The TV anime "Cat and Dragon," based on a popular light novel that originated on the novel submission site "Shosetsuka ni Naro," will begin airing on TOKYO MX, BS Nippon Television, Yomiuri Television, AT-X, and Nagasaki Culture Broadcasting from July 4th. It's a popular fantasy that warms the heart and leaves you with a touch of sadness, telling the Takehito Koyasu of a dragon raised by cats and the不思議な bonds woven between the cats and humans. The anime is also generating buzz because of its star-studded voice cast, including Kikuko Inoue as the cat-raised dragon, Nekoryu, and Kikuko Inoue as Mama-nyan, the mother cat who raised Nekoryu. We asked Koyasu and Inoue about the recording process, which they said was "healing."
◇A perfect match! Cat dragon and Mama cat
--What are your impressions of the work?
Unlike Koyasu-san's battle-oriented works, this one is heartwarming, isn't it?
--Do you like heartwarming stories?
Koyasu-san, that's right. I originally voiced Snufkin in "Moomin," and that's where my roots are, so I like fairy tale-like works.
Inoue-san and Koyasu-kun have a bit of a fantastical feel to them, don't they?
Koyasu-san , no, no (laughs).
--What about Mr. Inoue?
After reading Inoue's original work, I thought it was a wonderfully balanced story, full of kindness and light even within a fantasy setting, without becoming too mellow.
-- Do you also like heartwarming works, Inoue-san?
Mr. Inoue has a realistic side, doesn't he...?
Koyasu-san (laughs).
Ms. Inoue , I think it's truly a blessing to have such a warm and gentle world by your side as you go about your life. Personally, I sometimes find myself daydreaming and talking to the wind. It was a world that was easy to relate to.
--Is it the wind?
Inoue-san said something like, "It's a nice day today, thank you," (laughs). We don't really talk about life in general.
--What were your thoughts when you heard that Koyasu-san would be playing Nekoryu and Inoue-san would be playing Mama-nyan?
I thought Koyasu-san and Kikuko-san were absolutely perfect for the roles. When I heard, "Kikuko Inoue san will play Mama-nyan," all I could do was nod and say, "That makes sense." I wonder if it seems strange to everyone else? To me, it's perfectly normal, but it probably doesn't match the general public's image of me. With Kikuko-san, people might think, "Aren't they a married couple?" and from Kikuko-san's perspective, she might think, "Is he her son?" Anyway, I was really happy. After all, everyone is very curious about who will play Mama-nyan, right? I wondered if it would be someone older than me...
Inoue-san is 17 years old... so she's younger than me (laughs).
I never imagined Koyasu-san would play a high school girl (lol). It was a surprise.
Inoue-san , when I was auditioning, I heard Nekoryu's voice. I thought, "Koyasu-kun! He's so cool!!" But Nekoryu isn't just cool. Of course he's strong, but he's also very gentle. And he's big and scary. He can be a big dragon and he can become small, so I thought Koyasu-kun was perfect for the role! I'm happy and fortunate to be able to play a kind of parent-child relationship with him.
There were roles where Koyasu-san played a married couple, though.
We've met a few times, Mr. Inoue . But this is the first time we've met as parent and child, right?
--You've worked together for many years, what are your impressions of each other as actors?
Koyasu-san and I are practically contemporaries. I was indebted to sound director Shigeharu Shiba, and we often worked together on set when I was a newcomer. That was the case with "Ranma 1/2" as well. He hasn't changed at all. Even with Mama-nyan, you can feel the kindness that radiates from him.
Inoue-san and I haven't changed at all, have we? Koyasu-kun always listens to me even when I'm joking around during breaks. I feel very secure when we're acting together.
That's right, Koyasu-san . I feel a sense of reassurance when I'm interacting with him.
◇I naturally started calling her "Mom."
--What was the recording process like?
As the story progresses, there's a scene where I say "Mom." I wondered what kind of person I was to say "Mom" (laughs). I had this resistance, and then the double resistance of having to call Kikuko "Mom," so I thought it would be difficult to overcome this obstacle and act the part, but the voice recording itself was a lot of fun, and before I knew it, I was saying "Mom."
