Yuto Uemura and Tasuku Hatanaka play the role of a past rivalry
Published April 16 by Animage Plus. See the original article here
The latest installment of REBEL 3199 opened in theaters nationwide on Friday, April 11th! In a world where an odd coexistence with Dezarium has become routine, a counterattack operation is planned. What enemy will confront Yamato as it breaks free from the transparent battleship Grodez and heads toward the center of the galaxy? This time, we spoke with Yūto Uemura, who plays Takeshi Ageha, and Tasuku Hatanaka who plays Ryusuke Domon, about their relationship as former best friends, their impressions of playing their roles, and the highlights of Chapter 3.
Interviewer: Mr. Uemura, you’ve joined the 3199 series. Please tell us how you felt when you were chosen to appear.
Uemura: I never imagined I would have the opportunity to voice a character in Yamato. I felt humbled, but when I was entrusted with the role of Ageha, I thought I would just go in with a fresh attitude and give it my all.
Interviewer: Tell us about Ageha.
Uemura: He’s a pilot for the newly formed Yamato Air Squadron. Director Harutoshi Fukui told me at first that he’s a character who has a cynical side and doesn’t show his true feelings, and that due to past events, his relationship with Domon, who was close enough to be called his best friend, is strained. He’s the heir to a large company and has a charismatic aura that’s different from the people around him, but as I played the role, I realized that he was close to me. I gradually began to think of him as “adorable.”
Interviewer: Mr. Hatanaka, what’s your impression of Ageha?
Hatanaka: He’s very sensitive, isn’t he? The subtle movements of his heart are expressed in his acting, and I think I understand why Ageha “seems cute.” Yuto plays him as a character with a strong core, so when Domon and Ageha are talking, I think, “There must be a different way to say it!” But at the same time, I can understand what he’s saying! I think that’s because of Yuto’s acting.
Uemura: But you wouldn’t just blurt out “Are you stupid?” to Domon right away, would you? (Laughs)
Hatanaka: And it was in front of everyone. (Laughs) Even if he was giving him advice, he could have just called him out behind the scenes and said, “Sorry, there’s something I’m worried about. Can I talk to you about it?” (Laughs) But I think the awkwardness he shows around Domon is also one of Ageha’s charms.
Interviewer: Please tell us about Domon.
Hatanaka: Domon has appeared as a crew member of Yamato‘s tactical department since 2205, but in 3199, he’s appointed as the head of the department, replacing Captain Kodai. In terms of personality, he’s so straightforward with his thoughts that he loses sight of what’s going on around him. He respects Captain Kodai, but various things have happened and that trust is now wavering. I’m performing in this third chapter while being very irritated. (Laughs)
Uemura: Domon is a person who says what he thinks directly. (Laughs) It may sound harsh, but there’s no hidden meaning behind his words or attitude. He shows guts and says what needs to be said, and coupled with Tasuku’s acting, I think he’s an enjoyable character to watch.
I was told to “act freely without hesitation” when performing as Ageha
Interviewer: Were there any scenes where you two recorded dialogue together?
Hatanaka: We’ve done it a few times. We were separate at the beginning, but we recorded together for the important scenes toward the end.
Uemura: We weren’t able to record together in Chapter 2, but we were finally able to connect this time. (Laughs) I’m really glad.
Interviewer: Please tell us if there was anything that left an impression on you from the directing at the recording site.
Uemura: Regarding Ageha, Mr. Fukui told me, “Yamato is a historical work and may give the impression of being heavy, but please feel free to act without hesitation.” Those words were very helpful to me.
Hatanaka: I was told, “You’re the youngest, after all”. (Laughs) So the direction included a lot of comments like, “You’re a little too calm,” or “You can go for it more.” I think Domon is the one who can properly speak for a viewer’s thoughts of, “This is frustrating” in frustrating scenes. Because of that, I felt like I was being told to “lean forward” while I acted.
Interviewer: What were your impressions of recording with Daisuke Ono, who plays Kodai?
Uemura: The first scene we recorded together was one in this third chapter. The recording itself went well, but when I heard Ono say the line “Sasha…” next to me, it seemed like he was really struggling. I was surprised to see Fukui and Ono having detailed discussions for just this one line, and their attitude toward the recording showed me that “this is how the cast is putting their whole heart and soul into it.” I once again realized that I have to work hard so that I can get on board with that.
