The TV anime "Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!", based on Harunori's "classic BL comedy" manga, will begin airing on TOKYO MX and other channels from April 1st. The original manga is a popular work that depicts the fantasies and reckless actions surrounding the unrequited love of high school boy Nakamura Otoko for his classmate Hirose Aiki, in a somewhat nostalgic 1980s-90s style, and is published as a comic by Heroes. The main character Nakamura-kun in the anime will be voiced by popular voice actor Chiaki Kobayashi. We asked him about the appeal of the work and behind-the-scenes stories from the recording.
◇The refreshing feeling of shonen manga and the mature feel of seinen manga
"Go for it, Nakamura-kun!!" depicts the struggles of Nakamura-kun, a boy who is bad at communicating with people and has no friends, as he falls in love at first sight with Hirose at his high school entrance ceremony and tries his best to become friends with her.
"When I first read the original manga, I was immediately drawn to the retro style. In the monologue, Nakamura describes himself as a 'shy gay man,' so I imagined it would depict a sensitive romance between two men. As I continued reading, I realized that while Nakamura does indeed like Hirose, his feelings and passion had a refreshing, comical quality reminiscent of a shonen manga. On the other hand, the way Nakamura's inner feelings are portrayed, showing that he's not even friends with Hirose, also had a more mature, seinen manga feel to it. I thought it was a work that contained many interesting aspects that made me want to keep reading."
In the early part of the story, Nakamura can't even bring himself to speak to Hirose, and instead spends his time intensely fantasizing about how he should approach her. He's a character who speaks a lot of monologues.
"Although Nakamura's dialogue is mostly monologues, I got the impression that he's a very straightforward and hardworking kid. Because he works so hard, he tries to calculate things, but things don't always go as planned, and he makes clumsy mistakes. I think that kind of awkwardness is part of his charm, and it's what makes you want to root for him."
◇Nakamura isn't just shy; he's bold inside.
Kobayashi said that in playing Nakamura, "I felt that if I didn't show his struggling and hesitant side in his monologues, it wouldn't be like Nakamura. So, while I acted awkwardly and timidly on camera, I was bold inside, and I tried to act with all my might without being too conscious of it being a monologue."
While Nakamura is introverted, he is seen as more than just an ordinary introverted child.
"During the recording, the director said that while Nakamura has a somewhat self-deprecating and negative side, he's not actually a gloomy guy. He appears introverted but is surprisingly good at communicating, so I was told to be mindful of that. He certainly has an introverted side, but he also has incredible energy, the drive and boldness to become friends with Hirose, and he doesn't seem to care what other people think of him. For an introverted guy, he's incredibly strong-willed. I was careful about how I portrayed his introversion, including the fact that he's oblivious to what others think of him."
I'm also finding it fun to play the role of Nakamura, who is prone to daydreaming.
"In the first episode, Nakamura's reactions to all of Hirose's actions were hilarious. Just seeing Hirose in an apron during home economics class makes Nakamura imagine them as newlyweds, and this eccentric way of thinking was really fun to portray. Nakamura's fantasies are dizzying; he imagines himself as a handsome man, trembling with anger, and his ulterior motives explode. Because it's all happening in his fantasies, his emotions are all over the place, so it was really fun to fully express that continuous stream of emotions."
The role of Hirose, whom Nakamura falls in love with at first sight, is played by Sakakibara Yuki, who also voices Aimono Jyushi in "Hypnosis Mic -Division Rap Battle-" and Hoshikirara in "Jujutsu Kaisen".
"His voice itself is very androgynous, but Hirose is quite masculine on the inside, so I thought the balance was just right. His voice is cute, but he can effortlessly portray Hirose's masculine side and coolness, and he can also express innocence, so I was listening beside him and thinking that he was a perfect fit. Nakamura's heart may have been stirred up even more by Sakakibara's acting."
◇I want to emulate Nakamura's unwavering attitude.
Nakamura, who struggles and tries his best, is a character that makes you want to cheer him on. Kobayashi, who plays him, is also charmed by him, saying, "Nakamura is always cute," and "Nakamura's inner strength and unwavering nature make me want to emulate him."
"In social life, if you go too far, you can cause trouble for others, and you should be mindful of what others think, and there are various things to consider like TPO (Time, Place, and Occasion), but having your own feelings and strong will is a necessary ego for an actor, so I really think it's okay to be as particular as Nakamura-kun."
In the anime, the drama of Nakamura and his friends will be portrayed "with expressive and vivid details."
"Basically, it's a school drama, depicting the process of Nakamura becoming friends with Hirose, so it could easily become bland, but I think it vividly portrays Nakamura's fantasies and other things, showing a story that goes beyond a typical school drama. At the voice recording studio, I could feel the respect that the director and staff had for Harunori-sensei and how much they truly loved the original work, so I think that's why the visuals turned out the way they did."
April, when anime series begin airing, is also a season of new encounters for many people.
"Although Nakamura has romantic feelings, he is struggling to become friends with his classmates as an individual. I would be very happy if seeing Nakamura's efforts to become friends without giving up despite setbacks could become a source of energy in everyone's daily lives."
In keeping with the title "Go for it, Nakamura-kun!!", when asked "If you were to send a message of encouragement to Nakamura-kun, what would it be?", she replied, "I would say that Nakamura-kun is already trying hard enough, so I don't need to tell him to try hard. I would also say, 'I like you just the way you are.' I would tell him to stay just the way he is because he's already trying hard enough." You're sure to gain courage and strength from seeing Nakamura-kun's earnest efforts. (Shiroinu/MANTANWEB)
