At the most recent Anime Expo, I had the privilege of sitting down with both the main protagonist and antagonist of the Dr. Stone: Science Future (Season 4). These two veterans of the anime industry had plenty to share, and in this article, I’ll be diving into some of the highlights from our conversation.
One of the first questions asked to both actors was how they approach voicing a genius, a character type that’s relatively rare and comes with its own set of challenges. Specifically, how do you bring to life a character with so many eccentric and unique traits? Kobayashi was the first to respond:
“I think knowing the science is the most important thing for the audience that is watching and I tried to channel that in every time I went into the booth, also coming from a science background definitely helped me since I was familiar with the many different phrases and scientific words that Senku uses in the show. So it came naturally in that aspect. But I think the bigger challenge was trying to portray this scientific knowledge through the lens of Senku and how Senku with his character would portray and express his different explanations for scientific things.”
It was fascinating to learn that Kobayashi actually has a background in science, something that, as he mentioned, played a significant role in shaping his performance. Nojima then gave his own answer:
“Personally unlike Kobayashi-San, I have no base knowledge in science. But when I do play Dr. Xeno, I flip on the switch to that genius kind of like dominant kind of character which I really try to channel and maintain when voicing the character throughout the season.”
The next question we asked was about the parallels between their characters, Senku and Dr. Xeno. Both are scientists, both have signature catchphrases, and both even de-petrified on the same day. That’s some strong mirroring which fans of Dr. Stone were quick to notice. Given all that, we asked whether the two actors ever had the chance to collaborate or coordinate their performances during the recording process.
Nojima was the first to answer: “To be completely honest not at all. But there are scenes where we do have to say the lines at the same time, but even then we don’t particularly rehearse before. We just kind of do it on the spot and it works out every time.”
Kobayashi then followed: “So there’s always two takes. One is the test take and one is the actual take and I think during the test take you can kind of configure and revise all of the lines that you have to say. But I think due to the nature of the two characters it made it really easy without rehearsal to get the lines to sound on point.”
It was clear that both actors were on the same wavelength with this question, offering similar answers that reflected both their confidence and chemistry. The next question was directed specifically to Kobayashi. We asked about the nature of Senku as a character. He’s someone who is rarely wrong and almost never shows vulnerability. So how does Kobayashi approach the rare moments in the series when Senku does display those traits?
“I think throughout the series we see little sprinkles of different sides of Senku and those sides of Senku have always been there from the start. It’s not something that just happened because of a certain situation. So when going into acting and when it comes to the time of revealing and expressing those little moments that Senku has I do my best to to keep the main essence and core of who he is. Because I don’t want to make Senku a completely different character I want to keep his essence the same while adding layers of emotion appropriately.”
Hearing Kobayashi speak about his process gave me a new appreciation for the depth and dedication he brings to Senku. I tip my hat to all the hard work he has put into the Dr. Stone series.
Next, we turned to Nojima with a question about the nature of Dr. Xeno. Unlike Senku, Dr. Xeno is a much colder, more calculating character. We asked Nojima how he gets into that mindset, and what his approach is when voicing such a cold-hearted role.
“So I think from the outside looking in, Dr. Xeno can be seen as a cold-hearted character. But actually, I don’t think it’s a matter of morals It’s just Dr. Xeno living his own life and his own version of truth and justice. I think when it comes to Dr. Xeno’s point of view and his justice I try to channel that essence into his voice and in his acting And how he would interact throughout the different situations that he’s faced with.”
I suppose you could say it’s all a matter of perspective.
To wrap things up, we asked both actors one final question, one for all of us as fans: The question was: What are some important themes you think fans should watch out for in this next cour of Dr. Stone?
Kobayashi answered first: “There will be an unexpected rollercoaster ride of events that fans may not be ready for but I hope in the second cour they will enjoy all of what this story and all of it’s elements have to offer.”
Nojima: “Like Kobayshi said it’ll definitely be a rollercoaster of emotions. There will be so many moments with characters experiencing joy, excitement, sadness, or even frustration. And some of those characters may have not felt those things before so definitely look forward to that.”
And with those final thoughts, we said farewell to our two wonderful guests.
Final Thoughts
We are grateful to both Yusuke Kobayashi and Kenji Nojima for giving us the chance to do this interview. It was truly a pleasure to sit down with both of them and discuss the anime. The upcoming cour promises to deliver some exciting new developments, and after hearing directly from the voices behind Senku and Dr. Xeno, I’m even more eager to see what’s next. I hope you, the readers, were able to feel the passion and dedication they bring to their roles. If nothing else, I can say this, I’m absolutely exhilarated for what’s ahead in Dr. Stone.
This interview was conducted by Grant Wolfgram, with questions largely contributed by Jay Gibbs.
Dr. Stone: Science Future is currently streaming worldwide on Crunchyroll, as well as on Netflix in Asia.
All images via Crunchyroll.
©Kome Studio, Boichi/SHUEISHA, Dr.STONE Project
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