#livedoor

—You three have known each other for a long time. As a way to introduce yourselves, could the other two each describe one member?

Suga Kenta as Hinata Shouyou

Suga-san, you’ve been playing Hinata Shouyou ever since the very first production in 2015.  And all the while, bearing the heavy responsibility of being the cast leader.   Around the time of the first show, rather than think about being cast leader, I was just pushing myself to my absolute limit playing Hinata.  It was instead everyone around me being considerate because that was my focus.  If I think about it now, it was everyone else who helped make me into the cast leader.  

Then there was a growing awareness as the shows continued. I think so.  I think the role of cast leader became gradually bigger.  But when I compare myself as a person from now to then, I think I’ve gotten gradually more useless.  (laughs)

Useless? (laughs) Rather than me vigorously pulling everyone else along, I try to just focus on what theme or message should be conveyed and work so that I can convey that.  Then everyone else around me adds their amazing contributions.  They’ve let me experience some really great things.  (laughs)

When you first heard about your graduation, how did you feel? Because it’s a production that’s been going on for so long, we’ve all thought about our graduation at some point.  So when it was decided, my feeling was more... It’s finally here.  But since this show (The Strongest Team) is a nice break in the flow of the story, and was even a nice break for the manga, I think it’s probably the best possible time for a graduation.  

Right now, how do you want to tackle rehearsals?   Whether I want to or not, I get the feeling that I won’t be able to help being aware of our graduation.  I don’t want to have any regrets, and I want to end things by giving it my all.  That feeling in particular grows stronger every day. .....but I’m still really anxious. This production is one where the hurdles keep going up with every tour, and I feel like they’re pretty high this time around. My personal ideals toward this production have also become so high, and I feel this pressure to make sure the audience walks away with something more than just, “Wow, amazing!”  

During these three years, is there anything you feel you’ve improved upon personally so that Hinata could also improve and mature?   My expressions!  (laughs)  I think if I compare myself now to the first tour, that’s changed for sure.  Totally different now.  I was so immature back then.

Have you watched any of the older recordings recently? This summer I had the chance to watch the first show at our Engeki Summer fest screenings, but hmmmm, I couldn’t watch it without getting embarrassed.  (laughs)   Yes, that was everything I had to give at that time, but it was still so unrefined.  I did feel a little pleased to see myself working so hard, but there was also embarrassment creeping in.

The spring play this year, “Start of the Giant,” returned to the same staging style as the first show, and revived the slanted stage that had been used up until “Winners and Losers.”  Did it make you remember the first production? That’s right.  It was the same staging for the intro as back during the first show when I was the only one standing on that slanted stage with the spotlight on.  Because it was exactly identical to that, I was nervous.  When I remember our first production, I feel like I can’t help but be nervous... But the number of people who surround Hinata has grown so much compared to then, and I feel like that’s one way in which the production itself has grown.  During that first show, about 20 people surrounded me on that stage, and during Start of the Giant, it had become 30.  

I think the role of Hinata Shouyou must have some very special memories for you. Well yes.  When I got the role of Hinata, I was worrying about it constantly.  But on the other hand, I was trying to get myself worked up by saying, “I’ll play a Hinata that only I can portray!”  But again there was a part of me that thought, but what would I do if other people didn’t really accept me?  Aren’t there other people who are more like Hinata?  But I’ve made it this far, and now every time I hear people say, “I love Suga-kun’s Hinata,” I’m so glad that I went through with it.

Lastly, what does Engeki Haikyuu mean to you, Suga-san? It’s crazy hard.  .....But right now, I absolutely can’t feel the ending at all.  That’s probably because Engeki Haikyuu is still my focus right now, so it just hasn’t sunk in yet.  It still won’t.  For me, there’s no other show that I’ve continued to work on for so long, so as a stage actor and for myself personally, it’s become undoubtedly the most important work of my career. ....So, as I am now, I think Engeki Haikyuu is my “everything.”  

Kageyama Tatsuya as Kageyama Tobio

Kageyama-san, you joined the production in September of 2017 with the 4th play in the series, “Summer of Evolution.”  When you heard about the Karasuno cast graduation, what were your thoughts? I was surprised.  But I quickly switched over to thinking about just doing what I can do for now, because I don’t want to have even a single regret. But honestly, I’d finally felt like I’d reached my personal goals with “Start of the Giant,” and I just kept thinking, I want to do more!  I want to keep going!  Of course I have those feelings, but for right now I just want to work hard and do the absolute best I can do.

When you landed the role of Kageyama Tobio, what was something you’ve prioritized for playing this part? I think my relationship with Suga Kenta is important, but most of all, I think it’s the fact that Kageyama Tobio is not a character I created on my own.  Before me, the one playing Tobio was Kimura Tatsunari-kun, and I feel that I didn’t take over the character so much as the both of us made him together.  

