Kakihara Tetsuya: “The current me would not exist if I had not met Natsu.”
Article ©ORICON NewS inc. & Yahoo!Japan
Translated by thefairystales | DO NOT EDIT OR REMOVE SOURCE
Please credit by linking back when using. (usage rules)
“I’ve always been blessed with roles. The first TV anime I had the leading role in was Gurren Lagann, a robot anime. Gekidan☆Shinkansen’s Nakashima Kazuki-san, who was responsible for the composition of the series, taught me many important things about acting, just like if I were standing on stage. The next project I had the lead role in was Fairy Tail.
Fairy Tail, the guild that Natsu belongs to, is one where the members share a strong sense of fellowship and have bonds like that of a family. The cast playing these characters are also from the same generation, and are talented people capable of taking up lead roles. Meeting friends like these were vital in helping me build up the core of my acting.”
Kakihara voices Natsu of Fairy Tail. He was reading the manga when he auditioned about 8 years ago, but Natsu’s voice did not come to mind. When he entered the room where the auditions were being held, and greeted everyone with “good morning” using his natural voice, a commotion arose among the judges. He thought that he would be asked to continue with his audition, but his audition for the role of Gray was declined with “It’s fine (you don’t have to do it)”. Some time later, his agency informed him that he would be voicing Natsu, and he later learned that it was because all the judges thought “Natsu is here” the moment he said “good morning” upon entering the room.
“If I hadn’t been chosen with my natural voice to voice Natsu, I wouldn’t have had the experience of challenging things with my natural voice, and might have become an actor who can only put on a show by acting cool. I’ve gained many things because I met Natsu, and I have strong feelings about walking together with him these 8 years. The present Kakihara Tetsuya might not exist if I had not met Natsu. Mashima-sensei’s Natsu is gradually becoming an attractive man, and I have to keep up.”