ItalianoGACKT-san talks about TV anime『TRICKSTER』& the Fiend with Twenty Faces ──「If it becomes a good spice for the project, I’m happy」
The acclaimed TV anime『TRICKSTER -Edogawa Ranpo「Shonen Tanteidan」Yori-』has been on air since October 2016. Through interviews with voice actors and staff at Animate Times, we have serialised a continuous project, the【Shonen Tanteidan Newsletter】that goes behind the scenes of the anime.
Whenever Edogawa Ranpo’s 「Shonen Tanteidan」is mentioned, the master detective, Akechi Kogoro, and his rival, the Fiend with Twenty Faces, are never forgotten. This time, we’re interviewing the individualistic artiste and musician, GACKT-san, who has made waves for being the voice of the Fiend with Twenty Faces. He will be sharing with us how he got involved with this work, the charm of being a voice actor, and the highlights of this project!
Also, today, the 23rd, is the day that the opening theme song 「Kimi Dake no Boku de Iru Kara」 is released! The jacket was made in collaboration with the anime production team, and features an 「actual person illustration」 on the front, with an illustration of the 「Fiend with Twenty Faces」 on the back! The DVD that it is bundled with has a fully animated music clip video that was created in collaboration with the anime production team! It’s worth checking out!
If you purchase it from Animate, you will be able to get a 「L-sized bromide (illustration of Fiend with Twenty Faces) with GACKT’s printed autograph」 as a special gift so don’t miss out on it.
In the anime, the showdown between the Fiend with Twenty Faces and Akechi is finally happening, and it is gaining even more attention than before. Just how will the two of them take on each other… … ? Now, let’s begin the 4th page of the newsletter.
A voice actor can deliver a message as a message
──First off, please tell us about your enthusiasm for working on 『TRICKSTER -Edogawa Ranpo 「Shonen Tanteidan」Yori-』.
GACKT-san (subsequently GACKT): It’s the first time in awhile that I’m being a voice actor, and also, since the Fiend with Twenty faces is a truly interesting character, I want to let everyone enjoy themselves as much as possible.
──What led to you performing as the Fiend with Twenty Faces this time?
GACKT: While talking about providing the opening theme song with the production side, I received an offer from them asking “what about approaching this as a voice actor too?” at the same time. I did wonder if the character is suitable for me though. The song I provided, 「Kimi Dake no Boku de Iru Kara」, had an exceptionally good balance with the anime too. If I did this, it’ll definitely become an interesting anime, and I figured that I can let everyone enjoy my song, it felt better I think.
──I apologise if this is a personal topic but, I watched the YouTube program 『GACKT na Game!? Game Centre Season 2』 that GACKT stars in… …
GACKT: Ah! I see!
──Because you mentioned in the program that you would like to take on more voice acting roles, you have taken part in various voice acting work right. For GACKT-san, what do you think of voice acting as a job?
GACKT: It’s a job where you use the most convincing way to deliver your voice and message. For example, because you express by acting with your whole body in a drama,you have to speak as normally as possible to prevent the performance from becoming overly dramatic. But when it comes to anime, because each and every message is put into a few words, there’s no waste. When you think of impactful lines that stay in everyone’s memories, aren’t a lot of them from anime?
Putting that much gravity into one’s voice is what makes me love voice acting, and since I like anime and games as well, this job is one that I can enjoy myself the most in. Because I can deliver a message as a message.
──On performing as the Fiend with Twenty Faces this time, what were you careful about?
GACKT: Since he’s a character that maintains a feeling of emptiness, I guess there’s not judgement between right or wrong in him. To him, everything is categorised as a game, I suppose. If there’s guilt with regards with doing that, then he wouldn’t think that he’s doing something good. I guess I was careful about that dangerous indifference. He doesn’t have much humanity, and he doesn’t really show his emotional side, he doesn’t get emotional. Like how children tear apart a drangonfly’s neck, the horror and beauty of how he does cruel things without hesitation, was what I thought about as well.
──Would you say he’s a character that shows the beauty in cruelty?
GACKT: In terms of cruelty, if there exists no beauty in it then it becomes nothing but brutality. Because beauty exists in it, like an ice sculpture it creates a hair-raising sensation. I would like people to enjoy this. Merely because of the approach that my acting takes, it’s not that cruel a story.
Voice fetish!? Having drinks with that big-name voice actor… …
──Although this project is a draft of Edogawa Ranpo, it is set in the near future. What is your impression of this work?
GACKT: The very first impression I had was that this looked interesting. While doing the voice recording, I listened to Akechi Kogoro’s (voice actor: Ono Daisuke-san) voice, and thought 「Ah, so this is the approach he took」. Because in the first place, I had the image of the novel in place. It was like, 「So Akechi has such a boorish feel. Well then I guess it’ll be good to have a delicate and inorganic feel for the Fiend with Twenty Faces. The impression of the anime is a little different. Because the Fiend with Twenty Faces is wrapped with more coldness and emptiness.
──While listening to the performances by the other voice actors, you also changed your acting after considering them right.
GACKT: Initially I was thinking of a performance that’s more insane that it is now but, after listening to the performances by the other voice actors, I changed my approach. During recording I performed in 2 different styles but, the staff also said 「That one’s better」.
──So you recorded 2 different styles.
GACKT: I wondered whether it would be better if the feeling of emptiness was stronger.
──You tackled the recording with a lot of attention to detail.
GACKT: I don’t know whether that’s amazing or not. I haven’t had the chance to do a lot of work with the role of a voice actor but, I think I recognise what a voice actor has to do. I do what should be done. If it becomes a good spice for the project, I’m happy.
──During the premier event before the anime was broadcast, it seems that you got to meet the other cast members. Did you have fun?
GACKT: I love meeting voice actors, there’s the enjoyment of finding out “how do they sound like in person?”. I don’t feel as anxious when meeting other celebrities but, when I get to meet famous voice actors and hear their voices, my heart starts racing (laughs).
Because I have a voice fetish. I will think “that’s a nice voice”. I had a chance to drink with him too though, he’s a man as well but being right next to him made me strangely nervous. When I was with Otsuka Akio-san, even though he was only eating Kimchi, I was excited myself. Like when he says 「This Kimchi is quite well soaked」, or really just anything he says, it’ll make me think “Ah, Snake’s here!” or “Snake is eating Kimchi!” (laughs) (※). Because I rarely get to taste such a feeling. Times like these are really valuable to me, and might even be my favourite moments.
※Otsuka Akio-san voices the character Snake in the 『Metal Gear Solid』 series.
──That’s amazing! (laughs) Well then, lastly, please leave a message for those who are looking forward to the work.
GACKT: This time’s work is entitled “trickster”(swindler, charlatan, fraudster, etc.) but, exactly who is the title referring to? At a glance, it’s normal to assume that it refers to the Fiend with Twenty Faces but, is that really true? If you keep this in mind while watching it, I believe that you’ll enjoy this work even more.
── I see… … Thank you!
Source: ANIME TIMES.COM
Translation: GACKT Italia Team
Translation © GACKT Italia