We recently interviewed Katsuya Fukunishi, who plays Kafka , and Wataru Kato, who plays Reno Ichikawa . We asked two people who had been fans of the original work to talk about the appeal of this work.
–It seems that the two of you had been reading the original work even before it was decided that you would be starring in the anime.
Fukunishi : Yes, I’ve been reading it since it was first serialized in the summer of 2020. I met Kafka when I was having trouble getting auditions and was having trouble getting a job, and my situation coincided with Kafka’s. In addition to that, the story was interesting and I was hooked. For those of us who are new to the voice acting profession, especially those of us who are new to the profession, encountering an interesting original work that will one day be made into an anime is like falling in love with Takamine’s flowers.
Failing an audition is what you might call a “heartbreak” (lol). As I repeated such heartbreaks, I gradually became afraid of encountering interesting original works, but even so, I couldn’t resist the charm and pull of “Kaiju No. 8” and was hooked. .
Kato : I learned about the work through a friend’s recommendation, and I started reading it as soon as the series started. At that time, I was in the same situation as Mr. Fukunishi. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, I have been unable to see my work situation, and I am worried about whether I will be able to continue working as a voice actor in the future…
Around that time, my friends and I used to play together and record original works that hadn’t yet been mixed with the media, adding our voices to them. At that time, Ichikawa Reno played the role in the movie “Kaiju No. 8”. When I heard about Leno’s audition, I felt like it was fate.
When the cast was announced, one of my friends contacted me and said, “I thought Leno was Mr. Kato.” I was really happy. Because of that, it became a work that I have a lot of feelings for.
–So you empathized with Kafka, who was in a similar situation to yourself. What else attracted you to read the original work?
Fukunishi : As for the development of the work, it is a so-called classic story that progresses from setback to success. However, there are some tricky curveballs due to Kafka’s age and setting. What I found most appealing was that each character had respect for others. I was very attracted to the way they respect each other and move forward on the path they should take, and I thought it was a work that fit the current times.
Kato : Ai Fairouz, who plays Kikoru Shinomiya, also said, “There is little gender gap in this work.” Regardless of whether you have talent or not, and regardless of your gender, the indicator is how well you can bring out the suit’s abilities. I felt a sense of “equality” in the sense that it didn’t matter what physical ability or position I was born with, and I thought that was really good. Also, the battles between monsters and humans are really exciting.
――Since you were able to appear in a work that you felt so attached to, you must have been very happy when you got the call that you had been accepted.
Fukunishi : Ever since I auditioned, I’ve always felt like I had Kaiju No. 8'' somewhere in my heart. A senior voice actor once advised me, It’s mentally unhealthy to keep worrying about passing or failing auditions, so you should stop.” However, I spent my days thinking about this work no matter what.
However, the audition for “Kaiju No. 8” was the first time in my life that I wasn’t nervous. I guess it’s because when I was reading the original work, I kept saying Kafka’s lines out loud. I think that’s why Kafka became ingrained in me. And ever since the day I heard that I had been accepted, I have continued to feel happy. I’m often asked, “Do you feel any pressure?”, but I’m so happy that I don’t have time to feel any pressure (lol).
Kato : Around that time, I had failed many auditions, and it was ingrained in my bones that it was normal not to get in. So, when I played the role of Reno that I thought I wanted at the audition, I was told, “Please play with a different image of the character,” which made me worried. However, when I opened the lid, I was told that I had passed…! There are times when reality surpasses fiction. I thought it was like a dream.
–I’d like to hear your impressions of Kafka and Reno, and what parts of them appeal to you.
Fukunishi : Kafka is a cheerful and noisy character, but he also has a sense of balance and is able to see his surroundings. It’s amazing that even though you’ve experienced setbacks many times, your brightness and cheerfulness never wavered. On the contrary, it was because of this that I was able to develop an eye for looking at my surroundings. I think all of these are Kafka’s charms.
Kato : Officially, Kafka is referred to as an “old man” protagonist, but I also like the fact that he doesn’t recognize himself as an old man (lol). That’s why he looks so youthful, and you don’t even notice the age difference between him and the young people he works with in the Defense Forces. I think it’s attractive that you can build relationships with people as equals.
–What do you think about Reno?
Kato : Leno seems to have a wide field of view, but he doesn’t (lol). I feel like that represents his youth, and I think if he gains more life experience, we’ll see a different image of his character. At this point in time, Leno has a strong sense of danger due to his youth, but he doesn’t show it to the surface. Although he acts cool, I think he has a hidden passion inside him that makes him attractive.
–Did you have that kind of Leno in mind when you played the role during the audition?
Kato : Yes. But the director told me, Try acting without showing too much enthusiasm.'' If you were asked to create a character that was different from what you had created for the character, you'd think, I’ve failed” (lol). Now that I think about it, I think they were searching for a variety of images.
–Mr. Fukunishi, what impression do you have of Reno?
Fukunishi : If you just look at the visuals, Kafka and Reno are an uneven duo. However, I thought they were actually buddies who looked alike. We accept each other’s opinions head-on. Don’t just accept it, take it in stride and then respond with a negative or positive response. People who are generally considered cool characters tend to talk about their hot-blooded side (lol). Leno isn’t cool in that sense, and I think it also gives Kafka peace of mind. Even if the story progresses in the future, I don’t think there will be any major misunderstandings between the two.
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