Continuing from Interview (1), the TV anime " Hana-Kimi, " based on the popular shojo manga by the Hisaya Nakajo , is currently airing on TOKYO MX and other channels every Sunday at 9:30 PM. The original manga was serialized in " Hana to Yume to Yume" (Hakusensha) from 1996 to 2004 and was also adapted into a live-action drama. It's a school comedy about Mizuki Ashiya , a girl who disguises herself as a boy and transfers to an all-boys boarding school in order to meet her crush, Izumi Sano , and manages to live her school life without her true identity being discovered. This is the first time the series has been adapted into an anime. We asked Aya Yamane , who plays Mizuki Ashiya , Taku Izumi Sano, who plays Izumi Sano, Kikunosuke Totani, who plays Kikunosuke Toya, Yuichiro Umehara, who plays Minami Nanba, and Jun Jun Fukuyama Umeda, to talk about each other's appeal. Not only are the charms of each character revealed, but we also got a glimpse into the personalities of the voice actors.
◇Sano's "monologues" are amazing! Taku Yashiro is a hard worker.
--In Interview (1), you talked about the charm of Mizuki, the heroine played by Ms. Yamane. Next, we'd like to delve into the charms of the men surrounding Mizuki. What are your thoughts on Sano, played by Mr. Yashiro?
When Ms. Yamane and Ms. Yashiro are in front of the microphone, there are moments when I can't tell if it's Sano or Ms. Yashiro.
I understand Mr. Totani !
Yamane said , "There were so many moments where I thought, 'That was totally Sano,' and as we went into the second half, that purity increased even more. Yashiro is very observant of her surroundings, and I think that's another thing she has in common with Sano. When I catch glimpses of Yashiro trying new things and challenging herself in various ways, that also overlaps with Sano working hard at the high jump, and I feel that she's someone who never gives up on striving."
Totani-san's Sano is cool and at first glance seems to have little power, or rather, his words don't seem to carry much weight, but you can really see the emotions in the lines that Taku-san delivers as Sano. If I did it, it would probably all sound cold, but you express Sano's shyness and confusion towards Mizuki. How do you do that?
Yashiro-san , is that a Q&A session? (laughs)
Umehara-san , I agree that Sano is a character who can't be used in a wide range of situations; he has to act within a narrow scope, which I think is really difficult, but he does it effortlessly. In particular, Sano has many scenes where he talks to himself after Mizuki leaves, and I learned a lot from how he did those monologues. He talks to himself without hesitation, and I thought, "Yeah, that's right, since it's a monologue, you have to keep the volume down that much."
I understand what you mean about Mr. Totani . It's almost as if the microphone is picking it up. It's amazing, isn't it?
Because it was Mr. Umehara , I immediately started imitating him at other work sites (laughs).
Yashiro-san, you're kidding, right? (laughs). I'm so happy.
Fukuyama-san , I think this is actually the first time Yashiro-kun has been in a main role on set. This time, I felt that he's someone who has observed and learned a lot from people. I haven't seen what kind of experiences Yashiro-kun has had up until now, but I think he's seen the strong points of many different people, and has also been defeated by many different strong points. Watching how he creates a set where he's working as a main character with Yamane-san, I think he's experienced both how to support others and how to be supported himself. That's why I think he's the kind of person who can create an atmosphere where you feel like you can do your best if he's the main character. Sano is also someone who learns how to support others and how to be supported within the story, so he matches Yashiro-kun well. Of course, not just Yamane-san and Yashiro-kun, but I feel on set that the characters and the actors are a good match.
Thank you, Yashiro-san .
◇Is Kikunosuke Toya naturally cheerful? He has an appeal that makes you want to work with him.
--Mr. Totani, you learned the Kansai dialect from scratch in order to play Nakatsu, who is from the Kansai region. What do you all find appealing about Nakatsu as portrayed by Mr. Totani?
Yamane- san and Totani-kun's Kansai dialect is amazing. That goes without saying, but I get the impression that Totani-kun is quite a shy person. I think he has a lot of passion and explosive energy when it comes to the things he likes, but I don't think he himself is the type to act brightly and passionately. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Mr. Totani, you're right.
Yamane-san was great! Speaking of which, Nakatsu is a cheerful type who lives honestly according to his feelings, but Totani-kun is someone who pays close attention to the people around him, thinking about when he should liven things up to lighten the mood, or when it would be funny to make a joke. He's the kind of person who can brighten the atmosphere naturally without making anyone around him feel uncomfortable. Nakatsu also often reads the atmosphere and tries to liven things up or be considerate, so I think they're similar in that respect.
