Animage Plus interview, June 11

Daisuke Ono talks about his thoughts on Susumu Kodai!

An interview to commemorate the release of Age of Yamato

(See the original article here)

Yamato 2199 and Yamato 2202 depicted a new story based on the immortal masterpiece Space Battleship Yamato. Age of Yamato, a rebuilt version of these two works, mixed with new shots and newly-recorded narration, will open in 36 theaters nationwide for a limited period of three weeks from June 11.

The film is a documentary that looks back on the voyage to Iscandar in 2199 and the Battle of Gatlantis in 2202 through the testimony of Shiro Sanada, who served as chief engineer and first officer. By shedding light on Yamato 2199 and Yamato 2202 from different angles, it is a unique work that highlights the “Age of Yamato.”

To commemorate the release of the film, an interview has arrived with Daisuke Ono, who played the main character Susumu Kodai. He is a young soldier who is confronted with many difficult choices in the midst of a grueling voyage with humanity’s survival at stake. His battles are directly related to the fate of the ship.

Mr. Ono talks about the pressure of playing Kodai, his thoughts on Age of Yamato that came out of that experience, and his enthusiasm for starting a new journey.

Sanada has been watching over me

Interviewer: First of all, please tell us about your impressions of Age of Yamato.

Ono: I was impressed by the way the story progressed with Sanada responding to the interviews. Since he went through the tough voyage with Susumu Kodai, it really touched my heart. Sanada doesn’t talk about himself very often, so I myself didn’t know who he was. I wondered, “What kind of person is Shiro Sanada, really?”

I was very happy to hear him talk about Susumu Kodai, his brother Mamoru, and himself. I was touched by the fact that such a logical person thinks Kodai’s passion surpasses logic. When I listened to Sanada’s speech in the last episode of 2202, I felt like he had been watching Kodai for a long time, even though he doesn’t usually show it

Interviewer: Did you see any changes in the way you played Kodai from 2199 to 2202?

Ono: In my mind, there was no change, it was just a continuation. He’s been troubled since 2199, and he has a habit of looking down. He’s a person of action, but he’s also introspective. If you turn your head to the side, you can see your friends, but he looks down and tries to do things on his own.

In fact, I think he was aware of the people around him in 2199. But after Captain Okita passed away, Kodai became a bit introspective again in 2202. I think it was Hijikata who got him to look upward again. In 2202, I think he kept following behind Hijikata.

Interviewer: The two captains were a big part of Kodai’s life, weren’t they?

Ono: The most important line in 2202 for me was, “I will carry out Captain Hijikata’s order!” I didn’t think about it, I just played it from the heart.

After a screening, one of the fans told me that my performance was very similar to Kei Tomiyama’s in Farewell to Yamato. Actually, I didn’t dare to watch Farewell before I started acting in 2202. When I did finally watch it after everything was over, I found that it really resembled him. I felt that this is what it means to inherit feelings.

When I saw my performance in that scene again in this compilation, I felt that I had inherited that feeling from Unsho Ishizuka. It may sound irreverent, but I think it was accepted [by him]. I would like to tell Mr. Ishizuka, “I received it.”

[Translator’s note: Unsho Ishizuka was Hijikata’s first voice actor in 2202, who died before he could complete the series.]

Understanding gain through “heavy pressure”

Interviewer: The word “choices” is included in the title. How did you feel about the pressure of the “choices” imposed on Kodai in 2202?

Ono: Lately, I’ve especially been feeling it. I feel like I’m becoming one with Susumu Kodai. Like there is something linked to the way of life of Daisuke Ono. It’s as if I’m writing about him. So it was hard for me to be objective, because it was so close to me.

Just like Kodai, there are great senior actors, and there are many talented junior actors coming up. I’m in the middle. At times like that, I feel like I have to pass on what I’ve inherited from my seniors to my juniors.

In the case of this production, I am the main actor, so I have to be strong, and I try to take it on by myself. I don’t really need to carry the entire load, but I do my best on my own. This is just like Kodai. That’s why I could understand him. I even feel that we are there for each other. It’s hard to live like that. (Laughs) If Mr. Ishizuka were here, he would say “Relax your shoulders more.”

Interviewer: Looking back on 2199 and 2202, what are your thoughts on Age of Yamato?

Ono: After traveling through 2199 and 2202, I realized that we too have made it to the age of Yamato. It’s been a long time since the first Yamato boom. I was able to reconfirm that we created a new form of Yamato that everyone can get excited about, even those who don’t know what it was like back then. I’m glad I did this, and I feel a sense of accomplishment that all my hard work has paid off. This compilation is also a great opportunity for fans who have been watching 2199 and 2202 all along to discover a new aspect of the series.

Interviewer: Lastly, please tell us about your enthusiasm for the next work, Yamato 2205.

Ono: Above all, I’d like to thank all the people who sympathized and resonated with this work called Space Battleship Yamato and traveled with us.

With 2202, we reached a great harmony. But it seems that there are still difficulties and crises waiting for us in the universe. Yamato is a ship of hope, and we will set out again for the future. I would like to return the feelings I received from everyone.

Speaking of the link between me and Kodai, I would like to pass Yamato on to the new generation who will create the future. I believe that the new work 2205 will also portray such hope, as if we are passing on our thoughts to the future. I would be happy if fans can share this feeling.



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