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( interview yuuki and taishi for messiah - spice 29th 2017 )
The stage play Izawa Yuuki and Sugie Taishi star in, Messiah - Yuukyuu no Toki, will be performed at the Galaxy Theatre in Tokyo from August 31st to September 10th 2017 and at the Sankei Hall Breeze in Osaka from September 22nd to September 24th. During the stage play Messiah - Akatsuki no Toki, which was performed in February of 2017, Ariga (Izawa) and Kagami (Sugie) deepened their bond through a tough struggle. Ariga Ryo is a stern young man who carries out his duties as a Sakura despite carrying a deep sadness over the Messiah he buried with his own hands in the past, and Kagami Itsuki joined the special organisation "Church" as Ariga's new Messiah, having been raised since he was young to become a spy. The installment that will be performed from August on will depict a story where these two play a central part, and a surprising graduation mission will be given.
On a day near the opening day of the performances, we had an interview with Izawa and Sugie, who play the lead parts. They fully talked about Messiah, like memories of everything up until now, first impressions of each other and their enthusiasm towards the new story.
Although Yuukyuu no Toki will finally be performed from August on, first of all please tell us about the memory that stuck with you the most from the last installment, Akatsuki no Toki.
Sugie Taishi: It was (Akazawa) Tomoru-kun. It was cool how he didn't show at all how difficult it must have been on stage for him. And when Daichan (Hirose Daisuke) came to the final performance in Osaka and gave Tomoru-kun a bouquet during the curtain call... I thought that Messiah sure is a nice thing. More than any other production, this is the one that strikes me right in the heart.
It's a work that hits you deep emotionally, right?
Sugie: That's right, it's pretty intense on both the body and the heart.
Izawa Yuuki: It's intense, right.
Sugie: When I'm asked about the charm of Messiah, I often answer that the bonds it shows give off a kind of shounen manga vibe, but I think it's a play that goes a step beyond that. It's a blessing as an actor to portray a role that goes through such hardships, it's a lot of fun to do... Not just because it's worth doing, but since I hope it's being transmitted to the audience as well.
How about Izawa-san?
Izawa: Since every theme was very heavy to think about, there were many things that I could learn from the productions throughout the whole series. Feeling love or friendship for your partner, your Messiah, made me think that humans are warm. When you're asked what's so great about the Messiah series, you might at first answer that it's the action, but when you think about it more deeply, the way it pulls out your emotions is different each time... That's why I'm looking forward to it this time as well.
Sugie: I think that people who think Messiah is just action should come and see it. (laughs) Since we tackle the work with both body and soul, sharpening them both. (looking at Izawa) You're sharpening them too, right?
Izawa: I'm sharpening them. But it'll have to wait since I'm still worn out from Akatsuki. (laughs)
Then please tell us about your first impressions of each other and how it changed after that.
Sugie: Since Shinku no Shou was my first movie, I was really nervous. Although we're the same age, Yuuki's appearance is that of a senpai, so I couldn't help but speak formally at first. Although he said, "It's fine! You can speak casually since we're the same age!", that "it's fine!" just made him seem even more distinguished...
All: (laughs)
Sugie: That's why I spoke formally for a while.
Izawa: Since I told him to do his best at speaking casually, it was kind of cute. (laughs)
Sugie: It was since you were a senpai within Messiah and I had to catch up with the senpai... But I really love acting, and I really like acting against Yuuki's own acting. That way I finally got to be on par with him, and it feels like I've gotten to a spot where I can have his back.
How was it for Izawa-san?
Izawa: Since the whole filming work was still new to me, I was pretty nervous. But when I actually showed up there, I could see that there were a lot of nice people. Since I've been part of Messiah for about three years now, I'm on good terms with both the staff and the cast, and in that time pretty much everyone has been nice to me. While I was still dealing with the nervousness, Taishi showed up. Since I was filming the TV drama and the movie at the same time, Mamiya Seiren was my partner in the drama, but in the movie Taishi played my partner Kagami... I couldn't deal with it all that well. (laughs) But when I watch Taishi's footage, I can easily see how he's grown and changed-- maybe not in a parental sort of way, but more like siblings.
How do your usual impressions compare to your roles?
Izawa: Taishi just feels like that, right? Although he isn't impudent to that extent, he's smart.
Sugie: That's right, I'm intelligent.
Izawa: Well, you're a little stupid here though.
Sugie: (laughs)
Izawa: For instance, if you'd play around in class during school, you'd stop if the teacher told you that they'd get mad if you kept on doing it.
Sugie: I have a lot of experience with it, so I could stop. (laughs)
Izawa: I'm the type that's pretty closed off and only talks a lot to people I get along well with. But since Taishi is more open, we meet halfway. I'm the type who likes it when there aren't a lot of people around me, it's interesting, right.
Sugie: There you go, you have that serious way of talking when you say you like it! (laughs)
Izawa: No, I'm being serious!
Sugie: Uwah~ you'll make me shy. ... Although I didn't want to say as much, I'm honestly glad. (laughs) I think that Ariga-san gradually became more like Yuuki lately. He's opened his heart more compared to when Mamiya was around. When Yuuki acts more closed off, he's like the Ariga-san of the past.
