Hyper Projection Engeki HaikyuuÂ
Act Guide 2019 Season 2 - Interview Translation with Daigo Kotarou and Akana Ryuunosuke
Engeki Haikyuu began in 2015, and will soon release a new production. For the two of you, this will be your first show together, isnât it?
Daigo (Hinata): Heâs a lot of fun, actually. Heâs from Kansai, so thereâs the way he talks for one.  He really livens up a place, and itâs comfortable being with him.Â
Full interview translation under the Read More! Please do not repost my translations or scans.
Akana (Kageyama): Out of nowhere, heâs already praising me. (laughs) Â The very first time I met Kotarou-kun, he said, âI got suntanned just from a photoshoot.â Â And something about how straightforward he was drew me to him, I remember that.
Daigo: I said that? (laughs)
Akana: Weâre both 18 and weâre the same age, but this is my very first venture into a 2.5D play, so I have a lot of respect for him.*
*Although this is Akanaâs acting debut, Daigo has already been the lead (Onoda) in the Yowamushi Pedal stage plays as well as being in movies, a drama, and now as a voice actor in the recent animated film, âWeathering with You.â
What impression do you have of Engeki Haikyuu?
Daigo: The high quality of it within the entertainment industry, for sure. Â Even though you think the storyâs just sports, itâs so dynamic and passionate. Â When I watched it, I thought of it as a type of production that really moves you, your emotions, in a positive direction. Â
Akana: I fell into it just before this. Â I canât get enough of the dancing, the acting, the matches; I didnât close my eyes even once. (laughs)
Thatâs almost like audience participation in a way.
Akana: Absolutely. To everyone who comes to see it, please make sure you get a good nightâs sleep the day before. Â
Daigo: Stop that! (laughs)
Akana: Iâm serious, weâre going to get you guys really excited!
Daigo-san, you said youâve been reading the manga throughout?
Daigo: When I have a day off, I like to read manga nonstop from morning until night. Â I read Shounen Jump from cover to cover, I read every single publication inside. Â And of course, Haikyuu is one of those. Â I love it.
Akana: Oh I see. I didnât know about the manga originally. Â I actually read the manga properly for the very first time in my life only recently. Mostly because I prefer to read novels.
Daigo: Oh, so youâre really smart.
Akana: No no. Â I usually read novels after they get turned into movies. Â Then I like to read the book, compare it to the movie, and find what the differences are, I think thatâs really fun. Â With Haikyuu, you have this really passionate main character (Hinata), and next to him you have this genius-like character (Kageyama), thatâs a pretty standard setting. Itâs a story that makes you curious to see whatâll happen next and their development from there is just simple and fun. So I understood pretty quickly why itâs so popular. Â
Daigo: It is really easy to read. Â
Since these characters are originally from a manga, how do you plan on personalizing them to you?
Daigo: First, whenever you have a 2.5D play, I think that fans already have a very strong impression based on the manga or the anime about that characterâs signature phrases or their voices. Â But as living, 3D actors, we have our own way of bringing out those emotions or those expressions. Â So right now Iâm thinking about how best to dig down into that. Â After that, thereâs the fact that Suga Kenta-san, who played Hinata Shouyou up through âThe Strongest Team,â he was so true-to-life in his acting that he really pulled everyone up and lead them so well. Â
His presence as cast captain really was outstanding, wasnât it? Â
Daigo: With our new generation of Karasuno members, we have actually 11 people this time, and if we can just find a new way to create a dialogue between all of us, then I think that will probably open up a new direction for this production. Â Of course weâll be discussing things with Worry Kinoshita-san, and I want us to really think about how to present something thatâs going to really impact the audience.
Akana: I can already sort of imagine how Kotarou-kun will play Hinata. Â
Daigo: Even though weâre not that similar? Â I can be bright and fun when talking, but my core personality is more detached. Â
Akana: But when it comes to your enthusiasm when you âlikeâ something, thatâs when Hinata shines through. Listening to you talk throughout this interview, I keep thinking that you really like your work as an actor. Â
Daigo: Iâm embarrassed now... Â But Iâm trying to work on putting my feelings into words and seeing things differently. Because if I canât reply to people, itâs the same as just not thinking. Â
Whatâs it like for you to inherit or take over this story and these characters?
Daigo: I feel itâs going to be quite difficult to take over this role, and I donât necessarily want to enjoy myself with it. Â When creating a play, everyone has a part, between the producer and the director, and my part as an actor is simply to carry out their directions. Â I canât personally do much more beyond that. Â I think that playing the part sincerely and honestly while taking into consideration everyoneâs expectations is ultimately the fastest way to best results. Â What I mean is that Iâm trying not to throw in anything unnecessary into my acting. Â
Akana: Oh, thatâs so cool. Â Iâm a little bit different from Kotarou-kun. Â Specifically, I hate to lose. (laughs) Â Thatâs why I want to evaluate various things about the production and how Kageyama Tobio has been played so far, and then steal the good parts from those portrayals. Â If that mish-mash becomes my original version of Kageyama, thatâs fine. Â Iâm constantly considering, âwhyâ they did what they did when looking at the other actors, and then I take notes and do research.
Daigo: Thatâs because youâre taking it seriously.
Akana: I donât like taking risks, Iâm excessively cautious. Â But if maybe that leads to a slightly fresh take on Kageyama, I think thatâd be great.
Daigo: So youâre really dependable. (laughs)
Akana: The differences between the two of us might be similar to our characters. Â
I know you havenât started rehearsals yet, but please give us some final thoughts as you face this new leap forward.
Akana: For me, this will be my very first 2.5D production. Â I have a long way to go and have no particular skills, but if seeing me take on this strange new world can inspire someone else on their own path, then Iâll be happy. Â That being said, I have high goals, and I plan on slipping into the rankings just below the 2.5D âHeavenly Seven.â*
*âHeavenly Sevenâ rankings originated with AKB48, but the term is used for other popularity ranking systems in entertainment. Â In 2017, a ranking of popular 2.5D actors did include Kimura Tatsunari (1st Kageyama) in 7th place. Â
Daigo: Seriously!?  Thaaatâs amazing.  (laughs) For me, I would like for everyone who comes to see th show to leave thinking, âMan, why donât I work a little harder tomorrow,â or âIâll try a little harder in school,â or for anything, if you can just get a little more energy and motivation from seeing us, I think that will be our reward.  I want to work really hard so that everyone can really take in our passion and enthusiasm from atop the stage, and get some spirit and energy out of it. Â
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Translated by @nimbus-cloud Please do not repost my translations
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