Web Newtype interview, June 7

“A work that confronts the current era head-on”

Harutoshi Fukui & Koichi Yamadera talk about the special compilation Age of Yamato!

Interview and text by
Koji Shimada

(See the original article here)

Age of Yamato, a special compilation of Yamato 2199 and Yamato 2202, reconstructed from a new perspective, will be released on June 11. Here we interview Harutoshi Fukui, who is in charge of the composition, supervision, and screenplay of the film, and Koichi Yamadera, who plays the role of Abelt Dessler

(Opening questions are the same as the V Storage interview, so we’ll skip over them)

Interviewer: In the latter part of 2202, Dessler’s background becomes more profound. How did you feel about it at the time?

Yamadera: I was surprised that Dessler had an older brother who was better than him, and that he was a complex person. I thought he was the only one who had absolute confidence and no complexities among all the anime characters (Laughs), but in fact he hid it and carried it all on his shoulders. He was portrayed as a very human person, which made it worthwhile for me as an actor.

Fukui: In the original, the way Dessler was perceived changed in the middle of Farewell to Yamato. Until then, he was a superhuman “emperor,” but when he saw Kodai and Yuki, he realized that something was missing in himself, and he died. In that moment, he became an “exiled prince.” His popularity also skyrocketed. (Laughs) So the changes from 2199 to 2202 are actually based on the original story.

But this time, with Sanada as the narrator, I had the hardest time figuring out how to handle Dessler. In fact, it was the most difficult thing for me, because there was almost no connection between him and Sanada. So it was impossible to talk about Dessler. That’s where Keyman came in handy again.

Yamadera: Keyman is a big help. It makes me happy to think that Keyman understood the reason for Dessler’s actions.

Fukui: That’s why we’re doing a new recording [for 2205] with Hiroshi Kamiya. Please look forward to it.

Interviewer: How did you feel about Keyman at that time?

Yamadera: When Keyman appeared, I thought it was really cool that he was on Yamato. I was jealous of his coolness. I didn’t even get to act in the first half of 2202. (Laughs) But when I found out that there was a connection with Dessler, I suddenly became attached to Keyman. In fact, I had to kill him at that time, didn’t I? I didn’t expect that the son of my brother, whom I let secretly escape, would reappear as Keyman…

Fukui: I think there was a part of Dessler that was happy. He’d lived a lonely life for a long time. He suspects that his brother would have done a better job (as president). That’s why he wants Keyman to succeed him if possible. Actually, I made a comical CD drama as promotional material for 2202. I asked Mr. Yamadera to perform in it, and share feelings about Keyman that he didn’t had a chance to talk about in the main story.

Yamadera: I think that Keyman was the only person who could understand Dessler. I was deeply moved by the fact that he must have thought Keyman was someone he could trust.

Interviewer: By the way, Mr. Yamadera, do you and Dessler have anything in common?

Yamadera: Of course not. It’s not interesting to play someone like me. (Laughs) I’m an actor because I can play something that I am not. It’s counter-intuitive, isn’t it?

(The next few questions are the same as in the V-Storage interview until they talk about voice recording for Yamato 2205).

Yamadera: I was mentally exhausted from the beginning. There are things happening that make you think, “Huh?” It’s going to be amazing. I’ve only recorded two episodes and I don’t have that many scenes, but I’ve already said a lot of lines that make me smile.

Fukui: If you’re familiar with the original story, you can probably guess what “mentally exhausted” means. But it’s not just that. There are more mountains to climb.

Yamadera: I’m curious to know how it will change from the original New Voyage. I don’t know about that yet, either.

Fukui: 2205 will have Susumu Kodai and Dessler in double roles. That’s the way it will look.

Yamadera: In order to enjoy the latest film, I would like you to watch Age of Yamato first. Sanada describes the emotions of the characters from his own perspective. I think it’s easy to understand even for those who are new to Yamato. It’s a good introduction. Even for those who loved Yamato, watching this will create new impressions. I highly recommend that everyone see this film.



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