A completely new anime adaptation of Takahashi Rumiko's hit manga Ranma 1/2 began airing on Nippon Television in October. The series was originally broadcast as a TV anime from 1989 to 1992, and this is the first time it has been adapted for TV in 32 years. The new anime will feature the same voice actors as Yamaguchi Kappei as Saotome Ranma, Hayashibara Megumi as Ranma, and Hidaka Noriko as Tendo Akane, while the appearance of new cast members Sugita Tomokazu as Kuno Tatewaki and Sakura Ayane as Kuno Kodachi has also been much talked about. We asked Sakura, who took over the role of Kuno Kodachi from Shimazu Saeko in the 1989 anime version, about her thoughts on Ranma 1/2. ◇As a girl, she admired Ranma; "Ranma 1/2" was "a friend I could meet even when I was feeling down"
"Ranma 1/2" was serialized in the manga magazine "Weekly Shonen Sunday" (Shogakukan) from 1987 to 1996 by Takahashi, who is also known for "Urusei Yatsura" and "Maison Ikkoku". It depicted the hectic daily life of Saotome Ranma, a high school martial artist who turns into a woman when splashed with water, and his fiancée Tendo Akane.
For Sakura, "Ranma 1/2" was "such a natural part of my life that I can't even remember when I first encountered it."
"I first encountered the original manga when I was a child. There was a manga store at the cram school I went to. I read Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha there, and Ranma was my favorite character from Ranma 1/2 when I was little. I've always liked androgynous characters, and I was boyish and always referred to myself as "boku" (I), so Ranma was like an ideal for me, and I watched the manga thinking, "I wish I could be like that." Sakura was such a manga-loving girl that she said in a past interview, "When I was in elementary school, I wanted to be a manga artist." Sakura describes the appeal of Ranma 1/2 as "it's like a friend that you can meet even when you're feeling down." "Personally, I think the appeal of Rumiko Takahashi's work is that you can read it even when you're tired. The manga is so skillful that you can get everything into your head without any effort. I think that's an overwhelming condition for a masterpiece that is passed down and handed down, like a traditional art. I don't know how she writes entertainment that can be fully received by anyone under any circumstances, but I think it's really amazing. Even in serious scenes, there is always a cathartic moment, and after reading it, you feel great and you feel like you can do your best again tomorrow! It's very reassuring, and I want to read it over and over again." ◇The dream of being involved in Rumiko Takahashi's work Sakura learned about the production of a "completely new anime" of "Ranma 1/2" when she received an offer to audition for the role of Kodachi. She was very surprised that her favorite work was being revived as a new anime in the Reiwa era, saying, "I was quite surprised." At the same time, she had a strong desire to fulfill her "once in a lifetime dream as a manga fan to be involved in Takahashi Rumiko-sensei's work."
"The truth is, I was always regretful that I wasn't able to join the cast of the new Urusei Yatsura anime, and it's always been in the back of my mind. However, this time, Ranma 1/2 was basically an original cast, so I thought it would be harder to get in than Urusei Yatsura... I was only offered an audition for one character, Kodachi, so I thought it would be difficult, but I just wanted to do my best with what I could do."
Kuno Kodachi is the younger sister of Kuno Tatewaki, and is a master of rhythmic gymnastics, nicknamed "Black Rose Kodachi." Not only does she look good in a leotard with a black rose in her mouth, but she is also a strong character who has feelings for Ranma and will stop at nothing to get in the way of those who get in the way of their love.
"When I heard that I would be playing Kodachi, to be honest, I couldn't imagine myself playing the role. I'd never passed an audition for a character like this before, and when I read Ranma 1/2, she was also the most difficult character to understand. It was a character that was difficult to empathize with, and you enjoyed the parts you couldn't empathize with, and when you suddenly saw the parts you could empathize with, you were happy. So I thought it was okay to ignore the pressure I felt because I could empathize with her. I put together a performance that was completely different to the character that is difficult for ordinary people to understand."
◇I didn't want to be a strange feeling for everyone
Shimazu-san's voice, who played Kodachi in the "1989 version" anime, also left a strong impression. The person who felt that charm more than anyone else was none other than Sakura-san herself.
"Shimazu's performance of Kodachi is perfectly balanced, and although it is extremely eccentric and crazy, it is elegant, and his voice has an incredible range. It's like it's exhilarating even though it's hard to understand what he's saying. I felt a lot of pressure, wondering if there is anyone else who can express that other than Shimazu."
Sakura herself is a big fan of "Ranma 1/2," so she spoke frankly, saying, "I don't know if I'm allowed to say this as the successor cast member, but I can understand all too well how people who wanted to hear Shimazu's Kodachi feel."
"That's why, even if they don't accept it, I didn't want to make it seem strange to everyone. I listened to Shimazu-san's voice a lot and incorporated my admiration for his voice into my own. The emotions that are carried in it are something that can never be imitated, the emotions that Shimazu-san puts into it are Shimazu-san's, and the emotions that I put into it inevitably become my own, so I tried to make that my originality. Other than that, I was very conscious of creating a sound that would not cause stress to those who love Shimazu-san's Kodachi. However, since I have a distinctive voice quality, I felt a little frustrated when I couldn't kill off the parts of my individuality even though I tried. On the day of the recording, I went in with the intention of laughing as loudly as I could in a voice that would not lose to my seniors (laughs)."
Continued in interview (2).
