The first interview to commemorate the screening of "Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love, Chapter 2! Hiroshi Kamiya, who plays the new character Keyman, felt the magnitude of "Yamato

Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love Chapter 2" is scheduled to open in theaters this weekend, June 24. To commemorate the release of the film, Akiba Research Institute will start a relay project of "Yamato" interviews. The first installment will feature an official interview with Hiroshi Kamiya, who plays Keyman, a new character appearing in "2202.

In addition, a "Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love" press sheet present campaign with autographs of Director Nobuyoshi Habara and Series Composition by Harutoshi Fukui is currently underway. Don't miss it!

⇒ Three winners will receive a "Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love" press sheet autographed by Director Nobuyoshi Habara and Series Composition by Harutoshi Fukui!

＜Official Interview

Kamiya──The first chapter, "The Pioneer Arc," was screened in theaters in February this year and was a huge hit.

Kamiya: Before I became involved in the film "Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love" ("2202"), I watched all episodes of the previous film "Space Battleship Yamato 2199" ("2199"). Of course, the content is enjoyable even if you start from "2202," but it was very beneficial for me to watch "2199" so that I could understand the relationships between the characters before I started working on the film. The battle scene at the beginning of the first episode of the first chapter "Pioneer Arc" was so amazing that it would not be an exaggeration to call it "perverse" (laughs). I could clearly sense that a lot of care was put into the production. I think they had to face a very high hurdle to produce a sequel to "2199," which had been remade as a completely new film. I could feel that kind of enthusiasm from the images in the first chapter, and I am glad that I went to the theater to see it.

───Do you have any new impressions after appearing for the first time in the "Space Battleship Yamato" series, a brilliant masterpiece in the history of Japanese animation?

KamiyaEven though it is a work that everyone knows, the way in which I am involved with it is not very different from other animations. However, the fact that it is a "work that everyone knows" itself is a big difference from other works. That is why people older than me knew so much about "Yamato," and the fact that the reaction of the people around me was so great even before the screening was something I had never experienced before with any other work I had been involved with, so I realized once again the magnitude of the work "Yamato. However, I am not overly concerned about the postrecording process.

─ ─ What did you think about when you were recording the second chapter "Launching Arc" (episodes 3 to 6)?

KamiyaDuring the first chapter, Harutoshi Fukui and Nobuyoshi Habara, the director, told me about the character of Keyman, and based on that, I was able to play the role of Keyman. For me personally, I think there will be no problem as long as I play the role in a way that does not blur the fundamental aspects of the character. If you have seen the first chapter, you may understand that I don't really know what the key man himself is thinking (laughs). (Laughs.) I think it is best to play with a clear intention of what you are thinking specifically, but it is difficult to make that happen in every line. Of course, I will check with the director or sound director before acting out a scene that requires such an intention, but for the parts that do not require such an intention, I try to strike a balance where I think I am probably going in this direction. I don't think it is necessary to explain the intentions of the key players in detail, so if the audience is thinking, "What's this guy? I think it would be correct if the audience thought, "What's this guy?