The TV anime "Yani Neko," based on the manga by Nyannyan Factory currently serialized in "Young Magazine" (Kodansha), will begin airing on TOKYO MX and BS11 every Thursday at 12:30 AM starting July 2nd. The original manga depicts the daily life of "the most worthless cat," and in the anime, Yuko Natsuyoshi voices Yani Neko. Ahead of the broadcast, Natsuyoshi spoke about behind-the-scenes stories from the recording.
--What were your feelings when you found out you were cast?
Of course I was happy, but at the same time I was hit with a feeling I'd never experienced before: "Why did I get this role...lol." I've always wanted to do various kinds of acting, regardless of genre, so I felt it was very rewarding to be given the chance to play a character like Yanineko, and I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of unknown version of myself awaits me after I get through this project.
--What are your impressions of the work?
I had been reading the manga on X even before I was cast in the show. The content is so outrageous every time, it's almost as if you can smell the cigarette smoke through the screen, but it has an irresistible pull that makes you want to keep reading. All the characters are terrible, but I like that they all have some kind of endearing quality.
--What's the appeal of Yani Neko?
I like Yani Neko's carefree attitude, or rather, the fact that she's not interested in anything other than cigarettes. She's not attached to anything, so she seems to enjoy living day-to-day in a dilapidated apartment, and even when she has a terrible time, she cries for a moment, and the next moment she's nonchalantly smoking again... But she does have a little bit of familial love for her younger sister, and as a person she's so hopeless that she's not helping her in the slightest, yet she still tries to act like an older sister... I think her charm lies in the fact that she's somehow lovable despite everything.
--What influences have you received from Yanineko?
I was like, "I'm not gonna let myself be influenced!", but on the positive side, ever since I dubbed the bath scene, I've started cleaning the bathtub more often.
--Which character is your favorite?
I like all my coworkers. Lately, I've grown particularly fond of Yaku-chan. The relationship between Yaku-neko and Yani-neko is interesting; it's like a senior-junior dynamic, or maybe a bad-boy buddy dynamic... I personally feel a mix of guilt and other emotions because Yani-neko was probably the reason Yaku-chan was dragged down the outlaw path.
--What was the recording process like?
During recording, forbidden words were flying around naturally, and I'm worried that I've lowered my own standards. Since I'll be saying them a lot, I want to cherish them rather than overuse them indiscriminately (?). During the rehearsal video, there were many parts where I thought, "Does it move that much there!?" or "Are they going to draw this with such beautiful animation!?" and occasionally there were stories where I thought, "This is just a genuinely good story..." There were moments when I wondered if I was really recording Yanineko right now, and it was fun.
--What preparations did you make beforehand for the role, and what kind of direction did you receive from the production team?
I bought some cigarettes at a convenience store. I bought Wakaba because I thought the name was cute, and I brought them to the studio on the day we recorded the first episode. For the smoking scene, I tried smoking without lighting it to get a feel for it. I couldn't hold the cigarette for the whole recording because it started to fall apart, so from the next episode onwards I just made the sound with my mouth... At the audition stage, the script said to "do whatever you like" for the voice of Yanineko, so on the day of the first recording, I just brought the character I had in mind from the audition, and they developed the voice as we recorded.
--What aspects of the other cast members' performances impressed you the most?
I love Inada (Toru)'s presence in the role, it's as if he brought the landlord himself into the show. I also love the mysterious emotional depth that comes through in the interactions between the landlord and Yakuneko, which shows the complexity of the landlord character. And I think Kansai's acting is really high level because it's okay to make mistakes...! It's like it tests the actors' mental strength... I take my hat off to Shimizu (Ayaka) for her performance as Kansai. Funato (Yurie) as Hame-chan's "Hello Hamehame~" is so much like a streamer, it's great, and Izawa (Shiori) as Al-chan's sound of sucking alcohol through a tube is really realistic and wonderful. I've never heard of the sound of sucking alcohol through a tube, though... Akechi (Riko) as Tatsuro's ad-lib of getting drunk at the izakaya and smoking Yanineko is also quite memorable. They record Tatsuro's lines first, and then Yaniko adds her ad-libs where she smokes, so I was listening intently to hear what she was saying, and she kept muttering softly, "Cute... Hehe... So cute..." It was both creepy and amazing. The content is pretty messed up, but during breaks it's a very pure, righteous, and beautiful, heartwarming set. I always get to sit next to the actress who plays Imoko-chan. It makes me feel like we're family, and I'm happy about that!
--What was the most memorable scene you recorded?
I laughed when the landlord's landlord appeared right at the beginning of the first episode. I also love Inada's acting there. The Nicotine Receptor Ondo song appeared in my dreams after the recording. There's a chaotic highlight in every episode, and I look forward to watching it.
--Please give a message to those who are looking forward to the broadcast.
I hope that seeing these good-for-nothings whose lives are controlled by cigarettes, alcohol, and various other things will inspire you to think, "I'll do my best again tomorrow!" Thank you!