Thank you, Mr. Totani !
Yashiro-san, first of all, both Nakatsu and Totani-kun are cute. What I like about them in common is their lack of pretense. Nakatsu is the kind of person who can say things like, "Let me show you around the school," or "Let me carry this for you," to Mizuki when she first transferred in, without making her feel obligated. They are different types, but Totani-kun also has the ability to make those around him feel comfortable, or rather, he is the kind of person who puts himself in a vulnerable position. Like Nakatsu, that is something that can only be done by people with genuine kindness. I think Nakatsu and Totani-kun, who can do that, are admirable people.
-- Mr. Fukuyama said that in "Hana-Kimi," the characters and the cast are linked. Do you feel the same way about Mr. Totani?
Fukuyama-san, I didn't know anything about Totani-kun until we started working on "Hanazakari." We'd never worked together on an anime before. For me, the important information isn't about a person's personality, but rather, "How does this person approach anime voice acting?" But with Totani-kun, even though he was under the stress of having to do Nakatsu's Kansai dialect, he was determined to do what he wanted to do. That's quite rare, because if your direction isn't clear, you can't think, "This is what I should be doing, this is what I want to do." So I think Totani-kun prioritizes "what to do" over "how he's perceived." When I saw how seriously he was taking the work and his role, I became interested in him as a person, and I started communicating with him and even sitting next to him sometimes. That's why we've been talking a lot more lately, right?
That's right, Mr. Totani .
I know this might sound bad, but before working with Fukuyama- san, he seemed like someone who would make a sensational debut in the industry and become a star. But after actually interacting with him, I felt, "This is the kind of person creators would want to work with." Taking action on what you want to do is actually quite important. That's how you see the unique character of the team, the place, and the individual. I think being straightforward about those aspects is a very important point when playing Nakatsu. Nakatsu is a character who confronts things head-on from the very beginning, regardless of whether he's good at them or not, so I think that probably links to Totani-kun's personality as well.
Thank you , Mr. Totani . I'm so happy...! I think Nakatsu is a character with a lot of room for interpretation, and I think I can decide that within myself. Important emotions will also emerge through his interactions with Mizuki. There are so many things I want to do in this role.
--Mr. Umehara, I understand you've worked with Mr. Totani on many other projects as well.
I've worked with Umehara-san on various projects, and he always seems to be having so much fun. He's so genuinely pure on set, he acts with such enjoyment, and he leaves with a big smile on his face (laughs). Even though he doesn't do the kind of big fight scenes that Nakatsu does, I think he's definitely a mood-maker. When you talk to him normally, he seems to really love having fun, and I'm sure there's something about Totani-kun that makes him laugh, and when you touch on that, he looks so happy. Of course, he probably has a shy side, but I get the feeling that deep down he's incredibly cheerful, don't you think?
I think so too, Mr. Totani (laughs). To put it simply, he's a bit of a homebody. You've seen right through him.
As I work with Umehara-san more, I gradually start to see that side of him, so I hope he'll show it even more.
I'd like to feature Mr. Totani .
◇ "I want you to be there on the scene": The power of words from Jun Fukuyama
--Dr. Umeda, the school nurse played by Mr. Fukuyama, is just as popular a character as the students.
Since it was decided that Mr. Fukuyama would play Umeda, I've received a lot of letters saying, "Mr. Umeda is my absolute favorite."
I think there are a lot of fans of Yashiro-san and Professor Umeda.
Ms. Yamane , for me, Mr. Fukuyama is an actor I've admired since I was a child, but he's really so down-to-earth and frank with everyone. Mizuki can confide her vulnerabilities in front of Ms. Umeda, and that infirmary is a great source of comfort for her. Just like Ms. Umeda, Mr. Fukuyama really looks out for his juniors, and I think, "I want to be like that too." Also, he's so good at putting things into words that I sometimes think, "I wish I could just attribute everything Mr. Fukuyama says to myself!"
Fukuyama- san, I say some pretty vulgar things on set (laughs).
Yamane-san , no! I truly have endless respect for you, so I will do my best to become like Fukuyama-san!
