The anime "Dandelion," based on the debut work of manga artist Hideaki Sorachi, known for the popular manga "Gintama," will be exclusively streamed worldwide on Netflix starting April 16th. The original story is a one-shot included in the first volume of the "Gintama" manga, and follows Tetsuo Tanba (nicknamed Tetsu) and Misaki Kurotetsu, a pair of "angels" belonging to the Dandelion Group of the Japan Angel Federation's escort service, as they search for souls that cannot find peace and send them to the afterlife. We spoke with Chikahiro Kobayashi, who plays Tetsuo Tanba, and Megumi Han, who plays Misaki Kurotetsu, about the behind-the-scenes of the recording, which they said was "really fun!", and the appeal of the work.
◇The "origin" of "Gintama": The charm of the buddy relationship between Tetsuo and Misaki
--The original work is Sorachi's debut manga, which won an honorable mention in the 71st Tenkaichi Manga Award competition held by Weekly Shonen Jump (Shueisha) in 2002 and was published in the same magazine. What are your impressions of the work?
Mr. Kobayashi's work is truly entertaining for people of all ages, and while it seems to be mainly comedic, it also has moments that make you cry. I think it has a strange balance. I believe it's a work that you can enjoy without having to think too much.
Ms. Han, since it was Sorachi-sensei's debut work, even before "Gintama," it reflects the Yamato spirit that Sorachi-sensei has held since then... or maybe not Yamato spirit? (laughs).
Mr. Kobayashi, the spirit of Japan? Was that what we were talking about? (laughs)
Ms. Han , I feel that Japanese spirit, or rather, the warmth and humanity, that sense of harmony. Mr. Sorachi has always carefully depicted the way of life and aspirations of each individual character in "Gintama," and I was so happy to see that this is where it all began. You can see Tetsu, Misaki, and the other characters in each and every character in "Gintama." So we are the "original creators" (laughs).
It's like Mr. Kobayashi discovered the source of the hot spring.
Ms. Pan: "We feel like we are the source of it all."
--What are your impressions of the character you play?
Tetsuo Kobayashi is usually an unmotivated man, and that's the way he chooses to live. He's not very interested in career advancement and just goes about his work in a calm, understated way, but he does seem to care about the Dandelion Class's performance. The classes compete based on how much spiritual fulfillment they've achieved, so he does try to fulfill his role. He's not the type of person who seems particularly motivated, so there's a bit of a gap between that and his outward appearance. He's a very compassionate person, you could say. He has a charming quality about him, as he tries to face each individual and resolve their problems properly.
Misaki Han appears quiet at first glance; if you had to choose between stillness and movement, she'd be the quiet type. But surprisingly, she's incredibly strong and powerful, and her emotional range is very wide. However, despite the wide range, she's unwavering. She has a strong core, and she has a clear reason for doing this job. She seems cool and reserved, and she seems to have low blood pressure, but she's actually a very caring person.
If anything, Kobayashi is the one who tends to get into arguments with Tetsu about all sorts of things, but he's the one who calms him down. He's always saying, "Hey, Tetsu!"
Ms. Han speaks her mind quite a bit, doesn't she? But in those situations, she's the one who calms Tetsu down when he gets angry or rushes into things for someone else's sake. I think that's possible because Misaki understands that "doing things for someone else" is at the core of Tetsu's heart. That's why she trusts Tetsu so much. Their trust was built on something beyond the age difference or anything like that. I even think their souls were close.
I feel like Mr. Kobayashi and I have similar ways of thinking.
Ms. Pan looks completely different from me, and we come from very different backgrounds, but we connect on a fundamental level. It's like the saying goes, "birds of a feather flock together," and I think that's how we two ended up in the Dandelion Group.
Ms. Kobayashi, that's a wonderful encounter.
◇The entire cast of "Gintama" was present for the recording, which was full of ad-libs!?
--This work has been generating buzz because many of the cast members from the anime "Gintama," such as Tomokazu Sugita, Daisuke Sakaguchi, and Rie Kugimiya, are appearing in it. What was important to you during the recording? Were there any parts where you were conscious of the anime "Gintama"?
Kobayashi-san: Since many of the voice actors who have voiced characters in "Gintama" appear one after another, I might have felt a bit like, "My seniors are watching me," but when it came to acting, I thought it was a work where you create the atmosphere without overthinking it, so I focused on the interactions. I feel like it was a continuous series of moments where I went to the recording studio on the day and scenes like this just came together naturally as we went along.
--Even just from watching the PV, I get the impression that the tempo is fast and there are big ups and downs in the tension.
Because it's Mr. Kobayashi , I can't think about it (laughs). It's a reflex. How was it?
