Ahead of the April broadcast of the TV anime "NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE," based on the popular game, the theatrical pre-release "NEEDY GIRL OVERDOSE -OVERTURE-" was released at Theater Shinjuku (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo) and Theater Umeda (Kita Ward, Osaka) on March 6th. The original is a multi-ending adventure game that depicts the 30 days of a girl with a strong desire for approval as she strives to become the best streamer, and her supporter, "Pi." The anime is also attracting attention for its appearance of the original streamer unit "Karamazov." Despite the original work being based on a source material, there are still many unknowns about the anime. We spoke to Rina Kawaguchi Rina, who plays Purple Lollipop, Shiina Otsuki, who plays Gokubara Michika, and Hoshi Nozomi, who plays Nechika-sama, about the unit's members.
Cosplay at an audition?!
-What is your impression of the original game?
I was a big fan of Kawaguchi-san . I don't usually play games that much, but I watched gameplay commentaries at the time, and I thought it had a really wonderful world view. It's a work that can be enjoyed in many ways, including games and music, so I became a fan. There aren't many works with such an edgy world view, and I personally like dark works, so it really struck a chord with me.
Shiina: I only started playing the game after I was confirmed to be appearing, but I had been watching gameplay commentaries before that. When I actually played it, I found it interesting that there were so many endings, and depending on how you played it, you could end up with a bad ending. You can do things in the game that you normally can't, and it was fun playing to collect all the different endings.
Hoshiki: I was also familiar with the game. I thought about streaming it on my YouTube channel, but I ended up auditioning for an anime, so if I got in, it would seem like a hint, so I thought I couldn't stream it. Also, while I was waiting for the audition results, I was given the opportunity to cover a song by Choten-chan in another piece of content, and I thought that this would also be a hint, so I couldn't play it for a while. I had seen the gameplay, so I thought it was a work that would resonate with me in many ways.
-How did you feel about the audition?
Kawaguchi: First there was a tape audition, and then I took part in the studio audition. I auditioned for Lollipop and Biketsuka, and when I looked at the character designs I liked the design of Biketsuka, but I felt that Lollipop was the most fun to act in. I went to the studio audition wearing fashionable clothes among my everyday clothes, and later the director said to me, "You came in cosplay, didn't you?" to which I replied, "No!" (laughs). Of course I was conscious of the worldview, but it wasn't cosplay (laughs).
Shiina: It was my first time auditioning in a studio, so I wore the clothes I owned that looked the most like Mika-chan's, just to bring good luck, and the director (like Kawaguchi) said to me, "You came in cosplay, didn't you?" (laughs). I was so nervous during the audition that I don't remember much, but what I do remember is that bird droppings fell on me on the way to the studio (laughs). I don't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but I thought it was "luck" and did my best.
Mr. Kawaguchi, you have to be grateful to the birds (laughs).
Shiina-san, I'm really grateful to the birds (laughs).
On the day of the audition , I had planned to go on a trip to Osaka with a friend, but I prioritized the audition and paid the change and cancellation fees, so I was worried that I wouldn't get in. I wasn't cosplaying... But I had silver hair! I'm glad I had silver hair!
--Do you ever dress to match the character at auditions?
Kawaguchi: I'd really like to do that. I have a lot of black clothes, so it's easy for me to visualize characters with a dark image, but when it's a very bright character, I sometimes add an accent color or use accessories or small items to bring good luck. After all, clothes change how I feel, and I hope to convey my love and passion for the work.
Shiina: I listen to a lot of music, so when I went to the audition I listened to music with a dark feel like "Nidiga" and music that touches the depths of the heart, and I was able to get into the mood.
Hoshiki-san: I sometimes go there to pray, but at the time of the Nidiga audition, I usually wear men's clothes, so I remember that I unintentionally wore a top that looked like Nechika-sama's. I had silver hair!!!
◇Characters with very strong personalities
--Kawaguchi-san, you said that you had fun playing Lollipop during the audition.
Kawaguchi: This may be a bit misleading, but I was glad that I didn't have to create a voice. With Miketsuka, I would have had to tone down the way I normally speak. It felt like I was under a slight debuff, which was fun in itself, but with Lollipop, I was free of those constraints, so I could do what was most comfortable for me and give 100%. In that sense, it was easy to do. I remember that during the actual recording, I was often directed to output 150% or 200% by saying, "Give it even more power!"
--Mikeka, played by Shiina, is a character who wears an impressive Gothic Lolita fashion.
Shiina: At first glance, Mikeka looks like a doll, but I feel that girls who wear Lolita fashion are strong-willed and really value their beliefs. I like girls who wear Lolita fashion, so I can't help but look at them when I see them out on the street, and I think they're careful about everything because they're always under the gaze of others. Mikeka is also a girl who lives with her own ideals. During the audition, I was instructed to be "colder" and "more condescending." In the actual recording, she wasn't as condescending as she was during the audition, and she wasn't that cold.
--What about Hoshiki?
Hoshiki: If I were as tall as Nechika-sama and had this appearance, I think I would probably do the same moves as this character. It's a joy for me as an actor, but I was given the direction to "do whatever you want," and it feels like I'm revealing a side of myself that's like Nechika-sama. I feel like I overlap with myself, like a "self-identified Nechika-sama," and I'm acting while making use of my own experiences and thoughts, but I have a strong desire to cherish the individuality of the character, so I'm battling with myself about how much I can avoid overlapping with myself. This is the first time I've had such a dilemma. Nechika-sama seems to be what I wanted to be, and it makes me dream.
-Is this the first time the three of you have performed together?
It was my first time meeting Kawaguchi-san . I had met Hoshiki-san a few times in other content, but this was our first time acting together and speaking, so I was like, "This is the real deal!"
I talked to Shiina-san in between recordings, but at first I didn't know how to talk to her.
At first, Kawaguchi was sitting apart in a spacious studio.
Hoshiki-san was waiting to see what would happen (laughs).
Even Kawaguchi-san has become a lot more talkative.
◇Interpretations vary from person to person
--What is the unique appeal of anime?
Kawaguchi: In a sense, I don't think it's a work that clearly states "this is the answer." There's a certain amount of room for interpretation, and I think there's as much room for interpretation as there are viewers. There are lines that feel like you're watching a play, but then there are depictions that seem to be the epitome of reality, so there's a gap, and I think it makes you feel like you're in a dream, in a good way. It's not too fantasy, but not too real either, and being able to experience both makes it interesting to act in. With scenes changing with each cut, it's like an emotional roller coaster. It was my first time doing a work like this, so I was on edge and on edge.
Shiina: When I read the script, I was able to understand it up to a certain point, or rather, I was able to follow along, but then I gradually lost track of it and had to reread it over and over again. As Kawaguchi said, I think it's a work that will be interpreted differently by different people. There are things that you will understand as you are recording. I think my perception will change again when I actually see the finished video, so I'm looking forward to it.
Hoshiki-san has a lot of ups and downs in her performance. There are roundabout words and straightforward emotional expressions, and we all try our best to act in accordance with each situation.
Shiina- san Miketsuka is not a very talkative person, so Lollipop and Nechika-sama are the ones who lead the way. I try to follow them. (Anima Mitsuru/MANTANWEB)
