The TV anime "The Darwin Incident," based on the manga by Umezawa Shun, which was also the winner of the Grand Prize at the Manga Taisho Awards 2022, will begin airing on TV Tokyo from January 6th. The original work has been serialized in "Afternoon" (Kodansha) since 2020, and tells the story of Charlie, a "humanzee" born from a human and a chimpanzee, who must face human problems such as terrorism, online outrage, and discrimination. We spoke to author Umezawa, voice actor Atsumi Tanezaki, who plays Charlie, and Mitsuho Kanbe, who plays Lucy Eldred, Charlie's classmate and friend, about the appeal of the work and the behind-the-scenes of recording and production.
◇Why did you decide to draw “Humanzee”?
-What was your impression when you read the original work?
Kobe-san , I read it when I auditioned, and initially I started reading it to check out the character I was going to be playing, but it was so interesting that before I knew it I had read all the way up to the latest volume, leaving that aside. The story depicts a non-existent entity called a Humanzee, but the world around them is very real, and I thought it was a work that made me think about my own values, asking myself what I would think and how I would act if I were in this world and faced a Humanzee.
Before reading Tanezaki-san, I had a vague idea that "Darwin is about evolution, right? ... I know that events cause terrible things... Will evolution become so terrible? So it must be a difficult story." I had been interested in it for a long time, but I had been thinking about picking it up when I had the time and mental space, so when I heard about the audition, I was happy to have the opportunity to read it. When I actually started reading, I found the characters' way of thinking and the story very interesting, and I was able to read it easily. I thought it was amazing that the story made me think about the problems that really exist in this world and the things that people have to face through the eyes of humanzees, which do not exist in this world. The delicate parts were neither denied nor affirmed, and it was exquisite.
Umezawa-san is drawn from a distance.
It must be because it's Tanezaki-san . The story is so interesting and purely enjoyable. As I was reading it, I thought the author must be a very intelligent person (laughs).
Thank you , Umezawa -san (laughs). I'm very happy. You've understood the character before you started playing it, so I think you've really read into it.
-- "The Darwin Incident" deals with a sensitive subject, but it gives the impression of being entertaining. What made you want to write this work?
Umezawa: As a premise, even my works before "The Darwin Incident" basically depicted sensitive subjects, but before "The Darwin Incident" I wrote a short story called "Already Human," which dealt with sensitive issues such as bioethics that led to "The Darwin Incident" and what human rights should be protected. I wanted to extend that further and was looking at various materials when I came across an online article about "Humanzee," and I thought I could use this to further develop my story.
--As Tanezaki-san mentioned, how do you maintain the balance of "neither denying nor affirming"?
Of course, I have my own opinions about what Umezawa-san is dealing with, but I don't create my work to assert them; I try to maintain a certain distance, using my opinions as a tool to create an interesting story. I think that's how I try to strike a balance. Of course, I'm careful to depict things in a way that doesn't lead to discrimination or prejudice against specific people or groups, so I think this is the result.
◇Charlie and Lucy audition untold story
-What were your honest thoughts when it was decided that the series would be made into an anime?
When I heard that Umezawa-san had received an offer to turn it into an anime, I was like, "Really?", because I thought there was nothing moe about it (laughs). There are delicate parts and sensitive depictions, so I wondered if it could really be done. As time went on, I started to think, "They're really going to do it," and now I'm convinced, "They're going to do it" (laughs). I'm excited and looking forward to it starting next year.
-What did you discuss with director Tsuda Naokatsu and the other production staff regarding the animation?
Both Director Umezawa and the production team told me that they wanted to "stay as true to the original as possible." Personally, I think that since it's a completely different medium from manga to anime, there will be some parts of the story structure and character designs that will have to be changed, or that should be changed, so I told them that I wouldn't mind if they made changes to make it easier to animate. They said they would keep the central motifs and essence of the work intact, so I trusted them and left the rest to them. When I saw the anime script, I thought to myself, "Wow, this is an interesting story" (laughs).
-I heard that when the series was adapted into an anime, Tanezaki was nominated for the role of Charlie.
Tanezaki: At the time, I thought it was an audition.
