Signed checkee giveaway! Congratulations! Interview with Yuna Sekine (Sakura Amamiya), Rina Takahashi (Hatsuho Shinonome), and Juri Hirayu (Anastasia Palma) of "New Sakura Wars the Stage

New Sakura Taisen," which has been developed in various media such as PlayStation 4 game software and animation, will now be adapted to the stage!

New Sakura Taisen the Stage" will be performed at Hulic Hall Tokyo from November 19 to 23, 2020.

This work was originally scheduled to be performed in March of this year, but was postponed due to recent circumstances, and now it will finally be performed. Akiba Research Institute interviewed Yuna Sekine, who plays Sakura Amamiya, Rina Takahashi, who plays Hatsuho Shinonome, and Juri Hirayu, who plays Anastasia Palma, about the upcoming performance.

There is a giveaway at the end of the article. Click here for details!

Watch out for the killing moves with unique weapons!

───The stage "New Sakura Taisen the Stage" is finally going to be performed after being postponed, please tell us how you felt when it was cancelled in March and how you felt when it was decided that the show would be performed this time.

Yuna Sekine: It was the day before the last rehearsal when the cancellation was decided. I was looking forward to putting on the costumes and rehearsing through the show the next day, so I was very shocked at that time.

Juri Hirayu: When it was decided that we would be able to perform, there was a lot of pressure to make the quality of the performance even higher because of the extended period of time. But I was also very happy to finally be able to perform! I was very happy to finally be able to play the role. It was a mixture of pleasure and anxiety.

Rina Takahashi: Fans of "New Sakura Wars" have been supporting me with hashtags, and I have felt that they have been waiting for me. So I want them to see the stage as soon as possible!　So I'm much more excited now.

─ ─ I heard that you resumed rehearsals the day after this interview, but how does it feel to push yourself until the very last minute and then return to the stage more than six months later? Do you remember what it feels like to perform?

Sekine: I had already completed everything once, so some parts are ingrained in my body, but this is the first time for me to experience something like this, so I am reading the script again and doing what I can now to bring my feelings back to the level of passion I had at that time!

Hirayu: After half a year, I have forgotten some of the things I did back then, so I am watching videos of the rehearsals and gradually remembering what I did back then. But I guess you can't get a sense of the togetherness we created together at that time unless you go to the rehearsal hall.

─ I watched some videos of the rehearsals back then, and I felt that it was important not only to memorize the dialogue and movements, but also to move and breathe in unison with the ensemble members.

Takahashi: It is difficult to get a sense of one's standing position just by watching the video. Also, Hatsuho's weapon is a hammer, but I don't have a hammer at home (laughs), so I wonder how she was holding it. I can't wait to hold it.

Yuna Sekine, who plays Sakura Amamiya

─ ─ Thinking back to your spring rehearsals, can you tell us a little bit about the "New Sakura Taisen the Stage" sword fight?

Sekine: First of all, I was surprised to see how many killings there are in the show!　I thought it would be very difficult for a stage with only girls to perform such a large number of battle scenes. That's why I also thought it would be really cool if I could do these killings, so I felt like we were all working together to get it done.

─ Speaking of Sakura, she is known for her Japanese sword, isn't she?

Sekine: I am short, so I had to make sure that the sword did not touch the floor when I made poses. I had to start with "how can I make my standing posture cool?" and since I had to kill while singing, there were a lot of things I had to do to get the basics right. So I had to learn how to do it in a short period of time, and it felt like I was going over a wall every day.

─ ─ Hatsuho and Anastasia have a little bit unusual sword fights (weapons), don't they?

Hirayu: They each have different weapons and their own fighting styles. I wanted to show the characteristics and qualities of each weapon, and when we fight together, we have to measure the distance between each other. Especially hammers are big (laughs). (Laughs) I don't think it is very common to see such a variety of weapons used in a fight on stage.

─ Is Hatsuho's hammer actually heavy?

Takahashi: When I first held it, the hammer was so heavy that I felt as if the weight of the weapon was taking my body away. But it gradually became lighter and lighter. I wonder if the muscles to handle the hammer have gotten stronger.　Toward the end of the practice, it was quite light. ...... It wasn't light at all (laughs). I think I've become able to handle it.

Rina Takahashi as Hatsuho Shinonome

─ ─ It is really heavy, isn't it? At first glance it looked heavy, but I thought it was made to be light.

Takahashi: I thought so too at first (laughs).

Hirayu That's right (laughs). (laughs). It is rather just as it looks.

