[Autographs will be given away! The Movie Version is more "Nyan-Poka" than "Kyu"! Riyo Takahashi, who plays Mr. Takagi, talks about the charms of the movie version of "Mr. Takagi the teasing friend! Interview]

The original comic series "Mr. Takagi the Karakaidee" ("Mr. Takagi the Karakaidee"), which sold a total of more than 11 million copies and became the pioneer of "00-sankei" manga, has finally become an animated film version!

Following the highly popular first three TV anime seasons, the movie version of "Mr. Takagi the Teasing Ute no Takagi" finally hit the road nationwide on June 10, 2022 (Friday).

The story takes place in the summer of the third year of junior high school, a little further from the third season of the TV anime. Under the supervision of the original author, Mr. Soichiro Yamamoto, the staff of the TV series spins a fresh and detailed story about the adolescence of Takagi-san and Nishikata, two junior high school students who have gradually begun to climb the ladder to adulthood.

With the release of the movie version just around the corner, we asked Riie Takahashi, who plays Takagi-san, about the highlights of the film, the recording process, and the music we are interested in.

The story, the images, and the classmates......What are the highlights of the film because it is a theater version?

--What did you think the story would be like when you heard it was going to be a theater version?

Takahashi: I thought there would be a long topic if it was the length of the movie version, and I was expecting a school trip (laughs) I thought that if we went on a school trip for about 4 days and 3 nights, it would be perfect.

--I thought it would be perfect if we went on a school trip for about four days and three nights. How did you feel about the story supervised by Mr. Yamamoto when you read the script?

Takahashi: There were some expressions that Takagi-san showed for the first time, so I wondered if I could express myself convincingly as Takagi-san in those areas. I wondered if he would really be able to act in one movie version. I was very anxious. Rather than feeling happy, I was more eager to make it a success.

--The last sentence in the trailer, "This is the true beginning for the two of us," is also very meaningful, isn't it?

Takahashi: Yes, it is. Thanks to what you said in the trailer, I was able to think, "Oh, it's okay to think that after all. I would like people to see the film until the end to find out what it is all about.

--How do you feel about the visual aspect of the film? I can only imagine how beautiful it would be on a big screen in a theater.

Takahashi: Usually (TV series) there are many classroom scenes, but this time you can see the big Senmaida (*note) on the big screen. I thought it depicted scenery suitable for the theater and summer events.

*The film is set on Shodoshima Island, whose Nakayama district has about 800 rice paddies of various sizes, selected as one of the "100 best terraced rice paddies in Japan.

--It's also nice that the film is open to the public before the summer.

Takahashi: That's right. The timing is also really good. You can hear the sounds of summer and feel summer from the pictures.

--What are some of the highlights of the movie version that we should pay attention to?

Takahashi: This time, a lot of the classmates make an appearance, and they talk so much that you can just barely hear them through the theater's sound system. I think you can hear the excitement just before summer from various places, so I would be happy if you could listen to more than just the main parts.

--So you are getting more of the za-za-za of the classroom?

Takahashi: That's right. I hope people will also enjoy the part where everyone is zany in the classroom.

--I want the audience to enjoy the way that everyone is making fun of Nishikata in the midst of everyone else.

Takahashi Yes, yes. There is a picture of the classroom in the trailer, isn't there? I thought it really expressed the atmosphere of the scene.

--I thought it really expressed the atmosphere.

Takahashi: Yes, there was (laughs).

--(laughs) - I think there are people who are expecting to see him like that in the movie version.

Takahashi: You can count on that. I don't know if I can call it a great success ...... (laugh), but if you like the 12th episode of the second season, there is a scene that will please you. It made me happy too.

--I was also very happy to see the scene that made me happy.

Takahashi: It wasn't a member of the class, but I thought the parakeet was very funny (laughs). (Laughs.) As he said what he thought in the trailer, he had just the right amount of humor with just the right words.

--Incidentally, the story takes place during the summer of your third year of junior high school.

Takahashi: I have nothing but memories of studying for entrance exams during the summer vacation of my junior year. So I was shocked to see how emotional the summer of my junior year was! I was shocked (laughs). I am happy to have experienced the summer of junior high school once more.

I feel like the TV anime's "short-distance run" turned into a "middle-distance run" in the movie version!

--Did you work with Hiroki Kaji (who plays Nishikata) during the recording?

