The TV anime "Dandadan" is based on a popular manga currently being serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine app "Shonen Jump+". It began airing in October on the late-night anime slot "Super Animeism TURBO" on MBS and TBS, and has been a hot topic for its powerful battle scenes, innovative visuals such as psychedelic color usage, and light-hearted dialogue by a star-studded cast of voice actors. In the third episode, Momo's (Ayase Momo) grandmother, a psychic medium, Hoshiko, made her full appearance. Nana Mizuki, who plays Hoshiko, said that Hoshiko is "a character I've never played before," and that she felt that "I've opened a new door for myself." We asked her about the behind-the-scenes of the recording and her particular attention to detail in acting.
◇First role as a grandmother; "A very adult experience"
The story of "Dandadan" is about Momo, a girl who doesn't believe in aliens, and Okarun (Takakura Ken), a boy with an occult obsession who doesn't believe in ghosts, who encounter an overwhelming mystery. Okarun, who encounters Turbo Granny in a haunted tunnel, is cursed with the power to transform, while Momo, who comes from a family of mediums, is attacked by a Serpo alien and awakens her hidden psychic powers. The two unleash their special powers and face the strange phenomena that appear one after another. The anime features a star-studded cast of voice actors, including Shion Wakayama as Momo, Natsuki Hanae as Okarun, Mayumi Tanaka as Turbo Granny, and Kazuya Nakai as the Serpo alien.
Hoshiko, played by Mizuki, is a medium who works under the name Dodoria Santa, and has raised Momo, who has no parents. With an incredibly young appearance that makes it hard to believe she is a grandmother, and a manner of speech that may seem rough, she is at first glance a quirky character, but Mizuki says she feels that "she is a very earnest person who cares about her grandchild."
"Momo is always at the center of Hoshiko's life. She thinks about how to help Momo grow up healthy and always smile. She is always there to support her without being overprotective. However, because she has experienced many things as a medium, what is normal for Hoshiko is not normal for the rest of the world, and the things she says may seem a little extreme and out of the blue, but she analyzes things calmly and supports them with all her might. She always makes Momo and Okarun think and paves the way for them to grow, which I think is amazing as a guardian. At first glance, she may seem strict, but that is the flip side of her love, which is what makes Hoshiko so appealing, and I think she is a really loving character."
This is Mizuki's first role as a grandmother. It was also a character she had never played before. At her first recording, the staff asked her to play a cool, spunky Hoshiko with a strong will, and she smiles, saying, "I was happy that they trusted me with that role, and when Ryu-sensei was on set he said, 'You were an incredibly cool Hoshiko,' which was the best compliment I could get. I felt confident enough to continue playing the role in the future!"
The thing Mizuki was most conscious of when playing Hoshiko was her love for Momo.
"There are a lot of extreme, outlandish lines, but they come out of my feelings for Momo, so I tried to act while always keeping in mind that there must be deep love behind them and not to use harsh words. However, it was difficult to express love using words that I don't normally use, like 'damn it' and 'you,' and I thought that was what made this a character I'd never played before. I often play characters who are pretty straightforward, so it was a fresh experience to convey my feelings to the other person using words that contrast with what I feel inside."
She describes the experience of putting love that contradicts her words into her lines as "a very adult experience."
"Even at my age, I'm still a child, or should I say, I'm easy to understand and a really straightforward person. Hoshiko is a character that requires you to read into the hidden meaning of her words, not just the surface meaning, so it was a challenge to see how well I could act that and how much of the contradictory side I could bring to the table, and it was a wonderful experience."
◇Accepts and embraces Momo and Okarun who butt in
One of the attractions of "Dandadan" is the light-hearted dialogue between characters Momo, Okarun, Hoshiko, and others. The recording was so heated that Mizuki felt that "the temperature in the studio rose by two or three degrees."
"Shion-chan, who plays Momo, and Hanae-kun, who plays Okarun, came at me at top speed first, so I had to face them as Hoshiko. The two of them charged in with the energy of youth, so I had to take them in deep and guide them while embracing them and saying, 'Yes, there, there, there...' I had to take in all that heat, so I needed a lot of energy while remaining calm."
In the harmonious recording environment, she said she was able to feel the fun of the dialogue, saying, "It was fun because we were able to record in perfect sync with the characters and feel the atmosphere of everyone."
"Because the recording time was short, we didn't have time to chat leisurely, but (Tanaka) Mayumi-san created the atmosphere on set. She always comes to set wearing a Turbo Granny hoodie. It has a line from Turbo Granny that says, 'I have no respect for my elders,' and Mayumi-san says she goes around showing it to everyone and says, 'Look at this,' and tells them, 'Everyone respects you, Mayumi-san,' (laughs). She really made the atmosphere light and I'm very grateful."
Mizuki-san describes the appeal of the anime "Dandadan" as "a dense work packed with elements that will get your heart racing."
"I hope that people who want a little excitement in their daily lives will enjoy this anime as it will add some spice to their days. Even people who aren't interested in the occult or the supernatural can easily get into it as it has a romantic comedy element at its core. It's a work that fuses all kinds of genres from all angles, so I hope you'll enjoy the anime too. The artwork is really great and there's a lot to see, and the music is really cool, so I hope you'll pay attention to those aspects as well."
The voice actors, including Mizuki, do their best to express the charm of the unique characters in the anime "Dandadan." Future developments are not to be missed.
