[Presenting chekis commemorating the film's release! How did they perform "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway"? Interview with Kensho Ono, Rena Ueda and Soma Saito!

The history of the space century has continued from "Mobile Suit Gundam". Among them, "UC NexT 0100" is a major project that depicts the history after "Mobile Suit Gundam: Char of the Counterattack," which depicted the "Second Neo Zeon War" that broke out in the year 0093. Following the theatrical release of "Mobile Suit Gundam NT," the first installment of the project, "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway" is the second film to appear.

The film depicts how Hathaway Noah, the son of former hero Bright Noah, throws himself into the anti-Earth Federal Government movement and leads the organization as Mufti Nabiyu Erin. We gathered the voice actors who portray the young people in the film, Hathaway Noah, Gigi Andalusia, and Lane Aim, for this interview. How did the three performers, Kensho Ono, Rena Ueda, and Souma Saito, deal with him and the girls as they fiercely try to burn their lives with conviction and anguish?

A young man named Hathaway, whose mind and facial expressions are disparate

--First of all, could you introduce the character you play?

Ono: The character I play, Hathaway, is a young man who is inspired by the thoughts of both Amuro and Char in "Char of the Counterattack," as he witnessed their thoughts up close. However, he is a man who worries about which is the right answer and what is the right answer, but has pushed his worries to the back of his mind because he has reached a point where there is no turning back.

Ueda: Gigi is a character who seems to have given up on something. Basically, he is showing the part of himself that had to become an adult, but at the drop of a hat, the part of him that is still a child comes out. Therefore, people around her think she is multifaceted, and at the same time, she has hidden gaps in her character. I think this vulnerability is what makes her so attractive.

Saito: Lane is exactly as Kenneth describes her in the film. Compared to Hathaway, who has tremendous experience for her age, Lane is inexperienced as a human being, but I felt that she is confident because of that. So, although he is still a bit green, I am very much looking forward to seeing how he will grow in the future.

--I am very much looking forward to seeing how he will grow in the future.

Ono: Hathaway has both a front side as Bright Noah's son and a back side as Mufti Nabiyu Erin. Basically, in my monologues, the mufti side comes out, but in my facial expressions and conversations, I often act as Hathaway Noah. So I was rather conscious of the way I said the words so that I would be seen as a nice young man. However, my facial expressions and words and my heart are really different from each other, so it is hard to know where to put the emphasis. I have the impression that it was all really difficult to find the right mood and lines because of the difference between the heart and the attitude.

Ueda: Gigi seems to be a bit wobbly, and in fact, I was very conscious of the roughness of his lines and the relaxed expression. But I didn't want him to be unbalanced. I was conscious of the danger of having a core that is not divergent from the character, but is still dizzying. But even if he only showed various faces, his turnover speed was extraordinary. It was hard to keep up with the rapidly changing emotions.

Saito: As for Lane, as I mentioned earlier, I think our approach was to confront him straightforwardly rather than playing tricks. Especially in the first part, the dialogue and emotions match each other quite well, so I felt that it would be better if I could express what I was feeling in a simple way rather than giving a complicated flavor to the dialogue. When he says, "The Gundam imitation," he really means it, and he's aware that his aircraft is the original. Besides, Lane's overconfident side stems from his lack of judgment. He has no experience in actual combat, but as a test pilot he is very good and has achieved outstanding results, so he thinks he can do it. So, rather than putting my own interpretation into the material, I went into the project with the honest feeling that I am an excellent pilot. However, I was given a number of takes, such as overconfident and relaxed patterns, so I tried to express myself without losing the base as per the direction I was given.

Hathaway's dark but innocent side was required

--I know you are still dealing with the characters in this trilogy, but were there any lines or scenes that you were able to grasp?

Ono Hmmm... ....... I have to admit that I didn't have a grasp of the characters for a long time. As I mentioned earlier, Hathaway has many different faces and expressions, and they are always in different places. No matter how I tried to say the lines, it didn't feel right. But that is why I don't think there is a "right answer" this time. Rather, I thought it was one of the correct answers for Hathaway, or rather, it was a part that expressed Hathaway's feelings. There is a scene in Davao where Hathaway gets into a cab. In the cab, the driver tells him about the local way of life, and he tells him that the local people are more occupied with tomorrow than with the Earth 1,000 years from now. From Hathaway's point of view, he is fighting to protect the earth as a mufti, so he is shocked by what he hears. He learns that the activities that are supposed to be for the Earth and its inhabitants are actually unwanted, and that people want to live in peace and quiet without any fighting or terrorist activities. Both Char, who started the revolution, and Amuro, who prevented it, were acting to protect the Earth, and Hathaway is trying to do the best of both worlds, but he still wonders what he is fighting for. It is a question that cannot be answered correctly, and this is the theme of Hathaway.

--I thought that scene showed the real Hathaway, who is neither a good-looking young man nor an anti-government activist. Was it a smooth performance for you?

Ono: No, not at all. And I was conscious that I was basically seen as Hathaway Noah in that scene as well. He is the son of Bright Noah, and from the outside, he looks like a fresh young man. However, Hathaway's expression is becoming more and more cloudy. Only his voice still retains the freshness that he appears to have on the surface. I think that gap, or the sense of discomfort, is exquisitely expressed in this scene, not only by my acting but also by the combination with the picture. However, if I were to speak the dialogue to match that facial expression, it would come out as I really am, but I suppressed it and behaved as Hathaway Noah. Personally, I really like that subtlety.

--Hathaway is also a character that has appeared in past works such as "Char of the Counterattack. Were you conscious of that?

