The TOUGEN ANKI anime adaptation was officially announced on May 7, and we had the opportunity to interview the main voice cast consisting of Hiroshi Kamiya, Kazuki Ura and Koutaro Nishiyama about the work. We asked them about working with each other, their own thoughts on the story and characters, as well as for their relationship with fans. Read on for all their answers, starting with Kazuki Ura.
Kazuki Ura
Q: What aspects of the story or your character do you find most intriguing or challenging?
A: At first, I had preconceived notions about whether I had to act badly because I played an Oni, but I thought Oni had to live and think about various things just like people, and some oni(s) are kind and some are simple, and so are humans. In that sense, there is no difference, it is just a difference of whether they are human or Oni, and once I realized that, I was able to play the role surprisingly easily.
Q: If you could have any Momotarou or Oni ability, which one would you pick and why?
A: I think Shiki’s ability is cool, but I think it is interesting that “Doki-Doki Hysteria” (Ikari Yaoroshi’s technique) has a random element and you do not know what will come out even by yourself. I would like to use “Doki-Doki Hysteria” in the morning and go to work, for example, as a fortune-telling tool. But what I really want is Kyoya’s blood. I want to heal my body as soon as I feel something is wrong with it.
Q: How do you prepare for evolving character arcs of the characters you voice?
A: In my opinion, a person’s character is formed one by one through various experiences. In the first episode, Shiki is naive and spoiled by his father, and he tells his father that he is glad that they are not related by blood, he regrets it afterwards.
It was only after Momotaro’s attack that Shiki realized being with his father wasn’t something he could take for granted. I believe that as big encounters can shape us, small realizations like conversations with others can also make people grow, so I read the original work and see what kind of timing and what kind of things Shiki is getting from it. He has been using this kind of language with people, but now, through experience, he wants them to receive his words. In my case, work is the most important thing, so I choose my words carefully to convey the charm of the work, but in my private life, I tend to throw words around lightly. Shiki also has his own prioirity, which could change through growth, so I carefully construct his changes while reading the original work, including why those changes occurred.
Q: Hiroshi Kamiya, a veteran voice actor, is also part of the main cast for TOUGEN ANKI as Shiki’s sensei. What has it been like working alongside him, and have you learned anything from his experience in the industry?
A: I have learned a lot. I look over the script and think about how I would read this line, but I also think about how Kamiya-san and Nishiyama-san would read it. I learn a lot from my seniors who go beyond my imagination. In terms of personal aspects, even in terms of the words/phrases they use, I feel that they are very particular about the words/phrases they use based on their own thoughts. Since Kamiya-san has built up his career and appeared in various works, I want to know even a little about the answer that he arrived at, so I imagine and interpret why he said what he did, why he chose those words, and forcibly absorb them.
Q: How do you engage with fans of series you’re involved with, and what kind of feedback do you find most rewarding?
A: I am most happy when people say that the work is interesting. Of course, I am also extremely happy when people praise my acting, but ultimately, I believe that voice actors exist for the sake of the work, and without the work, we would not be able to exist. So, it is the most gratifying thing for me as a voice actor to hear people say how much they enjoyed the work and TOUGEN ANKI. On top of that, I am always happy when people say that they enjoyed my performance as the voice actor.
Q: How do you balance the expectations of fans with your own growth and exploration?
A: I want to be close to the fans of the original work, and if I don’t, I don’t think they will accept me. I want to make Shiki Ichinose that the fans envision. I am greedy, so I want to meet everyone’s expectations and grow as well, and I want to do so without exhausting my inquisitive mind.
Q: Finally, what excites you the most about being part of the TOUGEN ANKI anime, and what do you hope the fans will take away from your performance?
