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( interview hiroki, daichi, kento for fate grand order stage - livedoor news july 12th 2017 )
Three people who play knights of the Round Table have gathered. They look at their smartphone whenever they have a moment to spare during the photoshoot and start playing the game Fate/Grand Order (FGO). They seem lively as they peacefully talk about FGO, it shows their good relationship. Ahead of practice they were part of a workshop together for about a month so the cast could deepen their relationships. As the talk unfolds between these three with smiling faces, how are they creating the relationship between the knights of the Round Table in this stage play?
One installment in the Fate series, made by the game brand TYPE-MOON, is the app game Fate/Grand Order that was released in 2015. The story that develops in the stage play is based on the sixth chapter of the game, "Sixth singularity, the holy domain of the Round Table, Camelot". Sana Hiroki plays Bediviere, Ono Kento plays Lancelot and Yamaguchi Daichi plays Gawain. They're knights of the Round Table that serve King Arthur.
Sana: When it comes to playing the knights of the round table, the director (Fukuyama) Sakurako-san especially talked about posture. When we were reading the script and writing in it, we got a lot of advice along the lines of "keep your back straight!" and "posture!" We're knights, after all, so we have to remain sharp.
Ono: The knights of the round table absolutely have to have an intimidating air about them when they're gathered.
Yamaguchi: That's right. They're warriors that stick to noble chivalry, after all.
Ono: Of course it's not just about your individual intimidating air, but I'd like a kind of pressure to radiate from the five of us when we're together. When the atmosphere becomes clear like that, the stage will explode.
Yamaguchi: That's really it, right? Since the status of the knights of the Round Table is very important in FGO, when that gets shaken up, the Chaldea (the organisation the protagonists belong to, the "Organization for the Preservation of the Common Sense of Man, Finis Chaldea") team's atmosphere also crumbles. That's why we have to keep standing. Sakurako-san also was very concerned with the main motive of knights, chivalry.
Although there's also the connection between the knights of the Round Table, Bedivere moves the story along together with the protagonists who are antagonistic towards the knights of the Round Table.
Sana: Yes. Bedi (Bedivere's nickname) has various thoughts, and although he left the knights of the Round Table, we talked a lot about his foundation as a knight of the Round Table.
Ono: That's right. Since I think you really have to be aware of that.
Yamaguchi: Since there's a scene in the stage play where Bedi stands together with the knights of the Round Table, his background of having spent time together with them is important even in the current circumstances.
Sana: How the Round Table changes is really profound, right? Every single scene is very solid.
Ono: Moreover, all the knights of the Round Table have about an equal amount of highlights in the play. Their individual backgrounds are shown very well.
Yamaguchi: Since the story is narrowed down a lot for the stage play compared to the game, there are parts that are impossible to explain through scenes or lines. But I want to express those through my way of standing or my gaze, or even the way our breathing syncs up. Sakurako-san said as well that the things that the knights of the Round Table carry with them can be focused on more during practice as well.
Did all of you start playing the game after it was decided you'd be part of this play?
Yamaguchi: I played it before it was decided!
Ono: That's right, we started playing when it was decided, so Daichi-kun is quite a bit ahead of us in the game.
Yamaguchi: It was a lot of fun when I started playing it. Although I really wanted to get Gawain, who I'd play, through the gacha, he really doesn't show up easily. I struggled a lot with it, and I yelled when he finally showed up. (laughs)
Sana: It's nice when you're able to pull your own character, right~.
Sana-san also has Bedivere, right? Moreover, Sana-san and Yamaguchi-san have been speedrunning to get the character they're playing to level 100!
Yamaguchi: From the start I wanted to make Gawain level 100 before the final performance.
Sano: Since I had a lot of things to do after it was decided I'd play this role, I started the game more slowly than everyone else, but I finished the main story the quickest! I was able to succesfully get Bedi to level 100 too... Although I thought it'd be difficult, but it didn't take that long to get to level 100. It was about a week or so.
Yamaguchi: To open up the upper limit of levels, you need to sacrifice a Holy Grail, but it's so hard to get one of those. So if you just have one character, it shouldn't be too hard.
Ono: If only I had one! (laughs)
Ono-san still hasn't gotten Lancelot...?
Ono: That's right. He really doesn't show up easily. Right now I have 27 Saint Quartz, so if I get 3 more, I can summon again. I hope Lancelot will show up!
I hope it'll show up! All of you were playing the game during the photoshoot today, do you talk a lot about the game too?
Sana: We do it a lot!
Yamaguchi: When we have some free time, it's not just us, but the whole cast that does it.
Ono: Yeah, yeah. Everyone plays the game, so there's inevitably a lot of conversations about it. Or maybe I should instead say that there's no one who isn't doing it during the breaks.
Sana: That's right!
