" Scarlet, " the latest feature-length animated film from director Mamoru Hosoda, known for films such as "The Girl Who Leapt Through Time" and " Summer Wars ," will be released on November 21st. The film's themes are "revenge" and "life and death." The protagonist, Princess Scarlet, fails to take revenge on the enemy who killed her father, the king, but then sets out to take revenge on her nemesis again in the "Land of the Dead." The voice actor for the protagonist, Scarlet, is actor Mana Ashida. Ashida describes Scarlet as "the character with the most anguish of all the roles I've played so far," so how did she approach the role? We spoke to her about what went on behind the scenes of the recording and her thoughts on the film.
◇I want to play a princess who is burning with revenge. Strength and fragility.
Director Hosoda wrote the original story and screenplay for " Scarlet." The setting is the Middle Ages, where a revenge-seeking princess travels to the "Land of the Dead." The worldview is quite different from Hosoda's previous works, and has attracted attention since the announcement of its production. When Ashida first read the script, he felt it was "a very new work by Director Hosoda."
"I thought it was a work that depicted revenge and the very dark heart of humanity. However, it is precisely because it is negative that it is an extremely strong emotion, and it can become a driving force for humans. I am drawn to such emotions, so I wanted to play the role of Scarlett. The message that the director has put into the work is very deep, and I was worried about whether I could express it well, but I thought it would be great to work with him on this project."
Scarlett is a 19-year-old princess from medieval Denmark, and is close in age to Ashida, who is currently 21. Looking back, when it came to acting, she recalls, "At first, I had many conversations with director Hosoda about how to get closer to Scarlett."
"I was told that Scarlett is a 19-year-old living in the Middle Ages, and that her environment is different from that of a 19-year-old living in modern times, and that she also has the awareness and resolve to be a princess. So, my first step was to look at books and works about Queen Elizabeth I and Joan of Arc, who lived in the Middle Ages, to expand my image of her."
When Ashida came across the works of Elizabeth I and Joan of Arc, he was struck by their dual personalities.
"They were carrying a huge burden, and I imagined they were thinking, 'I have to look strong,' 'I have to be strong,' and I felt that this was something that overlapped with Scarlett. At the same time, I felt that the girlishness and fragility of people my age, 19-year-old me, and the desire to depend on someone, are feelings that we all have as human beings, so I wanted to be able to express that duality well."
◇The moment when he finally let go of the deepest anguish he had ever experienced
This film was produced using a technique called pre-scoring (presco), which was a first for director Hosoda. The voice was recorded first, and then the animation was created based on that voice, and Ashida was tasked with recording alone. She said that she found the role of Scarlett difficult and that she sometimes struggled.
"Scarlett is the character that I've played so far, and she is the one who is suffering the most. Her suffering and anguish is so deep that it's something I've never played before, so it was very difficult and I struggled with how much I could convey to Scarlett's feelings."
Ashida said that the scene that made her "get over it" was the one in which Scarlett vomits in the Land of the Dead.
"In that scene, I let out a voice that I don't normally use, and it felt like I let go, or rather, I felt like I was closer to the harsh world that Scarlett lives in. From there, I thought, 'I'll just throw myself into it.' Scarlett is also a character who throws herself into everything that comes her way, and somehow manages to survive at the last minute, so that overlap made it easier for me to relate to her."
The most challenging part of the recording was the screaming scenes. Scarlett is in despair over her father's death and is burning with rage for revenge, and in "Land of the Dead" she fights with strong men, and there are many scenes where she screams.
"Each cry conveys a different emotion; is it a cry of sadness or a cry of confusion? I think Scarlett also has the desire to scream, and there are also cries of extreme desperation, so it was very difficult to figure out how to portray each of them. For the action scenes, I even tried moving my body to try them out. Maybe because of that, I ended up using muscles that I hadn't used, and I ended up with muscle pain the next day."
◇ Feel the kindness of "Saint"Masaki Okada next to you
After the pre-recording, I also had the opportunity to do some voice acting with Masaki Okada, who plays the role of Hijiri, a modern-day Japanese nurse who travels with Scarlett in "The Land of the Dead."
"Scarlett and Kiyoshi are stark contrasts. Scarlett is a realist who finds inspiration through fighting, while Kiyoshi is an idealist who seeks peace and wants the fighting to end. Working with Okada-san, I became even more conscious of the contrast between Scarlett's strength and Kiyoshi's kindness. I felt that the two polar opposites really came out in the dialogue between them."
Ashida said, "Okada was really the perfect fit for Sei, and it seemed like we were alike," and added, "Feeling Sei's kindness next to me made it easier for me to imagine how I should voice Scarlett, who is in opposition to that."
Kiyoshi is also a character who gives Scarlett the opportunity to grow and change. Ashida says that one line he remembers most is Kiyoshi's: "If I get used to dying and become paralyzed, I'm sure I'll lose something important."
"Because Hijiri is a nurse, she often witnesses other people's misfortunes, and the line is about how she gets used to it... but at the same time, I felt it could be interpreted as saying that if you get used to being hurt, or if you let yourself get used to it, or if you close your heart as a form of self-protection, you lose the warmth in people's hearts, and it made a big impression on me. I felt that the work contains lines and thoughts that are very relevant to the modern world."
◇What Scarlett put into her song
Ashida took on the challenge of "Scarlet" head-on, and says she learned a lot from the characters, including Scarlet.
"The production really made me think about what I think about life and love, and I learned a lot from Scarlett and the others. In terms of acting, it's important to practice at home beforehand and imagine it, but I really felt that there are some things you can't do unless you throw yourself into it. When I actually tried it in the booth, there were times when I thought, 'Oh, I can make a voice like that too.'"
In this work, Ashida is also singing the ending theme "Hateshinaki" as Scarlett, which has become a hot topic.
"I sang from Scarlett's perspective. I was conscious that when I sang, I would bring out the true feelings that cannot be put into words. Scarlett is a very dignified character, but I wanted to sing in a way that would bring out the sensitivity and kindness that lies at her core. It's a really gentle song, so when that song plays after you've finished watching the film, it will make you think back from medieval Europe to the future. I think it's a song that will gradually make you think about the modern day we live in now, and the future you will live in."
Ashida said, "The Land of the Dead may seem like a worldview far removed from the modern world, but I think there are some lines and scenes within it that are relatable to us who are living in the present, and that will stay with us. I hope that it will leave you feeling like you can find hope and light for the future."