Ms. Han's reaction wasn't a reflex, it was instinct. She didn't even have time to think. It was like she was ready to deliver the line right away. This exchange was incredibly comfortable. So, rather than consciously thinking about something, I feel like the outline was formed and fleshed out through the back-and-forth. I received a lot from everyone, and many aspects of my personality were brought out. We're not facing spirits like Tetsu and the others, but I really felt that in our exchanges in front of the microphone.
--Ms. Han, you're a big fan of "Gintama," including the anime. What was it like working with the "Gintama" cast?
Ms. Han said that even though she was part of the cast for "Dandelion," she would say, "Excuse me for intruding, I'll be intruding" (laughs). It wasn't pressure, but rather respect. It was like, "I'll be taking part," and "Excuse me for a moment."
Ms. Kobayashi , I totally understand that. That's right.
Even Ms. Han and her seniors have about 20 years of experience, right? No matter how much our work came first, this is the first time we're performing it. There was a sense of tension because of that, but I also felt confident jumping in because everyone involved is someone I have complete trust in when it comes to acting.
--So it was a fun set to work on?
Ms. Kobayashi, it was fun. I really enjoyed it every week.
It was fun, Ms. Han . Normally, we would have had to record separately, but thanks to the "magic" of Akira Noguchi, the long-time sound engineer for "Gintama," we were able to record together.
Ms. Kobayashi , normally in voice recording, if lines overlap, you can't shift them later, so you record them separately. But she said, "It's okay to record them together." I still don't really understand how it works.
--So you don't know how it works?
I don't understand anything about Mr. Kobayashi .
It's all thanks to Mr. Pan and the sound mixer's magic. I was so grateful to be able to record this kind of work together.
That's right, Kobayashi-san . Thank you for your help.
--Were there any ad-libs during the recording?
Mr. Kobayashi was improvising all the time.
I can't tell which parts of Ms. Pan's performance were ad-libbed and which weren't. Everyone was skillfully adding ad-libs in places where their character wasn't on screen and they didn't have to lip-sync. I thought their timing was amazing.
◇Is Mamoru Miyano a surprise weapon? The anime is full of delightful surprises!
--You played the role of Buddy in the film. What did you find appealing about him as an actor after working with him?
Ms. Kobayashi and Ms. Han have been at the forefront of the industry ever since I started my voice acting career.
I remember that scene, Mr. Pan .
Mr. Kobayashi, that's "Mushibugyo," right? He's been at the forefront of the industry for so long, and I think the reason he's such a beloved actor is because he really dedicates himself to his work. I felt that in "Dandelion" too; he clearly has a love for the work. Even when we're working together, I'm always happy to see that. I'm grateful.
Thank you, Ms. Han . By the way, wasn't "Mushibugyo" your first voice acting experience?
This is Kobayashi's first voice-over job. She's only been doing voice work for about a month.
I'm so grateful to have worked with Ms. Pan at such a time; now I have nothing but respect for her. How do you cultivate that kind of acting? Is it your way of life? Oh, I see, thank you! (laughs). So when we were going to be acting together as buddies, I had no worries at all; in fact, I felt quite reassured.
I appreciate you saying that, Kobayashi-san .
Because Ms. Han's acting was recorded with a shotgun microphone, which is different from the usual microphones, it created an environment where she didn't have to act as if the microphone was just a microphone. So, she was able to act facing me directly and even make eye contact, which I was very grateful for.
Thank you too, Kobayashi-san .
--Mamoru Mamoru Miyano will be playing Masaki Kyokawa, a character who has a deep connection with the Dandelion Class. How was it working with Mr. Miyano?
Ms. Kobayashi , Miyano-kun also appeared in "Mushibugyo." I'm the same age as Miyano-kun, and I had the image of him being someone who's really at the forefront of the industry, so it was refreshing to be able to interact with him like this. I was happy.
When Ms. Han came onto the set, Mr. Mamoru started a conversation with her, saying something like, "We're the same age, right?" But Mr. Miyano was quite the wild card (laughs).
Mr. Kobayashi (laughs).
Ms. Han plays not only Masaki, but also various other characters in her roles.
Kobayashi thought, "This person can do anything."
I was really impressed by Ms. Pan .
--The anime "Dandelion" will be released as a 7-episode series, adding original elements to the 31-page one-shot manga. What are the highlights?
Except for the last 6th and 7th episodes featuring Kobayashi , you can enjoy it no matter which episode you start with, and I think it's a work that appeals to everyone. I want many people to watch it. The highlight is that it's surprisingly moving. There are many great scenes and great lines.
Ms. Han , yes, the words really resonate. It's something unique to animation, and the drawings are incredibly dynamic. Of course, the character designs are amazing, but I also really love the backgrounds. Although it's not explicitly stated, some places that we've seen before will appear. And there are also lots of surprises that will please Gintama fans.
We have plenty of Mr. Kobayashi's products .
Sorachi's legendary debut work is brought back to life in anime form by a stellar cast of voice actors. Laugh, cry, and enjoy it to the fullest. (Shiroinu/MANTANWEB)
