The TV anime "Touring After the Apocalypse" is based on the unique touring manga by Saito Sakae, currently serialized in "Dengeki Maoh" (KADOKAWA). Two girls, Yoko and Airi, travel tandem on an off-road Serow motorcycle through a deserted post-apocalyptic world. With no traffic jams and no traffic lights to stop at, they take photos of famous landscapes, camp in the natural surroundings, and roam the ruined Japan. While real-life landmarks like Hakone, Yokohama, Yokosuka, Setagaya, Shinbashi, Ariake, Tokyo Big Sight, and Akihabara appear, the setting is a devastated world where buildings have been eroded by the majestic nature. The story also has the appeal of a conversational drama, as the two girls chat naturally in a devastated world. We spoke with Konomi Inagaki, who plays Yoko, and Tomita Miyu, who plays Airi, about what went on behind the scenes during the recording.
◇An incredible amount of dialogue!?
-What is the appeal of your work?
Inagaki: There are many mysteries, and I'm sure everyone is thinking about them as they watch. That's fun, of course, but what's also interesting is that there's abnormal weather, and living things are growing abnormally, and familiar landscapes have turned into a post-apocalyptic world. The inside of the shop is also depicted in great detail, and it's a fun work to make a pilgrimage to.
Many of Tomita's plays are set in the Kanto area, and some of them are places I've been to. Familiar places are transformed into a post-apocalyptic world, and the changes are interesting. It's basically a play where the two of us talk, but there's action and guests make appearances, so we never get bored. We can keep the conversation going, and as an actor, I found that interesting too.
--There are a lot of lines, isn't there?
Tomita-san has been talking the whole time.
Whenever Inagaki-san has a guest, he always says, "That's an incredible amount of lines." The lines are crammed into a tight time frame, but if you talk naturally, there are hardly any corrections and the recording time itself is short.
Tomita: It may be because there are only a few cast members, but there are days when it can be completed in less than two hours. In the test, they say, "Okay, that's the feel," and often use what they come up with on the first try.
-Do you value the flow?
Inagaki: That's right. Even if I freely ad-lib or take a breath, they often use it as is.
--Are there only a few cast members participating in the recording?
At its peak, there were about eight Inagaki members.
There were times when it was just the two of you , Tomita-san .
Inagaki-san also appears on "Weekend Touring" (a live streaming program featuring Inagaki-san and Tomita-san), and I've been meeting up with Miyu-chan a lot recently.
◇Yoko's voice is close to her natural voice
--What do you value most when acting?
Inagaki-san (Yoko) is the type of person who expresses her feelings honestly, so I try to express the scenery I see through Yoko as I see it. I'm generally positive, and I try not to give off a dark tone. What's important is the dialogue with Airi; the two are equals, neither family nor friends. It's a strange relationship, and I think that's shown in the scene where they split the food in half. It's not that one person is supporting the other, but something is born because the two are together. I acted while keeping Airi in mind. Before recording, I tried not to be too stiff, and just let what I felt from Airi's acting come out as it was. That's why it's a genuine reaction.
--I also feel like your natural voice is similar to Yoko's.
Inagaki-san has often had to prepare for the roles he has played up until now, but Yoko's voice is close to his natural voice, which was a first for him, so it was a fresh experience. However, there were some parts that I couldn't understand. Her reaction when she saw the tiger in Akihabara, or the way she enjoys the excitement when she is hit by a storm, are incomprehensible to our modern sensibilities, but when you consider the environment she was born into, I think it makes you happy when you feel that she is "alive." This scene also reveals Yoko's background, so when I was acting, I tried to make the differences and gaps from her previous roles clear.
--At first glance, Airi seems cool, but she has emotional ups and downs, so isn't she a difficult character?