And that’s what was important to you, Kageyama-san? Yes.  That and another thing I wanted to keep in mind when playing Tobio is that he’s a high schooler.  Including all the awkward parts of his personality, and his attitude with throwing himself heart and soul into his beloved volleyball, all of that is possible because he’s a high schooler.  If he were a working adult, there’d probably be a slightly different feel to his character. So I thought it was important to make sure I behaved like a high schooler.      

Was that done while remembering what your own high school years were like? There are parts that sync up pretty closely with my own high school experiences.  I played soccer back then.  I loved soccer, and I wanted to be really good at it, so I practiced everyday, and sometimes I was allowed to play in a match and sometimes not, there were times I had arguments with my teammates, and times where they shared my happiest moments...  I play Tobio while remembering all of those experiences and emotions.  

Karasuno is famous for having a lot of ad-lib, have you gotten used to that by now?  Back when you were interviewed for “Summer of Evolution,” you had said, “I’d just burst suddenly into laughter and be unable to respond.” I’ve gotten used to it... but I still can’t hold it in and I end up laughing. (laughs)  But I really can’t help it!  They’re just so crazy!

Who tends to be the most spontaneous? Ryoutarou, I think.  He’ll just suddenly say things out of nowhere like, “So, what’d you have for lunch today?”  He’s too easygoing.  

Even just seeing you on-stage, I feel like the relationship between Kageyama-san and everyone else on the cast has gotten closer. Within the Karasuno cast members, who is someone where your opinion of them now has changed drastically from your first impression of them?   Hmm... I wonder who...  Among the Karasuno members, I had a lot of acquaintances already from working together with them in other plays or on other work.  So probably the opinion that’s changed the most is my opinion of Suga Kenta.  Before we’d met in person, I only knew the Suga Kenta on-screen.  So it was refreshing to meet this Suga Kenta that’s so overflowing with warmth and kindness.  (laughs)

What kind of person did you think he was? (laughs) This might be kind of rude, but because he was a child actor and I’d always seen him, he just had the complete aura of an entertainer!  That was just the image I had for him.  But after actually meeting him and spending time with him, it turns out that he can get lonely easily, and there are a lot of other points to him that make him a person and are lovable.  I’m really fond of the way he smiles really widely while eating and saying, “Yummy!” Seriously, he’s cute, so cute. (laughs)  Of course as an actor I also have a lot of respect for him, but personally, my impression of him has changed a lot and I mean that in a good way.

And now the last question.  What does Engeki Haikyuu mean to you, Kageyama-san? A place that challenges me with anything and everything.  You know, I’m not actually the zealous type.  I’m more the type to carefully think everything through and then go about it slowly.  They understand that about me and then they also accept my opinions.  Whenever I start to hesitate, they give me a push and say, “It’s okay to challenge yourself.”  Engeki Haikyuu is that kind of wonderful and amazing place.  

Kosaka Ryoutarou as Tsukishima Kei

After the announcement of the Karasuno cast members’ graduation, in April this year you performed “Start of the Giant.”  Now you’re currently headed toward rehearsals for “The Strongest Team.”  Kosaka-san, what are your feelings going into these rehearsals? Business as usual.  I’m not worrying about the graduation, I’m going about things as if there’s going to be another show for me, giving my all at rehearsals, and having fun with everyone.

Do you suppose the sadness will sink in when the final show arrives? I will definitely cry. (laughs)

You’re going to admit to that now?! As I’ve been working on these, even when I knew there was going to be another play, I’ve cried every time.  Now that it’s truly, actually the last time.....I have no idea how I’ll end up. It’s a world I’ve never experienced before, so there’s even a part of me that’s almost looking forward to how everything will end up.

What did you feel when you first heard about the graduation? For every beginning, there’s an end. That’s a simple fact of life, but even if I understand that.... Rather than sadness though, there’s a much greater sense of achievement for having been involved with Engeki Haikyuu for so long. 

You’ve been playing Tsukishima Kei since the very first show.  Was there anything you’ve been prioritizing as especially important for playing this character? Tsukishima is like a troublemaking demon*, and he tends to say the opposite of what he’s actually thinking.  His personality is very contrary and he struggles with being honest about his feelings, that’s what I think.  So that’s what I’ve focused on, and I’ve tried to portray that in subtle ways.  Whether it’s with little eye movements, or his gestures, or even just how he stands. Instead of going with standard stage acting which tends to require deliberate vocal projecting, I’ve been speaking in low voices and paying attention to behaving a little more naturally.

*Specifically, Ryoutarou says amanojaku, which is a type of demon-like creature, or youkai, in Japanese folklore that loves to provoke people and instigate them into perpetrating wicked deeds.

And the plays involve a lot of scenes with just Tsukishima and Yamaguchi Tadashi.   During the first tour, the two of us would discuss a lot of things.  We talked a lot about how best to express their relationship, how best to act it out. But as we’ve kept on doing these productions, even if we don’t discuss anything, we’ve come to be able to understand each other with just a look.

