The TV anime "Silent Witch: The Secret of the Silent Witch," based on a light novel by Iku Matsuri, popular on the novel posting site "Shosetsuka ni Naro," will be broadcast on TOKYO MX and other stations from July 4th. Set in a world where humans have eliminated the need for chanting and are unable to use magic, the story follows Monica Everett, a young genius magician who created the first chantless magic in history and one of the Seven Sages, the pinnacle of magicians in the Kingdom of Ridil, as the "Silent Witch," who hides her true identity and secretly punishes the evil that threatens the prince. Ahead of the broadcast, we spoke to Saya Aizawa, who plays Monica, and Atsumi Tanezaki, who plays Isabelle Norton, the daughter of Count Kelbeck and one of the few ally who knows Monica's true identity, about what went on behind the scenes of the recording and their thoughts on the show.
◇The tension is amazing!
--What are your honest thoughts now that your appearance has been decided?
I was at Aizawa's office and asked my manager about the results of about five auditions. "I failed that one," "I failed this one," "I failed that one," "I failed that one too," "I got the role for Silent Witch," and I honestly thought to myself, "I'm glad I'm still alive." I was really happy, but the role of Monica is my first time playing the main character, so I wondered how the people who were called the main characters in the works I've been involved in up until now have faced it? I was nervous in a different way to the nervousness I felt about the work itself. Facing the role and acting is the same as before, but I was nervous because I'd never seen Monica on the cover of a script or had my name at the top before.
Ms. Tanezaki: I auditioned for Isabelle and Claudia on tape, and I had always wanted to play Isabelle, so when I heard that I was going to play Isabelle, I was very happy to be entrusted with the role. I knew from the audition stage that I would be acting like a villain, but it wasn't the real thing, it was just acting like a villain. There are many villains in the world, but I felt like they trusted me and said, "Feel free to play the villain you think you are! I'm leaving it to you!", so I was happy.
--Were you nervous during the recording, Aizawa-san?
Aizawa-san made a point of not letting her tension ease. Monica is a character who is nervous and has trouble talking to people, so it's easier to get into the emotions if my hands are shaking while holding the script and my heart is pounding, so I just went for it. It was something that only Monica could do.
-- Were you nervous until the end?
It's also a story of Monica 's growth, with the student council members appearing, her friends increasing, and her ability to talk to people. I also had the opportunity to talk to various cast members and staff members, and I got used to the scene myself. I think I was able to match Monica, including the degree to which my tension was reduced.
I was wondering if Tanezaki-san and Aizawa-san were nervous, or if they were nervous about their roles, but it turns out it was both!
--Monica is a stage freak, so her performance of being at a loss for words is very memorable.
It was hard for Aizawa-san . He was avoiding people so much that he forgot words, so I tried changing the speed of each word so that he wouldn't speak fluently. I thought it would be too natural for him to speak at the same speed. However, he speaks fluently about math and numbers, which he loves.
◇She's making the same movements as Monica!
--What was the recording like?
Tanezaki: I tend to sit on the sidelines, so I didn't have many opportunities to talk to Aizawa-san. But I was always watching. I was always watching your acting and movements. You're moving in the same way as Monica, aren't you? Is that natural?
Aizawa-san is the type who tends to move his body around a lot on set, and there are many scenes where Monica is seen twiddling her hands, so I thought that if I twiddled my hands, I might get a twiddling voice, so I moved in unison with her.
--What was the most memorable thing about the recording?
The direction of (general director, writer, and scriptwriter) Kanazaki (Takaomi) Aizawa-san was really kind. He said, "I want to make the world of 'Silent Witch' a kind and warm one, so that the viewers will also feel warm," and I felt that kind of warmth in his direction a lot, so I think it was a really warm set.
Tanezaki-san has a warm atmosphere, but she always says things that really hit the nail on the head. At the beginning, she gave me the direction, "The villainous lady is very wonderful. She's wonderful, but she's the daughter of an earl, so don't forget to have some class." She's very kind, but she always makes sure to tell me the important things, so I was on set feeling grateful.
◇Overwhelmed by the "Ohohoho!"
--The scene where Monica and Isabel meet face to face was very impactful, with Isabel shouting "Ohohoho!" like a villainous lady.
Tanezaki-san plays the villainous lady, and it's all for the sake of her older sister (Monica) who saved her, so I thought I'd give it my all, using all the practice I've done as Isabelle! Even at this age, she already has a strong core as an aristocrat, and she acts with a clear idea of what she needs to do and what she wants to do. I thought that all of her villainous ladyship was for that purpose, so I played it freely and with all my might.
Aizawa-san's Monica has a cross on her mouth, but I felt the pressure and it made me feel the same. After that, Isabel suddenly changes completely, saying "How was that?" and "I've been practicing my voice," and her eyes sparkle cutely. I really like how Tanezaki-san has a lot of talent and is an actor I really respect. I was overwhelmed just like Monica. I was like, "Huh!? What is this!?" (laughs). Neither I nor Monica have deep knowledge about villainous ladies, so I learned about them.
I took Tanezaki-san's direction "Don't forget the taste" seriously, and after that, I felt like I could get into the flow of the villainess with the "Oh ho ho ho!" part. I was conflicted about whether the part "I've been practicing my voice" was the most tasteful way to say it, but I was relieved when I got the OK.
-I'm also looking forward to the scene where Isabel bullies Monica.
Tanezaki-san was bragging that everything was for her big sister. She was doing her best.
Aizawa-san's bullying of Isabel is a bit off, but that's what makes it interesting. Isabel is very grateful to Monica, rushes to her aid in emergencies, and is a loving character.
--Lewis, played by Junichi Suwabe, is also an intimidating character.
Aizawa-san spoke calmly, but a sense of fear was apparent, and I was moved by Suwabe-san's acting, who created an environment where the only thing they could say was "yes."
When Monica says something in a naive way, Lewis responds with a serious response. I love how unwavering he is.
◇Do you like math?
--Monica loves math, but what about Aizawa-san and Tanezaki-san?
I loved Aizawa-san !
Tanezaki- san, I thought so!
Aizawa-san is a liberal arts student, but he liked math. When I was in middle school, I really liked my math teacher, so I worked hard at math to get his attention. In high school, I didn't have a teacher I liked, so I lost motivation (laughs). That teacher was an anime otaku. I talked about anime with him all the time.
Tanezaki: I think that people who are really bad at math can't do it no matter how much they like their teacher, so people who can do it don't think they're bad at it. In fact, I'm bad at math and physics, and I can't do it no matter what I do. The world of math looks really beautiful to me, so I think if I could do it, I would be able to see things that I can't see. While listening to Aizawa-san talk about how he puts together his acting and how he intentionally changes the speed within a single word, I vaguely thought that he seems to be good at math. When I found out that the parts of his acting that I wasn't sure were calculated or natural were actually calculated in detail, I wanted to rewatch the work!
*The kanji for Atsumi Tanezaki's name is pronounced "tatsusaki".