Ono: Although I'm still on my first try, I'm having trouble with the fight with the boss of chapter 6. Although I can defeat Mordred, Gawain is still difficult.
Yamaguchi: Yeah, Gawain is strong, right? I agree.
What parts are unique to the stage play, what are the highlights?
Yamaguchi: This time there's songs and dance, and pretty much all of the characters dance.
Sana & Ono: (nodding)
Yamaguchi: Aside from looking a bit different than the atmosphere of the game, I think you can catch glimpses of a little more than usually on the stage. Since the game doesn't have voices and the characters don't move, I think you can enjoy it in a different sort of way.
With what kind of atmosphere is practice moving forward?
Yamaguchi: If there's some aspect of acting that isn't coming out well, Sakurako-san makes a suggestion to make things move forward.
Ono: If there's something we don't understand, we can look it up in the game.
Yamaguchi: That's right. I think it's a group with a really good atmosphere. Everyone is there with a lot of motivation to just do this. Sakurako-san makes that sort of atmosphere appear.
Sana: One month before practice started the whole cast participated in Sakurako-san's workshop, where we studied the foundations and methods of acting in depth. So the atmosphere Sakurako-san creates is really good.
Yamaguchi: Sakurako-san studied methods as an acting coach in New York, so he regularly teaches actors about those at acting workshops. This time around, one month ahead of practice, we had some thorough training on acting, dancing, enunciation and sword fighting.
Sana: Both the cast, director and production team completely go for it, at the workshop but also at practice.
Ono: It's meaningful that everyone views things the same way, regardless of rank.
Yamaguchi: Like that Sakurako-san stood for us as a person before he stood for us as a director, so he gave us actors the feeling that we could rely on him. Although it seems that there's still some things that are difficult to create... I think it's great that at the practice location for FGO, with Sakurako-san as our director, everyone is working hard for the same thing.
The relationships between the cast deepened during the workshop, so you can use that during practice now too, right.
Yamaguchi: With our jobs it feels like we're changing jobs all the time since our workplace is different every single time... Since we're communicating through acting from the beginning at the location of every production... Since we resolved that part at an early phase this time, practice is a lot easier as well.
Was there anything impressive at the practice location?
Sana: There is! Although I'm also a knight of the Round Table, before I knew it the knights of the Round Table had gathered without me to talk about the play!
Ono & Yamaguchi: (laughing)
Ono: Although he's also more or less part of the Round Table group, he says he's being left out. (laughs)
Sana: That's right! I really am!
Yamaguchi: No, no, there's a reason for it. (laughs) It's since even though Bedi is from our Round Table... right now he's like an enemy. Although we often say "Round Table gathering!" at the practice location, he doesn't show up for it.
Sana: Where should I meet up with you!
Ono: (laughs) But since Bedi has a lot of scenes with the Chaldea people, he practices with the Chaldea team. Since the Round Table gathering often happens during those times, he doesn't get called.
Sana: Fufufu... I'm... a popular person, huh?
Ono & Yamaguchi: (laughing)
Who among the cast takes the lead in creating the atmosphere?
Yamaguchi: I think that Ide Takuya (who plays Romani Archaman) really makes the atmosphere at the practice location.
Ono: For sure.
Yamaguchi: His history as an actor is long, and he's also known Sakurako-san for a long time, so he takes the initiative in enlivening the practice location. He's also very good at reading the mood.
So what is you guys' position then at the practice location?
Ono: What is it indeed?
Yamaguchi: I'm someone who feeds others? (laughs)
Yamaguchi-san gave handmade lunch boxes to everyone on the set, huh?
Sana: He's already got a hold of my stomach.
Yamaguchi: Ahaha. The other day I made lunch boxes for the two of us.
How did you start making lunch boxes for everyone?
Yamaguchi: There's always the same pattern at every place I work at. When I bring along a lunch box and eat it, everyone says "How nice, I want to eat it." So I let them have a bite. After that they say "make this or that this time!" Although I think they might not mean it seriously, I still really did it. (laughs)
Sana: I seriously want to eat it!
Yamaguchi: But Sana brought a lunch box as well, right?
Sana: Yes. Since I like cooking by nature... So I couldn't be defeated!
Ono: These two are having such an influence on me that I feel like I'll start making lunch boxes too. (laughs)
Yamaguchi: Maybe make a lunch box?!
Sana: It's a boom of young men with lunch boxes!
Ono: First I need to buy the box itself!
Yamaguchi: The lunch box selection is very important! (laughs)
By the way, what was the most delicious thing Yamaguchi-san made?
Sana: Fermented brown rice!!
Yamaguchi: Ah~.
Sana: After eating the fermented brown rice and looking it up, I realised it's very difficult to make.
Yamaguchi: Although the cooking part is fine since the rice cooker can do it, the preparation is hard. It has to lie in water for about 3 days until they bud... You cook it when the sprouts come out, and then you ferment it for about 3 days.