As if you were actually childhood friends? Yes.  But since the “Summer of Evolution” play was the moment where our relationship changed, we went right back to discussing things heavily.  We were worrying and worrying right up to the very last day of rehearsal... On opening night we definitely let out over 100% effort, but we felt like even that wasn’t enough.  Not for Engeki Haikyuu.  We were both overwhelmed with the feeling that we needed to aim higher, so we kept talking about it even as we were touring.

Have you ever felt especially glad that Yamaguchi was played by Miura-san? We’re the same age, you know.  And that makes it so that we think of each other as rivals, considerably so.  When Kairi’s doing well, it can actually be frustrating and makes me think that I have to do more, I have to work harder.  That became our synergy, and I think we’ve both pushed each other to improve.

On the Fuji TV program “Out x Deluxe,” you basically exploded with love for Suga-san, and that’s very fresh in my mind. If I start talking about Kenta-kun, I won’t stop. (laughs)

Was there a particular incident that made you love him so much? There’s obviously his acting, but also Engeki Haikyuu was my debut production.  And he was aware of that and doted on me, and that made me so happy!! Kenta-kun is this grand senpai for me as an actor, and he has such a huge role to play, I kept thinking to myself, is it ok for him to be so nice to me? (laughs)  In any case, he’s really kind.  You know?

His face does seem to exude kindness. Exactly!  He’s crazy nice!!  I don’t always tweet about it, but we go out to eat just the two of us quite often.  I think the two of us get along especially well.  And it’s not a one-way street, Kenta-kun comes over to me a lot too!! As a person, I respect everything about him.   Actually, my history in the entertainment industry also goes back 19 years, and during the Engeki Haikyuu auditions, I was auditioning at the same time as Kenta-kun.  Seeing his performance in person, I was overwhelmed.  I firmly believed, “Kenta-kun has to be Hinata,” I even got goosebumps.  

This is the last question.  What does Engeki Haikyuu mean to you, Kosaka-san? Hmmm, I wonder.  “Page 1 of my life,” maybe.  My life changed so much after landing the Engeki Haikyuu audition.  If I hadn’t met Engeki Haikyuu, I wouldn’t be who I am today.  It’s an important production that’s really made an impact in my life, and I’ll never forget it for as long as I live.  

Miura Kairi as Yamaguchi Tadashi

Miura-san, you’ve been plying Yamaguchi Tadashi ever since the first production.  When the Karasuno cast graduation was announced, how did you feel? Even if I went to work on other productions, it was obvious I had a place to return to, so having that certainty disappear was definitely upsetting.  At the same time, even though I’ve been giving my max for every single tour, I then felt that I now had to work hard to make our best production ever so that at the end of it all, I can graduate with everyone with a smile.  

Right now you’re in the middle of rehearsing for “The Strongest Team.”  Have your feelings changed in any way since the graduation announcement to now? Truthfully I don’t really feel like it’s the end yet....  But I think that’ll start to sink in pretty hard once we start touring and it reaches the second half of the tour.

I often hear people say, “I’m so glad that Yamaguchi Tadashi was Miura-kun.” That makes me so happy!!

In your role as Yamaguchi, what was something you’ve been prioritizing as especially important for playing this character? One thing I was very conscientious of when playing him was to make sure I didn’t stand out.  That’s how he is in the manga too, but as a character he’s not like Hinata Shouyou or Tanaka Ryuunosuke, who are always very energetic and shouting “Yaaay!” or anything like that.  (laughs)  It’s not like I wanted to completely erase his presence since ultimately I am present on that stage, but how could I just naturally avoid standing out while being on-stage?  I was really focused on that.  Then, when the time came for Yamaguchi’s highlight scenes, I became very conscientious of how best to leave an impact.  

When you make sure to have that variation, then you become suddenly become especially visible when the spotlight’s on you. During these three years, I’ve almost gotten lost amongst the cast looking for my position among them, and it became a journey of searching for where I belong.

Obviously you’ve been considerably involved in scenes with Yamaguchi and Tsukishima.  Have you ever felt especially glad that Tsukishima was played by Kosaka-san? The first thing is that we’re the same age. I think it’s because we’re the same age that we could connect to that childhood friends atmosphere between Yamaguchi and Tsukishima.  And then for myself and Ryoutarou both, Engeki Haikyuu was our very first stage work. We were in the same boat of not knowing left from right and I think it was good that we were able to support each other in that.  And then, I think you know this, but our homes are fairly close too so that also reduced the distance between us.  And then...

And then? Because we’re the same age, a sense of rivalry sprung up between us, and I mean that as a good thing.  When Ryoutarou’s in great shape, I end up thinking to myself that I can’t lose.  It’s good motivation.  So yes, I really do feel glad that it was Ryoutarou.

