WOWOW 30th Anniversary Anime "Eternal 831" Special Edition Part 1] "What is true evil? Interview with Kazuyuki Okitsu, who plays Seri Agawa

Commemorating the 30th anniversary of WOWOW, "Eternal 831," a new feature-length WOWOW original anime directed and written by Kenji Kamiyama, will be broadcast on January 30, 2022.

The world is in turmoil due to an "unprecedented disaster. A young man, Suzushiro, who has acquired the ability to stop the time around him after a certain incident, meets a girl, Nazuna, who has also been traumatized and can now stop time. Suzushiro then meets Seri, her brother, who uses her to commit crimes. ...... is a film with a message that only director Kamiyama, who sharply tackles the problems of modern society, can deliver.

Akiba Research Institute is featuring "Eternal 831" in this issue! We will be presenting a series of interviews with the cast and music artists.

In the first installment, Kazuyuki Okitsu, who plays Seri Agawa, Nazuna's older brother and a central figure in the semi-gangster group "831 Front," appears.

What kind of enthusiasm did Mr. Okitsu have for playing this role? Let us find out from the interview.

The scenario was overwhelmed by the director's enthusiasm: "It's a movie now.

─ First of all, please tell us how you felt when you read the script of "Eternal 831.

Okitsu: This is a very spirited film! I thought. I thought it was very spirited, or rather, it was a work that was filled with the thoughts of director Kamiyama (......). So, although this is an animation work to commemorate the 30th anniversary of WOWOW, I also went into it with the enthusiasm of "this is now a movie.

──This is a work that has elements that are also relevant to modern Japan, doesn't it?

Okitsu: The details are amazing. The script is so detailed that even the parts other than the main characters' speeches are considered so that there is no waste of time. I thought that the story could have been told for another five hours or so, but on the other hand, I think it is also good because it is packed with so much content.

Seri Agawa, who I play, is the leader of a semi-gang called "831 Front," and there is a scene where he is doing something bad, which is very realistic. There is a scene where he is doing something bad, and it is very realistic. There is a small room full of men, and they are constantly making phone calls. And every once in a while, a big, scary brother comes around to make his rounds. ...... I thought this group was scary (laughs).

Seri Agawa, the leader of these ruffians, is quite a fresh looking guy.

─ What was your impression of Seri when you first saw him?

Okitsu: When I first saw the picture, I thought, "He's a cool villain," "He's going to be popular," and so on. But when I read the setting and the script, I changed my mind and thought, "This is a man who is carrying something terrible on his shoulders. ......

I think he dared to use the word "semi-gres" to reflect the times, but what Seri is leading is, after all, a new group of young people who don't belong to any organization.

They happen to be doing bad things, but each of the young people gathered here have their own circumstances, and the situation is such that they are gathered here. I think that the "831 Front" is a group that is trying to do something, good or bad, by bringing them together.

Seri - Seri himself has his own problems, and he is also a refuge for young people who have nowhere else to go, and they are doing evil out of necessity.

Okitsu: In the first place, what is "evil"? In the eyes of the law, "Front 831" is evil. A crime is a crime. Then, what is "evil" in the true sense of the word? I think this work asks such a question.

For example, "a lie is not a bad thing," but it does not mean that a lie is absolutely evil.

Such things exist in life, don't they? I think this work will be an opportunity to think one step beyond the meaning of words.

What actions did you take to get into the role?

───What were you careful and conscious about when playing Seri Agawa?

Okitsu: She looks evil, so I tried to sound evil ...... (laughs). (Laughs.) However. I thought it would be better to give a vivid performance rather than a deformed one. So I thought it would be difficult to make it up, so on the morning of the recording, I smoked a cigarette, which I usually don't smoke, to change the environment of my own throat.

I was impressed by the scene where Seri smokes a cigarette. There are many characters who don't smoke these days, but I dared them to smoke, and after all, there is a meaning to their actions.

──When you get into a character, do you usually synchronize their behavior with your own?

Okitsu: That's a trade secret (laughs). (Laughs.) But for this character, I thought it would be better to do so. I thought that if I spoke normally, my voice would sound too mellow. At first, I thought I would give him a slightly hoarse voice, but then I thought that would not match the taste of the work, so I decided to change the mood a bit.

