The anime "Takopi's Original Sin" based on the manga by Taizan 5, which was serialized in Shueisha's manga app "Shonen Jump +", will begin streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, ABEMA and other video streaming services at midnight on June 28th. The original work was serialized in "Shonen Jump +" from December 2021 to March 2022, and although it was a short serialization, it gained popularity, recording the highest number of views among works serialized at the same time. The story is about Tacopi, a Happy Alien who comes to Earth and meets Shizuka Kuze, a girl who never smiles, and uses his Happy Gadgets, which have mysterious powers, to bring back her smile. It also became a hot topic because it depicts the cruel reality of elementary school students, such as problems they face at school and at home, and although the comic is only two volumes in total, the total number of copies published has exceeded 1.45 million. We spoke to Reina Ueda, who plays Shizuka in the anime, and Yoshimi Kobayashi, who plays Marina, Shizuka's Konomi Kohara who has many friends but is harsh to Shizuka, about what went on behind the scenes during the recording of this shocking work.
◇Light appears in the shadows
--It's also been called a "shocking work." What is your impression of the film?
Ueda: I only knew that there was a cute creature called Tacopi, and when I went to the audition, my manager told me, "Read the original story when you're feeling well. It might be painful to read, so be prepared." So I started reading it prepared. Even though I was prepared, I thought I might take a break... I found it to be a shocking work. However, because the story was so painful, I gradually felt that I had to see to the end how Tacopi and the children would live and whether they could survive, and after taking a break at the beginning, I read it nonstop to the end. The characters' expressions look different on the left and right, and from the lines and actions, it can also be interpreted as a story where light can be seen in the shadows. Good and evil, hope and despair are connected in a gray area, but there is also an impression that there are salvation scattered throughout, which I found particularly appealing.
Obara: I also read the original work when I auditioned. When I first saw the visual, I thought it was a heartwarming story because Taco Peep is so cute, but when I saw the PV (the PV to commemorate the release of the first volume), I was shocked by the content. I thought I should understand the original work! So I read the original work. When the agency told me to "apply for Marina-chan," I personally haven't appeared in many works with this kind of subject matter, and she was the type of girl who had tried but never been accepted, so somewhere in my mind I felt that it probably wouldn't work. It was a challenge for me, and I had the feeling that I would be happy if I was selected, but also the feeling that what I would do if I was selected, and I was prepared. It's a work that is full of charm.
--It's a story with a vivid feel to it. What is your impression of the characters?
Ueda : I think Shizuka is a character who is scary because she is so raw. She is the polar opposite of Tacopi's catchiness, comicality, cuteness, and brightness, and she portrays the rawness of the human side of Shizuka and Marina-chan. As for Shizuka, I have the image of her being stuck with loneliness, thinking, "I'm lonely." She is hurt by the innocent, unconscious, and indifferent behavior of the people around her, and the heartless words of selfish people, and she can't protect herself like that, and no one can protect her. That's why I got the impression that there are people who are convenient for her and people who are bad for her, but there is no one she can truly trust. I think she has too few successful experiences in communicating with people. I thought it was very realistic that she has a tendency to overreact to opposing opinions and has a tendency to quickly judge friends and enemies. In the midst of all this, various dramas unfold with Tacopi and the others, and it is very difficult to decide whether she will change or not. Even in a realistic way, she is a very difficult character.
--Marina is also a complex character.
If you read the original work while facing Obara-san Marina , I think your impression when you start reading will be different from the impression you get in the latter half. She may have been different depending on her environment. Like Shizuka, if she had grown up in a favorable and warm environment, the two of them might have held hands and gotten along well. I felt the rawness of how much people change depending on their environment. When I passed the audition, I wondered how I should face this girl? How should I act? But when I actually started acting, I began to think that maybe this girl didn't have anyone she could rely on. I was the one who entered her and became the axis, so even though it was a world of imagination, I was the only one who could be there for her! I thought. There were some shocking things, but I still had to be there for her. That's how I faced her.
◇It's like a sharp blade is being thrust upon you.
-What did you keep in mind while playing Shizuka?
During the test recording of the special PV, Ueda-san gave me the direction to "show strong resignation," so "resignation" was the basis for the main story. However, she actually has a rich expression. She smiles when she is with her pet dog Chappy, and when she sees salvation or hope for herself, her emotions become even more visible. When she is told an opposing opinion, she overreacts, and she is a surprisingly emotional child, but I tried hard to aim for a part that is not too emotionless or selfless. Also, she doesn't listen to people as much as possible, and doesn't try to listen to what others are thinking. She doesn't have that feeling in the first place. When she talks to people, she doesn't mesh with them and seems a bit disjointed, so I played her while being conscious of that. There are moments when she seems evil, but I wanted her words and actions to be as impulsive and gray as possible, so I thought it would be nice to act while being conscious of not drawing too clear a line between good and evil.