Takahashi Please pay attention to the use of the hammer!

─ I heard that the singing teacher is Ms. Megumi Chinmori, who is active in the Shiki Theater Company, etc. Can you tell us about the singing lessons?

Hirayu: Ms. Chinmoku's teaching style is very precise, and she makes me able to do the parts I couldn't do. He would suggest how to do things from various directions, like, "Why don't you try singing like this? He suggests ways of doing things from various directions. I found that I could sing in keys that I couldn't before, and that it became easier to sing. I was able to learn authentic vocal music, and I knew that the instruction at the Four Seasons, in the real world, was different.

─ I heard that Anastasia's singing is quite different from your original range.

Hirayu That's right!　My voice is so low that I couldn't even sing "Gekitei" at first. So it was quite difficult when I sang in the audition, but not only Mr. Chinmori but also Mr. Kohei (Tanaka) gave me advice.

Takahashi: Kohei and Chinmoku-sensei would teach me on a two-to-one basis!　At first, I thought that I had to make my voice sound like that of Hatsuho sung by Mare Uchida (who played the role in the game and anime versions), but he told me that I could sing in my own way, and I think I was able to enjoy singing while having fun. So I think that in the stage, it is the Hatsuho song of the stage, and I hope you will see that as well.

Sekine: Sakura was also in a high key. Sakura is a work in which singing is very important, so there was a lot of pressure for me to take on that role. I was wondering how I could sing more powerfully, but you guided me on the areas where I was stumbling. So I could feel that I was getting better, and every day I felt as if I was getting better at singing (laughs). (Laughs) I thought it was amazing, and I am still thinking back on what he taught me while practicing during my self-restraint, so I am very grateful for that.

Juri Hirayu, who plays Anastasia Palma

─ ─ Was there anyone who impressed you as a mood-maker at the rehearsal site, or in terms of the division of roles?

Hirayu: Yui Maru? (nickname for Yui Kantake, who plays the role of Azami Mochizuki)

Sekine Yui is really cheerful and .......

Takahashi Interesting!

Sekine She is the youngest, but she seems to brighten up everyone around her with her natural cheerfulness.

Hirayu I want people to take it in a good way, but sometimes she is spinning her wheels (laughs). (Laughs.) That's funny, too.

Takahashi: It's like a mascot.

───What about Natsume Oki, who plays Clarice?

Hirayu: I think Natsume is the most calm type. She goes at her own pace.

Takahashi: Yes.

Sekine: It's funny when she says something in a quiet voice while keeping a cool head.

Proclamation! Teikoku Kagekidan <New Chapter>" is a song that can be sung only by these five members.

───What kind of experience did you have with the "Sakura Wars" content before coming to the stage for "New Sakura Wars"?

Sekine: I played the "New Sakura Wars" game, watched the anime, and watched the past "Sakura Wars Song Show" videos. I tried to include as much information as possible that was available on the surface.

Hirayu: I also played the game and read the novels and manga to learn a little more.

Takahashi: Of course I did the same as the two of you, but my sister is a big "Sakura Wars" fan. When we went to karaoke, she would sing along with the choreography. So she was really looking forward to the audition. So it is very strange for me to be on the stage and be a part of the production.

Takahashi: Your sister was delighted when you were cast as Hatsuho.

Takahashi: She was delighted!　She said she would definitely go see it.

─ ─ Having been exposed to various contents in this way, what do you find attractive about the characters you play and how do you want to express that on stage?

Sekine: Sakura is a really straightforward, hard-working girl with the power to move those around her with her love for the Teikoku Kagekidan, so I wanted to inherit that part of her. I want to inherit that part of her. I also want to have the same feeling of loving and wanting to protect the Reich's Kagekidan more than anyone else. I hope to be able to express Sakura's cuteness and toughness, as well as her everyday expressions, in a raw and realistic way.

Takahashi: At first, I had a strong image of Hatsuho as a manly and frank girl. However, I gradually began to see her maidenly side, and I think that her love for her friends and her passion for friendship are attractive. I hope to bring out that side of her.

Hirayu: Anastasia is new to the Hanagumi, but she has a not-so-bright past, and I think she has taken on a lot of things to create the Anastasia Palma that she is. I would like to express her as such a person, and I would like to give her a slightly different feeling with her graceful movements and gestures, and I would like to play the role of how the bond between the two deepens as they fight together in the Hanagumi.

─ ─ How did you feel when you put on the costume and makeup?

