The TV anime "Silent Witch: The Secret of the Silent Witch" is based on a light novel by Matsuri Iku, who is popular on the novel posting site "Shosetsuka ni Naro". Set in a world where humans have eliminated the use of 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, known as the Silent Witch. This thrilling fantasy depicts a reclusive genius witch who hides her true identity and secretly punishes the evil that threatens the prince. The cast is also a hot topic, with a star-studded cast of voice actors, including Saya Aizawa as Monica Everett, Shogo Sakata as Felix Arc Ridil, the second prince of the Kingdom of Ridil and president of the Serendia Academy student council, and Yoshiki Nakajima as Cyril Ashley, vice president of the Serendia Academy student council. We spoke to Aizawa, Sakata, and Nakajima about their thoughts on the series and what went on behind the scenes during the recording.
◇ Saya Aizawa and Monica are geniuses!?
-What is your impression of the work?
Mr. Aizawa: This is a very stupid comment, but it made me think that it was written by a smart person! It's detailed, and every scene has meaning and leads to something later. Every word is beautiful, and a beautiful scene comes to mind. It's an easy-to-understand story where you can understand each part, even about nobles and magic, which are unfamiliar in everyday life.
As Sakata-san and Aizawa-san said, the story is very touching, with a detailed world view, the position of the nobles, power relations, human relationships, and other issues depicted, and the way Monica grows in that environment. I think it's a wonderful story, with Monica trying her best.
Nakajima: The combination of fantasy and mathematics is also novel. When I first read it, I felt that the combination of the fantasy of magic and something realistic was very realistic. The anime, like the landscape depictions, has a transparent feel to it, which is close to the impression of the original work. I think it's a really good media mix.
-What is your impression of the character you play?
I think it's amazing that Monica Aizawa has made it this far. She's not good at talking to people, and although she is a magical genius, she isn't really aware of it. I tried not to think about the genius part when I played the role.
Nakajima-san, is it because you're a genius?
Aizawa-san, me? No, I'm not a genius! Since the character is not used to speaking, I was careful not to speak fluently. Usually, I practice my pronunciation and pronunciation at home before going to the studio, but I didn't do that. I was instructed to "make it easy to understand." However, the lines about numbers are spoken quickly. I feel like I'm being tested! Since she is a girl who loves mathematics, I played her in a way that was fun and made the words come out fluently.
Sakata: My first impression of Felix was that he was cool and kind at the same time, yet he was a very elegant character. While I was acting, I was conscious of how to speak without losing my elegance. What I was careful about was to speak with my back straight. I tried to give the character a sense of composure, like reciting poetry, or rather, rather than speaking directly to the other person, I tried to give the character an image of gently placing him in the middle of a flowing conversation.
Nakajima: Actually, I auditioned for Elliot, and I thought that Elliot was more suitable for me. I thought that Cyril was an element that I don't have. Cyril's appearance is androgynous, but I remember listening to what the other student council members thought about the pitch of his voice and trying to balance it out, and then I spoke my first voice. As vice president, I'm in a position where I have to take a step back, so I tried not to be too assertive in my first step. General Director Kanazaki (Takaomi) has been taking care of me since my debut. I was told to "put seriousness, honesty, and loyalty first," so I played the role hoping to express the contrast of gradually opening up to Monica.
◇Follow Monica!
--What was the recording like?
Sakata: Basically, Aizawa does all the talking. Monica has a lot of lines after all.
There are veterans, including Junichi Suwabe, who plays Lewis , and also mid-career actors like me, so we all have different careers, but I feel like Ryohei Kimura, who plays Elliot, brings the atmosphere together. It's a friendly atmosphere.
We all think that Sakata and Aizawa are similar to Monica, and we all record with a goal in mind, following along with Monica. I feel that they are creating a worldview for the song.
--In what ways are you and Monica similar?
There are many moments when Sakata's behavior overlaps with Monica, and when I watch her act, I feel like she is Monica herself!
Nakajima-san isn't as extreme as Monica. She's sociable. Maybe it's her behavior? When I stand in front of the microphone and look back, there are moments when I see her and Monica.
Mr. Aizawa: I'm the type of person who moves a lot in front of the microphone, and my fingers move a lot. If I move too much, the sound will come out, so I have to be careful. Are we really that similar? I'm grateful to hear you say that.
◇Felix is unfathomable
-What are your impressions of each character?
Nakajima-san, Monica seems to have a hard time. Life seems hard for her. I think it's because of all the things that happened in the past, but she's quick to say "I'm sorry." It must be hard for her to have everything taken so dramatically, and I feel sorry for her. I want to see how she develops in her school life. I don't really know about Felix (laughs). Cyril sees Felix as a noble person, and he admires him. From my perspective, Felix is too unfathomable. He never shows any emotion, and Sakata's acting is also flowing, like a calm performance. I think he's a bit scary.
Aizawa: I think it would be difficult to play Felix. There are so many secrets that the title could be changed to "The Second Prince's Secret". He is definitely hiding something, but he can't show it, and he lives on a fine line where it's hard to tell. He has a lot on his shoulders, and it's difficult to act in a way that makes it seem like he's hiding something.
Mr. Sakata, from my perspective, Monica seems to have it harder.
Aizawa-san's Cyril is the most compassionate character. I think he is the most caring out of the student council. I really like the interaction between Monica and Cyril, and no matter what you do, she always points it out. Although it doesn't seem like it, she is more serious than anyone else and more human than anyone else.
As Sakata-san and Yoshiki-san said, Monica is pitiful. But I think "funny!" comes first. She's always in a state of panic, making strange noises, and doing unexpected things. I want to cheer her on in the scenes where she's trying her best and trying to overcome the situation. Cyril is the straight man.
Nakajima-san has a loud voice (laughs).
Sakata-san's compassion is also attractive. It's also interesting that her personality is the polar opposite of her ice attribute.
To be continued in interview (2).