--Were there any parts where you could understand Shizuka's feelings?
I can understand some of Ueda's feelings. I also had a period when things weren't going well and communication wasn't working, so I just kept digging the ground. It's a bit rough to say I understand everything, but I think that because I pulled out the drawers from that time, I didn't feel like I was looking at the darkness from the light.
--What about Marina?
Obara-san: I said earlier that I had to be empathetic, but I don't have any real experience, so I don't know anything... I practice a lot at home, but I thought that in scenes where emotions are expressed, the more they come out of the momentum of the dialogue, the more realistic it will be. However, I was also anxious. There are scenes where I express anger, and I thought that a character like that needs someone who can produce a stronger sound than me. I have a high-pitched voice, so I wondered if I could become her voice. I went to the scene with this anxiety in mind. However, after the recording of the first episode was over, I asked Director Iino (Shinya) and Sound Director Aketagawa (Jin) "Why did you choose me?" I don't usually do that. Then I heard that they said, "Since anime is a deformed world, I think there are people with this kind of voice quality for this kind of genre, but the real world is not like that. I think people with voices who don't seem to act like that are more realistic." When I heard that, the anxiety inside me was relieved, and I was able to take on the challenge more. I was able to perform the role with the help and hints of many people.
-What was your impression when you heard Marina's acting, Ueda-san?
During the dubbing, Ueda-san's point of view was from Shizuka's point of view, so it was really scary. I had the impression that she was being held at the point of a sharp blade and couldn't resist. She was scared and did her best, but when I saw the finished video, she didn't seem like a bad person, and it seemed like there was some clumsiness in the way she attacked Shizuka. What she did was cruel, but there was no kind of malice that seemed fun to her.
Obara-san and Marina don't have any time to spare either.
Because it's Ueda-san , she looks cute in some ways. When I read the original work, when I was doing the dubbing, and when I saw the finished video, my impression was completely different. The casting for Marina-chan and the other characters is too strong!
Obara: The axis of that vivid worldview was centered on Shizuka, played by Ueda. That's why this worldview was created. If Shizuka hadn't been played by Ueda, I think the style would have changed a lot. I've said it was vivid many times, but because she was at the center, sounding real, I was able to be Marina. I felt like I wanted to attack and challenge her a little, and I think the balance was good. When I saw the finished video, I felt that Marina is not used to attacking people, but she is trying to be strong, and I thought that it worked well together. The first episode is still just a run-up, so it will become more and more exposed from here on. I don't often say this, but I would be happy if you ended up hating her.
◇The recording was heartwarming
--It's a shocking work. Were there any parts where you felt emotionally pulled into acting?
Ueda-san, that wasn't the case at all. I did have that when I was reading the original work. But when it came to acting, I was in Shizuka mode, so I didn't care about anything other than Chappie. I had a lot to think about in the dialogue with other characters, so maybe I didn't have time to be pulled along? Also, I had a strong feeling that I had to deliver it! We all worked together to convey the appeal of this work! I think that was the stronger positive feeling, so I wasn't caught up in the darkness.
Ohara-san, I'm really grateful to this place. It's a heartwarming role, but it was a lively place. During breaks, the atmosphere was warm and relaxed, and when it came to recording, the members were able to switch gears quickly, so it really helped me out.
Mr. Ueda and Kurumi Mamiya, who plays Takopi, are also very kind.
Obara-san and Mamiya-san said that we were amazing, but the real amazing person was Mamiya-san! We all ate sweets and had a nice time.
What did you feel when you saw the video?
Ueda-san's way of depicting light and shadow is wonderful. It's the same with the physical light and shadow of the day, but he also depicts the beautiful places very beautifully and the dirty places very dirty, and there is a meaning to that. Therefore, Shizuka and the others' feelings and situations are very easy to understand, and I get the impression that there are many scenes that are even more painful and painful to take in. The difference in texture between the Tacopi and the human side, and the incongruity of the difference in the world they see are also well conveyed, and the level of completion was so high that I was very excited and grateful.
Ohara-san: It's strange how Tacopi's senses and the human senses seem to mesh and yet don't mesh, yet it works. I realized once again that this is the charm of this work, and I was drawn in more and more. Please feel the strangeness!
