( interview anzai shintarou for le matsuri - okwave vol. 510 )

[devilism]

Vol.510 Actor Anzai Shintarou ("Le Matsuri - You'll be attacked by too many songs~")


OKWAVE Stars Vol.510 is releasing an interview with Anzai Shintarou, who's performing in the Le Himawari end of year performance Le Matsuri (December 29th - 31st 2015)!

Please tell us your thoughts from when it was decided that you'd be part of Le Matsuri.

I was really happy. I also got to be part of last year's Le Kon; it was a lot of fun and there were many things I learned from my senpai. Whenever I was watching when it wasn't my turn, I realised many things, like "there's such a way of doing it as well." I thought that I wanted to be part of it again. When it was decided I'd be in this one too, I felt something like "woohoo!"

The subject of this time's historical play is the battle between Sakanoue no Tamuramaro of the Imperial Court of the Heian period and Aterui of the Emishi. What can you tell us about the subject?

The main question is "what's the most important thing to people?" Both Sakanoue no Tamuramaro and Aterui's feelings are wavering. And the emotions of their close associates around them are shifting as well. Even if it might be enjoyable as well with the Heian period kind of boisterous dancing, I wondered when I read the script if it wouldn't touch people's hearts as well.

How about the role you play, Bunya Watamaro?

My role is a close associate of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro played by Mikami Masashi-san, it's a character who really idolizes Sakanoue no Tamuramaro. Since Sakanoue no Tamuramaro is a very punctual character, I'm planning on playing Bunya Watamaro as a capable and good young man who is that Tamuramaro's right hand man. Since I think one of Watamaro's charms is his behaviour towards Emperor Kanmu and Sakanoue no Tamuramaro respectively, I think you'll be able to see something like that.

What's the atmosphere like during practice?

The amount of passion is amazing. Everyone in the cast seems very passionate. And because of the director Itagaki Kyouichi-san's passionate guidance, both me and everyone else in the cast are only getting more heated up. It's very enjoyable, it's a place with a good sort of tension.
Itagaki-san has said that we're making a work that has to seem interesting to the audience. That interest comes from hearts being moved-- it's good to be made to both cry and laugh. It'd be good to make people believe that this or that person is cool. Itagaki-san often compared it to soccer and would be giving or taking away points. He's very easy to understand, and I think there's a very good atmosphere since everyone wants to live up to his expectations.

What can you say about the rest of the cast?

Since the way I think about my role can be very different from how others think about theirs, I realise there's those other ways of doing it as well. I think people look at me too and think, "that guy is doing it like this;" we all want to keep doing what we're doing and get better. There's that kind of atmosphere of wanting to cultivate ourselves by studying hard.
The senpai, for example Katsuno Hiroshi-san-- when you talk to them they seem very kind, but then they become dreadful while acting out the play or doing action scenes.

Please tell us the highlights of the entire play and your role.

The army of the Imperial Court and the Emishi army must wage war on one another. If you'd think about why they must fight, I think it's because of the fact that humans want to be happy. I think that people's hearts will be moved by the characters clashing with all they've got for their own respective goals. I also want my character to inspire feelings like that. As for Watamaro who respects Sakanoue no Tamuramaro-- since he's treated like a little brother by Sakanoue no Tamuramaro, the atmosphere when it's just the two of them and when there's other people there as well is very different for the sake of dignity. I'd like people to pay attention to that.

That is all for the first half, but please tell us about the second half, "Spectre Show" as well.

That is fun as well. I think it's the true charm of the Le Himawari end of year plays. The audience can be moved deeply by the first half, but because of the second half they can get excited and bounce around. I'm performing as part of a unit with 4 people: KYO NO HAJIMARI, Kyohaji for short, also consisting of Nakamura Ryusuke-san, Ibuka Katsuhiko-san and Ooyama Masashi-san. The teamwork between us four is very good. We always talk a lot when we're working on things or taking a break, I always noisily have fun too.

What kind of year was 2015 for you?

Most of all it was a lot of fun. I got to learn about a lot of things I didn't know of before which was very encouraging. The fellow actors, the staff, of course the audience too-- since I got to meet a lot of people, I think it was a year in which I grew, even if it was just a little bit.

What kind of year do you want 2016 to be?

I think it's very important to enjoy myself and to keep facing forward. Even if there might be painful times or painful feelings like feeling that you're still a long way from the goal, I want to keep looking upward. While taking care of such feelings, I want to meet a lot of people in 2016 too. I want to absorb a lot. This time I want to be told as well that I'm amazing.

Do you have a message for the OKWAVE users?

Although I think the audience is already looking forward to Le Matsuri, we're also getting excited as we're getting closer to the performances. At the end of the year, with a stage play fit to adorn that year, I'll also do my best as one person making up part of that big whole stage play. Please make sure to look forward to it, everyone.

( link to the original )