"Disney Twisted Wonderland the Animation" Season 1, "Episode of Heartslabyul," based on the popular smartphone game "Disney Twisted Wonderland," affectionately known as "Twisted," is now available exclusively on Disney+. "Twisted Wonderland" is inspired by the villains that appear in Disney works. Azagami Yohei voices Enman Yuuken, a high school student from the real world who wanders into Night Raven College, a prestigious magic training school in Twisted Wonderland. We spoke to Yohei Azakami in the game, about his commitment to acting, his thoughts on the villains, and the appeal of the series.
◇ Enman Yuuken is a work that has a "new perspective" and is admired
"Twisted Wonderland" is set at Night Raven College, a prestigious school for training magicians. The series features characters inspired by the charm of villains from Disney works, as well as seven dormitories inspired by Disney films such as "Alice in Wonderland" and "The Lion King." The animation is based on the comic book adaptation, and Season 1, "Episode of Heartslabyul," set in the Heartslabyul dorm inspired by "Alice in Wonderland," is currently streaming. The production of Season 2, "Episode of Savanaclaw," and Season 3, "Episode of Octavinelle," has also been confirmed.
Asagami, who has been exposed to Disney works since she was a child, said she was also drawn into the world of "Twisted Wonderland."
"The fact that the setting was inspired by a villain from a Disney film made it easy to get into. I was interested in how this work was utilized in the characters and how it fit into the worldview. Villains are positioned as bad guys in the film, but villains are very appealing and have a lot of fans, so I thought it was an interesting setting."
Yuuken, played by Azagami, is a high school student who is the vice captain of the kendo club in the real world and is loved by his juniors, but one day he suddenly finds himself lost in another world. He is also the only character in the story who cannot use magic.
"The fact that he's an ordinary high school student who doesn't know anything about magic is what differentiates him from the other characters, or is a contrast, so I think it was a new perspective for fans who have played the Twisted Wonderland game up until now. Also, while most people would panic if they were suddenly invited into another world, Yuuken isn't timid at all and sticks to his principles. I think he's a character that everyone will find cool and like. I think that contrast is also part of Yuuken's appeal."
Azagami himself describes Yuuken as "a character I admire."
"I ran away from club activities (laughs). I've never stuck to anything until the end, so I admire him. Also, recently I've been thinking that as I have more juniors, I can't run away from the senior type no matter what. If there are juniors on the set who don't understand a lot, I wish I could teach them kindly, and if possible, passionately, and talk to them about acting. In that sense, I feel like I've finally caught up with Yuken, or that I can now see him on the same level as me, as I've gotten older."
◇ Anyone can become a villain. Twisted Wonderland characters have evil as their charm.
Asagami says he is attracted to villains, and that his favorite is Scar from "The Lion King."
"At the time, I thought he was cool and had a bit of a seductive quality to him, so I liked him. But when I watched it as an adult, I thought, 'If Scar hadn't been in that environment, he could have become a great king.' It's not exactly sympathy, but I began to ponder the thought, 'Wouldn't it have been okay for him to be saved?' and I feel like my understanding of villains has deepened."
He also says that "even as an actor, he is the type who empathizes with villains."
"Not all villains are bad from the start. I think there are all kinds of situations where a person's desire for approval gets out of control, or they are forced to think that way due to their circumstances, or they were simply not blessed with any special privileges. If I had been in a similar situation, I might have become a villain. What's more, you never know what the future holds. I think that if you're not constantly aware of that fear within yourself, you can go in the wrong direction. When I first started this job, I thought of everyone as my rival, and of course I did have some sharp edges, but it was my colleagues and friends who guided me through that. In that sense, everyone has something within them that could turn them into a villain, and I think the important thing is whether or not you recognize that within yourself. If you believe, 'There's no way I could become one,' or 'There's no way that person could become one,' you might suddenly betrayed. That's the kind of thing I think about a lot."
The characters that appear in "Twisted Wonderland" are inspired by such villains, but he explains the appeal of the series by saying, "Everyone is a good guy, so there are no truly evil people. I think it's an interesting compromise that the characters have an appealing element of "evil." If everyone was truly bad, I seriously couldn't bear to watch it (laughs)."
◇I want to become a part of the sword and convey its charm.
After getting lost in another world, Yuuken ends up working with the monster Grimm, as well as Ace Trappola and Deuce Spade from the Heartslabyul dorm. When acting, Azagami was conscious of "being in a position where he could calmly make comments without getting in the way."
"In the game, Yuuken doesn't appear as a character, so I was thinking about how far I should intervene in the already established relationships between the students and Grimm. I felt that Grimm, Ace, and Deuce didn't have anyone to make comments, so I thought that by making calm comments from a slightly removed position, the scenes would stand out more. However, as I'm a person who likes comedy, I did have the feeling that I wanted to be included in the group, so I did ad-lib and act silly at times (laughs)."
Asagami also said that he felt that Yuken, a straightforward, passionate, and sincere character, was "very easy to play."
"So, even during the audition I had a strong feeling that I couldn't let this opportunity slip away, so I was really happy when I got the role. Rather than thinking about the character I was trying to challenge, I wanted to become part of Enman Yuuken and convey his charms. I was only thinking about how I could make use of my career up to that point."
He also felt that Yuuken suited his own voice quality.
"My voice quality, and also my straightforwardness. I'm not that honest myself, but I often get told that I have an honest voice. Also, my voice quality is something I'm grateful for, like being a bit down-to-earth and calm, and I wanted to make the most of it."
He said that because it was easy to act, he wanted to be able to convey the charm of Yuuken even more. He approached the recording with this in mind, and that it was a lot of fun, with many of his co-stars being of the same generation.
"The roles of Deuce and Ace are played by (Kobayashi) Chiaki-kun and (Yamashita) Seiichiro-kun, who are good friends, and they have great chemistry together, so I wanted to participate in the role in a way that didn't disrupt that relationship. I ad-libbed and made some jokes during the test, but did it properly during the actual performance. Once I let my tension go, I wanted to show my bravery, so I was conscious of tension and relaxation."
Finally, we asked about the highlights.
"I think that fans of the game in particular will look at Yuuken and immediately think, 'Oh, I was in the kendo club,' (laughs). I think it's interesting to see it from that perspective. Also, if you could see how the character Enman Yuuken interacts with the other dorm residents from his perspective, I think you'd gain a deeper understanding of the work. I hope that Yuuken will help you find your favorite character."
The characters and beautiful images created by Azagami and others will allow you to fully enjoy the unique charm of "Disney Twisted Wonderland The Animation."