Hatanaka: I often record with him, and he teaches me in detail how to say “Hassha!” [Fire!] when firing the main gun. (Laughs) I think the flow of the tradition being passed down from Captain Kodai to the younger generation is very dramatic, and through our interactions there are many times when I discover, “Oh, so that’s what it meant” or, “So that’s how it was interpreted.” I’m able to experience the moments when I feel the true joy of acting, which is only possible when I’m dealing with Captain Kodai played by Ono.
“It’s finally here,” thought Yuto and Tasuku, recalling their past
Interviewer: What points are you both paying attention to in the story of Chapter 3?
Uemura: From the time I received the script, I heard that there would be a scene where Ageha and Domon would have a solid exchange, or rather, a scene where they would share their feelings, so I thought “It’s finally here.” Until now, Ageha has been cold and not opening up much. Before each recording, Mr. Fukui would explain the outline, saying “This is the story this time, and Ageha’s feelings are like this,” but he would often explain that, “He’s still cold” or “He hasn’t opened up yet.” (Laughs) But when it came time to record Chapter 3, he said, “It’s finally here, and we’ll show a vulnerable side,” so I decided to go all out and give it everything.
Hatanaka: I was also curious about what happened between Ageha and Domon. Now that their past has been revealed, I’m even more eager to see how their relationship will develop. Another point to look out for is the fate of humanity and Dezarium. There are huge questions like, “Can we trust Dezarium?” and “Are they really us from the future?” and Chapter 3 depicts humanity being at the mercy of this mystery.
Uemura: It was like walking a tightrope the whole time. There was a constant sense of tension, as if we didn’t know which way it would go, with repeated refrains of, “Can we trust them?” and “No, we can’t.”
Hatanaka: That’s right. A strategy is developed to uncover the mystery, and in my opinion it’s extremely complex. There are scenes that make sense when you see the footage, so I hope you’ll look forward to that battle of wits as well.
Interviewer: What characters should we look out for in this film?
Uemura: I feel like the coexistence of Earth and Dezarium is also a theme in Chapter 3. I was really impressed by the indescribable exchanges between the children at elementary school; between Fleur, a Dezarium girl who has settled here, and Tsubasa (Kato), an Earthling. The film depicts a certain cruelty in the relationship between the children, but also the amazing speed at which they can understand each other. It was interesting to see how the film portrayed the relationship between the two from that angle.
Hatanaka: I’m really interested in Alphon and Isidore. They’re supposed to be evil, but they don’t look like that at all. It makes it even more mysterious to wonder, “Which are you, friend or foe?” Also, this is a minor point that I personally like, but when Isidore cleans his room, he doesn’t use a stick type vacuum cleaner, but an old-fashioned corded one. When I saw that, I thought, “That’s the one my mom has at home!” (Laughs) It was interesting to see Isidore’s pecularities, or rather his individuality.
Interviewer: Finally, please give a message to your fans.
Uemura: The drama of each character is portrayed so carefully amidst the fierce battle that I was able to give my all as Ageha. I think the difficult situation will continue for a long time to come, but I hope you will enjoy watching the changes that occur in the characters as they go through it.
Hatanaka: Some people may be wary of Space Battleship Yamato, but it’s a very simple and enjoyable work. The theme of the story is something that really resonates with us, so I hope you’ll come to the theater to find that out.
PROFILES
Yuto Uemura
Born October 23rd. Belongs to the Himawari Theater Company. Major appearances include the TV anime series Bungo Stray Dogs (Atsushi Nakajima), Darling in the Franxx (Hiro), Vinland Saga (Thorfinn), Tadashige (Saneatsu Narita), Kinokoinu (Hotaru Yuuyami), and others.
Tasuku Hatanaka
Born August 17th. Belongs to Ken Production. Major appearances include the TV anime series My Hero Academia (Denki Kaminari), Ta-ki-un Ima Dochi!? (Takato Tachibana), Yu-Gi-Oh! ZEXAL (Yuma Tsukumo), Ultraman Z (voice of Ultraman Z), and others.