The second chapter of the completely new theatrical trilogy of the popular TV anime "Mononoke" that was broadcast on Fuji TV's late-night anime slot "Noitamina" in 2007, "Mononoke the Movie: Chapter 2: Fire Rat", is now in theaters. The setting is the Ooku, following the first chapter "Karakasa", and focuses on the schemes and conflicts between families over the succession of the emperor, depicting the conflicts and suffering swirling in the hearts of the women who are at his mercy. The story is centered on the Ooku's stars, the Onchu-ro, but the male characters surrounding the women are also attracting attention. A luxurious cast of voice actors plays Otomo, the father of Otomo Botan and the senior councilor who holds the real power in the shogunate, played by Horiuchi Kenyu, Tokita Yoshimichi, a former townsman who became a samurai because his daughter Fuki was favored by the emperor, played by Cho, and Fujimaki, a senior councilor who is responsible for coordinating between the shogunate and the Ooku, played by Horikawa Ryo. Horiuchi, Cho, and Horikawa, who are all from the same generation, talked about what went on behind the scenes of the recording and the appeal of the work. (※This interview contains spoilers for the main story.)
◇The joy of acting in a period drama: the more you watch, the more you understand the appeal
--This is your first time appearing in the "Mononoke" series. What did you think of the work and the roles you played?
Mr. Horikawa: For our generation, when we hear the word "ghosts," we think of works like "The Great Yokai War" and "Tokaido Obake Dochu," but "Mononoke" is colorful and stylish. It's also cool how the sliding doors open and close when the scene changes. This is a period drama, but in period dramas, the dialogue and gestures are important, so I thought it was fun to act again after a long time.
Ryo Horiuchi has been acting in period dramas since he was a child actor. If you count from that point on, he's a veteran.
Because it was Horikawa-san , I changed the wording this time to something more like a period drama.
Cho-san, that's how it is!?
Horiuchi: With these three, we recorded the voiceover in the order of Ryo, me, and Cho. When I was recording, I listened to Ryo's acting, and I was surprised because the lines were slightly different from the script.
Horikawa: For example, it is unthinkable for the elders to call the Empress, who is the wife of the Emperor, "Empress" or "Odai". If they did that, they would have to commit seppuku (laughs). So I changed it to "Empress" and "Odai". Fujimaki, who I played, is one of several elders. If Otomo is the chief elder, then he is about the next one. In the story, he is a man at the mercy of fate. While he wanders around not knowing what is going on, he ends up reaping the benefits. But I also felt that he would end up being crushed again.
Cho: When I heard the title "Mononoke," I thought it was about a monster like "GeGeGe no Kitaro," but when I read the script, I thought, "Oh, it's a period drama." The character I played, Tokita Yoshiji, is not a villain. When I went to the set, sound director Nagasaki Yukio told me, "He's really a normal father," so I played him as a very normal father. When I recorded, I was able to hear the voices of Ryo and Kenyu, so while listening to the voices of the two of them, who have a strong presence, I dubbed while thinking, "Wow! That's amazing!" (laughs).
Horiuchi: I had seen the TV series "Mononoke," so I was surprised when I received the offer to play the movie version. I read the script wondering who would be the Mononoke this time. The elder Otomo I play is the person who controls the Ooku. Moreover, he manipulates those around him without saying what he thinks. His cunning respects customs and is what makes the Ooku function properly. Since he is doing what he thinks is righteous, I thought it would be better not to make him seem like a villain, so I tried to play him with a slightly comical nuance. Since he appears at the beginning, it would be no fun if the viewer suddenly thought, "This person is the incarnation of evil." I aimed for something somewhere between evil and humor.
Cho-san : No matter how you look at it, Otomo was evil! (laughs) And I thought Fujimaki was a bad guy too.
Horiuchi-san : Me too. I thought Fujimaki was in the wrong.
Horikawa-san, I'm not a bad person! I'm just at the mercy of fate, wandering here and there.
Mr. Cho: Compared to these two, I'm just a timid old man (laughs).
--As you say, the Ooku is a place that is seen differently depending on the character's position, but what did you think of the story of this film?
Horikawa-san has no sons with his wife, so the child he gives birth to with a concubine will become the next emperor. It's a story of hereditary struggle that is common in period dramas, but I felt that it had a different appeal when expressed with the unique pictures and atmosphere of "Mononoke the Movie." Compared to the live-action version, it looks very fantasy-like. I thought it was a fascinating story of the inner palace that didn't feel scary.
Each character has their own intentions, and when I unravel the thoughts of each one, I think I can understand a little bit. If you can't maintain your current lifestyle without making allowances, then it's inevitable to make allowances. On the other hand, as someone who grew up watching "Yotsuya Kaidan" and other shows, I felt that if I did a period drama with this touch, it would become a new ghost story, and that it was a horror.
Cho: I couldn't understand it the first time, so I watched it three times in total. The first time, it was over before I knew it. The second half had a great tempo, and the primary colors came one after another, so my eyes were watering (laughs).
Horiuchi-san is an old man after all (laughs).
Cho's sound is also very interesting. He used Japanese instruments over a woman's scream, and his use of sound was very good. I was so fascinated by it that after watching it, I was stunned and wondering "what was that all about?" Of course, I could understand the story. But I couldn't understand the details just by watching it once, and there were some things I could understand after watching it a second or third time. In the opening scene, it's not Otomo and Fujimaki who are playing shogi...
Mr. Horiuchi , the one facing Otomo over there is Utayama.
That's right, Cho-san . When he was playing with Utayama, Otomo said, "It's checkmate."