Inoue-san , that's right. It felt completely natural. I've played roles where I'm called "Mama" or "Mom," but it was kind of heartwarming to be called "Mom-chan" (laughs). Mama-nyan is kind of a strong-willed mother, and she's such a charming mother that she gets called "Mom-chan," so it was fun to play her. It felt a little strange to be called "Mom-chan" by Koyasu-kun, but the visuals were so amazing that I was able to get into the mood and it came naturally. The young Ryu was played by my daughter (voice actress Honoka Inoue), and there were a lot of scenes that reminded me of raising my own children.
--Mr. Koyasu, your son (voice actor Mitsuki Koyasu) is also appearing in the show.
Inoue is really cool.
Mr. Koyasu , however, I'm not in that scene.
What role did Inoue play?
Koyasu -san is an elf. I told him about it after he came home.
-- Do you ever give advice?
When asked about the direction of my acting, I do talk about it. It's not forbidden to talk about acting at home, so we do it all the time. My whole family watches the works I'm in, and we play games together too. So it's just a part of everyday life.
Ms. Inoue is wonderful.
I think I'll probably watch this episode with Koyasu-san .
◇ Takehito Koyasu's "Nyanya"
--What did you keep in mind while acting?
In the story , Mr. Koyasu is sometimes called "grandpa" or "uncle," so he might have a slightly husky image. During the audition, I thought he sounded like a small child who would see an adult and think of him as "uncle." He's one of the youngest siblings raised by Mama-nyan and has a bit of a younger brother personality, so I was worried that if I gave him a husky voice, it might be difficult to balance with the other characters. I didn't really think about him being an uncle, and I thought that if I just did it naturally, he would sound like an "uncle."
Ms. Inoue's cat, Mama-nyan, looks cute and fluffy with her pink fur, but in reality, she's a strong-willed mother who disciplines her children firmly. I tried to make her a mother with many different qualities. She lives her life with a strong focus on her children's growth, being gentle when she should be, strict when she should be, angry when she should be angry, and playful when she should be playful. I think most mothers are like that, but I tried to make Mama-nyan a cat with rich emotions.
--When you cast spells, do you speak in cat language, like "meow meow"?
Inoue-san speaks in cat language, doesn't she? There's a scene where Mama-nyan casts a spell. I love casting spells (laughs). I even have my own spell, "Puririn Harurun Powapowariin." It's not really a spell, it's more of a spell to make people smile.
Mr. Koyasu is smiling (laughs).
Thank you , Inoue- san (laughs). I love magic words, so I was really happy when I could say them as Mama-nyan. I'm having a lot of fun doing it. And the next episode preview is in cat language, too.
Koyasu-san says "nya nya," and it's different every time. There's a Japanese script, but he does it however he likes in cat language.
Inoue-san is having so much fun, it's unbelievable. He'd love to spend half his life speaking in cat language (laughs).
Koyasu- san's cat language as Nekoryu is because he's not a cat himself, so when he talks to cats, it's like Ryu speaking in cat language, similar to how I speak in English. It's not very cat-like, he's just imitating a cat. I did think about that, though. I consider the cat language a service to the viewers (laughs). Otherwise, it would be embarrassing. The embarrassment after saying it is immense.
Everyone seemed happy to hear Koyasu-kun say "nyanya" while Inoue-san looked a little embarrassed (laughs).
If Koyasu-san and Kikuko-san do it, it's a reward, isn't it? But for me...
Inoue-san , no, no, that's not true at all.
--Finally, please tell us what you found "healing" about this work.
Mr. Koyasu, some of you may have the image of me as a villain in battle-oriented shows, but I was acting with the feeling that I especially needed a time to be soothed and have my heart warmed, like in "The Cat and the Dragon." Every time, I was doing the voice-over with the animation already in full color, which I was grateful for and it made things easier. I could feel the passion and love of the staff, and I tried to go along with that. Thank you for giving me such a heartwarming and soothing time. Now I can play a villain again (laughs).
Inoue-san and Koyasu-kun both said, "I wish this time could last forever," and I felt the same way; I was healed every time. I felt like I wanted to stay there forever, and it's a work that also gives you insights. The phrase "ten cats, ten colors" comes up, and just like with people and cats, there are good people and bad people. Everyone has different ways of thinking. You learn a lot and live your life properly. I think it's wonderful that it also gives you that kind of lesson.
Throughout the interview, Koyasu and Inoue were smiling, and I could sense the "comfort" and "kindness" that comes from working together for so many years. You'll surely feel that same "kindness" and "healing" in the anime "Cat and Dragon." (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)
