Fall 2022 Anime] First starring role as Denji in "Chainsaw Man"! Interview with Kikunosuke Toya, a rookie from a private school led by Emi Ogata!

The hot fall 2022 anime "Censorman" will start airing on October 11, 2022.

Based on Tatsuki Fujimoto's manga of the same title. The main character, Denji, has a demon in his heart and becomes a "Censorman," a dark hero who fights as a devil hunter for the Public Security Bureau. The first part of the series was completed in the second issue of Weekly Shonen Jump in 2021, and the second part is currently being serialized in Shonen Jump +.

The anime is directed by Ryu Nakayama and produced by MAPPA, with opening theme by Genshi Yonezu, insert song by Maximum the Hormone, and ending theme by a gorgeous artist, which changes weekly.

The main character, Denji, will be played by new voice actor Kikunosuke Toya in his first main role. We asked him how he felt when he was chosen to play Denji, how he created the character, the appeal of this work, episodes with other cast members, and much more.

When the cast was announced, the number of followers on social networking sites increased tenfold!

--What was your honest impression when you were chosen to appear in the very popular "Chainsaw Man"?

Toya: The biggest feeling I had was "Yatta ----- ministry. At the same time, I couldn't believe it and kept asking my manager, "Is this true? (laugh).

--(laughs) - I heard that you had already read the original story.

Toya: Yes. I had read all the volumes of the original manga before I was asked to audition.

--If you had read the manga, you must be even happier.

Toya I was really happy. When I saw the PV announcing the anime adaptation, I thought, "Wow! It's going to be an anime! Who's going to do the voice? I was one of the people who wondered who was going to do the voice. Then I heard about the audition, got excited, and then it was decided, so I was very happy.

--But was there pressure on you as well as joy?

Toya: Yes, there was. Especially until the recording of the first episode, there was a lot of pressure. （I didn't know what I was doing right and left (this was my first main role), so I was wondering what I should do (......). But everyone around me in the studio was very kind, and I was able to concentrate on my performance.

--I think the response from the people around you must have been great.

Toya: It was huge. I received an incredible number of messages from friends. People contacted me after a long time, invited me out to dinner, and asked me to tell them stories, so I was really grateful. Also, I had about 1,200 followers on Twitter before the cast was announced, but in one day I had about 15,000 (about 18,000 as of October 11).

--More than 10 times in one day!

Totani: I realized once again how great "Censorman" is.

--I can feel the pressure from those numbers, can't you?

Totani That's right. The pressure had calmed down after the postrecording, but when the cast was announced, it was as if the pressure went up again (laughs). But now that I have completed the postrecording, I feel confident.

The charm of the original story is captured on film

--What did you find interesting and appealing about the original work?

Toya: If I had to say what I liked the most, I would say the pictures. I especially like all the blood splattering in the scene where the chainsaw man defeats the enemy.

--You like that a lot, don't you (laughs)?

Totani Yes, I do (laughs). (Laughs.) The drawings themselves are good, but the power of expression or the sense of dynamism? The frame layout, the composition, and everything about the picture really draws you in.

--It's a masterpiece. The pictures speak for themselves. What do you think about the shape of the chainsaw man, which also has quite an impact?

Totani Denji looks like an ordinary boy. I was surprised to see a chainsaw suddenly sprouting from his forehead and growing from his hand as well. But gradually, he starts to look cool. If you look closely, you can see that the details are drawn in great detail, and the more you look at them, the more you realize how well they are done and how beautiful they are.

--The more I look at it, the more I think it is well done and beautiful.

Toya: I haven't seen the finished film (at the time of the interview), so I'm really looking forward to it.

--What do you think are the highlights of the "Chainsaw Man" TV anime, and what are the points of interest for people who have read the original work as you have, and for people who are just starting out with the anime?

Toya: The scene in the anime where the chainsaw comes out of Denji's forehead and the blood comes out in a big gush, the attention to detail in the images is really wonderful, and you can feel MAPPA's drawing ability and the director's attention to detail, so I think people who have read the original work will enjoy it.

