“Astronaut” interview series: Junichi Suwabe (role of Naosuke) | My impression of this work, which reminds me of the masterpiece manga of the Showa era, is that it is a wonderful work that warms your heart.“Astronaut” is an original anime filled with nostalgia reminiscent of the 80’s, romantic comedy, science fiction, comedy… everything. The wooden apartment building “Asu Toro-sou” is filled with personalities such as the alien Mira Gotokuji (CV. Maaya Uchida), the live-in chef Takumi Miyasaka (CV. Soma Saito), and even hardcore unemployed people and underground idols. The hectic daily life of the wealthy residents is unfolding.

In episode 8, Naosuke, who Ren suspects is not a dog, plays an active role! The battle between the Goshu aliens and the Mibo aliens also has a hard time coming to a conclusion…

For the 8th installment of the series, we received comments from Junichi Suwabe, who is in charge of the voice of Naosuke!

–Please tell us your honest impressions when you saw the script, character settings, and stage settings for “Astronaut.”

Junichi Suwabe (hereinafter referred to as Suwabe): My first impression was that it resembled the classic manga from the Showa era, which has also been made into an anime (lol). However, I thought it was a very interesting work with a twist added to it.

–Do you have any memories of Eisaku Kubonouchi, the original character designer?

Suwabe: My first contact with Professor Kubonouchi was when I was a high school student, when the series started, and I read about it in a magazine called “Tsurumoku Single Dormitory.” My impression, both then and now, is that he is a person who draws people with very attractive facial expressions.

–Please tell us what you thought when you saw Naosuke’s design and its appeal.

Suwabe: It looks similar to what we call a poodle on Earth, but you don’t see many poodles with that kind of show-clip cut these days, so I thought it was retro ( lol). What’s so appealing about it…This is what I’d like to hear from everyone who has seen the work.

–If there are any memorable scenes from episodes 1 to 7, please let us know.

Suwabe: The food is depicted so delicious that it makes me hungry when I look at it. Depending on the time of day, it can be a bit of a chore (lol).

–Please tell us about your future highlights.

Suwabe: No matter what, I hope you can make it all the way to the final episode. We live in a very difficult world these days, but I think “Astronaut” is a wonderful work that will warm your heart. Thank you very much.

[Written by Junichi Tsukagoshi]