The second season of the new TV anime " Rurouni Kenshin : Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story " based on the popular manga by Nobuhiro Watsuki , " Kyoto Disturbance", is titled. The "Kyoto Arc", which depicts the fierce battle between the protagonist Himura Kenshin and Shishio's group, is a popular episode in the original work, and Makoto Furukawa plays one of the most popular characters, Shishio Makoto, who could be called the Shishio Makoto . Furukawa said that he was struggling to find a way of speaking that would make people think, "This guy is a bad guy," or "But he's cool," just by hearing his voice. We asked him about his particular attention to detail in his acting, and the appeal of Shishio Makoto and the Ten Swords.
◇Great pressure on Shishio Makoto The presence of Soma Saito as “Kenshin”
"Rurouni Kenshin" is a popular manga that was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha) from 1994 to 1999. It depicts Himura Kenshin, who was feared as a Battousai assassin during the late Edo period, as a wanderer who vowed not to kill after the Meiji Restoration, searching for a way to live in a new era. A new chapter, "Rurouni Kenshin - Meiji Swordsman Romantic Story Hokkaido Arc -", has been serialized in the monthly manga magazine "Jump SQ." (Shueisha) since 2017. With a completely new staff and cast, the new TV anime series will be broadcast with the first 24 episodes in July 2023, and the second season will start broadcasting in October 2024 on Fuji TV's anime slot "Noitamina" and other channels. The final episode, episode 47, "A Magnificent Night", was broadcast on March 20th. The production of the third season has also been announced.
Furukawa was a devoted fan of "Rurouni Kenshin" since it was first serialized, and when he was chosen to play Shishio Makoto through an audition, he thought "this must be a lie." Furukawa had previously auditioned for " Rurouni Kenshin " twice for roles other than Shishio Makoto .
"Every time I auditioned, the results would come back saying 'I didn't make it this time,' so when I heard about the audition for The Ten Swords, Shishio Makoto, I naturally gave it my all to Shishio Makoto I had in mind, but I didn't think I would get in (laughs). This was true of all my previous characters, but with regards to Shishio Makoto, it's no exaggeration to say that he is probably the most fascinating villain in the series. So when I gave it my all and the result came back as a positive one, I was very happy, but at the same time I felt a lot of pressure."
When Shishio Makoto, he reread the original work and was at a loss as to how to play the role of Shishio Makoto, who is the counterpart to Kenshin.
"Nothing sets the bar higher for me than if it's a work I like or something I saw long ago and thought was interesting. It's a repetitive process of overcoming those hurdles and incorporating each element one by one. It's both difficult and fun."
One thing that helped him overcome the enormous pressure and responsibility was the presence of Soma Saito, who plays Kenshin.
"Recently, in other works, Saito and I have been cast in opposing roles, and I have sometimes thought, 'Maybe I'm here because Saito is in the middle.' Of course, I think there are parts where what I have put out has been properly evaluated. In that context, Saito's performance of Himura Kenshin in a very good way. Soma Saito has sublimated it beautifully using his skilled tactics. I think he himself is feeling the pressure, but it was precisely because I had the opportunity to see Soma Saito's Himura Kenshin that I had to make him the new Makoto Furukawa's Shishio Makoto, and a vague direction was solidified for me."
Furukawa said he feels that Saito's performance of Kenshin "sounds like a very life-size Kenshin," and added, "Seeing how life-size he is, I thought that if Shishio Makoto is a counterpart to Kenshin, then I should also create a life-size Shishio Makoto. To do that, I've begun to see a guideline for which drawers I should open, so his presence is huge."
"I'm happy to be able to clash with Saito-kun again, and since he's coming to our side with Himura Kenshin, I feel that as Shishio I have to build a castle strong enough to destroy it head-on."
◇ Shishio Makoto's "Margin": Taking on the role of a charismatic evil character
One of the core elements that Furukawa focused on when playing Shishio Makoto was "absolute strength."
"To put it very simply, he is someone who has worked his way up through the ranks through his own skills alone. The thing he probably trusts the most is his own talent for 'killing people,' and the people who are attracted to him are the Ten Swords and Shishio's faction. That's why he has to be an absolute power within the story. That's why he doesn't want to show his true colors. If he did, people would think, 'Maybe this guy will lose to Kenshin.' At the time, whether I was reading the manga or watching the animation, there was this absolute element of 'Can I beat this guy?' and that never wavered from the start of the 'Kyoto Arc' to the end. I've always tried to keep that in mind."
He also feels that Shishio Makoto is "the only villain."
"No matter how strong his opponent is, at his core he is just a villain. Of course he has superhuman powers, like being able to control fire, and miraculously surviving being engulfed in flames and being covered in bandages, so there are otherworldly aspects to him, but when you play him, there are many aspects that make you think, 'But he is still a human being'. For example, creating hot springs for therapeutic purposes is probably not something he would do if he didn't have something human about him. I think it's interesting to see that human margin. He wants to do what he wants, and he wants to fight Kenshin, who is getting stronger. I think the fact that he is a man who is honest about his desires is also a margin for Shishio Makoto's humanity."
Furukawa has often played antagonists or villains in other works, but the role of Shishio Makoto is a challenge for him, as he says, "It's quite difficult to play a character who shines with evil."
"When you play a character and that person ends up going in a bad direction, or going in an antagonistic direction, I think it's because what was best for that person was the worst for the protagonist, but in the case of Shishio Makoto, he is portrayed as absolute evil from the get-go. You could even call him a charismatic evil. So how can I make him shine with this instrument from Furukawa? How can I make him shine? I open up my own drawers and ask myself, "Is this it? Is this it?" to find a way of sounding and speaking that makes people think, "This guy is a bad guy," or "But he's cool," just by hearing his voice once. I think it's difficult and tough, but there are also times when I want to make it sharper, to shape it more. And when the audience says, "I like it," I'm really happy."
◇The Ten Swords are a powerful mob, like a bargain sale!?
As Furukawa says, Shishio Makoto"shines evilly" and is still cool even after a long time has passed since the series began. We also talked about the appeal of the Ten Swords led by Shishio Makoto.
"First of all, I think it's like a bargain sale when there's an incredibly strong person at the top and 10 other strong people below him (laughs). Like, 'Huh, what are they going to do about this?' When I read the serialization, I was impressed by them as people who made it easy to understand the strength and troublesomeness of the enemy, but now that I'm older and looking at them again, I see that the Ten Swords contain something incredibly dangerous."
The Ten Swords are a group that have gathered around Shishio for different purposes, and some of them are even trying to kill him.
"That feeling of unity, yet disunity, when I look at it again, makes sense and fits the setting, and I like it. It may sound bad, but they're almost like a rabble, but each and every one of them is powerful and a formidable enemy. It wouldn't be strange if a traitor turned up at any time, but everyone at least fulfills their role as an 'enemy of the Meiji government.' I think that level of realism is what makes it so appealing."
The third season of the TV anime "Rurouni Kenshin" has also been confirmed. The story revolves around the "single villain"Shishio Makoto and the mighty gang of the Ten Swords. We want to pay attention to the brilliance of evil portrayed by Furukawa and the other voice actors.
