The TV anime series " A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation, " based on a popular light novel that originated on the novel submission website " Shosetsuka ni Naro ," is currently airing on TV Tokyo, BS TV Tokyo, AT-X, and other networks. The popular series has also been adapted into a media mix, including comics, drama CDs, stage plays, and recitation plays, and the anime has also been a hot topic as Soma Saito will be reprising his role as the protagonist, LiZEL. We spoke to Saito, who has been playing LiZEL for around six years since the drama CD, about his thoughts on the series.
◇I actually have experience playing all the characters.
"A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation" tells the story of Lizel, a young man who was renowned as the prime minister of a great nation in a fantasy world, who is transported to another parallel world. Although he is unsure whether he will be able to return to his original world, Lizel remains calm and says, "I'll just enjoy it as a vacation," using his excellent intelligence and speaking skills to win the hearts of the people. With Jill, a senior adventurer who neither panders to nor obeys anyone, as his partner, Lizel becomes an adventurer herself and enjoys life in another world.
Saito has been playing LiZEL for about six years, since the drama CD was released in December 2019. She has also had the opportunity to act in front of fans in staged readings, which is why she was so excited about the anime adaptation.
"I'm grateful to be involved in a work that is loved by so many people. The cast and I had all said that we wanted to see the characters in action in an anime someday, so when we heard about the anime adaptation, we were honestly very happy to finally be able to show the LiZELs moving and talking. In the reading play, I got the impression that, as the characters are "gentle nobles," they are being received with a calm, quiet passion and a deep, broad heart, and I'm sure many people are looking forward to it."
Lizel, played by Saito, has a very calm manner of speaking and behavior, and is endowed with an excellent mind.
"As mentioned in the setting, he was originally from another world, but through some unexpected events he ended up in another world, lost his status as chancellor, took his time away from the world, and began enjoying life as an adventurer. He is a very knowledgeable, calm, and intelligent person, but he is also surprisingly humane and can seem a bit naive. He is a person with many facets. I think he is a fascinating person who has both a very insightful side and a down-to-earth side."
One can't help but think that by playing LiZEL in the anime, she may have discovered something new about the character, but Saito says, "It may be a slightly different feeling."
"I've read the entire original work by myself. I've read quite a bit of the 350-page novel, and I'm playing all the characters. Naturally, I have the idea of expressing it again in the form of animation, and when the medium of expression changes, the expressions I show also change in some ways, but since I've been walking alongside the original work for around six years, it might be a slightly different feeling if I'm making any new discoveries."
Saito is the only person who plays all the characters, and he knows the story inside and out.
"In my case, I recite about 60 pages in three hours. Many of the adventurers are rough characters, but I do it all by myself, putting all my energy into it. The early part of the scenario was animated, so there were some nostalgic moments, which was an interesting experience for me as an actor."
◇ Trust and security in "Jill"Yuichiro Umehara
Lizel exudes a mysterious aura and calmness. Her mysterious behavior and speech captivate those who come into contact with her. I feel that Saito's performance adds to her persuasiveness.
"My first connection with this work was through the drama CD, so at that time I worked with the team to create the general structure and framework of the character LiZEL. LiZEL is transported to another world, and when you see the world through his eyes, that creates the atmosphere of this work. Rather than doing anything particularly unique in my acting, I'm always conscious of seeing the world neutrally. By not being too biased, I think it might be easier for first-time viewers to enter the world of the work, so I act with that in mind. There aren't many things that I particularly changed for the anime, but I do feel that anime requires greater ease of understanding. With readings and drama CDs, there is no visual content, so the performers have more freedom, but with anime, the timing and length are set. I think it's important for an actor to be able to express what the director and the team want to express in the anime, and I think I did a great job in that regard."
Yuichiro Umehara will also be reprising his role as Jill, the strongest adventurer nicknamed "Ittou" and Lizel's partner.
"Ume-chan is a very consistent person, so I thought she was just being herself, in a good way. We've known each other for a long time, and we've worked together on 'Gentle Kizoku' many times. When the recording for the anime started, she was the usual Jill, so I was able to stand next to her without any problems. There was a sense of trust and security, and the tempo of our conversation naturally developed, and I was always relaxed."
◇Longing to travel, someday writing a travelogue
The calm and clever Lizel seems to have some similarities with Saito-san. It's a role that perfectly suits her, but I wonder if the calm Saito-san ever gets angry...
"Absolutely (laughs). Even LiZEL isn't someone who is always calm and collected; there are things she won't compromise on and lines she shouldn't cross. I like the fact that she's not all calm. I also want to be calm at all times. It's best for everyone to get along as much as possible. When I speak as LiZEL, I might be feeling calmer myself. It makes me think, "I need to take a breath and think about it."
Saito is an extremely popular voice actress, so it may be difficult for her to take a long vacation like LiZEL, but we asked her what she would like to do if she had the chance.
"I have a longing for travel, so I'd like to go somewhere. I love writing, and one of my long-standing dreams has been to write a travelogue. My work is centered mainly in Tokyo, which I'm grateful for, but if I could have a long vacation, I'd like to go somewhere other than here. My mother is from Wakayama, and recently I've been thinking about going to see the sea there. I'd like to actually go to that place and record what I see and feel in writing. Just talking about it won't make it happen, so I'd like to make time to do it. I'd also like to go to London. I love books, so somewhere with a great library would be nice."
Even if it's difficult to take a long vacation, watching "A Gentle Noble's Vacation Recommendation" might help you relax and unwind. Saito said, "I've been involved with the series for a long time, and I'm very happy as a fan and as an actor to be able to bring this story to everyone through anime. When we were recording the first episode, the director said, 'I want to create a show that, for example, someone who comes home tired can turn on the TV and feel relaxed and calm,' and I thought that was certainly true. I think the video turned out that way, so I hope you'll relax and enjoy it if you take your time to watch it." (Anima Mitsuru/MANTANWEB)