A: I was very excited to be able to participate in this work, which is a very interesting piece of royal road entertainment, with its heated battles. The main character, Shiki, confronts various characters, so I am very excited to be able to play the role of him in the heated battle scenes. There are words that only Shiki can say because he was not aware that he was an Oni, which makes him see things in a flat way. There are many people in this world with various circumstances, and I would be happy if people could feel and sense the attitude of acceptance towards things through TOUGEN ANKI and my play. I would also like everyone to cherish the importance of conveying one’s feelings to others.
Hiroshi Kamiya
Q: If you could have any Momotaro or Oni ability, which one would you pick and why?
A: In terms of characters, Shiki Ichinose will definitely be the focus of attention, as I think the audiences will be drawn to the trajectory of his fate. As for super power, I don’t have particular preferences (laugh). Most super powers in the story tend to be destructive, which is unavoidable in battles for sure, but I would struggle to handle them in everyday life, and probably it is better not to have overly extra super powers in everyday settings. Maybe a super power to save myself from danger would suffice.
Q: Can you tell us about your character in the TOUGEN ANKI anime? What drew you to this role?
A: Naito Mudano can be seen as a fighter for the Onis’ side, targeted by the Momotaro Agency, from the Onis’ perspective, so that he has to hone his abilities to counter this threat. He embodies the Onis’ ideology, in stark contrast to Shiki Ichinose, who has lived comfortably until now. In a position superior to Shiki and Jin, he possesses incredible physical strength and mental prowess. While he stands above them in every aspect, on the other hand, he also learns from the students through various battles, which also strengthens his capabilities further.
His name is “Naito Mudano = waste-free,” which is a pun in Japanese, and he is a character who thinks about everything efficiently. How did he come to be so? In the case of a teacher, there is a part of the teacher’s position where he or she has to teach exactly the same thing every year, and after a year of teaching, the students leave for other places. Then a new student comes in, and the same thing is repeated for another year. In this situation, of course, there should be passion as a teacher and a human touch. In his case, lives are at stake, and since he does not want them to die, he has a mission to make sure that not even a second of time is wasted, that everything is done efficiently, and that they are raised to be ogres capable of fighting Momotaro and the Momotaro Organization as quickly as possible. I think he has a mission to make Shiki a demon who can fight against Momotaro and the Momotaro Organization as soon as possible. Therefore, he has become so efficient that he looks like a cool, mechanized being to those around him. But if he is built on the basis of all those things I just mentioned, then yes, I think he is lovable. I guess that is the reason why I am attracted to this role.
Q: What kind of preparation or research did/will you undertake to portray Naito Mudano effectively in the TOUGEN ANKI world? Can you share any memorable or particularly challenging moments you experienced while recording your lines for this anime?
A: From his standpoint, I think he has to keep the organization in mind. He is a member of the organization. Therefore, he is in a position to raise students as a means to survive so that the organization and the existence of demons do not disappear from this world or be exterminated. However, each student we raise has his or her own individuality, and if we understand their personal aspects before we deal with them, I think we will not be able to treat them all in the same way.
So, I think that we will have to be aware of what will happen to him when he stops thinking and acting in a very lean and efficient way, and I think that it is important to make him a human being, an accurate machine-like character to be looked at by others, so that such a time may come. It is a little difficult for me to make him into an accurate machine-like character, so I think I have to cherish the moments when I gradually fall in love with him or am moved by him.
Q: What do you hope the fans will take away from TOUGEN ANKI both in terms of entertainment and a deeper reflection?
A: Basically, it is an entertaining story, so I believe that the best way to watch it is without thinking too deeply. Just watch and enjoy!If you find a character you like, you can focus on the character. The focus of each episode will rotate between each character throughout the series, so once you find your favorite character, I hope you will watch to the end and see what happens
Koutaro Nishiyama
Q: Congratulations on landing the main role in the upcoming TOUGEN ANKI anime! How does it feel to be part of such a highly anticipated project, especially alongside a veteran like Hiroshi Kamiya as a co-star?