It's truly wonderful to have Mr. Yashiro and Mr. Fukuyama on site. They share all sorts of stories with us. I think both Professor Umeda and Mr. Fukuyama are great at putting things into words, and when I think about why that is, I think it's because they're interested in a wide variety of things. When I listen to Mr. Fukuyama talk, I think, "You're interested in that?" and at events, he does things that make me think, "You're doing that?" or "Are you serious?" (laughs). I think it's because he's had so many experiences like that, and has kept a record of what he thought, that he's able to come up with such wonderful and impactful words, and I really respect him for that.
Mr. Totani and Mr. Fukuyama are truly amazing people. I think the words Mr. Fukuyama speaks as Professor Umeda are incredibly inclusive and persuasive. I think Mr. Fukuyama is someone who thinks about things a lot, so I want him to see it, and if he approves, that would be an incredible thing.
Fukuyama-san , ah, it's litmus paper.
Mr. Totani , I myself do it partly because I want Mr. Fukuyama to think it's funny, so in that sense, I'm happy to have you on set, you're incredibly reliable, you brighten up the set, and I'm really grateful just to have you there.
Umehara-san , I've had the opportunity to work with Fukuyama-san regularly since the beginning of my career, and he's really taken care of me. He's always the one who speaks loudest on set.
Everyone laughs
Yashiro-san, that's true.
Totani-san might actually be like that.
I simply think Mr. Umehara is amazing. Lately, there are more people younger than me, and of course, when Mr. Fukuyama is on set, it makes things more serious, but it's never intimidating. That balance is similar to how Mr. Umeda handles things. Personally, I'm very happy when he's on set.
Thanks, Fukuyama-san !
◇ "Interesting"Yuichiro Umehara: What will he be like in 10 years?!
--Finally, we'd like you to tell us about the appeal of Nanba, the school's top playboy, played by Mr. Umehara.
Mr. Umehara, just a few words would be fine.
I think Yamane-san's Nanba-senpai is the character with the most contrasting traits in this work. He's so frivolous and carefree, but in reality he's very devoted, and he's a character with many different sides. That resonated with Umehara-san, and at first I thought I shouldn't talk to him too much, but when I did, he was very frank, told jokes, and even teased me. He seemed cool and shy at first glance, but he was actually a really funny person.
Yashiro-san, he (Umehara-san) has a coolness about him that comes from not caring what others think of him, he doesn't try to be someone he's not, he's grounded and dignified. I feel like there's tremendous significance in having someone like that play Nanba. I'm convinced that if Nanba-senpai tries to act like he's not, he'll never be appealing. He's a perfect fit, and every time I hear his lines I think how glad I am that he's played Nanba.
Mr. Totani and Mr. Umehara are just too funny. Seriously.
Yashiro-san gave it an "interesting" rating for the second time (lol).
As the show progressed, Mr. Totani couldn't help but laugh whenever Nanba spoke. I think that's probably because he was being so genuine as Nanba. The fact that there was absolutely no artificiality to it was hilarious and I thought it was amazing.
Fukuyama and Ume have been working together regularly since around the time of his debut, and how should I put it, what's great about him is that he's properly perverted.
Everyone laughs
Mr. Fukuyama , no, I don't mean that in a lewd way. Not only is he good-looking, but he also has a beautiful voice. So he's often assigned good-looking characters, but he doesn't have that pretentious attitude of "I'll just do it in a cool way." So I think he has a lot of unspoken thoughts and desires in each role. Even when he's having a normal conversation, he doesn't do anything unnecessary, but that doesn't mean he's saving energy. When someone like that plays a character like Nanba, he takes the fun parts and goes along with them, but he also has a smartness to not do that. So he's not a pervert. He makes it clear that he's a lecher.
Umehara-san (laughs).
Because it's Fukuyama , he never hides it. People who try to hide their perverted nature tend to become secretive, don't they? But he's an open pervert.
I see, Yamane-san !
I think Mr. Fukuyama is a very trustworthy person in that respect. He may seem cool, but he's not, and he's not the type to spread rumors. I think the reason why Nanba is interesting even though he's doing the right thing is because there's no pretense in it. Speaking of which, I think Ume will become quite interesting in about 10 years.
Yashiro-san, even more?!
There will come a moment when you'll think, " Mr. Fukuyama's voice is so good it's funny." There are senior comedians like that, aren't there? I think he's the only one who can reach that level.
With its captivating cast of voice actors, the anime "Hana-Kimi" shines with a new brilliance in the Reiwa era. I want to savor the love and youth of Mizuki and the others. (Shiroinu/MANTANWEB)
