The TV anime "Kirio Fan Club," based on the manga by Earth's Fish Pon-chan, will begin airing on MBS/TBS's anime block "Super Animeism TURBO" from April 2nd. It's a one-sided romantic comedy about high school girls Miyoshi Aimi and Someya Nami, who engage in endless fantasies and exchanges of love for their classmate Kirio Ken, with their conversations forming the core of the story. Nene Hieda plays Aimi and Shion Wakayama plays Nami, but how did the two of them create the pacing of their roles?
◇We both thought it was the other way around!?
--When I interviewed director Toyama So, he said that the casting of Hieda-san and Wakayama-san was unanimous.
Wakayama-san, I'm so happy! After the audition, I got a call very quickly saying that I'd been cast. Like Aimi-chan, I'm the type of person whose impulses about things I like come out in words, so I felt a strong connection to Aimi-chan. But Nami also auditioned.
Hieda-san, I also auditioned for Nami and thought, "Maybe I'm Nami?" But when I went to the studio and received direction, I started to think, "Maybe I'm Aimi..."
At first, Wakayama-san thought it was the other way around. But on the way home from the audition, she started to think, "Maybe it's a wave..."
Hieda-san is with me!
People around Wakayama-san say the same thing, don't they?
Hieda-san, that's right. People ask me, "Isn't it supposed to be 'Nami'?" When I auditioned for "Nami," the director said, "It's not Kyoto dialect, but it has a gentle, refined quality like Kyoto dialect," and I couldn't quite get that "gentle quality" out. But when I heard Shion-chan's "Nami," I thought, "That's it! That's it!"
Wakayama-san and I both felt that way about each other. When I auditioned, I felt that my portrayal of Aimi lacked the feel of a high school girl. Maybe there was a bit of an old man in it. But when I heard Nene-chan's portrayal of Aimi, it had that explosive energy that's characteristic of Aimi, but at its core there was the cuteness of a high school girl, and it fit the image of Aimi so perfectly that I realized I was missing something.
Ms. Hieda's portrayal of Nami was softer than the one I played in the audition, and she had a sense of tempo and atmosphere that I couldn't achieve. Her slightly carefree demeanor was exquisite.
◇A sound I've never made before!
--The dialogue between the two characters is crucial to this work. When you actually started recording, did it go smoothly?
Aside from Ms. Hieda, there wasn't much direction given to the dialogue between us.
Wakayama-san's recording went so smoothly that I started to wonder if everything was really okay (laughs).
Ms. Hieda certainly gave direction on the nuances of the lines, but she also told me to "keep the overall conversational feel as it is."
Wakayama-san ad-libbed a lot, so we would talk about things like, "What should we talk about?"
Hieda-san, we didn't really discuss anything else that much.
Wakayama- san and Aimi were leading the conversation, so I just chimed in here and there. It was Nene-chan who set the pace of the conversation and kept it going.
This is the first time I've seen Hieda-san with so many gags, and I made a lot of sounds I've never made before. I've always admired him, so I was nervous when it came time for me to actually do it. I've always admired comedic acting, but I was nervous when it came time for me to actually do it.
Wakayama-san, I was afraid that if we made one wrong move, it would become something that people wouldn't laugh at, so there was pressure on us to make sure we didn't ruin the points that would make people laugh.
◇Even outrageous things will be accepted
--Is this the first time the two of you have worked together?
This is the first time I've worked closely with Hieda-san . We were friends before we started working together, and we'd go out to eat together. I really love Shion-chan's acting, so I'd always hoped we could work together someday, but I never imagined we'd be able to do something this extensive. I think the fact that we were friends beforehand was a big factor.
It was a huge advantage that we were able to record with Wakayama-san after we had already established a good relationship.
Even when I wanted to ask Hieda-san questions about her acting, it was easy to talk to her.
Wakayama-san gives you the reassurance that even if you do something outrageous, it will be accepted, so you can do whatever you want.
That's true even when it comes to Hieda-san's ad-libs.
Wakayama: That's right, Mr. Kameyama (sound director Toshiki Kameyama) has a high bar for ad-libs. He'll sometimes say, "Make it a little weirder," and Mr. Kameyama will demonstrate how to do it.
Hieda-san is really good at that, it's hard to surpass him (laughs). I really felt how great Kameyama-san is.
◇Our Mitsuda!
--What was the recording process like?
Wakayama-san, it looks like it's school break time.
Hieda -san said there were many people close to her age or with whom she had worked before. Shion-chan also played the role of an animal, right? She was asked, "Wakayama-san, can you play an animal?"
I'd never done it before , but Mr. Kameyama asked me to, so I researched the animal and acted it out. Was I being tested?!
--The characters other than Aimi and Nami are also very unique.
Hieda- san and Mitsuda-kun also make appearances. Mitsuda-kun is the best!
Wakayama is a truly lovable character. He really feels like "our Mitsuda!" I also couldn't really get excited during my high school days, so I really understand how Mitsuda feels. And speaking of other characters, Satsuki also makes an appearance.
Satsuki-chan is Hieda-san's enemy! (Ayasa Ito, who plays Satsuki) The director told her to play her in an "annoying way," right? Satsuki-chan isn't a bad girl, and she doesn't mean any harm, though.
◇ Memories from my student days
--What are your memories from your student days?
Wakayama-san's student life wasn't the kind where she was having fun with friends and shouting "Yay!" That's why she understands Mitsuda-kun's feelings the best. How about you, Nene-chan?
Hieda-san went to an all-girls school, but it was pretty normal. She did participate in the cheering squad at the sports festival, and she also did a dance at the after-party of the school festival.
Wakayama, that's youth! What did you dance to?
Hieda-san was really into K-POP, and we all got together to dance. We'd all get together on our days off and practice. I guess you could say I had a pretty good youth. Also, there was a camp, which I went to in my second year of middle school, and it was so much fun. Participation was optional from my third year of middle school onwards, but I kept going.
-- Ms. Hieda, were you aiming to become a voice actress back then?
Hieda-san had aspired to be a talent since high school, and in her first year of high school, she auditioned for the agency, which led to her joining the company. After she passed the audition, she went camping.
-- Do you have any stories about your youth, Wakayama-san?
Wakayama : Hmm... What was I doing? I have absolutely no memory of it.
Hieda-san, what's your most memorable moment?
When Wakayama was in middle school, she was involved in the student council and tried to be a "model student," so she might have seemed a little unapproachable. After entering high school, she joined the art club and made a gate for the school festival. We all worked on it together in the summer while eating ice cream.
Hieda-san is so youthful!
Wakayama-san's youth was probably like that. It was fun, too.
"Kirio Fan Club" seems to express a one-way romantic comedy with a sense of timing that only two people who work well together can create. I hope you enjoy the dynamism that only animation can provide. (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)
