The TV anime "Sorry, My Little Brothers," based on the manga by Akira Ozaki, will begin airing on TOKYO MX, BS11, and other channels from July 3rd. It's a sweet home romantic comedy about high school girl Ito, who suddenly becomes the older sister of four unique "little brothers" in the Narita family after her mother remarries, and the events that unfold under one roof. We spoke to Naomi Ohzora, who plays the main character Ito, about recording the series, which she said was a "challenge."
◇Centered on warm feelings
The original work is a popular shojo manga that began serialization in "Bessatsu Margaret" (Shueisha) in 2020, and has sold over 3 million copies in total.
"As it's a shojo manga, I started reading expecting lots of romantic excitement, but it's more than that. It's a heartwarming story that makes you feel the importance of family and mutual consideration. The comical parts are also funny, and I think it's a work that gives you positive energy. It starts off shockingly for Ito-chan when she finds out she's going to have four younger brothers as a surprise, but she works hard to become part of the family, and she's so cute that you can't help but root for her. The gentle mother is also a strong character, and everyone in the Narita family is unique. I was reading from Ito-chan's perspective, and as the story progressed, I felt a desire to protect my family, and my feelings shifted as I interacted with each of them, and I came to feel an overwhelming love for my brothers. Everyone is kind and considerate, and the Narita family are truly wonderful people."
Oozora recalls, "I went into the audition with a lot of enthusiasm."
"I had extensions to grow my hair long for a live performance of a certain content, but after the live performance ended, there was an audition for 'Sorry about my little brothers' around that time. So I cut my hair to about the same length as Ito-chan, went to buy a hoodie that Ito-chan would wear, and tried to look like Ito-chan. I hope my enthusiasm came across."
Ito is good at all kinds of housework and has a diligent personality in everything she does. She's a caring and hardworking person who always acts for the sake of others.
"Ito is a very caring and maternal girl, so I built her character around that warm feeling. She faces various problems and obstacles, but she faces them head-on and works hard to overcome them. I think that earnestness and straightforwardness are what makes her who she is, so I made sure to cherish that aspect as well. Also, Ito is very expressive. She can be comical, serious, or excited about romance, and her emotions are clearly reflected in her facial expressions, so after reading the original work, I wanted to make sure that was important as well. I also had fun acting out the scenes where she makes funny faces. I made the same faces in those scenes too. It would be quite a challenge if I ever had the chance to perform them in front of an audience (laughs)."
Ito has the air of a typical high school student, but at the same time, she seems like a mother figure to the younger brothers of the Narita family.
"Ito-chan is very energetic, isn't she? As a high school girl, she studies hard, does housework, and tries to protect her family. She's a really hard worker and full of energy. However, I tried not to be too conscious of the fact that she's a high school girl, as she also has strength and maternal qualities. So, even though she's actually an older sister, I wanted to make sure that she also had a powerful quality that made her seem a little like a mother. Rather than portraying a typical teenage high school girl, I felt like she was closer to my own perspective. I felt a sense of dignity in her experience and way of thinking about protecting her home and cherishing her family, so I don't think I was trying to play a high school girl."
Ito has a lot of lines. It gives the impression that she's constantly talking, including the lines she's thinking about in her head.
"There are so many lines. I'm constantly reciting them in my head. I fold down the pages of the script that have my lines, and I've folded down almost all of them (laughs). I talked a lot and tried my best to keep up with Ito-chan. I used all my senses to keep up, experiencing cold sweats, laughter, anger, and then depression, so it was fun to act. She's cute, lovable, and a very emotional girl, so it's refreshing and rewarding to play her. Every time, I would get pumped up thinking, 'I'm going to talk a lot this time too!'"
Despite having a lot of lines to say, she also mentioned that "the recording finished early."
"I felt there was very little direction. It was clear that the staff wanted to respect the ideas each actor brought to the set and let them perform freely. Being entrusted with so much responsibility showed their trust in the cast, and it was a wonderful set to work on."
◇The heroine of my first shojo manga
The cast includes Toshiki Masuda as Gen, the eldest son of the Narita family; Taku Yashiro as Raku Narita, the second son; Kensho Ono as Hiiragi, the third son; and Momoka Terasawa as Rui, the fourth son.
"I had a lot of scenes with Masuda-san, and whenever Ito would snap back, he would respond with all his might, so we had a lot of fun arguing (laughs). Gen is clumsy, so his words can be rough, and he can say things that don't convey his true intentions. That's what makes him endearing, but when Ito-chan got annoyed, I got annoyed with her and talked back. The fight scenes were intense, but I also felt a sense of enjoyment. I think Masuda-san probably felt the same way. He really brings out the feelings in Ito-chan, or rather, he plays the role with Gen's character in mind, so when I clashed with him with all my might, he would always respond."
When I interviewed Yashiro-san, Ono-san, and Terazawa-san, they all praised Ozora-san as their "spiritual pillar" and "mood maker."
"I think everyone respected me because I was the leader. Everyone created an atmosphere where they treated me as the leader, and my younger brothers were the unofficial leaders. Even if I said something strange at an event, Masuda would step in to make sure it didn't get awkward. In the studio, Terazawa was on my right and Masuda was on my left, and the three of us would talk about comedy and the ecology of gorillas. My dad (Daisuke Ono) and mom (Endo Aya) would join us, and it was a very homey atmosphere."
Oozora also said, "Everyone resembles their respective characters."
"I really love my juniors, and Momoka-chan is especially cute (laughs). She would talk to me about things, and she was so endearing, like a little sister. Masuda-san seems quiet, but he actually loves comedy and often makes witty remarks to liven up the conversation. Ono (Kensho)-san would tell me stories about his pet lizard, and Yashiro-san kept everyone together on set and created a warm atmosphere. I think everyone worked together to create a cozy space."
It seems like there are many points where Oozora and Ito's story overlaps...
"I really respect Ito-chan. As a high school girl, she must have other things she wants to do, but she acts for her family, always worries about everyone, and has a maternal side, which I think is really cool. I'm not very good at cooking or housework, but I think we're similar in that we both get flustered. I understand Ito-chan's feelings very well, and that made it easy to play the role. Ito-chan's feelings are depicted very carefully in the original work, so there were lots of clues to help me play the role, and I was able to act freely and enjoyably."
Playing the role of Ito was a challenge for Oozora-san.
"I've played girls in love before, but this was my first time playing the heroine of a shojo manga. The Narita brothers are very handsome, sparkling, and stand out, but Ito-chan is an ordinary, simple, and approachable character. Paying attention to that contrast and structuring my acting differently than before was a big change for me. Although Ito-chan is the main character, I wanted the audience to know the charm of the brothers as well, and becoming more conscious of that aspect is probably a big change for me."
Oozora-san gave her all in recording "I'm Sorry About My Younger Brothers." The character Ito, as portrayed by Oozora-san, possesses a "persuasiveness" only possible in animation, with its movement and sound. It seems that Oozora-san and the always earnest Ito-san are perfectly in sync. Please pay attention to her full-throttle performance. (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)
