The TV anime "Taking Care of a Talented Girl," based on a light novel from HJ Bunko (Hobby Japan), will begin airing on MBS, TV Tokyo, and BS Asahi from July 4th. The anime is a sweet romantic comedy about Konohana Hinako, who is admired by those around her as a "perfect young lady" but is actually a "lazy girl" with no life skills, and Tomonari Itsuki, an ordinary high school boy who is assigned to take care of her. Other unique young ladies appear, such as Tennoji Mirei, the daughter of the prestigious Tennoji family, and Miyajima Naruka, the daughter of the Miyajima family, and their charm lies in the large gaps between their personalities and their true selves, just like Hinako's. We interviewed Konomi Kohara, who plays Konohana Saori Onishi, who plays Tennoji Mirei, and Tsuchiya Rio, who plays Miyajima Naruka, about behind-the-scenes stories from the recording and their own gaps.
◇Each heroine has her own story
--What were your initial thoughts when you found out you were cast?
It was an audition for Ms. Ohara , and I was hoping I'd get the part, but I had another job to do, so I was a little late for the audition. I had made it all the way to the studio audition, and I thought it was all over (laughs). It was my first time playing a rich girl, and Hinako has to show a difference between her home mode and her going-out mode, and I had never played a character like that before, so I thought it was a great opportunity. I was relieved when I finally got the part.
Ms. Onishi, I only did a tape audition. I know it sounds conceited to say this myself, but I had a bit of pride in being elegant and like a refined young lady (laughs).
Ohara-san and Tsuchiya-san (laughs)
I confidently performed the role based on the impression I got of Mirei from Ms. Onishi during the tape audition stage.
Ohara-san (Onishi-san) is truly the most unwavering person on set. There are scenes where she's asked to be playful or do something variety-show-like, but she never loses her core.
Onishi-san's Mirei first appears in episode 2, but at first she was a bit timid, quiet, and had a somewhat natural base. After the test, she received direction to be "a slightly stronger-willed young lady, with a haughty feel," and that's how the current Mirei was created.
During the tape audition, Naruka Tsuchiya had lines for various scenes, showing her cool side, her shyness in talking to people, and her cute side, so I played her more on the cool side. In the studio audition, I was told, "You can be cuter if you want," so I tried to be a little cuter in some parts, and I wonder how that came across. That's why I was so happy when I got the part, and I went into the voice recording with the desire to express all the different sides of Naruka.
--What were your impressions after reading the original work?
Since Hinako Ohara is often the one being taken care of, I thought the story would revolve around her. Instead of the protagonist, Itsuki, constantly switching between girls, he confronts each one, and each has their own story. As I read on, I quickly realized that the story is made up of various heroines. In the anime, the casting makes each character's personality stand out even more. As for Hinako, there's a gap between her different sides, so I thought about how to portray that. There are three patterns: the young lady mode, the home mode, and the mode where she's a little shorter, and I'm having fun figuring out how to portray each one.
Speaking of gaps, Onishi-san , there's a protagonist who remains unwavering, and all the characters have charming gaps. Hinako has both a homey mode and a refined lady mode, and Naruka has both a cute mode and a tough, cool mode. When I was reading the original work, I thought Mirei was always like a refined lady and didn't have any gaps, but when I actually played the role, I felt the gap between when we became friends and when we weren't, and I think it was a gap that I wouldn't have understood if I hadn't played the role. When you delve deeper into Mirei's inner self and upbringing, you see that she's a heroic character, but also a comedic character, and maybe that's because my own style came through (laughs). In that sense, Mirei's gaps are more pronounced in the anime, and I think you'll be able to enjoy it in a way that's unique to the anime, so I can't wait for everyone to see it.
Each of the characters in Tsuchiya's manga is a young lady from a wealthy family, and while they all have their own serious worries, the story progresses at a good pace and in a comical way, making it very easy to read. Not only Hinako, but everyone gets their own episode, and their worries and cute qualities are explored in detail, so you can empathize with them and want to root for them all.
◇She's not just any ordinary young lady!
--I heard that this is your first time playing the role of a young lady, Ms. Ohara.
Ms. Ohara, that's right. Going back to the beginning, during the studio audition, I tried out about five different voices, varying the nuances to make them sound a little more mature and lower, and when the role was decided, I wondered which one it was! When the recording started, the staff took into consideration the balance in the dialogue between the lines. I learned a lot, not only about the feelings of a young lady, but also about the technical fine-tuning.
--There was also talk that "Ms. Onishi is known as a lady from a wealthy family."
Ms. Onishi, I myself am not a rich girl at all (laughs). So there's a huge gap between me and the character. It has nothing to do with my personality, I think it's just my natural voice quality. I'm often told that I'm suited to playing a rich girl, but even though we lump them all together as rich girls, there are all sorts of rich girls, including these three, and in Mirei's case it would be a spoiler so there are some things I can't go into detail about, but I'm playing a rich girl because I decided to play one, so there are times when I'm suppressing the girlish parts of myself that I am, and when I'm able to let out my true self, it feels really good for me to be acting. Even though I myself am not a rich girl, synchronizing with playing a rich girl made it easier to get into the role.
