The TV anime "May I Make One Last Request?" (Saihito), based on the wildly popular fantasy novel by Nana Ohtori, published by Regina Books (Alphapolis), is currently airing on TOKYO MX, BS11, and other networks. This thrilling fantasy follows the story of Scarlett Elle Vandimion, a "militant young lady" who is suddenly and unreasonably told that her engagement is being called off and even falsely accused of a crime. We spoke to Asami Seto, who plays Scarlett; Wataru Kato Kato, who plays Julius von Paristan, the first prince of the Paristan Kingdom; and Miyu Tomita, who plays the beastman boy Nanaka, about what went on behind the scenes during the recording.
◇Embodying a cool woman
--What is the appeal of Scarlett, the "militant young lady"?
Tomita-san has many charms, but there is a clear reason for her punching, and she doesn't just punch randomly. I think her charm is that she fights with her own sense of justice. Before recording, I found out that Seto-san would be playing Scarlett, and I was really looking forward to it.
As Julius says in the film, Kato-san's unwavering unwaveringness and unwavering beliefs make her seem like an interesting woman, and I personally find her very attractive.
Before she unleashed her fist, Scarlett endured a long period of patience, so she has a high level of perseverance. Her academic ability, athletic ability, and magic are all built up through hard work, not just through talent, which is very realistic, and I thought that was also appealing.
-What do you value when acting?
In the first episode, Seto-san says, "I feel so refreshed" after punching someone, but I've never punched someone before, so I expanded on that image and tried to convey just the right amount of tiredness and comfort in my voice. She also has a wide range of facial expressions, so I acted while imagining the images, and together with everyone, we created Scarlett.
Tomita-san, from a woman's perspective, your character is the embodiment of a cool woman.
Kato: Psychologically, Julius has a side to him that makes you want to mess with him. Personally, I'm drawn to cold people, and he's an interesting character.
◇Julius's "Quality"
--I feel a sense of elegance in the Julius played by Kato.
I'm not sure if Kato-san was conscious of that, but he gave me the direction to "value elegance." I don't know if I was able to act with elegance, but I tried not to make it vulgar. For example, if I take too long of a breath, it sounds like I'm trying to flirt. I was thinking about the right balance of elegance.
Even when Tomita speaks in a close line, I don't get the feeling he has any ulterior motives.
As for Kato-san Julius, it's unclear whether he has ulterior motives.
Even in scenes where Seto seems to have ulterior motives, there is an intention that he may be doing it on purpose.
Kato: It's complicated, with words like how you see yourself, how others see you, and how others see you... and there are words that come out unconsciously.
-What about Nanaka?
I think that Tomita-san's role as Nanaka is to watch the two of them from a distance, wondering, "What are they doing?" Nanaka's first appearance was very memorable, and since we were able to record together as a trio, I think it was a lot of fun on set and they get along really well. It was easy to work with because I was able to be myself.
Kato: Even after the recording was over, we had more opportunities to communicate through interviews and the like, and I feel like we've become even closer. Can I also talk about Ishige-san (Shoya Shoya Ishige, who plays Leonardo L. Vandimion)?
Let's do it, Tomita-san !
I've met Kato-san and Ishige-san on other sets before, but this was the first time we had a proper conversation. He's such a wonderful, nice guy. He was always chatting with me during background noise recordings, and he's so kind, and it seemed like Ishige-san liked me. One day he asked me, "Can I call you Wataru-san?" and I was so happy. He also said, "Wataru-san has good taste," and I was really drawn to him, and I grew to like him a lot.
Mr. Seto, it was a set where everyone was trying to improve each other.
◇Miyu Tomita plays her first boy role
-The conversation between Scarlett and Julius is also fascinating.
Seto: In the first episode, when Scarlett meets Julius, she doesn't have a very good impression of him at first, and I think the atmosphere of them feeling each other out was brought to life. Julius appears to be a cool prince at first glance, but due to the environment he grew up in, he can be a little difficult and annoying (laughs). I felt that in his voice acting as well.
Kato: Scarlett is quite naive, so she acts a little dumb and says funny things, but Scarlett herself often makes comments like, "Huh, what's that?" without realizing it, and Julius often makes remarks in response. It was difficult to get the timing right with those remarks. I like comedy, so there were times when I tried to think, "If I respond like this, it will be even funnier."
I sensed that Seto-san has a greedy appetite for laughter, and he tried out some tsukkomi in the test. The image of Julius was adjusted, and there were some scenes that made me chuckle, and there were also some reactions like, "That Julius!?", which was really funny.
--Surprisingly, this is your first time playing a boy, Tomita?
Tomita-san has never played a boy before, so it was a bit of a mystery to me, and I acted while thinking about why he chose me. It was a lot of fun. I would like to continue doing more of this role in the future. For Nanaka, in the scene where he transforms into a beast, I was directed to say "Woof" and "Woof" literally as written in the script, but there are also scenes where he speaks even in his beast form, so I was instructed to keep the feeling that he wants to talk.
Seto-san, I was very surprised to learn that this was both my first time playing a boy and my first time playing a boy. Nanaka is a really adorable character, and I think everyone loves her. I love Tomita-chan's voice, and it was really wonderful. I was excited to see what her reaction would be when she transformed into a beast, since I knew that Tomita-chan has a dog. During the test, the dog's ad-libs were very realistic, and the dubbing was a lot of fun.
◇What made you feel refreshed?
-The beautiful visuals are also appealing.
Kato: The costumes of the characters are also drawn in great detail. It seems like it would be difficult to move them when it's animated, so in that sense, I think it's a work that has a high hurdle to overcome when it comes to adapting it into an anime.
Seto-san, you also have quite a variety of costumes.
The eyes of Tomita's characters were also impressive when shown in close-up. They are so beautiful!
I'd like you to pay attention to Seto-san's character's facial expressions. Scarlett has a lot of monologues, and there are many scenes where she stares blankly or speaks through her facial expressions. In the anime, you can see what the characters are thinking and where they stand, especially in terms of their movements, which is also interesting.
--It's a thrilling and refreshing piece. What has made you feel refreshed recently as an actor?
Tomita: Recently, I felt refreshed after changing my clothes.
Seto: When you play online games, there are people who yell abusive language at you in chat. I'm not used to online games yet, so I'm a little intimidated. But my friend who plays the game with me handled it smartly. No matter what kind of abusive language they insulted me, he would just say "thank you," and in the end, the other person would shut up, which was a relief.
Kato: I went to see the animated film with a friend, and the film itself was so good. The lyrics of the theme song that played during the credits really struck me, and tears flowed beautifully. I was so touched by how beautifully tears flowed... I felt so refreshed. It was a good detox.