As you’ve said, Engeki Haikyuu is your stage debut.  What’s something that you’ve learned as an actor from this production? Stage is different from filming because the same line can change depending on my condition that day or even based on the audience’s response.  I’ve learned that even though you’re doing the same thing over and over, it’s never actually the same.  It makes me want to do it with great care every time, for every show.

Miura-san, you turned 20 in the middle of the “Karasuno, Revival!” tour back in 2016.  To go from your teens to your twenties is a precious time, and you spent it with this production.  As a person, what’s an area in which you feel you’ve matured and grown? Hmm... Ah, I’ve learned to pay attention to those around me.  I’ve become able to match someone else’s pace, or realize when they’re not feeling well, or when they might be upset, basically I’ve learned to recognize the changes in people.  When I was in my teens I couldn’t do that at all, so being able to do it now is proof that I’ve become an adult, right? (laughs)

And now the last question.  What does Engeki Haikyuu mean to you, Miura-san? Hmm, that’s difficult.  Let me think.  Everyone probably says “family,” right?

Actually nobody’s said that yet. (laughs) Ah, really, no one’s said it yet? (laughs)  Well, maybe it’s more like, “home?”  Let’s go with home!  Engeki Haikyuu is the place where my life as an actor started, and that’s no exaggeration. Even after I graduate, I’ll take with me the experiences I’ve had, and if I could work on anything in the future with these Karasuno cast members again, I think that would be wonderful. I think every production I participate in from here on out will be a sort of repayment to this one.  And that’s what I mean when I say Engeki Haikyuu is my home.  

Shiota Kouhei as Tanaka Ryuunosuke

The graduation was announced this year back in January, how did you feel when you first heard about it? I have experience from the Prince of Tennis Musicals, so for a series of plays like this one, I always knew that there would come an end for me.  We even talked about it as a group, saying, “Going as far as the match against Shiratorizawa would be a good stopping point.”

That’s very true.  Shiota-san, as you approach the fall tour in what will become your “final match,” what are your feelings right now? I feel like everyone, including myself, isn’t really worrying about the graduation.  Our audience probably feels more strongly about it than the actors do, I think.  There’s a lot of instances of fans telling us, “It’s sad that you’ll be graduating, but please do your best!”  And we’re grateful about that, but for us we’re going to proceed like always, just like every tour, to present a marvelous show.  

You’ve been playing Tanaka Ryuunosuke since the very first show.  Was there anything you’ve been continuously prioritizing as especially important for playing this character? Tanaka’s a character that can really move, so I’ve always tried to go around and get in everyone’s faces. Just by moving around, all sorts of relationships bloom, so I’ve always placed a lot of importance on how I react to people and how they react to me.  For example, Daichi-san is a scary senpai, so if I make Tanaka react in a scared way, then Daichi-san appears scary to other people too.  If I want to show off Hinata as this adorable person, then I change Tanaka’s expressions so that it looks like he’s thinking, “How cute!” and then Hinata looks cute to everyone else.  I’ve always paid a lot of attention to how I can react to others so as to bring life to them.

And you’ve been doing that since the first show? No, I don’t think I could pull it off back during the first show.  It was building up all of that experience over all those productions that as an actor I sort of just slipped into doing that.  Tanaka is actually drawn a lot in the manga.  But there are still a lot of sides to Tanaka Ryuunosuke that people don’t see, and there is a lot to him that’s not even in the manga, I think.  If I bring out those parts of him, then I can perform Tanaka Ryuunosuke with more depth, so I was always imagining how I could make the character bigger in a sense.

So does that mean that as you re-read the manga, you expand the content with your thoughts and imaginations?   It’s a given that I have to read and re-read the manga, but actually I tend to do that more with the script.  There’s no art in the script so my imagination has to work a little harder.  If I read the manga and mimic what I see, it just feels like an impersonation, and I can bring a lot more depth to my expressions if I work off my own imagination. There’s a difference.  Lately I’ve been looking forward to working from my imagination instead.  (laughs)

Karasuno has this image of having a lot of ad-lib, and Shiota-san, your ad-libs in particular are a lot of fun.   Thank you very much.  I do all of that ad-lib on-the-spot.  

All of it?! Or rather, there are times when the ad-lib that appears at rehearsals then stays that way for the actual show.  But, even if it came from rehearsals, ad-lib is ad-lib.  (laughs) Sometimes during an actual show an idea will just hit me, and then suddenly I’m doing that instead.  

Do you regularly just think up these fun ideas? I don’t think about it. (laughs) If I work from things I’ve already thought of, I just turn into a comedian working from an act.  I think it’s funny because I don’t think about it beforehand.  

Don’t you get upset when that fails? I don’t mind it.  I have a resilient heart.  (laughs)

Of the 10 Karasuno volleyball players, who’s the one that’s changed the most from your first impression of them? I think Yuuto.  Yuuto joined on from “Summer of Evolution” onward, but at first he was really really quiet.  When we first met, he was so nervous he was frozen stiff, and no matter what anyone said to him, he’d only reply with, “Yes.”  I thought that was all he could say.  (laughs)  But now we have a relationship where we can say anything to each other.

