"TRIGUN STARGAZE", the final chapter of "TRIGUN STAMPEDE", a new anime adaptation of Yasuhiro Nightow's manga "Trigun", is currently airing on TV Tokyo. The original is a gun action manga that was serialized from 1995 to 2007, and "TRIGUN STAMPEDE" aired from January to March 2023. "TRIGUN STAMPEDE" depicted the growth of rookie reporter Meryl Stryfe, but "TRIGUN STARGAZE" introduces her junior Millie Thompson, and the exploits of this odd couple are one of the highlights. We spoke to the duo of Sakura Ando, who plays Meryl, and Chinatsu Ayamori, who plays Millie, about what went on behind the scenes during the recording.
◇There's actually a lot of ad-lib
-What is your impression of the work?
When I auditioned for Ando-san , I looked up the series on social media. I learned that it had influenced the lives of many people, and I thought it was an amazing work. When I was chosen to play Meryl, I thought, "This is big news!" When I read the original work, I felt that Vash has strong convictions and is aiming for something extraordinary. He also has unyielding strength, and is really cool.
When I looked up Ayamori-san on social media, I found out that many people consider her to be their life bible, and when I was cast as Millie, I felt a sense of pressure and thought, "What a big deal!" But I was also really happy to be able to appear in such a cool production.
-What are your impressions of Meryl and Milly?
Ando: In "STAMPEDE," I was a junior and restless, and I was very forward-leaning, but I experienced a lot of things. Two and a half years have passed since "STAMPEDE," and a junior member named Millie has appeared, so I've naturally become more settled. I have to show others my back.
Ayamori: Millie is a junior and a newcomer... I'm also a new voice actress, so it's the same for me. I felt that Millie is a beloved junior, and I think she really loves people. She's a pure girl who simply pursues what she finds fun. When I heard Meryl's lines, I wondered how Millie would respond. I think she's the kind of girl who can respond without being annoying, so I tried to cherish that.
Since we often act together with Ando , it's important to have a sense of tempo that keeps the conversations going. So I was careful to be sensitive to Millie's lines. I felt that we had a good chemistry that allowed us to do that naturally from the audition stage, so it was very easy to work with her.
During the audition for Ayamori, she told me, "I want the dialogue between these two to be like a comedy skit," and "Don't make it too heavy." I was constantly thinking about how to make it easy for Meryl to respond. This dialogue is really fun, and Sakura always picks up on it. Halfway through, I started to enjoy leading Meryl around, and I was able to do it very freely.
-Is there any improvisation?
Since Ando-san was using pre-scoring (a technique in which the lines are recorded first and the video is created to match the sound), he told me to "do whatever you like," and there was quite a bit of ad-lib.
Ayamori-san is in charge of ad-libbing, isn't she? (laughs)
There are a lot of comical scenes with Ando-san , so I had a lot of fun chiming in, joining in, and responding.
When Ayamori-san was exchanging lines with an actor, I would ask, "Can I include this part?" before adding it. I didn't know which parts were being used, so I didn't know what would happen, but it was a lot of fun.
--Did you prepare it before recording, or did you just come up with it on the spot?
I think it was about half for Ayamori-san . During the actual performance, things were completely different from what I had imagined, and when we did the test run, we discussed any parts that we thought would be fun to include. Although I would suddenly add things to Sakura-san without saying anything to her.
Ando-san , we both had the same feeling. It felt like we could naturally respond. I was surprised, but I also enjoyed it.
Ayamori- san and Sakura-san always pick up the pieces!
◇Yoshitsugu Matsuoka and Vash overlap
-Have you ever performed together before?
This is my first time meeting Ando-san . We always went out to eat after the recording.
Ayamori-san accompanied me every time.
I was reflecting on it and asking myself, "How was it , Ando ?"
Ayamori-san was free to record, but after it was over I would suddenly feel down and think "I could have done better." She always encouraged me by saying "It's okay," which really helped me. Thank you as always!
--You said it was a pre-recording where the voice was recorded first, but were there any difficulties that are unique to pre-recording?
Ando: It was difficult not knowing how far I could go. I could be free to a certain extent, but there was a time limit, and I couldn't stray from the main story. That was the difficulty.
There were times when I wondered if it was okay to make Ayamori-san comical, but then it turned out that it wasn't... and although there was freedom, it was difficult to correct when it went in the opposite direction.
Ando: There were times when the director would draw a picture on set and show us the expression he wanted. It was a fresh experience for me.
--The passionate performance of Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, who plays Vash, is also a charm of the film. What did you feel while working with him?
I first met Ando on "STAMPEDE," and due to the COVID-19 pandemic at the time, we recorded with a small group of people and at a distance. It was my first time having so many lines in an anime, so I wondered how it would go... but Matsuoka listened to the other person's lines during the performance and communicated with me. I tried to stay neutral and prepared to be influenced by the other person's lines. Matsuoka himself said, "I try not to practice too much, and I create my lines through the performance," so I felt he was a very flexible person.
I feel that Ayamori-san is putting her body and mind into her acting. When I hear about Vash's desperate scenes, there are times when I feel like I'm in pain, and there are also times when I see Matsuoka-san as Vash. I was very grateful to have Matsuoka-san as the leader of the troupe, and I was able to work with him.
◇The meal scenes are also spectacular
--"STAMPEDE" also attracted attention for its high-quality visuals.
Ando-san was amazing! When I saw it for the first time at the first screening, I nearly fell off my chair. The visuals were beyond my imagination, and I want to see every episode in the cinema. I was moved. All the staff are truly amazing. I'm looking forward to "STARGAZE" as well.
Ayamori: At first, I thought it was CG, but after about 10 minutes, I stopped thinking about it. I listened to the staff's stories, and after participating, I realized that a lot of sweat, tears, and effort went into making it.
-What is the most memorable scene from the first four episodes of "STARGAZE" that have aired so far?
In the scene where Ando is reunited with Vash, I think he's been thinking about what to say to him when he sees his face, and I thought the line that came out there was wonderful. "Well said! That's what I wanted to say." I think Milly is like an air purifier that brightens up the atmosphere. This is especially true in episodes 1 and 2, but even when there are a series of scenes that make you feel heavy in your stomach, when Milly speaks quietly, the tension in your shoulders relaxes and the mood brightens. The meal scenes are also spectacular.
Ayamori-san had a scene in episode 4 where she ate omurice, so I went and had some before recording too. I tried to act it out with a sense of reality (laughs). The scene with Meryl and Milly was so cute, I couldn't stop watching it. During the recording, Sakura-san and I got excited over the Puppet Master's line in episode 3, "It's the beginning." Cho-san performed it in various ways, including a version that sounded like a commercial for a certain ice cream cone, and I was amazed at how many different expressions he had! The visuals should be amazing, so I hope you'll check it out.
-What can we look forward to in the future?
Ando-san, please watch the whole thing! On the day we recorded the final episode, during the break, a staff member looked off into the distance and said, "I wonder how they're going to portray this scene. I have no idea." I think he was saying that because he was aiming for something of extremely high quality, and at the core of his desire to deliver that. There was a scene with Meryl that made me tear up while reading the script. The final scene that Meryl sees really touched my heart, so I hope you'll watch it.
When I received the script from Ayamori-san , I was like, "What!?" and there were some developments that surprised me too. I hope you'll enjoy it while imagining where it will take you. I'm also looking forward to seeing how the viewers will take it and digest it! (Anima Mitsuru/MANTANWEB)