─ By the way, did you record without recording this time?

Okitsu: I recorded with Souma Saito, who played Suzushiro, and M.A.O., who played Nazuna. I thought "Eternal 831" sounded like a refreshing title, but when I entered the studio, everyone was dressed in all black, and during the recording, there were three people in front of the microphone.

I guess I was in that kind of mood. I don't think the other two guys needed to be black (laughs).

───Can you tell us about a memorable episode?

Okitsu: Seri Agawa speaks a lot of difficult words. When I was recording her, Souma Saito said to me, "Wow, Okitsu-san, that's amazing. How did you manage to say that? How did you manage to say that? Then Saito's next scene, where he had to say a lot of difficult lines, he said, "I completely forgot! It was funny how he suddenly became impatient.

─ ─ If you had to pick a highlight of the film, what would it be?

Okitsu: I speak a lot of difficult words, so I would like you to listen to that (laughs).

─ ─ Personally, I was very impressed by one scene between Seri and Nazuna, in which Seri is extremely conflicted between her ideals and her feelings for her younger sister, Nazuna. I am very much looking forward to seeing how you play this part.

Okitsu: Actually, I asked the director how he felt about that scene. Seri acts as if she wants the scene to turn out this way, but whether or not it turns out that way is up to Nazuna's mind. How will the feelings of the siblings build up at that time? I wonder if this scene serves as a confirmation that "I am a person who lives by doing bad things, so how does my sister feel about my brother doing bad things? What kind of scene it is, you'll have to wait and see. ......

─ ─ At the time of this interview, the video is not yet completed, and you yourself are looking forward to its completion, aren't you?

Okitsu: I am really looking forward to seeing how it will turn out. What kind of picture will it be? What kind of music will go with it? ......

─ By the way, what kind of direction did the director and others give you regarding your performance?

Okitsu: From the beginning, the director explained to us that this character was this kind of person and gave us a direction, so there were no major instructions. Then, on the day of recording, I heard what the director had in mind, and I understood that the character was living in this direction, so the recording went smoothly.

Eternal 831" is a work made possible only by WOWOW

─ ─ I feel that one of the themes of this film is the "lost 30 years" of the Heisei era.

Okitsu: I remember when the year was changed to "Heisei". I felt it was difficult to say "Heisei" (laugh).

I was just 10 to 40 years old, so most of my life was spent in the Heisei era. I felt the atmosphere of the bubble era even as a child, so I guess I hoped that it would stay the same.

When I was in the fifth or sixth grade, the news began to talk about the "ice age" of employment, and I told my grandfather, "I won't be able to work when I grow up," and he said, "Don't worry, there will be plenty of jobs by the time you grow up.

─ ─ So you were aware of the changing times in your own childish way.

Okitsu: Yes. So I don't know if it is a job, but I am glad that I became a voice actor. Being a voice actor is like a temporary job that I have to do every season (laughs).

─ Incidentally, this film is a WOWOW 30th anniversary production, but may I ask you about your own memories of WOWOW?

Okitsu: I loved the "City Boys" live performances, and I joined WOWOW to watch them, and I have been a member ever since.

───WOWOW has many sharp programs that terrestrial TV cannot offer, including "City Boys," don't you think?

Okitsu That's right. Drama W" is also interesting. After all, it is a pay TV program. I can feel their enthusiasm. I think "Eternal 831" is a work that should be watched on a pay TV channel, a work that is possible only on WOWOW.

───If you were to describe the appeal of this film in a few words, what would you say?

Okitsu: Well, just watch it! It's not what you expect. It is different from what you imagine. You may feel as if you are being punched from above. I was like, "Wow! WOW!" I thought, "Only WOWOW can do that. That's why it is worth making and watching.

Please think about the meaning of "831" with me. Please think about the meaning of "831" with me.

Film information

Original feature-length animation "Eternal 831" commemorating the 30th anniversary of WOWOW

Sunday, January 30, 2022, 8:00 p.m. - [WOWOW Prime] [WOWOW On Demand].

WOWOWOW On Demand is offering a free trial.