The TV anime "Witch Watch," based on the popular manga by Kenta Shinohara, which is currently being serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), is being broadcast on MBS and TBS in the Sunday 5pm anime slot "Nichigo." Popular voice actor Ryota Suzuki. As it is a fast-paced comedy, he is constantly panting during recording, but says that he feels it is "fresh for me." We asked him about what goes on behind the scenes of the recording.
◇ Expressing Morihito from “Nico First”
"Witch Watch" is a comedy manga by Shinohara, who is known for "SKET DANCE" and "Astra Lost in Space". It began serialization in February 2021 in "Weekly Shonen Jump". It depicts the cohabitation life of Wakatsuki Nico, who is training to become a witch, and her childhood friend Morihito, a high school student with the powers of a demon. Morihito is given the mission of being a familiar who will protect Nico from a prophesied disaster, and his future begins to be filled with difficulties and mysteries. Kawaguchi Rina will play Nico, and voice actors such as Kohei Amasaki, Kaito Ishikawa, and Kusunoki Tomori will appear. It will be broadcast for two consecutive seasons.
Suzuki describes the work's appeal as "an interesting piece that really showcases Shinohara-sensei's world."
"The tempo is good, and it's a very entertaining, fast-paced comedy, but the story is based on the growth of Nico as a witch, so the main plot doesn't waver, and Nico's magic makes the comedy even more rich. The characters are also very unique. However, when I received the script, I thought there were really a lot of words. How can I put this into lines with this tempo? I had the impression that it would be a difficult dubbing job."
During the audition, he also auditioned for the role of Morihito, as well as the role of Magami Keigo, a "subcultural asshole" classmate of Nico and Morihito.
"I thought Morihito was a role that offered many options, and if you want a slightly lower-key, cool, and calm character, then Keigo would have more room to maneuver than Morihito. There were some aspects of Keigo that suited me better. That being said, Morihito likes vintage stuff just like me, so I'm honored to have been chosen."
When playing the role of Morihito, he says that he places great importance on his "feelings for Nico."
"Although he has a bitter past in which he was ostracized by his friends and even injured them due to his demonic powers, I think that from childhood until now, his desire to 'protect Nico' has never wavered. I have decided to clearly change my acting based on my own sensibilities between Morihito when he is with Nico and Morihito when he is with others."
She says she is often influenced by the acting of Kawaguchi, who plays Nico.
"I think she was nervous at first, but I think you can feel the beauty of Nico, who is pure and innocent and acts for others, from her straightforward acting. Morihito of course has his own "preferences first" attitude, but the basis of his actions is "Nico first," so during recordings, I was waiting for Kawaguchi to do something (laughs). That aspect is also a big part of it. But basically, I'm cool and speak in a matter-of-fact way. I need to have Morihito's mental strength, so I hope I can act in a convincing way."
◇Popular voice actors of the same generation gather together. Where was the recording location?
In "Witch Watch," many unique characters appear, and in addition to Kawaguchi and Suzuki, they are played by popular voice actors, including Amakasaki as the Tengu Kazamatsuri Kanshi, Ishikawa as the "subculture bastard" Keigo, and Kusunoki as the witch from a good family, Miyao Nemu. We asked Suzuki about his impressions of each character.
"Amasaki-san's Kanshi has a voice that makes you want to make him miserable (laughs). His tone of voice, Kansai dialect and character match perfectly. The more miserable Kanshi is, the more interesting he becomes, so I think he is the most difficult character in the series. However, I feel Amakasaki-san's determination to "shoot even if I fall," and I think his passion is wonderful. As for Keigo, I said that I was originally more satisfied with Keigo, but Kaito-san's subcultural bastard feel is really annoying (laughs). When I hear that, I think Kaito-san is more interesting, and I think he's amazing. Nemu is also unique. The contrast between reading poems with Kusunoki-san's refined voice makes him an interesting character. In this series, there are as many styles of comedy as there are characters, and the types of comedy changes."
There are many voice actors of the same generation at the recording site, and the atmosphere is "very friendly."
"Whenever Kusunoki is around, he gets really harsh on me, so I get harsh back at him (laughs). Then Kawaguchi has a weird interpretation, thinking, 'So that's how you tease Suzuki,' and I'm like, 'Don't take that as your reference!' A master-disciple relationship is born between Kusunoki and Kawaguchi. Also, there's Amakasaki, who is always a nice and considerate person, and Kaito, who says things in a fairly sharp way, so it's a good balance."
During recording, they are often asked to improvise, and the scene in episode 1 in which Morihito turns into a frivolous "frivolous guy" due to Nico's magic spell "Mecha Light," which makes objects lighter, was almost entirely improvised.
"I did think that I shouldn't have ad-libbed in the first episode (laughs). I did think that it would have been better to explain Morihito's character through his cool, stylish side, but it ended up like that because of the magic. The script called for ad-lib for that scene, so I prepared it at home. I often prepare ad-libs. However, I had never played a role like a playboy before, so it was quite difficult to come up with light-hearted phrases (laughs)."
It seems that the ad-libs also have their own characteristics depending on the cast.
"Kaito-san's choice of genre and words makes me think 'that's clever,' and I think he's good at bringing in things that match Keigo's subcultural sensibility. I don't know if Amakasaki-san has thought it out or is just doing it on the spot, but he's always leaning forward and seems very sensitive. It's interesting and edgy because you never know what he's going to bring. I don't know what Kawaguchi-san will bring either, and that's typical of Nico."
◇Changes in acting: Switching to "Let's do it happily" mode
The recording of "Witch Watch" is fast-paced and full of improvisation, and Suzuki says that playing the role of Morihito has been a challenge.
"I've worked on fast-paced productions and productions where dialogue was important, but it's rare to see everything so woven together and have that constant feeling of 'Oh, this is tough...'. It feels fresh to me. Also, I had to struggle not to laugh during the recording. I'm a very funny guy, so there were times when I laughed and interrupted the flow, and I felt bad about it. But being able to laugh this much made me think that both the production and the actors were amazing, so it was a rare experience."
Suzuki and Morihito share the commonality of loving vintage items, but when asked about other things they have in common, he said, "I think we're similar in that we're both very particular about things other than clothes, and we both like authenticity, but recently I've become less particular."
"There was no particular trigger, but about two years ago I suddenly thought, 'I want to live happily.' In my acting, too, I was originally the type to clearly express what I wanted to do, but gradually I started to look in the same direction as everyone else and changed to thinking, 'I just want the work to be good.' Once I got into the 'let's do it happily' mode, it became a lot more fun and my horizons broadened. I personally think that my acting has changed to one where I can do things in a lot of different ways while still maintaining my fundamental commitment."
"I'm happy now. So I'm not stressed," said Suzuki with a smile. Expectations are building for what kind of performance he will show in the role of Morihito in "Witch Watch."
*The surname "saki" in Kohei Amasaki's name is pronounced "tatsusaki" (standing cape).