Horiuchi: Yes. He's saying to Utayama, "You're finished." I've seen it three times now, so I get it (laughs).
Cho-san , the first time I saw it, I thought Otomo was going to win, but after watching it three times I was confused (laughs).
The more I look at Horiuchi, the more I notice the small details.
Cho-san, this is an original work with no original source material. I was amazed at what was going on in the head of Director Kenji Nakamura.
◇ "I didn't want to make him just a villain."
- Were you able to get a feel for what was going on inside the mind of the character you were playing?
Horikawa: Fujimaki is a person who does as he is told by those in power. When he is told to do something, he just replies, "That's right." He has always been like that from the beginning, but at the end, I thought, "Huh? He's changed." With the power to appoint, he is no longer close to those in power, but is now at the center of power. The process is not depicted, so we don't know the details, but according to the conventional wisdom of period dramas, Fujimaki may eventually be crushed as well.
Even for you, Horiuchi-san , that means you have some amazing skills.
I guess it was just like the usual Ryo Horikawa . He looked at the other person's face, ran around in confusion, and then said, "Yes!" (laughs). I felt like I was looking at myself.
Cho: I also think Fujimaki is amazing. Even while considering his feelings, he thinks about what he should do now and chooses the best path. I think he's an incredible bureaucrat with solid know-how. Tokita is really a commoner. His daughter Fuki was favored by the Emperor, and that's how his family rose to power. He's still confused by his current position. Even playing shogi with Otomo is just doing as he's told.
Horiuchi: Otomo is sneaky. He can act on his own, but he doesn't. He doesn't tell people to kill him, but just makes them act on their own. But deep in his heart, he feels that he must protect the history of the Ooku. There are people in every world who feel that way. When Otomo dies at the end, his true feelings of weakness are revealed. I understand his feelings of "I would do the same," and I think that if I were in Otomo's position, I would have done the same. That's why I didn't want to make him just a villain.
Cho-san, there is a third chapter of "Mononoke the Movie" right? I wonder if Fujimaki and Yoshiji will appear again.
Horiuchi-san, Otomo has died, after all. If he appears again, it will be a real ghost (laughs).
Cho: At first, I thought Otomo was a ghost because I thought his face must be possessed by something.
Horiuchi: The female cast in this work is also great. I almost start crying whenever Suzu (Saijo Suzu) appears. I felt her sadness, regret, and all sorts of emotions. Her face and voice when she couldn't forgive was also great. I especially cried in the scene where she overlaps with Ofuki, as I felt her emotions.
I thought Cho-san and Suzu couldn't forgive Otomo, but it seems she can't forgive herself. I think that's right, that's the point.
There was a scene where only the mouth of Ofuki was moving, and I wondered what he was saying, but when I saw the finished product, I understood what he was saying. It's an amazing work until the very end.
◇ Veteran voice actors talk about the moments when they feel the most fulfillment in their work
--The performances by the talented cast members are also a highlight. Please tell us about a moment when you felt that your work was rewarding.
Horikawa: For me, the best thing is to hear "It was good" from people who saw the work. There aren't many difficult things in my work, but even if there are times when I think "Give me a break," if someone says "That was good" at the end, it's simple, but I think I'll continue. After that, I think I just have to believe in myself and keep doing it. You never know until the end what kind of evaluation you'll get, so there's no point in expecting it. When it's over, don't run away, but take responsibility with dignity. Since it's something that is made by people from various departments, including actors, working together, we all have different starting points, but we're all united in our desire to make something good, so I want to keep that in mind.
Horiuchi: I think movies belong to the director, but when I'm told "I'm asking you to play this role," I'm still scared. Even if I try to do it my own way, there are many times when I'm told "It's completely different." When I'm told that, I try using a different drawer next time. And when I get the OK, I'm really happy. I've been doing it for quite a long time, but I think I've opened up a few more drawers. Just because you have a career doesn't mean you're good, and I'm getting a bit of a hard time talking, but I hope that what I put out still has a good flavor. When I was young, if I brought something that I thought was good and it was rejected, I couldn't come up with an alternative. I've come to think that if I approach it with a margin, like playing with a steering wheel, I can do it somehow. In the past, I wasn't confident in my lines, so I would just give them out vaguely. But since I realized that I couldn't convince people that way, I try to do it with confidence. I can say this kind of thinking because I've gained experience.
Cho: I think the same as Ryo and Kenyu. I'm very self-centered, so I end up doing things the way I want to. I think of other ways, but I often can't change things right away. But in the end, I think the best thing is when other people say, "It was good," just like Ryo said. When I'm acting, I can only rely on myself, and even if the director says it's OK, I still don't have confidence. When it becomes a work and a third party sees it and says, "That work was good," I'll feel good that I participated. I rely on the audience and the director.
--Finally, please give a message to those who are planning to see this film in the future, and to those who have seen it once and are thinking of going to see it again.
Horikawa: I think it's better to watch it twice than once, and three or five times than twice. That's because, as I was just saying, there are many parts that you won't notice the first or second time. If I like a movie, I'll watch it two or three times. It's also fun to make new discoveries when you watch it again on TV or something a few years later. New discoveries are always interesting, so I hope you'll watch this movie five or ten times.
Mr. Cho, please become the commentator of this work! Find something that you can talk about and say, "I think this is what's good about this work." I'd be happy if you could watch it that many times.
Horiuchi: I think the first time you watch it, you'll be shocked. You'll think, "Wow, there's footage like this," and if you watch it a few times, you'll notice the depth of the footage even more. When I saw the finished product, I thought that all the actors were amazing. Each of them really acted out their character's thoughts. It's a great work overall, including the music. I think you have to see it (laughs).
