Interview with Noriko Kuwashima (Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love Chapter 3) and Harutoshi Fukui (Series Composer) on the occasion of the theatrical screening of Space Battleship Yamato 2202! Interview with Houko Kuwashima, who plays the role of Snow Mori, and Harutoshi Fukui, who is the series director: "It's been a while since I heard Ono (Daisuke) say 'Snow! (laugh).

The third chapter "Jun-Ai Arc" of the theatrical animated film "Space Battleship Yamato 2202: Warriors of Love" is being screened in theaters from October 14, 2017 (Saturday). This episode, as the title suggests, is said to depict the love between the hero, Susumu Ancient, and the heroine, Moriyuki.
We asked voice actress Noriko Kuwashima, who plays Moriyuki, the key person in the third chapter, about the episode and her thoughts on the legendary title "Yamato".

─ What are your memories of "Space Battleship Yamato"?

Noriko Kuwashima (Kuwashima): I knew the title, but my impression was that I might have seen it as a child. As for "2202," I watched "Farewell Space Battleship Yamato: Warriors of Love" for the first time before recording, and I was saddened by the second half. I was shocked at the thought of doing this, but Mr. Fukui told me from the beginning that there is hope, so I told myself those words and went on with the recording.

───Please tell us how you felt when you were chosen to play the role of Moriyuki. Also, I got the impression that Moriyuki seemed more mature this time than in the previous production.

Kuwashima: I auditioned for a variety of roles, so I was surprised when I heard that I was chosen to play the main heroine, Moriyuki. There were no specific instructions regarding the character. My performance in "2199" may have been the result of differentiating between the two of them, since I had played both roles with Yulisha. This time Snow is portrayed as a modern woman, so I was conscious of creating a character that modern women can relate to.

───What was the reaction of the people around you after you were chosen to appear in "Yamato"?

Kuwashima Many of my seniors say, "I became a voice actor after watching Yamato," so they tell me they want to be in the show and are envious of me (laughs). (Laughs) Some animators I have met at other sites also tell me, "I will go to the theater every time to see the movie," which makes me feel that they have high expectations for me.

─ Do you feel pressure from such comments?

Kuwashima: I don't feel much pressure, perhaps because 40 years have passed since the last film. There are many customers from a generation that has never heard of Yamato, and the staff has told me that they want to create a "new Yamato," so I think I am able to play Moriyuki in my own way. As for my role as Moriyuki this time, once I received the script and stood in front of the microphone, I felt like I naturally became Snow. I was reminded once again that voice acting is such a job.

───How about the atmosphere in the recording studio?

Kuwashima: There are all kinds of people, from young to experienced, and the cast differs depending on the number of episodes. Every time, I feel a sense of freshness, like, "This time, there's someone like this.

Harutoshi Fukui (Fukui): In the center of the postrecording booth, there are mainly the chairman, Daisuke Ono, and veterans, all dressed in their own way, but they are all wearing aloha shirts and lightly colored glasses, and they all look scary (laughs). I thought I was in a corner of Chinatown.

Kuwashima: You often wear T-shirts with cute animals, don't you, Fukui-san?

Fukui I'm in charge of that kind of thing (laughs).

───Did you have any difficulties during the postrecording?

Kuwashima: The battle scenes are quite difficult. When I am asked to "make it more tense" in an operation line, I sometimes think, "More tense than this? I sometimes think to myself, "More than this?

Fukui: Normally, I don't have to make the tension that intense, but Snow is in charge of the radar, so it's the beginning of the battle scene. I often ask her to speak more strongly than necessary, since it also serves as a momentum builder at the beginning.

──What are your impressions of the production and performance of the third chapter?

Fukui: Previously, we were trying to figure out how to navigate through the three reefs of "2199" sequel, "Farewell Space Battleship Yamato: Warriors of Love" or "Space Battleship Yamato 2," but I think this is the first episode that shows where this work will go after that, and the destination. Please look forward to seeing where the story will go in the future. Also, this time, we introduced the space firefly as a tease to the fans of the old works. It is the first entry in a series of impressive items from "Space Battleship Yamato 2. The same goes for the Eleventh Planet, only the name is the same and the content is different. The second and third entries will be prepared in the future!

Kuwashima: When I am acting, I am looking at the unfinished screen, so I am always surprised when I see the finished product. At first, I was also surprised at the title "Jun-Ai Arc" (laughs). Then I thought again that it is the third chapter that includes the story of ancient times and snow. And being interviewed in this way, as well as hearing Mr. Fukui's story, I am struck by the fact that pure love is not only beautiful.

As for the snow, it is finally unveiled, and it is the third chapter that I have been waiting for. When I see the finished product, which was recorded through a process of trial and error, I feel that I am participating in an amazing work of art in terms of the images and music. I hope I can share the same feelings with the audience. Also, it was great to hear Ono-kun's "snow~! It was great to hear Ono-kun say "Snow!

─ ─ Finally, what are the highlights of the third chapter, "Pure Love"?

Fukui: " Is it enough just to be with the one you love? I think that is a good question. I think men and women have different views, but I can't condemn the choice that Ancient took. Women are more calm. The ancient choice, from a man's point of view, is not a choice.

Love is an essential thing for one person, but for another it can be a violent or deadly weapon. There is such a thing as two-sidedness: love for God can make you a suicide bomber. But without it, no living creature can survive. I want to depict both sides this time. In the end, the situation was settled, but I think I will also be depicting what would happen if the situation is not settled. The key will be whether or not we can affirm love after depicting both sides of the story.

The theme of this work is nothing other than "What is love? What if we were to re-tell the story again in a world that has never evolved to the point of just being happy 40 years since then? And if I were to relive again what I felt at that time, this is what I would do.

Kuwashima: I think the audience will also be forced to think about love. Normally, we don't think about it much because it is so obvious, but I think this work will make us realize that love exists all around us and that we are made up of it.

Also, as Snow, I want you to pay attention to Ancient Boy, who is in a lot of pain. Ancient boy is gradually being driven into a corner and losing his composure, but under such circumstances, the two of them take a certain action. I'm sure the audience will think about various things after watching the movie, so please talk about them after watching the movie.

Thank you very much!

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