Takahashi: Yes. We recorded the scenes with Kaji-san first, and in the second half, we were joined by Haruka Tomatsu-san, who played Ota-san.

--When I interviewed Ms. Takahashi and Mr. Kaji during the third season of the TV anime, they talked about "the image of playing ping-pong and shogi together," "using both physical strength and brains," and "the Takagi sensation. What was more difficult this time, since it is a theater version?

Takahashi: It was very difficult. In the TV series, the A part and the B part are each 10 minutes long at most. In the TV series, you have an A part and a B part, each of which is at most 10 minutes long, and you record them separately, but in a movie, each roll (part) is long. It was like doubling my concentration, and it took a lot of energy to stay focused throughout the entire roll. And we had to record it in one day.

--That was hard work.

Takahashi: It was hard. I tried my best to keep my concentration, but there were some expressions that I almost missed, and some ideas that I thought would have been better didn't come to me during the recording. My head would be a step behind and I would think to myself, "My head is not spinning right now. ...... At such times, I would often have a cup of coffee with Mr. Kaji to reset my head and we would encourage each other to do our best.

--So it was "Shogi and ping-pong" this time, too?

Takahashi: Yes. It felt like we were in a rally for quite a long time.

--In terms of a long time, the TV animation has several episodes in one episode, so we used to call it a "short-distance run". That seems to be different in the movie version.

Takahashi: That's right. I think this time it became a "middle-distance run" (laughs). (Laughs.) There were many breaks in between, but in the latter half, there were moments when I had to pick up the pace and say, "At this pace, I won't make it in time. Can you go without taking a break?" I felt like I was running a middle-distance race, especially when I was asked to do so.

--In the third season of the TV anime, you said that you "didn't change anything in particular, just the same Takagi-san as usual. Is it the same for the movie version? Or were there any changes?

Takahashi: Personally, I feel that if anything changes, it might be Nishikata's character. Takagi-san has always expressed his true feelings by saying "I love you. Nishikata just doesn't say "yes.

--That's true.

Takahashi: In the third season, she shows emotions similar to jealousy, and in this movie version, there is a scene where I think she might be crying a bit, so there are new expressions, but the axis has not changed. So I am not trying to change them or force them to be closer to each other.

--I don't want to force them to be closer to each other.

Takahashi: That's right. A slight modulation of the voice can be perceived as being more aggressive or excessive.

--I think it's a little bit different from the previous version.

Takahashi: It's not only the "voice" that plays the role of Mr. Takagi, but also the "pictures". Since he is acting with his drawings, I feel as if I am leaving it up to him.

The ending theme sung by Mr. Takagi is more euphoric than usual.

--What about the music? The theme song "Hajimari no Natsu" (The Beginning of Summer), which is also played in the trailer, is sung by the well-known Yuko Ohara. What is your impression of this song?

Takahashi: I had a strong impression that this song created summer first of all with the melody that entered the song, rather than the lyrics. The theme song for the movie version is not like the opening theme for a TV anime, but rather, it comes in with the flow of the scenario. So, I felt that the theme song was really a part of the film, matching the opening theme as if it were an insert song. I felt that it really became the song of the film. The video is also a perfect match, so I would like people to pay attention to it.

--The ending song for the first week is "The Door to Tomorrow" sung by Mr. Takagi. I thought it was a great fit with the story.

Takahashi: That's right. I sing it with a quiet accompaniment and plenty of singing. When I first heard that I was going to sing this song, I thought it might be too grand, but after listening to the scenario and recording it, it turned out to be just right. I think it has a stronger "euphoric" feeling in my heart than the way Mr. Takagi usually sings karaoke at the ending of the TV anime.

--So the atmosphere of the song is a little different from the previous ones?

Takahashi: Yes. It's a bit different from the previous songs, isn't it?

--How was the recording?

Takahashi: Usually, I sing while having a clicking sound, which is a sound that counts, returned to my ear, but for this song, I sang without listening to it, letting the accompaniment take care of itself. For this song, however, I sang without listening to it, letting the accompaniment guide me. I think I felt like I was singing from a closer distance than usual.

--In the latter half of the story, there is an important scene for Takagi-san and Nishikata. I would like to ask you about the recording of this scene.

Takahashi: This scene had to be recorded separately because Nishikata's and Takagi-san's lines overlapped. So it was technically difficult and required a lot of concentration. I would record while replaying the scene in my mind, remembering Mr. Kaji's performance from the test. It was really difficult to balance the technique required for postrecording with the tension in my mind.

