Interview with Kengo Kawanishi and Koki Uchiyama on "Kaiju No. 8"

The second season of the anime " Kaiju No. 8 ," based on the popular manga by Naoya Matsumoto that was serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine app "Shonen Jump+," is currently airing every Saturday at 11pm on TV Tokyo and other networks. Episode 18, "The Adapted One," aired on August 23rd, and depicts the relationship between two "strong characters," Soshiro Hoshina, vice captain of the Japan Defense Force's 3rd unit, and Gen Narumi , captain of the 1st unit. We spoke to Kengo Kawanishi , who plays Soshiro Hoshina , and Koki Uchiyama, who plays Narumi Gen, about what went on behind the scenes during the recording.

◇Narumi is "noisy"

--Narumi first appeared in the final episode of the first season, and made a full appearance in the second season. What are your impressions of the series and the character, Uchiyama-san?

Uchiyama: Starting with an unexpected introduction, once Kafka begins working for the defense force, one crisis after another comes without a moment to catch his breath. I was drawn in by the unexpected introduction and the rapid pace of the development from there. Narumi gives the impression of being a mass of contrasts. He's sloppy in his daily life, but extremely strong once the mission begins. He's a character packed with various elements, so I tried to portray that in an appealing way.

--Hoshina is a strong, carefree character. What did you keep in mind when playing him?

Even in scenes where Kawanishi gets serious, there are scenes where I was told not to be too conscious of it, so I try not to rely too much on the intensity, and I'm using different roles to act in the role.

--Do you both often play so-called strong characters?

What do you think, Uchiyama-san ?

I have the impression that Kawanishi and Uchiyama have played many strong characters. It depends on the work, but strong characters tend to be quiet. As for Hoshina, there are scenes where he has to explain things, so he does talk quite a bit.

It depends on each of Uchiyama's works. He's not the typical cool, quiet, strong character, but Narumi is a character who is full of otaku hobbies and is charming even when he shouts.

--Yes, the fact that he shouts so loudly is what makes him so appealing.

Uchiyama-san also requested that the character be "noisy." There are many different ways to express the character, and for example, in the scene with Hasegawa, we tried various variations during the test and the actual performance, such as a pattern of him getting angry, or a pattern that retained a bit of cuteness. However, he is generally noisy.

◇Narumi is ignored

--Episode 18 also depicts the scene where the two meet face to face. Narumi says some nasty things to Hoshina...

Uchiyama: It's not good to talk about other people's appearances like that (laughs).

That's right, Kawanishi-san (laughs). I felt that there must have been something that had happened in the past that made Narumi dislike the people at Tachikawa Base so much... but Narumi was always complaining, and Hoshina just brushed it off, which I thought was interesting.

Uchiyama-san yells loudly, but it's like he's banging his arm against a wall, and no one pays him any attention, so it makes me feel sad (laughs). Narumi is strong, but has some strange obsessions, so I tried to express that.

--Narumi's charm lies in his humanity.

Uchiyama-san, that's a good thing to say. I hope you will take it as a sign of humanity.

-What was the recording like?

Uchiyama: We all basically record together, and it's interesting to see people of all different generations.

Kawanishi-san and Fukunishi-san (Masaya Fukunishi, who plays Kafka) are the ones who lead the set, and Fai-chan (Kikoru Shinomiya ) talks to the people around them. It's reassuring to have Fukunishi-san in the middle.

Uchiyama-san and Fukunishi-san are really hardworking. They are enthusiastic and particular about things.

Kawanishi-san is in meetings with the sound director until the very end, and he's always on set, and he's really focused on what he's doing. He's a gal, and he's fashionable.

Uchiyama: That's right. He also has the loudest greeting voice.

◇ Both Hoshina and Narumi are "difficult"

-What impressions did you have of each other as actors while working together?

Uchiyama-san and Kawanishi-san have beautiful voices that haven't changed since they were young. I'm the type whose voice changes as I get older, so I'm jealous.

--What's the secret to maintaining a beautiful voice?

Kawanishi: No, not really... I haven't really played many roles with what's known as a crystal voice. Recently, I've been given the opportunity to play a lot of characters who use dialects or have a carefree personality.

Uchiyama: It's true that when you think of characters who speak Kansai dialect, Kawanishi comes to mind.

--Kasai-san, what impression do you have of Uchiyama-san?

Kawanishi: I've always had an image of "Kingdom Hearts."

Uchiyama-san, this was when you were in junior high school...

I've had a lot of opportunities to work with Kawanishi-san recently, and I have the impression that she often uses a low voice, but she can use both high and low notes, which I really envy. I think my range is narrow, so I envy people who can use a wide range, and I use her as a reference.

--What if Kawanishi played Narumi and Uchiyama played Hoshina?

Uchiyama: It's difficult. First of all, there's the hurdle of the Kansai dialect. I've never played a character who speaks in a Kansai dialect before.

When I look at Mr. Kawanishi and Mr. Uchiyama , I think they have a really good balance. Narumi's sloppy parts and sharp parts are well balanced, and if I were to play him, I might emphasize the sloppy parts too much. I think Narumi is difficult.

--What are the highlights of episode 18?

Kawanishi: In episode 17, we meet Kaiju No. 10 for the first time in a long time, and the ending leads to the next episode, so I hope you'll look forward to it.

Uchiyama: There will be a big development in episodes 16 and 17, and Narumi will show a side of himself that we have never seen before. There were scenes where you felt he was the captain after all, but in episode 18 he changes completely, and I hope you will enjoy the gap where you see that both are Narumi.