed at how Maruyama-sensei came up with such an idea. The Holy Kingdom arc has some brutal scenes that are unique to the movie version, and I thought it was amazing. It's a work that is loved all over the world, and I was happy to be able to be a part of it! Seto: The Holy Kingdom arc is an epic story that feels like a slice of a country's history, and it feels like Overlord. One of the charms of Overlord is that you can calmly look at the work from a bird's-eye view by hearing Suzuki-san's (Ainz's real-world name) inner thoughts, and the unique characters are also characteristic of this work, so I felt that the movie version was full of such charms. --What is your impression of Neia, played by Aoyama-san? Aoyama: I think she has a very strong desire to not lose! Considering her upbringing, her mother is a Holy Knight and her father is an amazing archer, but she is in an apprentice-like position, so she must have an inferiority complex. If you look at inferiority complexes in a positive way, it means that she has a strong admiration for them, so I tried to act in a way that would not lose that. There are scenes where she is scolded, but she is not apologizing sincerely, and she never gives up on her beliefs. If she gives in, she will lose! I think she is conscious of this. I was conscious of this while acting.

Seto: Shizu has few expressions and doesn't say much, but she also sticks to what she thinks, and she may have some similarities with Neia. That's why they are attracted to each other.

Aoyama: That's right!

-- Shizu is a character who is not very emotional and doesn't say much. What do you keep in mind when acting?

Seto: Shizu has many opportunities to play the role in mini-anime and games, but she has only appeared once in the TV series. When there was a gap in between, I sometimes hesitated, but I was given the direction to "not be too cute." Shizu looks cute, but she's not too cute, so I tried to keep her toned and eliminate emotional ups and downs. In the "Holy Kingdom Arc," there were more lines than ever before, and I got to face Shizu again. There was a lot of dialogue with Neia, and in tense situations, I wanted to get impatient, and I felt like I was being pulled along by Neia, but I tried to suppress those feelings within myself.

◇Aoyama Yoshino is competitive?

--Were you able to record together?

Seto: Yes. We recorded over two days.

--Aoyama seems to have a lot of lines, so I guess it was a tough recording session.

Seto: (Aoyama's) concentration was incredible!

Aoyama: I was at full throttle the whole time. Once you stop the engine, you have to start it up at full throttle again, so I was grateful to be able to keep it going. I kept the engine going the whole time together with Nabatame-san (Nabatame Hitomi, who plays Remedios Custodio). Nabatame-san secretly gave me throat lozenges, and it was a very warm and welcoming set.

Seto-san: As Seto, I felt like we should work hard together, but Shizu is an emotionless character, so I felt bad for her.

Aoyama-san: After Seto-san finished recording, he gave me some water, which made me really happy!

Seto-san: My recording was over, but I felt that (Aoyama-san) had to push on a little further from here, so I wanted to do something.

--Have you two worked together before?

Aoyama-san: This is the first time we've worked together so closely.

Seto: Aoyama-san's concentration is incredible. This may sound arrogant, but I thought she connected with Neia's heart and was the perfect fit for the role. Are you competitive?

Aoyama-san: Yes, I am!

Seto-san: It may be rude to put you in the same category as the character, but I felt that she had a lot of power and was linked to her.

Aoyama-san: I was so happy to finally be able to work with Seto-san! Shizu's acting was restrained, but I felt a warmth and softness from her. In battle scenes, I would have strained myself and would not have been able to become Shizu, but Seto-san's acting was passionate, yet she was still Shizu, and I wondered what kind of technique she had.

Seto-san: Maybe it's because I've been playing Shizu for a long time and have a history of playing Shizu. How much effort do you put in at the beginning of game recordings? We discussed how much cuteness we should bring out while acting, so there were some parts where we were able to act with a good range of expressions.

◇The amazingness of Hino Satoshi, who played the role of Ainz!

--What did you feel while acting alongside Hino Satoshi, who played Ainz?

Aoyama: I was watching the TV series, and when I heard Ainz's voice live, I was blown away by his tolerance. What a luxurious experience I was able to have! I understood why Neia was so fascinated by him. Warm, gentle, and strong... Hino's voice is Yakuman. How on earth does he get that tolerance? As an actor, I can't help but wonder.

Seto: His voice is heavy, resonant, low, and you can feel the pressure, and his words are persuasive. Even though he has no intention of appeasing Neia, he somehow seems to believe her, which is really amazing. In his conversation with Shizu, Suzuki-san's personality shines through a bit, and I feel that he is a person of great character. He seems like a father to Shizu, and he's very tolerant.

--Finally, please give a message to those who are looking forward to the release.

Aoyama: Some parts of the Holy Kingdom arc are told from Neia's perspective, so even those who haven't seen Overlord before will be able to enjoy the world of the series from Neia's point of view. Of course, there is plenty to enjoy for existing fans, and the movie can be enjoyed from a variety of perspectives other than Neia's. No matter how many times you watch it, you'll always notice something new, so I hope you'll go to the theater as many times as you can.

Seto: This movie lets you enjoy the unique worldview of Overlord, with Ainz looking cool, Neia changing, and in the end... I think you'll enjoy the powerful images and profound story that only a movie can offer.

Overlord is a dark fantasy series that has sold over 14 million copies. The first season of the TV anime aired from July to September 2015, the second from January to April 2018, the third from July to October 2018, and the fourth from July to September 2022. The IMAX version of "Overlord: Holy Kingdom Arc" has been showing in advance since September 13th.