Sana: Right! It's very difficult, isn't it?!
You feel strongly about cooking, huh?
Sana: Moreover, if you manage to do it after you're worn out from an extreme practice session... then you feel like you're Superman!
Ono: (to Yamaguchi) You originally like cooking, right?
Yamaguchi: That's right.
Ono: I really can imagine that. You cooking in the kitchen with a huge grin on your face.
Sana & Yamaguchi: (laughing)
Ono: Don't you think so? (laughs)
Yamaguchi: Wait, wait! It's not like that! I don't grin!
Ono: Really? (laughs)
Yamaguchi: I smile though! (laughs)
Sana: "I wonder if everyone will like it~" That sort of facial expression!
What kind of position do Ono-san and Sana-san have at the practice location?
Yamaguchi: You're the type that doesn't voluntarily get involved with your kouhai, right?
Ono: Ah~. That might be it.
Is there a reason for that?
Ono: Although there's no special reason, it feels impolite to force a conversation.
Sana: ... That isn't impolite!!
Yamaguchi: Ahaha! As a senpai, I don't think it's impolite at all!
Ono: It doesn't mean that I don't talk at all though! But I still think it's impolite. Rather than talking, I'm thinking more about how to take care of my kouhai.
Yamaguchi: Among the cast, Kento and I are on the older side of the group, but there are a lot of young people in the group like Sana, Saeki Ryo and Honda Reo... Is that why you're putting up the air of being older? (laughs)
Ono: That isn't it! It's not putting up anything...
Sana: ... You're trying to hard, aren't you?
Ono: It's actually since I'm part of the older group that I end up trying too hard! (laughs)
Yamaguchi: (laughs) Sana and the rest of the young people are all really amiable.
Ono: Yeah. When I was Sana's age, I couldn't talk like this to my older senpai.
There was a very frank atmosphere during the photoshoot, huh. Sana-san seems to be that loved sort of person.
Sana: Yes! (with a cute tone) Senpai ♡
Ono: (Staring at Sana with a blank expression)
Sana: Huh?
(laughs)
Ono: But considering that Sana is playing a lead role and has to memorize a lot of things, I think this demeanour is amazing.
Sana: Thank you, senpai ♡
Ono: I wasn't praising you!
Sana: So cruel!
Yamaguchi: It's always like this. (laughs)
Do you three, for example, go to eat privately?
Yamaguchi: Rather than doing it privately, it ends up a specific way since you're part of the group. We actually all ate together yesterday.
Ono: Since it was the first time we all were together since practice started.
Yamaguchi: Although it usually isn't easy to all get together since the time where practice is over for us is so different, everyone finished at the same time yesterday.
Sana: It was really exciting!
Is there anyone who makes things especially excited at a time like that?
Ono: No, it feels like everyone is making things lively now. (laughs)
Yamaguchi: That's right.
Ono: Ah, we had a "Round Table meal" with the knights of the Round Table!
The cast of the knights of the Round Table came together to eat, huh. ... Oh, Sana-san's facial expression... Don't tell me...?
Sana: Yes. I wasn't invited. Although I knew it was happening, I pretended that I didn't know and watched everyone leave.
Yamaguchi: Moreover, there was also a gathering from the opposing side, the Chaldea team.
Ono: At that time, Daichi asked me, "What's Sana doing?" So I said, "isn't it alright if we don't call him?"
All: (laughing)
Ono: Since our relationship gets complicated again when it comes to inviting...
Yamaguchi: That's right.
Sana: Don't worry about it at all. I've given up on being invited...
Yamaguchi: Sana is cute in ways like these.
Ono: He's cute, right? (laughs)
Then please finally leave a message for those who are looking forward to the performances.
Yamaguchi: This time around there's songs, dances and sword fights... There's a lot of highlights. An amazing cast gathered for this, and I'm really looking forward to seeing what it will be like on stage. I think the audience that will come to see it will be able to enjoy it 100%... no, 120% percent.
Ono: I'm really honored to participate in this production. I think people will come to see it who don't know about the Fate series. I think it'd be great if those people could get a sense of the game and the animated works through this stage play. The game is a lot of fun. Even I, who didn't know anything about the game before, really got into it. I hope to become friends with a lot of people.
Sana: I think there'd be a ridiculous amount of people who would want to be friends with you! (laughs)
Yamaguchi: It's just that Ono Kento's level is low... (laughs)
Ono: (laughs) I hope to get to a higher level along with everyone else!
Sana: I'm really excited during practice. My way of thinking changed as I stuck through practice for FGO, and I feel that I improve various things every day as an actor. I'm filled with the desire to stand on the stage in front of everyone as soon as possible. Since everyone is doing their very best to make a great production, I hope to deliver this wonderful stage play to a lot of people.
