"Moonrise", an original anime produced by WIT STUDIO, known for "Attack on Titan" and "SPY×FAMILY", will be exclusively distributed worldwide on Netflix from April 10th. The sci-fi anime is a stellar lineup, with the story originally conceived by novelist and screenwriter Tow Ubukata Tou, the characters originally conceived by Arakawa Hiromu, known for the manga "Fullmetal Alchemist", and directed by Koizuka Masashi, who worked on "Attack on Titan". Popular voice actor Chiaki Kobayashi plays the main character, Jacob Shadow, also known as Jack. We spoke to Kobayashi about the appeal of the work and what went on behind the scenes during the recording.
◇A film that people who are unfamiliar with SF should watch
The story is set in a world where everything is entrusted to the international AI network Sapientia, and people live their lives according to Sapientia's rational decisions. Sapientia's lunar colonization project has created a gap between Earth, where peace is maintained by sending polluters and criminals to the moon, and the Moon, where people are forced to live in poverty, and is threatening to spark a war of independence. One day, the protagonist Jack is caught up in a terrorist bombing and his family is taken away by a rebel army on the Moon who are plotting liberation from Earth. Swearing revenge, Jack decides to head to the Moon with his comrades as a scout for the Earth Army... and so the story unfolds.
Kobayashi said that at the time of the audition he felt "I really wanted to try acting because it was an opportunity to work with top-class creators and it was an original anime." He added, "When I actually passed the audition, I was purely happy that I got to work with these kinds of people."
The setting and story may be difficult to understand for those unfamiliar with science fiction, but Kobayashi says, "It's a work that I would recommend especially to those people."
"It's actually very easy to watch. First of all, the action scenes are fantastic and of high quality, so even people who aren't familiar with science fiction or don't pay much attention to the setting can have a lot of fun just watching it. Also, since most of it is drama, I don't think you need to think of it as science fiction."
Jack, played by Kobayashi, and the other main character, Phil Arche, played by Yuto Uemura, are childhood friends, and the story revolves around the drama between the two. Jack thought Phil had died in a certain incident when they were young, but they are reunited at an unexpected time.
"There is a drama about childhood friends Jack and Phil, and although we thought Phil was dead, he turns out to be alive. What is his intention? We don't know whether he is an ally or an enemy. There is also a strong mystery element, such as why the moon has such a strong repulsive force against the earth. It is called science fiction because of the major symbols and themes of the earth and the moon, but the drama and mystery are also very carefully depicted."
◇ Performances that are always conscious of the "battlefield" and are stimulating
Kobayashi plays Jack, the heir to a large company involved in the lunar development project. However, because he is an adopted child, he has mixed feelings about his position.
"Jack comes from a wealthy family, so he's pretty nonchalant and doesn't reveal his true intentions. He may seem like he's indulging in his hobbies, but in truth he feels inferior about becoming the successor to the company. So he deliberately adopts a nonchalant attitude, hoping that those around him will see that 'I won't let that guy become the successor.' In reality, he's a very kind, passionate person who cares for his friends, so I tried to portray him with a sense of justice in mind."
After his family was taken by the rebels on the moon, Jack heads to the moon with his comrades as a scout for the Earth Army to take revenge on Bob Skyrum, who is controlling the rebels on the moon. When acting, he was conscious of the fact that "life is always on the line."
"Sound Director Mima Masafumi always told all the cast members, 'Don't forget that you're fighting for your life every time.' Because they're always on the battlefield, we tried to eliminate scenes that we might easily skip over, such as small everyday lines or scenes where they say something to their comrades, to keep the tension constant. For example, they chat with the premise that they don't know when they'll be killed. Also, in scenes where they see off allies or go to enemy territory, we acted on the premise that they wouldn't be able to come back."
During the dubbing, which was always conscious of the battlefield, Kobayashi said the scene that made the biggest impression on him was the "scream" scene.
"There's a scene in which Jack reaches out to the heroines, Reese and Marie, and cries out, 'Reese!' 'Marie!' to try to help them. We had to do quite a few retakes for that shout, so it's very memorable. The situation is different for each scene, but Jack's psychology is strongly rooted in his desire to 'save his comrades.' In the first half of the story, there are a lot of shouts where he's venting his frustration when he can't reach Bob Skyrum or when enemy troops arrive, but from the middle onwards, there are more shouts to help his comrades. It's the same shout, but it changes just because the purpose is different."
He said that he was often inspired during the recording.
"I had a lot of exchanges with Yamada (Misaki) who played Reese, and Uemura who played Phil, so it was very stimulating. In particular, it seems that Yamada who played Reese played a main character for the first time in this work. Sound Director Mima is a very particular person, so it was quite difficult to go beyond his line, but he fought without getting discouraged and grew, or rather. The dubbing took about a year and a half, so it was great to be able to see the growth of the role and the actor during that time. I have co-starred with Uemura many times in other works, but it was the first time we played opposite each other, so it was a lot of fun. After it was over, we went out to eat together, and it was fun talking about the exchanges."
◇ Aina the End's theme song is soothing. "It's like being in a sauna."
When Kobayashi saw the finished video, he felt it was "the culmination of a comprehensive work of art."
"The quality is truly amazing, from the opening to the ending. The opening is thrilling, and then there's the overwhelming action, the acting that we did with all our might, the tragic sound effects of the war zone, the screams, and so on. The episode ends with a jumble of emotions."
Amidst all of this, the theme song "Daijobu" by Aina the End is played, and he says, "Aina's singing voice is soothing. It's like a sauna and it makes me feel at ease."
"Aina's song "Daijobu" really touches me. After all the dubbing was finished, I was able to see the complete version, and it was wonderful to see the ending video, the lyrics, and Aina's singing voice, which brought tears to my eyes, especially after having performed the whole song."
Finally, Kobayashi talks about the appeal of the film, saying, "Jack and Phil, childhood friends, are placed in different positions on the Moon and Earth, and each of them has their own intentions, but those intentions are not revealed until the very end. It's interesting because the core of the story doesn't come into view. Also, the action is created in a way that you won't see in other works. I would be happy if people who like action, people who like mystery, and people who haven't seen much sci-fi would also watch it."
Enjoy this sci-fi masterpiece created by a stellar staff and passionate voice actors including Kobayashi.