Lastly.  What does Engeki Haikyuu mean to you, Shiota-san? That’s a tough question.  Hmmm.  “A blessed place,” I think.  The manga, the cast, the audience, the staff, we’re surrounded by wonderful people, who let us work freely all the things we want to do and try.  I really do think that we as a company have been blessed.   .......no, wait a second.

Waiting! Actually, let me change it to “A chemical reaction.”  The cast is full of individuals with strong personalities, and when they clash, things go BOOM, but it’s thanks to that that the result is so good.  (laughs)  That’s why I’m going with “A chemical reaction.”  

Fuchino Yuuto as Nishinoya Yuu

When the Karasuno cast graduation was announced, what were your thoughts? I felt like it was the right timing for a graduation given the climax that’s in the story.  There might also have been a part of me that was already resigned to it.  I’m trying not to think about the graduation, right now I don’t have any sad feelings, and I’m really looking forward to just starting our tour.  I’m excited to see what kind of show we’ll all make together.

Like, working to leave behind something legendary? That’s the spirit of it, yes.  (laughs)

Fuchino-san, you joined the cast in September of 2017 for “Summer of Evolution.” I did.  With each and every show, I think that we really make the most of our time from what we do at rehearsals.  There are those on the cast who have been doing this for three years since the first production, and I think that for them there must be all kinds of emotions. But it’s not like I’m losing to that. I also want to push toward the end with everything I have and in that sense, my feelings are exactly the same as those who’ve been here from the beginning.

What’s something that you consider especially important for playing Nishinoya Yuu?   I think our captain, Sawamura Daichi, is the team’s mental support, but Nishinoya’s role is to fling encouraging words at everyone.  As someone who inspires them, he’s another point of mental support for Karasuno, I think. He’s small but he’s manlier than anyone, and I was always trying to be the Karasuno volleyball team’s foundation.

How does that compare to your actual personality? Well I’m about as noisy as Nishinoya. But I’m not the type to give off an imposing attitude.  (laughs)

Since joining Engeki Haikyuu, what’s an area where you feel as though you’ve improved as an actor? I think this show is extremely unique in how it’s made.  Normally, the actors move however the directors tell them to, but in Engeki Haikyuu, the director, Worry-san, is always actively adapting the opinions of the actors.  As fellow performers we pay attention to one another, and the actors and the director discuss everything as equals.  And as everyone puts forth their own ideas and opinions, we create the show with everyone together.

And you give ideas as well, Fuchino-san? Because we want to really hide that I can’t move as well, I’ll give ideas for how I can move in certain scenes while everyone else is moving another way.  I’ve really learned how to be flexibly creative here.

Is there anything in particular that you’ve started doing because of Engeki Haikyuu? Well the level of exercise in this show isn’t normal at all, don’t you think?  I’ve started drinking protein.  There’s... probably been some results.  (laughs) And, this veers off-topic a little bit, but after being in Engeki Haikyuu, I’ve discovered something.

Which is? When I get nervous, I want to go to the bathroom.  Even if I went 10 minutes before opening, I’ll want to go again 3 minutes before it starts. But since there’s no time and I can’t go, I’ll just go out on-stage as is.  And then as time goes on, I start to feel better and don’t have to go anymore.  I’d think to myself, why is that?  And it’s because I just let it all out as sweat.  That’s the degree of how much we run around on that stage.  I just wanted to say that.  (laughs)

Is there anyone on Karasuno who’s changed from your first impression of them? Kosaka Ryoutarou.  At first, I thought he looked quiet.  But then...  well, Ryoutarou started talking to me first, so then I thought that maybe he’s quiet but friendly.  But then I realized he’s just the usual noisy and friendly.  (laughs)

And now the last question.  What does Engeki Haikyuu mean to you, Fuchino-san? .......”Club activities,” I think. Stage-plays are originally stories, so you’d think that it wouldn’t surpass the amount of sweat and tears spent as on actual sports.  But Engeki Haikyuu is as... moving, maybe, as an actual sports match, so it feels like being in an actual sports club.  Like in high school baseball, if you lose you’re extremely frustrated, and the players and everyone else will cry, and even the people cheering for them will shed tears.  Engeki Haikyuu feels exactly like that, and when you lose a match you’re actually truly sad, and when you win, you’re so happy you could die.  

Even though you know it’s all an act? Exactly.  It feels to us like we’re playing a real match.  And that’s why my answer is “club activities.”  

Kawahara Kazuma as Ennoshita Chikara

Kawahara-san, you’ve been playing Ennoshita Chikara since the very first show in 2015.  When your graduation was announced, what were your thoughts? This is a show that everyone made together these past three years, so at first I was overwhelmed by probably sadness. After that, gratitude and then various other feelings started jumbling all together.  Physically, it’s definitely hard, but in the world of Engeki, we’ve all been allowed to taste the youth of student life again.  I’m just really full of gratitude.  

