He trained in dubbing from scratch with Daisuke Namikawa as his mentor! Interview with Toshiya Miyata (Kis-My-Ft2), a first-time voice actor for "BEM the Movie - BECOME HUMAN

Toshiya Miyata of "Kis-My-Ft2" will appear as a guest voice actor in "BEM the Movie - BECOME HUMAN," which will be released in theaters on October 2, 2020.

Mr. Miyata, who is known for his love of anime, takes on the challenge of voice acting for the first time in his career in this film!　Miyata, who plays the important role of Burgess, the best friend of the main character Bem, talked a lot about how he felt when he was chosen to appear in the film, how the recording sessions went, and how his love for anime has deepened as a result of his voice acting challenge.

A lesson before appearing in the show!

─ What was your impression of the "Humanoid Monster Bem" series?

Miyata: The "Bem" I knew was kind of scary. But when I watched it again as an adult, I felt a sense of sadness and thought it was a human drama. Oh, it's not human, is it?

-- I wanted to be a human being, you know.

Miyata But I thought it was not only scary, it was a work that really attracted me to the heart.

-- How did you feel when you were asked to play the role of Burgess in the latest installment of the "Bem" series?

Miyata: When I first heard about it, I honestly thought, "I can't do it! I honestly thought, "I can't do this! I thought that voice acting is a job for a craftsman, and there was no way an amateur like me could do it, so I begged them to let me take lessons or else I would never do it.

-- What were the lessons like?

Miyata: I was taught from the very beginning, from how to put the script down to how to turn the pages. Daisuke Namikawa gave me a lesson. Since I was being taught by Mr. Namikawa, I was under a lot of pressure not to make any mistakes, but he taught me a lot of things that I normally don't notice or know just by watching anime. The lessons alone reminded me how wonderful voice actors are.

-- How did you develop the character of Burgess?

Miyata: The director asked me, "What kind of person do you think Burgess is? I told him what I felt and my own interpretation, and he confirmed it as we worked on the character. The director told me, "He's the kind of guy you see on late-night mail-order shows," but at first it didn't really hit me. But as I played the role, there were moments when I thought, "Oh, I see. I felt like I was gradually getting into it.

--I was so into the voice and acting that I wondered if I had been in the TV series. I was so into the voice and acting. How was it to play the role of the main character's best friend in your first attempt as a voice actor?

Miyata: I was asked in a magazine interview, "Would you like to try voice acting? I answered, "If I do, I would like to start with a small role. I think I said something like, "I don't want to start with a small role. I never dreamed that such a big role would come my way. But the other day, when I talked with Nana Mizuki in a magazine, she praised me, saying, "It's amazing that you suddenly played such a difficult role. I am very proud!

-- You have a nice smile. I can feel how happy you are. By the way, you took lessons from scratch. Did you secretly practice on your own, hoping to become a voice actor someday?

Miyata: I have always watched anime because I genuinely liked it, and of course, when I heard a cool line, I would try to copy it, but that was about it. I wonder if that kind of thing kept me alive? I don't really know myself (laughs). Were you hooked?

-- I was so into it that I forgot that Mr. Miyata was playing the role. You commented that you get suspicious when you get too many compliments, but I think you will get more compliments when the film is released, so you might as well get used to it.

Miyata I think I'm getting carried away. But I am very happy. When I watched the finished video, it felt a little strange to hear my voice in it. I can't judge for myself whether it is a good fit or not, so I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks of it. No, I'm too scared to ask, but I want to... I have very mixed feelings (laughs). I can't ego-size it, I'm afraid.

(laughs) -- Do you usually ego-search when you watch anime?

Miyata: No, I don't. I think that what I feel is better than someone else's impression.

-- It's love, isn't it?

Miyata It's love. (laughs).

I realized once again the appeal of anime.

--Did it take you a long time to read the script and put the role into yourself?

Miyata: I practiced a lot at home. I really talked a lot. I was shouting so much during the fight scenes that I could have received complaints. When it came time for Burgess to speak during postrecording, I was so nervous at first that I sometimes jumped out of my skin.

-- Besides that, was there anything else that left a lasting impression on you during postrecording?

Miyata: We had a recording session. It was a scene at Draco Chemical, the pharmaceutical company where Belm works, and I was with Wataru Takagi. I was with Wataru Takagi and he was like, "What happened to that file? He was very helpful and relaxed.

-- Miyata: How did it feel to be in an animated film with the voice actors you admire so much?

Miyata It was really a strange feeling. You have to do it to understand. But I want to say this to all the otaku out there. The job of a voice actor is really difficult! I definitely want to convey this. I still feel a bit strange about being a voice actor, and I still can't get used to having my own voice coming through from an anime, but I hope I'll get used to it soon. I'm looking forward to seeing it on the big screen at the movie theater, but I'm sure I'll see it at least 10 more times before it opens, hahahahaha (laughs).

(laughs) -- Besides the amazing voice actors, was there anything else about anime that you noticed that you found attractive?