Ono: Of course, it is true that there is a Hathaway that Nozomu Sasaki has played for many years, so I didn't want to make a completely different Hathaway. However, I didn't take the step of making the characters look similar. If I had to do that, I would rather have Mr. Sasaki play the role of Hathaway. However, in "Char of the Counterattack," Hathaway was only a 13-year-old boy, and more than 10 years later, he joined the Mufti organization, and Hathaway has changed. So it's a point where you can't be too conscious of it. The role of Hathaway was chosen through an audition, and I was told that the reason was that I was able to create the perfect balance between a dark side and a youthful side. So, I was determined to create a role that was based on the Hathaway of the past, but also emphasized the Hathaway I had in mind. Before recording began, I had discussions with director Murase (Shuko Murase) and recording director Kimura (Eriko Kimura), and we worked together to share our ideas. In fact, during the postrecording, I think the director had a number of options, as he said, "I would like to hear this pattern as well. I have the impression that we worked on the theme of how the characters should speak one by one while responding to the director's requests.

--Is there any direction that left a lasting impression on you?

Ono: I was asked to show the characters as lost, shaken up, and in a messed up state of mind. I think this is the part that I mentioned earlier about showing the blueness of the characters. So I was conscious of that.

Gigi and Lane leave a strong impression on the viewer

--Gigi and Lane: What were some of the memorable lines or scenes in the film, such as the moment when your understanding of Gigi deepened?

Ueda: There is a scene where there is a battle in the city of Davao, and suddenly Gigi starts making a lot of noise. I was so surprised that I was the one playing the role.

Saito: Yes, I was surprised too.

Ueda: It was scary how suddenly the switch flipped and she became upset. At first I wondered why, but the director explained to me that there must be some kind of trauma. When I heard that, the map started to form at once. She has a keen sensitivity, but she was traumatized by the mobile suits, and I wondered what that meant, and how she had no choice but to live as a mistress. Gigi shows us many sides of her, but it is probably because of that scene and the director's words that we can see a story behind it.

--What do you think about Lane?

Saito: Lane doesn't have much to do yet, so I don't know if the image I have of Lane will continue to the end of the film. But there was one scene that I personally thought, "Oh, I like that. It's the scene where Gaumann, the pilot of the Mufti, wakes up and finds himself on the Penelope, and Lane starts talking to him with a super smug look on his face. He says the name of the mobile suit there, and at first I was going to read it with the same accent as before. But the on-set direction said that I wanted to give the impression that Lane is too attached to the aircraft and calls it in his own particular way. So I tried various things, such as saying the "penelope" part of "It's penelope" in an English way.

Ono: "Penero pe," and so on.

Saito: Yes, I also tried spacing them out. That first word expresses my awareness that my aircraft is special to Lane. As an actor, I thought he was a very interesting character to fight with. We recorded a version with a lot of leeway and another version with a more strained voice, but the way I hear it, I think it's the take with a lot of leeway. It ends that way, but Lane is very elitist, which I think is important in the first part. However, I was impressed by the fact that he was different from the others, even from a single word of "penelope.

--Lastly, if you were to describe the first part of "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway" in a few words, what kind of movie would you say it was?

Saito: Let me start. I would say "growth. As I play Lane, I am looking forward to seeing how he grows through the story, and I hope I can also grow with Lane as an actor.

Ueda Is it okay if I don't say a single word at ......?

Ono (laughs).

Saito It's not an exam, so it's okay (laughs).

--Saito It's not an exam, so it's okay (laughs).

Ueda So you are saying that even if you understand the other person's mind, it does not mean you understand each other.

Saito That's true.

--That's a very Gigi-esque point of view. Finally, what about you, Mr. Ono?

Ono: Well, it's difficult. From Hathaway's point of view, I think it is a "conflict," but I don't know if it is a "void" or a "gap" in the film as a whole. If I take the film as a whole, I have the impression of a "blank" or "blank space". There are parts that are not explained and parts that are difficult to understand, and I think this film leaves room for the viewer to think.

(Interview and text by Koji Shimizu)


Blu-ray Information

Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway

The limited edition Blu-ray was released in limited quantities at all theaters where it was released!

The limited theatrical edition includes the novel "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway" (Author: Yoshiyuki Tomino, Cover Illustration: Haruhiko Mikimoto) and an original reading CD (the first volume of the novel "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway" / 6 discs / total length 407 minutes) as a special feature!
In addition, an original soundtrack CD containing the play accompaniment by Hiroyuki Sawano, the "GUMDAM FAN GATHERING - 'Senko no Hathaway' Heirs to GUNDAM-" held on March 24, 2020, and a CD with the music of "Mobile Suit Gundam UC" that you can feel with great intensity. Hiroyuki Sawano / Project【emU】"MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM UNICORN" suite" and many other luxurious extras!
The feature disc includes Dolby Atmos audio!

Price: <Theatrical Limited Edition Blu-ray> *Limited quantity release 12,000 yen (including tax), <Normal Edition Blu-ray preceding the theatrical release> 5,000 yen (including tax)

Sales and distributor: Namco Bandai Arts Inc .

This product will be sold only in theaters where the film will be released.

This product will be sold only at the theaters where the film will be released.

Please note that the product may run out of stock during the screening period due to limited quantities. Please note that the product may run out of stock during the screening period.

Please check the official website # for details on sales theaters and product specifications.

Outline of Present Campaign

<Prize

Commemorating the release of "Mobile Suit Gundam: Senko no Hathaway"! Two winners will receive a cheki autographed by Kensho Ono, Rena Ueda, and Souma Saito!

＜Entry requirements: Entry period: June 2021 to June 2021
Entry period: June 11, 2021 (Fri.) - June 18, 2021 (Thu.) 23:59
Number of winners: 2
Announcement of winners: Prizes will be sent out as soon as they are received.
Prizes will be sent out sequentially.
How to apply: Use the dedicated application form below.

＜Please note the following

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