A: It’s a work that’s loved by many people, so of course, there’s pressure. I was not in the first episode, but when I listened to the recordings of the first episode, I could feel how passionately and enthusiastically they were working on it, and it was a great honor for me to be able to be a part of this work, and it made me realize once again that I could not do it half-heartedly.
I felt the same way when I heard Ura-kun’s and Kamiya-san’s voices, so I wanted to be able to carry on the great work these two created and build on that.
Q: What aspects of the story or your character do you find most intriguing or challenging?
A: I think it is blood. Blood is very refreshing, isn’t it? I felt that in the manga, blood is painted in black, but in this work, blood is used in large quantities.
The power of the blood is amazing, but I wondered how it would be expressed in the anime, and I wondered if it would be bright red. At the time of this interview, I have not seen the completed animation yet, so I have no idea what it will look like, but I think it is very challenging. I am looking forward to seeing how it will be enjoyed by everyone, whether it will be grotesque or not, or whether it will be aggressive to the fullest.
Q: If you could have any Momotaro or Oni ability, which one would you pick and why?
A: Well, it is hard to discard any of the abilities, but what I thought was interesting was Ikari Yaoroshi’s ability called “Doki-Doki Hysteria,” I thought it was interesting that you don’t know what you’re going to get until the very last minute, and that sense of gambling. I think that Yaoroshi’s sharpness will be put to the test. I am very interested in him.
Q: Can you tell us about the dynamic between Jin and the other two main characters (Shiki and Naito)?
A: Yeah, you know, Shiki is always energetic and attention-grabbing, and you might think, ‘Here comes that noisy guy again,’ but I think he’s also realizing that he hasn’t encountered someone who challenges him like this before. Shiki’s presence, you know, the way he’s relentless, always pushing back no matter how much you try to push him away, I think he’s like a new breed for Jin. Because of him, Jin starts to have openings, and he shows different sides of himself, like loosening up a bit or getting a bit more aggressive. So, I think Shiki is a really stimulating character for Jin. As for Mudano, I really think, ‘This guy is strong!’ So, I feel like there’s a part of Jin that’s starting to rely on him in a way.
Q: What do you hope to bring to Jin that sets him apart from your other roles? How do you plan to make your performance memorable?
A: Yeah, I am currently reading the manga and digging deeper into Jin’s personal life and experiences. Also, as the story progresses, I am sure that Shiki will bring out various emotions in me, so I am really looking forward to the dialogue during post-recording.
Q: Finally, what are you most excited for the fans to see in the TOUGEN ANKI anime, and what do you hope they take away from your performance?
A: I think there are Japanese people who stop thinking about Momotaro and Oni when they see that Momotaro is righteous.
Reading this work, I was inspired to think deeply that there is justice on Onis’ side as well. I hope that through this work, people will be able to feel that there are things that various people want to protect. Jin Kougasaki, who will be voiced by me, will also be asking the audience how they can come to terms with their fixed and unforgivable pasts. I would be very happy if you could see how he will change, whether his revenge will come true or not, and how he will grow as he meets Shiki and shows various aspects of himself.
TOUGEN ANKI is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yura Urushibara. It has been serialized in Akita Shoten’s Weekly Shonen Champion magazine since June 2020. Volume 20 was released on May 8, and the manga already has over 3 million copies in circulation.
Yen Press will be publishing the manga in English from September this year, and they describe the story:
Shiki Ichinose’s blood is Oni, and his father’s is Momotaro. Normally, those with Momotaro blood hunt the Oni – but Shiki’s fathre refused to kill him as an infant. Instead, he adopted Shiki and raised him despite the rebellious attitude and dangerous temper that come with Oni blood. When a member of the Momotaro Agency kills Shiki’s father, Shiki vows to avenge him. But as he hones his abilities and learns to control his Oni blood, will he be strong enough to survive the dangers waiting for him…?
© Yura Urushibara (AKITASHOTEN) /TOUGEN ANKI PROJECT
Official Website: tougenanki-anime-global.com
Official X: @tougenanki_anm
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