--I think you must have received a lot of inspiration from working with Mr. Kaji, including this time.

Takahashi: Yes. Not only this time, but throughout the series, Mr. Kaji has always given me the best passes. It was because of your Nishikata that I was able to run this far, and I think I was able to concentrate. I am truly grateful for being Nishikata.

--Takahashi: So you were able to overcome the difficulties you were talking about earlier because you were the two of you?

Takahashi: That's right. If I had been alone, I might have broken down somewhere along the way. Both Kaji and I love "Mr. Takagi," so we both had a great passion to make something great. Although we were senior and junior, I think we had a "comrade-in-arms" feeling.

The movie version is not "Nyakyuu" but "Nya-xx"?

--What do you find attractive about "Mr. Takagi"?

Takahashi: I often wonder what the appeal of "Mr. Takagi " is, and I think it's the "immersive" feeling of ....... I think it's a sense of comfort, or the deliciousness of the air that makes you want to stay immersed in this world. I love the Takagi world. I like this world in which my favorite characters are living freely! I love this world!

I hope that it will continue forever, but this theater version made me think, "Time moves on. ......

--I guess the air of "Mr. Takagi" will be felt even more in the theater version.

Takahashi: That's right. I feel that the warmth of Shodoshima, where the film is set, and the warmth of the film itself, adds depth to the film.

--I know it must be difficult in this day and age, but have you been able to visit Shodoshima recently?

Takahashi: I have always wanted to go there, but I haven't been able to for several years. But if I go next time, I plan to bring my tablet and a cord to connect it to the TV and watch "Mr. Takagi" there. There is nothing to do at the hotel (laughs). I think it would be wonderful to watch "Mr. Takagi" while feeling the air of the sacred place, so I definitely want to do that next time I go.

--As with the title of your radio show, you often express the feelings you feel at "Mr. Takagi" as "niyakkyun. If you were to give it a name, what would you like to call it?

Takahashi: I would probably say "Nyakyu", but maybe not "Kyun". I think it would make me feel warmer than a "kyun," so I would say "Niyapoka.

--I think it's more "grin-poka" than "kyun". Nyan-Poka? You may think, "What?

Takahashi: Yes, that's right. After you see the film, you will understand that this is "Niyapoka. But it's hard to say, so I don't think it will catch on (laughs).

--(laughs) - I hope you will experience it in the theater. The admission gift this time is also gorgeous, isn't it?

Takahashi: It's amazing. The first pamphlet, "Mr. Takagi, the Karakajite no Takagi: The Movie" will include a manga newly drawn by Mr. Yamamoto. Not only that, but Yamamoto-sensei answered each question, and I think this is the first time he has explicitly stated that. I recommend it because the content goes into such depth about the characters.

-The admission gift is the same, and not only for this theater version, "Mr. Takagi" also entertains us with various projects. The "Nishikata Quest Online" was also very interesting the other day.

Did you clear it?

◆"Nishikata Quest Online".

#1

The campaign period has ended, but you can still play the quest itself.

--Congratulations!

Takahashi: Thank you very much. You were pretty serious, weren't you?

--It was pretty tough, wasn't it? I tried, but there were some problems that I couldn't solve without looking at the hints.

Takahashi: I stumbled on Quest 9. I think Quest 10 was easier.

--I think it's interesting that there is this kind of game.

Takahashi: It's nice, isn't it? I love solving puzzles, so I hope you will do more and more quests like this. The other day at the "Mr. Takagi the Teasing Girl: The First Love You Want to Watch Over You" exhibition in Tokyo, there were four different riddle-solving puzzles (which you could try at the venue) as an admission bonus, and I fell for them (laughs).

◆"Mr. Takagi the teasing teacher: The first love you want to protect" Osaka venue

Venue: Namba Marui 5F Event Space

Period: June 17 (Fri.) - July 3 (Sun.), 2022

--I hope you will enjoy the world of "Mr. Takagi" a lot, not only the movie version but also this kind of thing. Thank you very much for your time today!

(Reporting and writing by Kenichi Chiba)

Outline of Present Campaign

<Prize
In commemoration of the release of "Mr. Takagi the Caricaturist the Movie," we will present one lucky winner with a colorful paper autographed by Riyo Takahashi!

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