The TV anime "Snowball Earth," based on the manga by Yuichiro Tsuji, serialized in "Monthly Spirits" (Shogakukan), is airing every Friday at 11:30 PM on Nippon Television's anime block "FRIDAY ANIME NIGHT (FuraAni)." It's a sci-fi x monster x robot action series set on Snowball Earth, an Earth covered in snow and ice. It tells the story of friendship and adventure between Tetsuo, a shy protagonist, and his only friend, a giant robot named Yukio. We asked Takuto Yoshinaga, who plays Tetsuo, and Daisuke Hirakawa, who plays Yukio, about their thoughts on the series.
◇A love that feels like being gently embraced
--What were your impressions after reading the original work?
I first encountered the work when I was offered the opportunity to audition for Ms. Yoshinaga's series. Initially, I only intended to read the audition scene, but the content resonated with me so much that I stayed up all night reading up to the latest volume. The giant robots and monsters, the setting of a frozen Earth, the characters' convictions, and the heartwarming human drama all struck a chord with me, and I was immediately drawn in.
Mr. Hirakawa, I also had the opportunity to read it for the first time during the audition, and like Takuto, once I started reading, I couldn't stop. "Snowball Earth" is realistic, but it features robots that seem to belong to an earlier generation than realistic robot stories. I found it interesting how it blended a little nostalgia with the realistic robot genre. Also, I felt there was a sense of "love" in a broad sense. The contrast between humans and robots who have love, monsters who don't have love, and types of humans who seem far removed from love really struck a chord with me. There are intense battles, but it was the gentle, enveloping love that left a lasting impression on me.
--Tetsuo is extremely shy. How did you try to portray that?
Yoshinaga-san's Tetsuo is shy, but I think he actually enjoys talking. You can feel that from his comical interactions with Yukio, and he's constantly talking to himself when he's traveling alone. I think he likes expressing his feelings out loud. So rather than being withdrawn, I felt he just gets nervous. As a savior, he's fought to protect the Earth, so he has good thinking skills and doesn't flinch when cornered in battle. I'm focusing on portraying that contrast. He gets nervous easily, but as a savior, he's also someone who makes people think, "It'll be alright because he's here." The direction also emphasized that he needs to have a lot of experience built up over time.
--Isn't that a difficult character to portray?
To be honest, there were some difficult parts , Ms. Yoshinaga . However, I was given the opportunity to read through the script beforehand, and it was really helpful to be able to perform after getting to know everyone's acting.
◇Yukio, who is more human than humans
--Yukio, the character you play, is a robot. Were you aware that he was a robot?
Hirakawa-san said that Yukio doesn't want to be Tetsuo's brother, nor does he want to be his father. I had assumed that he simply wanted to be a friend, but when I read the lines with Takuto-kun for the first time during the pre-recording read-through, I realized that wasn't the case. He's a friend, but at times he's also like an older brother, a younger brother, and even like a parent, and I thought it would be better to express all of those aspects together. I wasn't really conscious of the fact that he was a robot.
--Yukio is a robot, but he also has human-like qualities. What did you keep in mind when playing him?
When Hirakawa- san sees Tetsuo happy and says "I'm happy," Yukio feels "I'm happy too." There are moments when he's more human than a human, and I wanted to bring out his charming side. I also thought it would be good to be aware that although he's an AI that can sense emotional pain, he doesn't feel physical pain. So in the beginning, I deliberately didn't add sound even when he was attacked, but I thought it might be okay to add sound for reactions other than pain, such as when he bumps into something, so from the middle of the series onwards, I gradually added reactions while checking with the sound director.
--What was the recording process like?
Yoshinaga-san had some drawings, but I was told not to be too conscious of them. I worked with director Sakai (Munehisa) to clarify the characters' feelings. It was a friendly and welcoming set.
During the audition for the role of Yukio, Mr. Hirakawa asked me to portray about four different versions of Yukio. I was happy when I was chosen for the role, but I kept wondering, "Which of the Yukio I performed in the audition will it be?" So when I received the script for the first episode and started practicing, I practiced with all the different versions so that I could respond to any version of Yukio they asked for. When the read-through began and I asked which version we should use, they said, "Try using all of them." I felt that I had more freedom, so I consciously changed my portrayal depending on the scene.
◇Helped by Daisuke Hirakawa
--Is this your first time working together? What were your impressions of working together?
This is my first time working with Mr. Yoshinaga and Mr. Hirakawa. They are exactly the image of Yukio that I had imagined when I read the original work, and from the moment we did the script reading, I felt, "This is Yukio!" They helped me a lot as we had discussions and worked together on the lines. When I had to do a retake, they would jump right in, and since Tetsuo has a lot of shouting scenes, they would ask me, "Are you okay?" The look in their eyes at those times was just like Yukio's eyes. It was really reassuring, and thanks to Mr. Hirakawa, I was able to act freely. They also helped me a lot by considering the balance when we were saying our special moves together.
I felt the kindness and warmth that Ms. Hirakawa (Ms. Yoshinaga) inherently possesses, and I also felt that her inner strength naturally blended into the character of Tetsuo. I don't know if she was consciously acting or if it was something that naturally radiated from her, but she naturally did the simple yet very difficult thing of conveying emotions through sound. It was a lot of fun acting with her. I looked forward to standing in front of the microphone with her every time.
I'm so happy to hear you say that , Ms. Yoshinaga and Ms. Hirakawa.
--Did a partnership or relationship of trust develop between you two through the recording process?
Yoshinaga-san , yes! I'm being a bit spoiled. I like talking to people, but even when I get a little too playful and silly, Hirakawa-san always watches over me warmly.
I don't think Hirakawa-san is overdoing it at all. Takuto-kun really improves the atmosphere on set and is a great leader.
"Snowball Earth" follows the adventures of Tetsuo, a shy boy, and Yukio, a boy more human than most humans, as they navigate a desperate world. Pay close attention to the gentle and heartwarming relationship between the two, which is depicted alongside intense battles. (Manami Anima/MANTANWEB)
