#tabuchi rui

Q: How did you feel when you were cast in this hypothetical, “if” story where Atsushi and Akutagawa switch place in Bungou Stray Dogs?

Tabuchi: I have been involved in the world of Bungou Stray Dogs from the stage DEAD APPLE, but while playing Dazai Osamu, I could really feel the magnitude of not being able to experience the Dark Era that was performed in the past. That’s why I was so excited to learn that I would be able to perform in BEAST this time, which includes some scenes from that era, though just a little. Taniguchi: When I got the offer for the stage Dark Era and watched the anime, I asked myself, “Can I really do it?” I felt that it was a role that I seriously need to be prepared for. At the time, I faced it thinking that “Now that I have accepted the role, I am going to make it a legend, once and for all”. I talked about that again and again in various places, so it is a little embarrassing for me to casually come back to it this time (laughs). Back then, I did hear people say, “Please let us get to BEAST.” but I tried not to overthink things so I didn’t touch anything other than Dark Era. Thankfully, I was called again and finally read it for the first time but…  then I realized I need to get myself prepared again. Q: What is it about the BEAST story that attracted you and also how did u deepen your understanding of your role? Taniguchi: For me, one of Bungou Stray Dogs’ charms is the setting where the people who create the story are the greatest. And among them, I felt that Oda Sakunosuke, probably the only one who tried to become a “novelist”, is a very noble man. Moreover, I found it very interesting that “a man who wants to create a story” is friend with a man who possesses the power to annihilate others’ skills and wants to kill himself on top of that, or in other words, “a man who wants to end the story”. However, to think that one difference somewhere can change the world that much… And the contrast between the main story in which “Oda loses his life and Dazai continues his story” and the development where “Dazai protects Oda’s story and loses everything” left me speechless. I think the fact that the two of them, and Ango too, probably, could never come to a fulfilling ending where they are together is the work of a writer, and it shows how amazing Asagiri-sensei is.

Tabuchi: BEAST is a world that makes us think again about how important Oda Sakunosuke is to Dazai. After we finished filming, I went and performed in “Dazai, Chuuya, Fifteen years old” on stage. And in the past, Dazai was trying to grasp the whole perspective of living by feeling close to death in Port Mafia. But I think after the encounter with Oda Sakunosuke, that encounter has become his whole reason for living.

Taniguchi: The biggest different about Oda in this “if” world, for me, is the fact that Dazai was played by Rui. Because honestly speaking, Dark Era was a stage that I had poured everything into Dazai, played by Tawada Hideya, to create. But this time, when Rui showed up on the set, how should I put it, he had a really serious look on his face (laughs). When I saw that extraordinary determination, I thought, “I’m gonna do this for his Dazai” and I’m gonna say the best “Don’t call me Odasaku” to him.

Tabuchi: Thank you very much. I am so happy to be able to work with Taniguchi-san, whom I had seen on the stage footages again and again and thought was Oda Sakunosuke himself.

Taniguchi: Of course, the battle between Atsushi and Akutagawa was also important, but the one who created and was trying to protect this world was Dazai. If a novel is something written for the protagonist, then for me that protagonist is Dazai, my first thought was what kind of influence I could have on him. This is just a metaphor, but no matter how good your ex-girlfriend was, it would be so uncool if you cannot love the current lover who is with you now with all you’ve got. The time I created with this guy is my “BEAST”. Tabuchi: Taniguchi-san, you’re so cool. Taniguchi: No, I was scary on set, wasn’t I? Because I was mean. Actually, the other cast did ask me to take care of Rui, but it wasn’t the kind of play that you could go “Don’t be so tense, it’s gonna be fine” casually like that. Instead, I decided not to talk to him at all. And in that atmosphere, I was able to receive what came from Rui and tackle it as Odasaku with all my might.

Q: The encounter between Dazai and Oda at Bar Lupin was a signature scene of BEAST, with a tense atmosphere that even a drop of emotion overflowing could cause it to crumble. Tabuchi: That scene was… As Taniguchi-san just said, I didn’t get to talk to him on set, and my memory was fuzzy because of the tension, the pressure and all the other emotions that swirled around me. Taniguchi: Desperation, right? Tabuchi: Yes. Dazai knows Oda, but Oda doesn’t know him. That was linked to my hopeless frustration and impatience of not being able to be a part of Dark Era, and I went beyond Dazai as a character and felt myself struck by the words “Don’t call me Odasaku.” The only things that can move Dazai’s emotions to the point of crying are the things about Oda. Then, when I suddenly couldn’t stop crying, the Director was like, “Wait! Don’t cry now.” (laughs) Taniguchi: That couldn’t be helped. Deep inside, I kept thinking about how I could not, as Oda, just say, “Thank you for letting me write my novel.” to Dazai. And it would pain me even if I said that. But Director Sakamoto shot that same scene again and again from many different angles so I was overflowing too (laughs). Crying definitely doesn’t equal good acting, but I think it was a scene that both of us put a lot of emotions in. We humans play the characters’ feelings, and it is exactly why no matter how cool we try to make them, somewhere in the depths of our eyes, there is always something wavering and it shows. I think that is probably the “0.5” of what we refer to as “2.5 dimensional” (2.5D) works. It was also my first time playing a stage character on the big screen, so I didn’t know how it would turn out. But I found it very interesting because there are things that could only be seen when projecting it up close, and I was able to use my consciousness in a different way from usual, in “a space with just the two of us”, without any audience. Tabuchi: I was also happy because we got to film the scene in the actual Bar Lupin. It gave me strength. Taniguchi: That’s right. When I saw the photos of the real Dazai-san and Odasaku-san there, I got a feeling about how the two of them couldn’t live together even if they were laughing with each other like that, and I was moved by the power of the place. My head almost went crazy from saying the same line all over again, but we had the luxury of spending a whole day shooting the scene and I was happy with that.

Q: What are your impressions of the other co-stars throughout the filming? Taniguchi: If felt somewhat strange to be with Akutagawa in the Detective Agency. Like, so if he were on this side, he would be able to laugh like that? I have known Hashimoto Shohei who plays Akutagawa for a long time. And we had done a lot of roles as a duo so I didn’t worry at all. But I did wonder if I would be able to act seriously with a guy whose har is only white on his sideburns (laughs). But I didn’t mind at all, thanks to the skill of the makeup artists, of course, and also because he fit the role so well. He got that great presence of someone who had carried the role on stage so far, and every single expression of him was flawless. I “co-star” with Torigoe-kun at bars and pubs a lot, but it was a pity that I did not get to interact with him this time. Tabuchi: This time, I was instructed “not to smile so much” when messing with Chuuya, so it was different from the usual joyful manner. Contrary to the hierarchical relationship in Port Mafia, Tori-san and Ue-chan are both my big seniors in real life, but I was very grateful because they always let me relax behind the scenes. Q: This is a question in reference to the theme of this movie. Have you ever felt the existence of a BEAST inside you, either as an actor or an individual? Tabuchi: I have been holding back the BEAST that wants to go drinking with his friends for almost two years now I think I’m going to lose it! Tori-san and others are not the type to talk about the play when we drink, but even the most trivial conversation would mean a lot and I have a lot of things I want to hear after this production.