--Ms. Tsuchiya, you're also playing the role of a young lady...
Ms. Tsuchiya , I've never played a rich girl before either, but Naruka doesn't act like a rich girl; she's good at sports and speaks in a way that's closer to a samurai (laughs). There are times when she seems strict and scary, and it's good to have the ability to be convincing as a good athlete, but I'm not good at sports, so I was thinking about it while I was acting.
--What was the most challenging aspect of working on this project?
As for Mirei Onishi , compared to the other heroines, she has a lot more expressive facial expressions and often takes on more comedic scenes, so I tried to give it my all during rehearsals. Sometimes, if I went too far during rehearsals, I'd be told to "hold it back a bit," but I knew I could hold back after giving 120%, so I just tried to give it my all. If I only gave 90% during rehearsals and then had to give 120% in the actual performance, it would be uncharted territory, and I'd not know how far I should go. So I just tried to go all out.
Naruka Tsuchiya sometimes acts childish and spoiled in front of Itsuki, and can also be quite wild. She can even scream and shriek. She really expresses her emotions. I usually play characters who are relatively calm or cool, and I often have to make subtle adjustments to subtle emotional changes, but I haven't had many roles where I have to express emotions with full force. That was a challenge, and I did my best. Naruka's expressions change a lot, and it was fun to be able to express a variety of emotions so honestly.
While playing the role of a refined young lady was a challenge, I approached the role hoping that Hinako would become a real, flesh-and-blood human being. Through our interactions, I felt that this character was truly alive, and that's how I was able to act. When Hinako is out, she acts like a refined young lady. In front of the people at school, she is elegant and doesn't reject anything, but when she gets home, she says things like "I'm tired" and "I don't want to," so I wonder what her true feelings are? When I think about it, she's tired of having to be considerate of so many people, and she might just want to be close to someone. Both are Hinako, and the person she is at home is the basis, but she doesn't want that to be seen. However, she is able to show that side of herself in front of Itsuki. That was both fun and challenging.
◇What if you were the daughter of a wealthy family?
--Hinako is portrayed as the daughter of one of Japan's leading zaibatsu families. If you were in the same position, what would you like to do?
Ms. Ohara might try to persuade her parents by saying, "Let's use the money for something else." Like donating to people in need. Do we really need trillions of yen? We can't spend that much, can we?
Ms. Onishi, I'm the type of person who worries a lot, so I think I need to save money for the future. Not just for my generation, but so that the zaibatsu can continue into the future, I might think, "I won't waste a single yen!"
Ms. Tsuchiya , I don't think about the future; as long as I'm happy, that's all that matters. I probably won't think about things continuing for generations. I like big animals, so I'd like to have one. I'd like to have a big feline. I'd buy a huge apartment for myself, have my friends live there, and create my own paradise (laughs).
--Your character's contrasting traits are also appealing. Are there any contrasting traits you are aware of in yourself?
Ms. Ohara, I'm often told I have a "masculine" personality. When people first get to know me, I seem to come across as lively, but when I'm with someone I've become close to on a deeper level, my voice seems to get lower. I don't consciously change it; I think I simply become calmer, but people say I sound "like a boyfriend" (laughs). My feelings haven't changed at all, but it seems that my initial impression changes once people become close to me. It's not like I have a split personality or anything (laughs). I can be playful when I want to be.
Ms. Onishi , whenever I go to a fortune teller, they tell me I have "the star of a man." I wonder if it's because I like to see things in black and white, which makes me seem masculine? I feel it myself, so it might not be a gap, but it is a gap with my gender. If I were to be reborn, I'd want to be a man.
Is that so, Ohara-san !?
Onishi-san is definitely having fun (lol). I admire people who say, "Don't worry about the details, just enjoy the present!"
Tsuchiya-san, I also want to be a man in my next life... When I'm with girls, I'm often treated like a man. Personally, I'd rather be in a cool position than wear feminine things, and I'd rather protect others than be protected. Although I don't wear them, I actually like cute things.
Ms. Ohara has some cute little accessories, doesn't she?
Tsuchiya: That's right. Pink (laughs). My favorite colors are blue and black, but I like pink accessories, and I've even made a sticker book. I like cute things, and that might be the gap between that image of me and the image my friends have of me. I used to like Lolita fashion magazines, and even though I didn't wear the clothes, I was happy just looking at them.
It would suit Ms. Ohara !
Mr. Tsuchiya, I tend to think, "I'm different!"
Mr. Onishi, do you like gyaru girls too?
Tsuchiya- san likes gyaru girls too (laughs). I like sweet styles, but I feel like it's not me. I usually wear a lot of clothes that men can wear too. I want to be a handsome guy, but I like cute things. (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)
*Credits (titles omitted)
Stylists (Konomi Kohara, Tsuchiya Rio): Toma Miyuki, ▽Clothing provided by: Withy, Grammy, grace Stylist (Saori Onishi): Tsuno Shingo (impiger) ▽Clothing provided by: Seal