Izawa: That might be so. But it's probably terrible when I'm closed off. I don't really talk at all then.
Sugie: But Yuuki seems playful too. He's the lovable type.
Izawa: That's right.
Sugie: Don't you want to rebuke that? (laughs) Maybe we didn't know how to handle each other at first since we both have a kouhai mentality. But once we got used to each other, we both started opening up to each other. I really think we're the strongest Messiah by now.
You overcame various hardships during last time's Akatsuki no Toki. Now you're preparing for your graduation mission in this time's Yuukyuu no Toki. Please tell us about your current feelings.
Izawa: The time to graduate always comes when you're participating in this production. There are occassions where someone graduates from it by dying, just like some of the people who have gone before us in the past. Since we have to succeed in the mission in order to graduate, I wonder whether we'll complete it successfully or will have to repeat a year. (laughs) I'm on the same wavelength of thought as the audience about that. Although you can see the end when you look at the script, I feel the same way as Ariga-san when he feels unsure about whether he can graduate. Right now it feels like my turn finally came.
Sugie: The big series called Messiah is connected and made up by everyone together. I'm really glad that I get to be in the middle of that. Although I'm looking forward to it and I'm excited, I feel a heavy sense of responsibility more than anything else. Since we're carrying the responsibility for this work right now, I'd like to connect it to the next part and graduate. I hope our kouhai can feel the same way.
Izawa: That's right.
What's your impression of all of your co-stars? You're joined by new cast members this time as well.
Sugie: Um... (pointing at Yamada James Takeshi on a document) Izawa Yuuki. Your faces are similar.
Izawa: People often say that~.
Sugie: When they play around with face swap on their smartphone camera, I really can't tell their faces are swapped. (laughs) But when you look at it, the casting for Messiah is really good. I always wondered if the script was tailored to fit the actors, since they really seem to grasp people's personalities.
Izawa: Yeah, that's right.
Sugie: The dark and really cheeky role is for Nagae Ryoki, the honest and straightforward role is for Yamaoki Yuuki, the serious role with glasses is for Hashimoto Shinichi.
Izawa: I really think so too.
Sugie: I'm not sure yet since we haven't met everyone yet, but since the group of adults will surely all come together soon, I can feel at ease. So the people who are only now joining will also love the work called Messiah... In the beginning I also didn't have the feelings for Messiah that I have now. But those feelings came when I saw how our senpai showed their best to us, and so I wanted to do my best as well. Aside from that... (looking at Izawa) What else? What was your impression of (Murata) Mitsu-san who came back?
Izawa: He's a really powerful ally. It's terrific.
Sugie: Right? (laughs) But while he's the strongest ally, he's also the strongest rival when we're making this production together.
Izawa: Well, that's right. But if we said this at the introductory meeting, Mitsu-san would probably get very shy. (laughs)
There was a story going around sometime ago that the scriptwriter Mori Nobuhiro-san said at the Messiah series exhibition "MESSIAH FIRST EXHIBITION" that he was wondering what kind of hardship he should put you two through. (laughs) Have you heard about that?
Sugie: I haven't heard that... (laughs) Of course I'm prepared for something to that extent.
What was your impression of Mori-san?
Izawa: Although I've done different productions with Mori-san, I think it's really difficult to find out what's going on inside of his head. I think that the people that write this series are strange (in a good sense), because otherwise they wouldn't be able to depict the relationships between the characters the way they do. In that sense the script written by Mori-san is easy to understand, but it's also amazing.
Sugie: It's simple yet deep.
Izawa: Right. I think you can really see various other works in it.
Sugie: I'm looking forward towards this time too. We've seen some of our senpai go through really intense things.
And lastly, please leave a message with your enthusiasm for the fans who are looking forward to it.
Sugie: Messiah is packed with a lot of love. I think it'sd a series that connects a lot of love. Although it's a great honour to be allowed to take responsibility for it, I also honestly feel a great weight. But I'll do my best to firmly take responsibility for it, and just like we saw the backs of our senpai who graduated before, we also want to show our backs to our kouhai. And in order to make the many people who supported the Messiah series up until now support it in the future as well, I'll try to make the best production possible. I'll do my best.
Izawa: I'll do what I've done up until now. Although "graduation mission" is a hot word this time, I've built up this production before this together with Taishi, and this graduation feels like it's just being added to it. Since I have the bear the responsibility for the Messiah series, I hope the two of us can balance everything well. To everyone who will come to see it, the series will continue even though we graduate, so I'd like everyone to see that as well. I think our roles within the series will live on, and amazing characters will gradually keep flowing in. Since a cast with charm and great abilities is coming back and there's surprises every time, please keep supporting the Messiah project even after this. Please look forward to it for sure.
After the interview Izawa and Sugie were talking with smiles on their faces, saying, "It'd be nice to watch it one day as fans among the other fans." I hope you were able to get a feel for Messiah - Yuukyuu no Toki through the thoughts of these two.