Umezawa-san, is that so? No, it's not (laughs). The role of Charlie wasn't decided during the audition. So the director decided to take the role.
-How did you feel when you were chosen for the role of Charlie?
Tanezaki: I had finished all the auditions, but I still hadn't been selected and thought it was like I was going to have to audition again, so rather than the usual "Yes...!" feeling when you get selected for an audition, I was happy but also felt like "I understand." When I recorded the audition tape, I don't know why, but I thought, "Ah, I kind of get it," and I was able to do it without thinking too much. Maybe that's why. Once I got the role, I felt a sense of responsibility to do my best and start thinking hard about the role again (laughs). "The Darwin Incident" was scheduled to be filmed once a month, so I thought, "This is the start of a tough year," and "I have to fulfill my responsibilities."
--When Umezawa heard the voice of Charlie played by Tanezaki, he was convinced, "So that's what Charlie's voice was!"
Umezawa: I was also involved in the auditions from the beginning, and I didn't know what Charlie's voice would be like, and neither did anyone else. The subtle request was that Charlie's voice not express his emotions directly, but that doesn't mean he's emotionless. The audition was essentially about tuning into his emotions. I think the director felt there wasn't a definitive answer. When I heard Tanezaki's voice as Charlie during the recording, I felt like it was there from the very beginning, even before the emotional approach. Charlie is a character who is treated as an outsider in civilized society and gets into trouble because of that position, but from Charlie's perspective, his very existence is very unaffected. The sense of natural existence was something that really struck me about Tanezaki's acting. I felt an existential approach alongside an emotional approach.
Tanezaki-san said that when he recorded the tape, he didn't think much about it, but I think that the teacher was able to put into words what was going through his mind at the time. He said that he was certainly like that at the audition. More like Charlie than Humanzee.
Umezawa says he has no doubts about his own existence.
Tanezaki-san has emotions, but when they come out, they're not so clear and obvious, they change and move a little bit inside her heart. It's like that's just carried over to the music, and I thought, "That's what I was doing at the audition...!"
--At the audition, Kobe was unanimously chosen to play Lucy.
Kobe-san, I was happy. Many people are involved in animation, and there are opinions from various perspectives, so it feels special when there is unanimous agreement. I was simply very happy that everyone thought it was a good fit.
-Umezawa-san, what did you think when you heard Kobe-san's voice for Lucy?
Umezawa: It was really unanimous, like, "It's Lucy!" When I saw the anime script, if you just looked at Lucy's lines from the text alone, they seemed quite sarcastic, too logical, and cold, and I thought, "This girl is a little scary." In the manga, those aspects were adjusted by making the panels smaller or making the faces more comical. Kobe's Lucy captures those subtle emotions, so to speak. On the surface, she says cool and sarcastic things, but deep down there is a sincerity. It's not just her acting; it may also be Kobe's personality, but I think that's what exuded from her and made everyone think she was Lucy.
◇School life comedy? Pay attention to Charlie's "movements"
-How would you like people to enjoy the anime "The Darwin Incident"?
Umezawa-san would like viewers to watch the film without being too nervous. It does have a sense of having a complex social commentary atmosphere, but it's also an action and suspense story, and also a simple boy meets girl story about Charlie and Lucy. I think it's been made well as entertainment, so I hope people will watch it as a school life comedy (laughs).
As Professor Kobe said, we don't have a set perspective on how it should be viewed, so I think it would be great if everyone could just accept what they see. Charlie is a character that each manga reader has a different image of, but once you hear Tanezaki's voice as Charlie in the anime, I'm sure you'll fall in love with him all over again. I hope you'll pay attention to the charms of the character, including his voice.
Tanezaki: The boy-meets-girl story between a human girl and a Humanzee boy is something you can only see in this work, and the action scenes of the Humanzees, which are different from humans, are also unique. It may also be enjoyed as a new type of hero, clever and with overwhelming physical abilities. It's full of things you've never seen before, so I hope that everyone who watches it will enjoy it in their own way.
※The "崎" in Atsumi Tanezaki's name is pronounced "tatsusaki"