Tomita-san is difficult. Her facial expressions are not as clear as Yoko's, but she is by no means expressionless, and she makes fine adjustments to see how expressive her expressions are within a small range of emotions. When you watch the video, you can see that even though she speaks quietly, she is trying to show that she is very happy, and conversely, if she raises her voice too much it can become shaky, so she has to think carefully as she acts. It seems like if she makes one wrong move she could come across as a gloomy girl, but that's not the case, and she's not bad at communicating.
--The character has a surprisingly expressive face.
From the time of the Tomita audition, I knew I wanted to do it! I thought I might be able to make the most of my voice quality. At first glance, I tend to be seen as cool, but I'm not like that at all, so maybe that's similar to me?
◇Hum along to the song for fun
--There are scenes where you sing every time.
Tomita-san is present for almost every episode, and we record at the dubbing studio. At first, we recorded them separately, but towards the end, we started recording them directly (from the lines).
Inagaki- san, I'm getting to the point where I can do it without saying "Ready!"
Tomita and I naturally got along well. There were many songs I had never heard before, so I received the materials about a week before the recording, and on the day of the recording, we sang together.
Inagaki: I was nervous because I was singing in front of everyone. I tried not to worry about the pitch and just sing happily.
Tomita didn't sing too much, but rather the two of them were riding their bikes together, cutting through the wind and singing along in a fun, humming voice.
Inagaki: Yoko was easy to work with, but at first I wondered what would happen with Airi.
Tomita: I don't think Airi is bad at singing or doesn't like singing, so she sang with the feeling that she was happy to be able to sing happily with Yoko.
The most difficult part for Inagaki was the humming, which lasted for over 20 seconds.
Tomita-san, that was there! I think if you look at the script it says "Yoko (humming)."
Inagaki-san thought up the lyrics on the spot and sang them as he pleased. The lines also said "make it sound like you're singing" and "add a melody," so existing songs were no good, and he had to think of something on the spot.
-Have you ever performed together before?
This is the first time I've worked closely with Tomita-san .
Inagaki- san and Miyu-chan are truly amazing! I was amazed at how Airi can convey such emotion despite having such a small range of emotions! I found it easy to match hers, and the conversation flowed naturally without any formalities. You could tell that Airi really loved Yoko, and the atmosphere between them was great. There was a lot of emotion in every word, and I was able to return the passion.
Tomita-san is happy! I think we both feel the same way, but it was really easy to work with him, and I don't remember having any meetings before the recording. We actually talked back and forth during the test, and the conversation was natural.
Inagaki: There was a day when my voice sounded different than usual, just a little hoarse, but no one else noticed. It wasn't a level that would have interfered with the recording, but Miyu was the only one who noticed. I was really touched, thinking, "She's truly a partner who has worked so hard with me!"
◇Fun weekend touring
--In the streaming program "Weekend Touring," you also enjoy pilgrimages to sacred sites.
Tomita-san, the Yokohama location shoot was fun. After the advance screening, it had a homemade feel and was relaxed.
I enjoyed Inagaki-san in many ways, but Mogi was also great. I wondered if Yoko felt the same way when riding the minibike.
When Tomita-san went to play in the river, he hadn't planned on going in, but when he arrived at the campsite, he saw the river and the trampoline, and asked if he could play! (laughs) Everyone was so kind, so he was able to do it right away.
The parts that Inagaki couldn't show on YouTube will be included on Blu-ray Disc and DVD in the future, so be sure to check them out!
-Please give us a message for the upcoming broadcast.
Mr. Inagaki , how did Yoko and the others spend their time before they set off on their journey? We'll get a glimpse of some of the things you've been imagining. The original story is still ongoing, and Yoko and the others' journey is still ahead of them. I'm sure they'll go to lots of new places and experience all sorts of things. I hope you'll continue to watch over Yoko and the others, being surprised, laughing, and being moved.
Tomita: After reading this work, I began to think that the outdoors are fun. Everyone has speculated about it, but as we approach the final episode, the answers will probably be revealed. It's a fun work that involves pilgrimages, so I hope you'll actually go and experience the feelings of Yoko and Airi, even just a little. (Anima Mitsuru/MANTANWEB)
