It has been decided that official interviews with the main cast and staff of this work will be released in succession! The first one will be with Tasuku Araki, who plays Heshikiri Hasebe.
Additionally, the first character PV, “Heshikiri Hasebe,” was also released.
— “Touken Ranbu Kai – Touken Ranbu: The Close Samurai” is being produced as a completely new original work. What impression did you have when you heard about the project?
Tarusuke Araki, voice of Hasebe Heshikiri (hereafter, Araki): I heard that it would be released in theaters a long time after recording. The story is a prequel to the TV anime, and it involves the character I play, Hasebe Heshikiri, so I was really happy to be able to delve deeper into it.
–What was your impression of the story of “Den” after reading the script?
Aragaki: In the TV anime “Touken Ranbu Kai – Kyoden Moyuru Honnoji-“, Yamabagiri Kunihiro’s past was depicted as a flashback scene. For me, that scene alone was enough to convince me that “he regrets his past” and I continued acting, but they dug deeper and vividly depicted Yamabagiri’s feelings and those of Hasebe and the others who were beside him. So I was happy that the resolution of their feelings was increased. So if you watch “Kyouden” again after watching “Kyouden”, I think you’ll get a different impression.
–What kind of character is Heshikiri Hasebe?
Aragaki: Heshikiri Hasebe is a sword that was treasured by Oda Nobunaga, but was supposedly handed over to Kuroda Kanbei, who was not a direct vassal. Hasebe keeps it as a scar, and although he was meant to have remained loyal to his master until the end, he feels abandoned when it was passed on to a different owner along the way. This remains as resentment towards Oda Nobunaga and regret for his own lack of ability. So he is a character who is devoting himself to his current master, the Saniwa, hoping to grow and be loyal to him to the end this time.
–What did you keep in mind when playing Heshikiri Hasebe in this production?
Aragaki: First of all, I wanted to play the role of the sword with care, focusing on the backstory he has as a sword. In this story, he goes to his previous master, Kuroda Kanbei, and is caught between the wounds of the past and the sense of duty to carry out the mission entrusted to him by his current master. I played the role so that even though his emotions are shaken by his previous master, his core remains unwavering and is directed towards his current master, but I didn’t intentionally play the role that way, it just turned out that way.
–What was the team spirit like among the six swords taking part this time?
Aragaki: I think they managed to strike a good balance. As for Yamabagiri, Hasebe was being selfish and took him along, but even with that in mind, there was the belligerent Doudanuki Masakuni, Okurikara who could overlook the situation from a little distance, and Tsurumaru Kuninaga and Shokudaikiri Mitsutada who were by his side and helped ease his mind. Each member had a different role, and I think it was a well-balanced unit.
–Please tell us what the highlights of “Den” are and what scenes you are looking forward to.
Aragaki: The best part was the interaction between Yamabagiri and Hasebe. It was refreshing to see these two get so involved. There is a scene where Hasebe clearly tells Yamabagiri what he has been thinking up until that point, and I felt that he had really grown, so it left a lasting impression on me. Also, I thought the scene where he confronts his former master, Kuroda Kanbei, was an amazing scene. He wears his whole self on his waist, so everything he says has to be a lie, and it was a very taxing scene to act in. Other than that, I liked the scene where Tsurumaru Kuninaga and Shokudaikiri Mitsutada lighten Hasebe’s heart just before he reaches a boiling point.
ーー公開を楽しみにしているファンに向けて、メッセージをお願いします。
新垣：TVアニメの前日譚なので、この映画を観たあとにまた第1話から観たくなるだろうし、『々伝』から入った方は、物語の始まりとして、とてもドラマチックに描いてくれているので、すごく盛り上がった気持ちでTVアニメに入れると思います。どちらから観ても魅力を増して観られるような良い作品に仕上がっています。あと、TVアニメと劇場版に言えることは、どちらも一人ひとりの人物の感情を多面的に描いていることです。言いたいけど言えない、その裏にはこういう思いがあって……というのを描いてくれていて、それを演じるのが楽しかったので、作品を観て、それが伝わってくれたら嬉しいです。
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