Miyata I was deeply moved when I realized how many people are involved in the creation of a single anime character, including the people who draw the pictures, do the voices, and create the facial expressions. At the same time, I was reminded that "I LOVE animation. It was amazing. It made me love anime even more. When I think of the many hands that went into the creation of even a mob character, I feel that even the mob characters are the main characters. I think that in the future, when I watch anime, I will be able to see it in different ways and enjoy it even more.

-- I saw a video of the recording session, and it looked like a lot of fun. Was there anything you found difficult?

Miyata: The postrecording was a lot of fun. The difficult part was to get a sense of distance. Even though I was looking at the picture and doing the voices, I kept thinking, "How far away are these two people from each other? I had to check with the director each time to get a sense of distance and voice volume. I wondered how much information the voice actors were absorbing from that one picture, and I felt a newfound respect for them.

-- Did you feel your love for voice actors and anime deepen?

Miyata Yes, really. Because there are times when I have to give voice to a picture that has not yet been completed. Even in such a situation, you draw out the information, take it into yourself, and perform it. That's all I can say.

How did the members of Kismai react to your appearance in the anime?

--What got you hooked on anime?

Miyata: When I was a child, everyone watched anime. That's how I got into anime. I joined Johnny's when I was in sixth grade, and when I was in junior high school, I bought a TV with the money I earned from performing as a back-up dancer in Koichi Domoto of "KinKi Kids" in his stage production "SHOCK. Then I found out that there was a late-night anime show, and from there I was hooked (laughs). I think this is a wonderful life.

-- Was there a particular work that you were hooked on?

Miyata: I used to watch "Shakugan no Shana" and "Rozen Maiden" a lot. After I got into anime, I would watch not only late-night anime, but also anime on the rough picture quality of my mobile phone. When I get too busy, I sometimes think "I won't be able to watch anime anymore" (laughs).

(laughs) -- Do you find that anime gives you energy for your work?

Miyata: Yes, to a great extent. Anime is unique. The way they view things is too oblique. That kind of commentary can be quite funny in a variety of situations. I am impressed that the creators of anime have a great sensibility and taste. For example, a chubby girl says, "Fat is a symbol of wealth. It was very funny and made the show a lot of fun.

-- What did the members say about your appearance in the show?

Miyata: I told them immediately backstage when I was chosen. Everyone was so happy and said "Congratulations! Everyone was happy and said "Congratulations! Tamamori (Yuta) has experience dubbing foreign films, so we had a lot of fun talking about the script. We talked a lot about the script, like, "Isn't it really hard to do the breathing? We talked a lot. Kitayama (Hiromitsu) said, "Can't you sing the theme song as Kismai?　You should go out there and do business with them. I couldn't do it even if he asked me. But everyone is looking forward to the release of the film.

-- Bem, Bella, and Bello have a special bond. I know the same is true for everyone in Kismai, but what are the moments when you feel like you are in good company?

Miyata I don't think I would be in an environment where I get to work so much if I were on my own. It is because we are Kismai that we are able to hold concerts in domes and release CDs. I am sure that all seven of us feel the same way. I think Kismai is the coolest and most interesting group in Japan. When I see the other members on TV, I think they are "interesting" from the bottom of my heart, and when I see Tamamori in a drama, I really cry. At the same time, I am happy just to see everyone else playing an active role. I hope everyone feels the same way about me. We formed 15 years ago, so we have been together for half of our lives. In that sense, I am a special person.

(Interview and text by Shinobu Tanaka)

Outline of the animated feature film
BEM the Movie: BECOME HUMAN

＜
Roadshow in Autumn 2020

<Staff>
Director: Hiroshi Ikehata
Screenplay: Atsuhiro Tomioka
Character Design: Renji Murata
Character Design: Mino Matsumoto
Animation Production: Production I.G
Production: BEM the Movie Production Committee

<Cast>
Bem: Katsuyuki Konishi
Vera: M.A.O
Bello: Ken Ono Chapter

＜Story＞
In Libra City, a city where splendor and decadence, prosperity and poverty coexist across a canal.
Sonia, a young female detective, meets three people called "Bem Bella Bello" as she pursues a series of mysterious incidents that occur in the city.
They transform into hideous figures, and are soon named "Youkai Humans" and hunted as suspects in the cases, but they are the ones who solve the cases and help people.
All in order to fulfill their wish to become human.
After discovering that the "Invisible Congress," which controls Libra City behind the scenes, is the mastermind behind the incident, Bem and his friends confront another yokai human, M. Bison, who is the ringleader of the council. After a fierce battle that destroyed the bridge connecting the canals, Bem and his team disappeared.
Two years have passed since then. Sonia, who had been searching for Bem, visited a pharmaceutical company called "Draco Chemical" based on a sighting. There, she meets "Bellum Eisberg," a man who bears a striking resemblance to Bem. ......

(C) ADK EM/BEM Production Committee