As you face rehearsals, what are your emotions now? The moment I let my mind wander and take a breath, the sadness creeps in, but right now I really can’t talk about that! That’s the feeling that’s stronger. The work of creating even one show has a lot of difficulties, and Engeki Haikyuu in particular just isn’t like other conventional 2.5D shows, since it was always our goal to create something totally new.   That’s why instead of focusing on the graduation, we’re spending our days thinking more about how we’re going to make our last show interesting, and how we’re going to convey all of our ideas to the audience.  

You want to finish the race with no regrets. It’s the grand sum of everything our team can do, our final challenge.  This isn’t restricted to 2.5D stage works, it’s true of any work that gets turned into a series, but laying the initial foundations is really hard.  The work of going from 0 to 1 is so difficult.  That’s why it’s a point of pride for Engeki Haikyuu that we have so many actors in our generation with such creative minds, who are continuously throwing out ideas.

What’s something that you consider especially important for playing Ennoshita Chikara? Among fans of the manga, I do think there are a lot of people who love Ennoshita Chikara, and my main thought was that I didn’t want to betray those people.  But when it comes to Ennoshita Chikara, he’s not often drawn in scenes. In the manga, there might be a scene where he only appears in three panels, but he has to provide the explanations, and in those moments his character is essentially a blur.  For the anime or for manga panels, you can essentially erase the existence of someone by just not having them in the shot, but in the case of live theater, I’m actually always on that stage.  So it was difficult to come up with a performance that emphasized non-existence.  

Suga-san had written about you in a blog-entry once, calling you the “unsung hero” of Engeki Haikyuu.   That made me really happy. Back during our very first show, I had tried to be exactly as his namesake, “縁の下の力持ち*,” and that’s how I tried to play him.  I think there are fans of the manga who must have varying opinions of him, but for me personally, I’ve now come to play him on-stage with the idea that I have to do everything I can to live atop that stage too.  

*Ennoshita Chikara’s name (縁下力) comes straight from the expression (“縁の下の力持ち” en no shita no chikara mochi), which refers to a person who works without expecting credit, does thankless tasks, the “unsung hero.”  

What does Engeki Haikyuu mean to you, Kawahara-san? Ennoshita and I have a lot of similarities, and we even have the same birthday, so I felt like it was fate.  There was a time when I had hit a wall* as an actor, and I had thought to bet my career as an actor on this production, as a challenge. So to me, this production became a turning point.  And it’s difficult for me to summarize all of that into a single word or phrase.  It’s my “home,” but at the end of our autumn tour, we’ll all have to spread our wings and fly off to new places.  And when we do that, we’ll lose that “home.”

*You can read this particular post I made back in June (x) where Kazuma had admitted to us during the Start of the Giant tour that just before auditioning for Engeki Haikyuu, he’d seriously considered quitting as an actor.

That’s very true... I could even call it my “soulmate,” and it’s a production in which I’ve been able to meet so many wonderful actors in my generation, I think it would be great if it could become a new “starting point.”  I’d like to make this my new starting point, then take my next step onward.

Tanaka Keita as Sawamura Daichi

Tanaka-san, you actually appeared in the first production, then left, then came back to the production with “Start of the Giant.”  Please tell us how you felt when it was decided you’d be returning to the cast. After the first show, I switched with Akisawa-kun.  Although I was apart from the production itself, I was still privately very close to everyone, and with every show onward, I’d go to see them.  That’s why even though I was separate from the troupe, I still felt like I was a part of them and cheered them on as such.  Akisawa-kun carefully passed the part of Sawamura Daichi to me, and I really wanted to make sure I made a smooth transition from everything he’d done to play the next Sawamura Daichi.  

Tanaka-san, you’re the first person to return to the Engeki Haikyuu cast like this. We’d changed the cast, but to return to a show like this is a pattern you don’t really see.  It’s a unique case, but I think of Sawamura Daichi as someone that Akisawa-kun and I created together, so to all of the audience that comes to see us from “Start of the Giant” onward, I wanted them to feel as though “Akisawa-kun’s heart remained.”  That would’ve made me happy, so I played the part while keeping that in mind.  

A role that you created together with Akisawa-san.  That’s a wonderful story. Actually, before the “Start of the Giant” tour, I reached out to him, and Akisawa-kun and I met up just the two of us.  We talked about things like, all the things he was feeling while playing Sawamura Daichi, and it was thanks to that conversation that I felt like I could take on the show. It was really great.  That’s why I feel really strongly that the two of us stand on that stage together.

When the cast and staff and audience called out to you with, “Welcome back,” how did you feel? At rehearsals, the directory Worry-san was the first to say that, then when the audience said it to me, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I’d returned home.  We do get to say some things during curtain calls when it comes to theater, and I could really feel the love from the audience, so I was really very happy.

