The CD release of the first season began in 2021, depicting the youthful story of Buddy as he strives to reach the top of the music festival. Since the first season, the second and third seasons have spun a delicate tale depicting the feelings and growth of characters with various problems.
This year, a new series with a new style focused on drama will start. Based on the theme of “The individual time each buddy spends,” new stories of five buddy pairs will be spun in different seasons, places and times.
Unlike previous CD series, the drama will be sold online through various distribution services. Animate will also be selling a set with merchandise that includes a serial code for the main drama!
This time, we interviewed Saito Souma, who plays Takada Iori, and Nakajima Yoshiki, who plays Kaji Harutobi, who have just finished recording for “Tokyo Color Sonic!! the BUDDY CASE by Reboost,” which will be released on November 22nd! We asked them how they feel now that the new season has started.
──Thank you for your hard work in recording. After the story of the two in the 3rd series, the past story was depicted, but first of all, please tell us how you felt about this episode.
Saito Soma (hereinafter, Saito), who plays Takarada Iori: I wondered how Gravity, which has been portrayed as something important to Haruhi and Iori, would be told. When I read the script, I was really moved by how interesting it was. I’m really glad that I was able to relive this story as a cast member, and that the four of us were able to record together.
I realized that both Haruto and Iori were just life-sized high school students. Rather than being charismatic or clever from the beginning, I got the vibe of bright, young people who were like, “Being in a band is fun! Let’s make music!” with that initial impulse.
The scene where everyone talks about love is particularly memorable. Iori asks a question about the word “date,” and he almost forgets the name of a girl in his class (laughs). It’s a simple scene, but I think it’s good.
Haruhi doesn’t treat girls 100% either, and I discovered something new when I saw how he reacted when he received a letter. I enjoyed imagining how they probably interact with each other on a daily basis.
Yoshiki Nakajima (hereafter, Nakajima), who plays Haruhi Kaji: I was impressed by Haruhi’s line in the first season and it has always stayed in my mind. In the story of Unit.2, he said to Iori, “Let’s do Gravity again! Let’s get a different drummer and bassist.”
So Haruto had no particular attachment to Gravity or its members at the time, and thought that he had created it just as a place for him to make music with Iori.
Even if his humanity had collapsed to that extent, it might not have been strange for Haruhi at that time. He would probably say something like, “Well, it’s just you and you. I’ll write the song anyway” (laughs). I had such delusions growing, but when I read this story, I was surprised to find that his past was completely different. I had no idea he had such a cheerful youth. I’m glad he was a normal high school student in a good way.
I felt that perhaps because he grew up in a wealthy family, he was unable to fully empathize with Iori when he was feeling down and worried. That’s how important Gravity was to Haruhi during his high school days. In the end, he was young and human. I was glad to see a glimpse of the part of Haruhi that connects to the present. I felt like he was a guardian.
When acting out the scenes from the past, there were many scenes of everyday life, so I acted as if I was lively and enjoying time with my friends. Until now, I had played Haruhi, but for too long I hadn’t cared about anyone other than Iori (laughs), so it was very refreshing and fun.
For Haruhi, this story also changes his important place in Gravity, his relationship with his family, and he is separated from Iori for a while. In a sense, it’s a story of loss, so it was a little sad to think that this is where Haruhi in the first season was created.
──While recording, was there a line or scene that stuck with you the most?
斉藤：由岐の「お前らが簡単に捨てるそれを、俺と大和は必死に欲しがってんだよ」という台詞です。あの場面で、その言葉を言われるとすごく苦しい気持ちになるというか……。とってもぐっときました。伊織として聞いているけれど、僕個人としては由岐の気持ちに共感してしまいました。
今回は自分のシーンより、他の皆さんが演じられているシーンで涙がこぼれることが多かったです。春飛が「俺は、4人で音楽を続ける居場所を作るために駆けずりまわって……」と感情を吐露するシーンも、こみあげるものがありました。
4人ともすべてを言葉にしないからこそ、すれちがってしまう。若さゆえに衝突する姿は、もどかしかったです。
中島：由岐と大和のシーンは全体的に好きです。大人になった由岐の「こういう幸せもあるんだよね」というセリフがものすごい言葉に聞こえました。
カラソニはクリエイターとプレイヤーの話がメインですが、この作品の世界には、由岐のように生きている人もたくさんいるんだよなと感じさせられました。
メインキャラクター10人以外の存在を感じて、夢の叶え方の結論を目の当たりにしたような気がします。あの言葉は中々22歳で言えないんじゃないかと思いました。由岐と大和の器の大きさにも感心しましたし、客観的に楽しめるくらい腑に落ちている2人がかっこよかったです。
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