The TV anime "Chi. -About the Earth's Movement-" is based on the manga by Uo Yutaka, which was also selected as the Manga Grand Prize winner of the 26th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize. The original manga was serialized in "Weekly Big Comic Spirits" (Shogakukan) from 2020 to 2022, and gained popularity as an unusual manga that depicts people risking their lives to study the heretical theory of heliocentrism in 15th century Europe. The TV anime began broadcasting on NHK General TV in October, and the shocking development of the third episode in which the main character Rafal was executed became a hot topic. Ten years after Rafal's death, after many twists and turns, the substitute fighter Okji, the monk Badeni, and the astronomy research assistant Yolenta take over the research on the heliocentrism and devote their passion to it. We spoke to Katsuyuki Konishi, who plays Okji, Yuichi Nakamura, who plays Badeni, and Saya Niimi, who plays Yolenta, about the appeal of "Chi.," and the behind-the-scenes story of the recording.
◇A story of conviction that makes you want to go into the recording with a fire in your heart
--What were your honest thoughts when you were selected to appear?
Hitomi To be honest, I was really surprised at first. I was accepted without having much experience on set.
Konishi How long had you been doing voice work?
Hitomi In my first year.
Konishi Oh, your first year!?
Hitomi Yes, it was in my first year, so when I heard I was going to be in the role, I was like, what should I do? When I heard the names of the other cast members, the pressure was immense. But I had a strong desire to do my best and do what I could.
Konishi It didn't feel like my first year at all, though.
Hitomi I read through a lot so I wouldn't rely too much on everyone's shoulders.
Konishi: I always loved the original manga and read it, so I definitely wanted to do it if it was made into an anime. When I was chosen, I was honestly happy. I was half eager to get the recordings started, half eager to get into this world and do the recordings as Okuji, and half worried about whether it would be okay, since it's such a big title. Nakamura: I hadn't read the manga, but I was familiar with the work itself. When I came into contact with the work at the audition, I thought, how should I put it, it's not the kind of work that makes you feel angry and wants to punch someone (laughs). It's more rational. There aren't many works like that, so it's rare for me to audition or actually get the chance to do it. In that context, I honestly thought it was a very interesting work with a strong theme, so of course I wanted to do it at the audition, and I was happy when I was chosen to participate. There is a gap between the audition and the recording, so I remember thinking that I wanted to go in with this fire in my heart while I still remembered how I felt when I auditioned.
--What do you think is the appeal of "Chi."?
Hitomi: I'm a pretty fast reader, but I couldn't read this book smoothly at all, and I really struggled to absorb it. That's how much the weight of humanity was conveyed. As I read, I reflected on many things and wondered, "Am I living this hard?" and "Did I live with this much passion?", and it was a big hit.
Konishi: It's about the heliocentric and geocentric theories, but I felt like the story was centered around the people living around them. For various reasons, these people stuck to their beliefs and moved forward with resolve. Even dying may not necessarily mean moving forward, but the way they lived their lives was incredible. I saw a catchphrase somewhere that said, "Do you have a belief that you would not compromise even if it meant sacrificing your life? Do you have an aesthetic that you would want to adhere to even if it made the world your enemy?" But I thought I didn't have that. As I read, I realized that although the characters live in different eras, they are always connected by a single heliocentric theory, and the fire of their souls never goes out. So what will happen in the next era? I was drawn in more and more.
Nakamura-san: The whole series is divided into chapters, and we are doing the middle block, but the story starts in a place where we are not appearing. As you two said, I thought it was really interesting that you feel that it is your mission not to accomplish everything yourself, but to throw yourself into the flow. I think that it is difficult to have a sense of mission within yourself in modern times, and that in many cases, you are desperately trying to survive, but that is not the case. Moreover, if you accomplish it, it is not like you will become famous. Only Badeni, who I play, is a little different (laughs).
--Indeed, Badeni is the kind of character who says, "What's important is that I complete this and present it."
Nakamura: Badeni says that she wants to leave her name behind, but it's not that the others are expecting that, but rather that she has now been given the opportunity to unravel one of the truths in this world, and I feel that this is fate. That's why I think that the fact that all the characters are pure and straightforward is what drew me in, even though I don't empathize with them.
◇The tough Yolenta, the super negative Okji, the confident Badeni
--Please tell us your impressions of the characters you play and what you like about them.
Hitomi: I think Yolenta is a tough girl. In a situation where she is the only woman and is not accepted because she is a woman, she chooses to live there by herself, and even when she is hurt, she pats herself on the back and moves forward, which I think is very tough and wonderful. In her first scene, she is running at full speed to eavesdrop on a study group that she cannot attend, but in her head she is constantly regretting her actions, and her reason is constantly losing out to her instincts. I think this is very much like her and is what makes her so attractive, and it's what makes her so appealing to me. I recommend you to watch it.
Konishi: Okuji is a very negative person (laughs). The historical background is very religious, so he has always been influenced by that. He has always been taught that this world is polluted, that only a select few can be happy, and that we can only be happy if we die and go to heaven, so I think he no longer really understands whether that is wrong or right. He is the kind of person who has always lived thinking, "I am a bad person." That's why he never talks back when people say something to him, and even when Badeni does something crazy to him, he just says, "Oh, sorry...". I would like you to see how he changes from someone who cannot be so positive. Although he's always negative, I think it's also cute that he lives his life strongly and honestly, so I'd be happy if you could see that side of him too.
--That's how Okuji becomes more and more passionate about researching the heliocentric theory.
Konishi: That's right. So he found something he could be passionate about. He probably didn't have that before. Finally, he started to think, "This is good," and "There are such wonderful things," and things started to change. I think it was something that started to grow inside of him little by little.
--What is Okuji's "favorite" scene?
Konishi: When he first met Badeni, he was told that he smelled blood and talked to him with his nose pinched, but even when Okuji did that, he just took it like, "Oh, uh..." and acted normal, which I thought was really cute and typical of him.
--What is your impression of Badeni?
Nakamura: Badeni is a very confident and arrogant person, who looks down on others, and has no positive points (laughs). However, when I read this work "Chi." from the first volume of the original in order, I thought that there is no one who has pushed his own path so far. As a result, he acts in the right way toward the theme of the work, but he has always had the conviction to follow through no matter what he does, even if it means going against the rest of the world, not because he encountered the heliocentric theory. There are not many people who have such strong conviction about what they "want to know", and they don't care if their eyes are burned by it. If my eyes are burned, I think there is an opposite eye, and if I have arms and legs, I can move, and I think the fact that he acts for himself is what makes the character interesting. However, he is too messy to be the center of the story by himself, so I think the balance with Okuji is very good. At first, they talk to each other with their noses held in their hands, but as the drama progresses, they influence each other in a positive way, and in the end, they walk together. That's what makes it so interesting.
Continued in interview (2)