Were you at all nervous about coming back? Actually... I was really nervous.  Everyone had been leveling up all this time, so I was nervous about the technical side of things, and because there were surely people in the audience who’d only ever known Akisawa-kun’s Sawamura Daichi, I was nervous as to whether or not they’d accept me.  But after the curtain went up on opening day and we received all those cheers and applause, all of my worries just instantly blew away.  

How was it when you watched Engeki Haikyuu as an outsider? I mostly thought, “That’s sooo fun.” (laughs) As one of the audience, I clapped and cheered together with them and sent my support that way.  As a cast member, some scenes are so difficult that I almost couldn’t enjoy them.  But as one of the audience, I could just get pulled into the story and I could just simply enjoy everything.  It was a really fresh experience.  

This year in January, it was announced that everyone on the Karasuno cast would graduate. Graduation might have come to some of us separately, but ever since our first tour I always knew it would happen.  For me, “Start of the Giant” is part one of that, then the next show “The Strongest Team” is part two.  Right now my main thoughts are to making the autumn tour a success.  It’s not the time to get sentimental yet.  

And lastly, what does Engeki Haikyuu mean to you, Tanaka-san? “Youth.”  Back during the first tour, the same question appeared in the behind-the-scenes on the DVD, and I’d answered the same way back then, because it’s definitely “youth.”  This group itself is the definition of youth.  Volleyball is the story of a team.  Even at rehearsals, we say “Good morning” as a group and gather together, and when it’s time to go home and someone says, “Let’s go out to eat with everyone together,” and we take that detour, that’s also youth.  When we’re acting, that’s also youth, and Engeki Haikyuu’s source for that overwhelming level of passion comes from that “youth.”  

When you were a student, did you do any sports? I played volleyball for middle school and high school, and I was the same as Sawamura, I was the captain, so I know the feeling really well.  I feel like I’m able to return to those times.  For me, Engeki Haikyuu is my second shot at youth. 

 Tanaka Naoki as Sugawara Koushi

Back when the Karasuno cast graduation was announced in January, how did you feel? My honest-to-goodness feelings.... On November 27th 2017, it was announced that I would play the role of Sugawara Koushi in “Start of the Giant,” but rehearsals for that didn’t start until March of 2018.  So when the graduation was announced in January, my first thought was, “But I still haven’t even met anyone on the cast?!”  It basically felt like I’d been made to graduate before I’d even enrolled. (laughs)  So for me, rather than feeling sad, I had much stronger feelings about wanting to just hurry up and start rehearsals and enter the Engeki Haikyuu world already.  

Had you gone to see Engeki Haikyuu before? Yes.  I love the manga, and I’d gone to see the show before, so I was really excited when it was announced that I’d be a member of the cast too.  So right now I’m really not getting sentimental about graduation.  

Not even a little? I’m joining the Karasuno volleyball team now, so the only thing I feel is that I want to make an amazing show and leave my name in Engeki history!  Probably once the autumn tour starts and the actual end of it all comes creeping close, I’ll maybe start to feel sad....

It’ll be a year dedicated to Engeki Haikyuu then? One year might be a short time, but I’ve been able to make some very deep connections with everyone, so it’s been a very full year. I very strongly feel that I want to treasure every single day I spend with everyone so that I won’t regret anything.

Tanaka-san, you play Sugawara Koushi, who supports the captain as vice captain, and watches over the team like a maternal figure. What do you consider especially important in playing this character? This is a production that’s physically as hard as being part of a real team, so even outside of the play itself, I’ve gotten used to observing everyone’s condition and their expressions and calling out to them like, “Can you keep going?  Yeah you can, go!” I watch my surroundings excessively, and there are times when I hang back a step, but we all share a sense that we’ll absolutely never back down from things we feel we can’t back down from.  That’s something we all take very seriously.   I try to be encouraging and kind, to try to be a mom and an older brother.  I’ve constructed my Sugawara so that he can take on all sorts of positions.  

During scenes with acrobatics or dance, my eyes are completely drawn to you.  Did you pick some kind of specialty originally like stage combat, or stunts, or jazz dance or hip hop? The first time I stood on-stage was back in middle school, and it was back then that I first thought I wanted to be able to express more with my body.  So I started dance lessons, acrobat lessons, stage combat, and fencing.  I’ve been in a lot of plays with Japanese history as the subject so I’ve practiced a lot with katana, spears, and even fighting with short swords.

That’s such a wide variety!! I really want it to look good, so the result is that I try my hand at all sorts of different things.  (laugh)  But it’s thanks to that that I’ve become able to pull out that kind of variety.  When I was cast for Engeki Haikyuu, I’d go to acrobatics practice with Kageyama Tatsuya-kun and in “Start of the Giant” we did a lot of sideways tumbling.  

