In this film, the five selected minions transform into Mega Minions! At the same time, Gru (voice: Tsurube Shofutei) and his friends welcome a new member into their family, only to find their high school classmate, Maxim, standing in their way…
To commemorate the release of this film, Animate Times interviewed Ainosuke Kataoka, the voice of Maxim in the Japanese dubbed version!
In addition to sharing his unique perspective on how to enjoy the work, we spoke to him about a wide range of topics, including how he created the unique and charming character of Maxim, and the surprising similarities between animation and Kabuki.
-First of all, please tell us your impressions after watching the main story.
Ainosuke Kataoka (Ainosuke), who plays Maxime Le Mal: It was really fun, and the 90 minutes went by in a flash. Minions appear in many places, such as in the title and end credits, so I really enjoyed it until the very end, and I was impressed by how well made it was. The story is solid and depicts the feelings of people in various forms, so it’s a work that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from children to the elderly. Actually, I love watching movies in 4D. The preview screening the other day wasn’t in 4D, so I plan to go see it again.
–4D screenings are fun like an attraction.
Ainosuke: That’s right! Recently, water has been flying around and you can even smell it. I think you’ll enjoy this film even more if you watch it in 4D.
-Can you watch movies in 4D privately?
Ainosuke: I go there often. When I’m out and about, I always start by looking for cinemas that are showing 4D movies.
–I really like that. Also, I thought it was interesting that the Mega Minion, who appears for the first time in this game, can’t use his abilities properly and doesn’t do much (laughs).
Ainosuke: (laughs). He may be doing a good job (when we can’t see him), but he’s not there when it really matters. But I think he’s cute, even with all those things that make him stand out.
–Ainosuke, is there a Mega Minion that you particularly like?
Ainosuke: There are various types, but personally I like Mega Jelly. It’s round and cute, isn’t it? It eats bombs and breaks through walls, so it seems reliable. The title is “Super Transformation,” so I hope you’ll pay attention to how the minions you know change when they transform.
–Ainosuke is appearing in this film as Maxime Le Mal.
Ainosuke: When I got the offer, I was surprised and thought, “I’ll be playing that Minion!?” but honestly, I was happy. After that, I wondered, “Which Minion will I get to play?” (laughs).
— (laughs) So you were thought of as a Minion.
Ainosuke: Actually, I was really surprised to find out that I was going to play the role of Tsurube-san’s (Gru) classmate. Gru is a charming character, but isn’t he a “phantom thief” to begin with? If you think of him as an even more evil “nemesis,” I thought it would definitely be an interesting role.
- I thought it was an interesting setting for him to be Gru’s classmate and nemesis.
Ainosuke: Sweet and sour, bittersweet… I think there are many memories from school days, but Maxim has been dragging around some trivial things for a long time. I think the story this time is about how that develops into a big incident. I often play quite distinctive roles, so I thought, “Okay! I’ll do my best this time too.”
–Indeed, it’s an extremely distinctive look.
Ainosuke: Like party people (laughs). I thought it would definitely be a role that would use up a lot of calories, and my prediction turned out to be spot on.
–What did you think of Maxim’s character?
Ainosuke: Since his school days, he has had the desire to get revenge, so I think he has a stubborn personality. That’s something I don’t have at all, so I thought it would be exhausting to think about so many things (laughs). However, it was actually easier to act. If it was close to me, it would be more realistic, so it was easier to deform it.
–So deformation is necessary to perform this as an animation.
Ainosuke: Yes. In the sense that it is “exaggerated,” I think it is similar to Kabuki. It was similar to the worldview I am always working on, so I was able to get into it without any difficulty.
ーーかなり高めのトーンで演じられている印象でしたが、どのようにマキシムの声を作っていったのでしょうか？
愛之助：アフレコ前にどのテンションで演じるのか、お芝居の基準を相談させていただいたんです。色々なパターンを試して、最終的に「これでいきましょう！」となったのは一番大変なトーンで（笑）。基準をそこに置くと、ずっと大変じゃないですか。渋い雰囲気も良いかなと思ったのですが、お子さんも観る作品なので、最終的にはかなり陽気な方向性になりました。特に戦うシーンの掛け声やリアクションの部分は、かなりエネルギーを使いましたね。
ーーグルーと一緒に歌うシーンも素晴らしかったです。
愛之助：多くの人が口ずさめるような歌なんですけど、だからこそ「しっかりやらないと……！」と思って、ドキドキしていました。「一日喉を休めたほうが良い」と言われたので、歌だけは次の日に録ったんです。
ーーあのシーンを観て、「実はグルーとマキシムって仲が良いのでは？」と思いました。
愛之助：そういうところがふたりの憎めない部分ですよね。学生時代は友達だったわけで、本当に嫌い合っているわけじゃないと思うんですよ。仲が良いからこそのじゃれ合いというか。「これだけは絶対に許せない！」という部分があっても、確実に友情はある気がします。直前の会話も本気で怒っているのか、冗談なのか。その辺りにふたりの長年の付き合いが垣間見える面白いやり取りでした。
ーー子どもたちに大人気のシリーズですが、グルーとマキシムのくされ縁は、ある程度年齢を重ねてから初めて分かる気がします。
愛之助：確かに。子供の頃はミニオンが出てくるだけで嬉しいですけど、大人になると作品の見方は少し変わってくると思います。世代を問わず楽しめる理由は、そこにあるんじゃないでしょうか。観ていただく方には、登場人物それぞれの想いや心の動きを感じていただきたいですね。
ーー余談ですが、今日の衣装もマキシムらしい雰囲気で素敵ですね。
愛之助：ありがとうございます。実はこのサングラスは特注なんですよ。
ーーえっ!?
愛之助：今作でマキシムを演じるにあたって、知り合いのサングラス屋さんに作っていただいたんです。
ーーなるほど。かなり大きめなので、「どこに売っているんだろう？」と思っていたのですが……。
愛之助：マキシムの絵を持ち込んで、「これと同じものを作ってください！」とお願いしました。こんなに大きいサングラス、普通はないですよね。
ーー恐らく愛之助さんしか似合わないだろうなと。
愛之助：いや、そんなことないですよ（笑）。
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