Hirayu: I had a chance to try on the costume during the photo shoot, and it was a very nice and cool outfit. I had brown skin and silver hair, and before I put on the costume, I thought I looked like a "gyaru-o" guy while I was having my makeup done (laughs). (Laughs) I thought I looked like a guy who dances in para-para-para. So I thought that costume is very important. I thought I had to think about how I would present myself as a world-class actor in this costume.

Takahashi: The side tails of Hatsuho's wig are quite heavy. On top of that, she also carries a hammer on her back, so her balance is pulled to that side (laughs). (Laughs) I wanted to be able to hold the hammer well during the performance. When I was shooting the pamphlet, I was trying to figure out how to express Hatsuho's cool and "inexpensive" look, so I am happy if I was able to express it.

Sekine: Sakura has the most natural-looking wig, but I thought it would be surprisingly difficult to pull it off. The hakama is very firm, so I felt like I was more relaxed when I put on the costume.

─ ─ "Proclamation! Teikoku Kagekidan <New Chapter>" how do you feel about singing this song?

Sekine: It is the most special song for me, and now that I am going to play Sakura, I feel how important it is. I also felt strongly that I wanted to express it as a song that can be sung only by the five of us on stage.

Takahashi: When I watched videos of past HANAGUMI performances and live performances, I was very impressed by the way the audience danced the choreography to "Gekitei" together. So I am looking forward to seeing how the audience will get excited on the new "New Sakura Wars" stage. I would like to tell my sister, "This is what's new in the new chapter" (laughs).

Hirayu I am sure that even people who are not familiar with "Sakura Wars" have heard this song at least once, especially the chorus. I wasn't very familiar with "Sakura Wars" myself, but I thought "Gekitei" was a song I had heard before. Everyone around me really knows it. It is a great honor for us to be able to sing a song that everyone has heard before on stage.

─ ─ Speaking of the "Sakura Wars" stage, the original songs written by Mr. Kohei Tanaka are also indispensable. What do you think about the original songs for the stage?

Hirayu: I feel that the song has to express a different aspect or color of Anastasia. It is a beautiful song, but it is difficult (laughs).

Sekine: In a word, it is a magnificent song!

Takahashi: There's a bit of a shouting match, isn't there?

Hirayu: I don't think I've ever had the feeling of a kakemai before.

─ ─ Was there anything impressive about your interactions with Mr. Kohei Tanaka?

Hirayu He is a man who likes to talk, so he provides us with all kinds of information (laughs). (Laughs) He also tells me behind-the-scenes stories about his singing shows, which is very interesting.

Sekine: When Mr. Kohei is around, the place becomes bright, and he has a lot of positive power. He is a great teacher, but he is very approachable and speaks to us from the same perspective. It is easy for us to ask him questions, so we can ask him anything, and we feel at ease when we consult with him. Also, the chocolates he brings us are delicious (laughs).

Takahashi: I would love to eat them again (laughs).

─ ─ Lastly, what are the highlights and your enthusiasm for the "New Sakura Wars" stage?

Hirayu It is a stage, but I think it has a feeling similar to playing a game, or something a little different from a normal stage. I think fans will be able to enjoy it together, and there may be something different depending on the day. If possible, I would like people to see all the performances, and I think there is so much to see in this stage that even that would not be enough. I would like to put all the energy I have put into the show to make it better than expected.

Takahashi: Masami Ito's direction is innovative, and we ourselves are surprised at how it turns out, and we ourselves are looking forward to seeing what will happen when the images and direction are combined. I am sure the audience will be surprised as well!　I think the postponement has made us and our fans wait a lot for this show. We want to enjoy the show together, so I hope everyone will put their feelings into the performance.

Hirayu: Even without lights and images, it is amazing, isn't it?

Sekine: It is a stage only for girls, so I want everyone to see how far we can go with that. The production is designed to draw you into the world of "Sakura Taisen" right from the start, so I think you will be able to enjoy the world of "Sakura Taisen" at once. There will be both acting and singing, so I would like to train hard to be able to perform at full power until the end, and to unite everyone's feelings as one. I would like to express our Sakura in a way that only stage actors can, so please witness the moment when a new "Sakura Wars" begins!

(Reporting, writing, and photography by Kiri Nakazato)

Outline of the present campaign

<Prize
A signed photo check of Yuna Sekine, Rina Takahashi, and Juri Hirayu from the stage "New Sakura Taisen".
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Video distribution information

A video of a conversation between Kohei Tanaka and the Hanagumi cast members is now available.