During the final show curtain call messages, Tomimori Justin-san would usually make an unreasonable request of Sugawara, and he’s transferred that from the previous Sugawara, Ino-Hiroki-san to you.  And you... responded.  (laughs) He made sure to pass that onto me, yeah. (laughs)  Here, the power of ad-lib is pretty strong, I think.  During rehearsals, even for scenes that had nothing to do with me, they’d go, “I kind of wanna see Sugawara try that,” and they’d throw it my way.  This is a group of people that chases after humor continuously.  But when we accept each other’s ideas like, “Oh that’s good!” I think everyone’s morale goes up.  

And this is the last question.  What does Engeki Haikyuu mean to you, Tanaka-san? This is like a riddle, right?  I actually thought of something before I came.

Please go ahead! What is something that Engeki Haikyuu and “all of us tired after rehearsals” have in common?  

What? We hit the spa...ike!*

*I hate puns and I hate translating puns and it doesn’t work like 98% of the time, but I tried.  Naoki’s answer is 「スパ行く」su-pa-i-ku. Read as one word, it reads “spike” and read as two words (supa iku), it’s “go to the spa.”  In English you can “hit the spa” and “hit a spike” so I wrangled up the translation above.  

That’s so good!! Thank you very much.  (laughs)  I tied together “hitting the spa” with the “spikes” we hit in volleyball.  During the regional tours for “Start of the Giant,” one of the hotels we stayed at had a large public bath and Kouhei-san invited me, “Naoki, let’s take a bath.”  And in that huge hotel bath, the two of us just submerged ourselves.  We alternated between the hot bath, the cold bath, back to the hot bath and just refreshed our bodies.  I think we’ll be going even more during the fall tour.  (laughs)  

Tomimori Justin as Azumane Asahi

Tomimori-san, you’ve been playing Azumane Asahi since the first tour.  When the cast graduation announcement was made, how did you feel? Of course I felt sad, but I always knew that the end would come eventually, so I also thought that it was about time for our graduation.  This place has always made me feel my best.  Like I could relive my high school days all over again.

So it feels like graduating high school again? It’s my second high school graduation then. (laughs)  There’s a part of me that wants to stay here longer, but I’m also looking forward to seeing how everyone will grow away from here and maybe seeing that progress a few years from now at a gathering.  

In the spring there was “Start of the Giant,” and now you’re preparing for “The Strongest Team” which is very close at hand.  Do you feel any different? Right now I’m focused on this production and I want to finish it out with everything I have.  And I don’t think I’m the only one who feels that way. Everyone is really brimming with motivation and we all have the same thought: “Let’s make something great with this show!”

You’ve played Azumane Asahi for three years.  Having been steeped in this role for so long, do you ever feel like you can’t break away from him? In the course of one year, I spend over half of it being Azumane, and we spend a lot of time in rehearsals too.  I didn’t notice it myself, but close friends of mine would say things like that to me.  “Your behavior right now is a lot like Azumane.”  Or “That was Azumane speaking.”  At first I didn’t think we were alike, but since people say things like that to me, that means now I’ve become more like him.

When it comes to playing Azumane Asahi, what do you consider important for his character? At the time that I entered 2.5D productions, I was very conscientious of my position as an actor but less so about my character itself.  Instead of getting close to my character, I was more concerned with my role within Karasuno so that the team would look better.  The result was that I became more like Azumane by connecting with that dependable side of him.

Among the Karasuno cast members who’ve spent the past three years with you, who’s changed the most compared to your first impression of them? We’ve had some cast changes too but... it would probably be Suga Kenta.  To be the cast leader at such a young age, at first he had a certain aura where it felt like he’d have to really pull everyone along.  But as the shows have gone on, Kenta either understood that he could relax a little or just decided to be more open and natural. (laughs)  He’s really sharp when it comes to his acting sense, and as we’ve kept doing this his presence has only grown, so I can only think that he’s truly amazing.  Especially lately, I keep thinking how terrific he is.  

It’s also now become a tradition for Azumane to make a ridiculous request of Sugawara at the final show curtain call messages... It somehow became standard, yeah. (laughs)

And Tanaka Naoki-san has now inherited that from Ino Hiroki-san. Yep, yep.  (laughs)  No really, Naoki’s the best.  I wasn’t expecting him to go that far.  (laughs) I look forward to it every time, so I’d like it if we could keep doing it to the very end.  

What does Engeki Haikyuu mean to you, Tomimori-san? “Youth.”  I said earlier how it feels like my second chance at school life, but it really does feel like I’ve returned to my high school years.

Are you singing the praises of youth once again? Yeah. (laughs)  We all get along so well.  But it’s not just that, sometimes during rehearsals we get heated and our opinions might clash, but our relationships get even deeper because of those conflicts, and then our teamwork gets even better.  This will be the culmination of everything the Karasuno cast has to give, and I want to really show that off.  

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