--I think that even those who have read the original work will enjoy it.

Totani That's right. When I received the footage of the first episode, it was still in the rough draft stage, and I was worried that they were going to do this without any restrictions (laughs). I was worried that we were going to do this without any restrictions (laughs). (Laughs) But that's part of the charm. For those who start from the animation, the play is easy to watch with a live feel, and the pictures are beautiful, so I think the work, including the story, is easy even for first-time viewers.

--I was also impressed by the intensity of the action in the PV.

Totani: It's amazing, isn't it? There are also many action scenes other than battles where the movements are very smooth, and I got the impression that a lot of effort was put into everything.

The play is more like a drama than an animation.

--Let me ask you about the post recording. How was the atmosphere on the set?

Toya: Fai-chan (played by Ai Fayruz as Power) was the mood maker and really made the place lively. Thanks to her, I feel that everyone got along well with each other. On Faye-chan's birthday, I, Kusunoki-san (played by Tomori Kusunoki, Makima) and Sakasho-kun (played by Shogo Sakata, Aki Hayakawa) would celebrate together. We have a good relationship, and we consider each other as friends.

--What kind of direction did you receive from director Nakayama and the rest of the staff?

Toya: In terms of direction, I was told at the first audition that I should play the role with a "detached" style, and that I should play the role more like a drama than an anime. I was told to "remove the anime-like deformation, and to remove the intonation as well. I like that kind of acting myself, and recently I've been watching and studying a lot of works where that kind of acting is used. Even after I started postrecording, I became very conscious of how I would speak in everyday life when practicing.

--So it's better to do it in a natural way.

Totani That's right. After analyzing and thinking about Denji's feelings, I wondered how he would speak if he were a person in the real world. I tried to get as close to that as possible. I tried to make the character's intonations and inflections as close to those of a cartoon character as possible.

--Did the rest of the cast also act in a raw style?

Toya: Yes. Only the power was different (laughs). (laughs) Majins don't exist in real life. Fai-chan was asking the director, "How should I do it? I often saw Fai-chan consulting with the director during postrecording. But Aki Hayakawa, Makima, and the other characters were also required to perform live.

-The shouting part?

Totani: When I shouted, it was more like I was shouting with real feeling.

--I think you must have learned a lot from your colleagues and seniors during the postrecording.

Toya: Mr. Kusunoki, Sakasyo and Fai-chan always give me technical advice whenever we record together. For example, "If you slap the back, you can get the nuance of sitting down. I learned a lot about such techniques. I also learned a lot about the energy level of the people who play the demons, and I learned a lot about how to go this far in the recording.

--The devil's performance looks even more amazing when you see it firsthand on the set.

Toya: It really was amazing. From the first episode, the zombies are amazing, the bats are amazing, the leeches are amazing, and ...... the characters are becoming more and more fascinating. （The energy of the demons was so great that it often moved me to improve my performance. I was often moved by their energy, which made my plays better.

--Did you feel like you were creating something new as a performer through these experiences?

Toya It was my first time to play a main cast member in an anime, so I didn't feel like I was starting something new. However, after going through various auditions, I really felt that I was being asked to do something completely different from what I had done in the past.

Makima was completely next to me!

-In the character, the relationship between Denji and Makima is also a focus of attention, how did you feel seeing Makima in the anime?

Toya: Well, it was great! I liked Makima the best in the original work, and I was always thrilled to see him move and talk.

--I was always nervous when I saw him move and talk.

Totani I am very confident about how much I like Makima-san! (Laughs)

(laughs) --So, if Mr. Makima said to you, "I'll do this for you," would you jump at the chance?

Totani (Like a pet dog) "Woof! Yes, I would (laughs).

--(Laughs) - There are some scenes in the PV that I mentioned earlier that make Makima a little nervous, so I'm looking forward to seeing how they will be portrayed.

Toya: It's really good, isn't it? The way Kusunoki-san plays the role is really good, and that made me nervous (laughs). We often recorded recording sessions next to each other, but I was next to him! Makima-san was!

--What were your impressions of the other characters?

Totani: Aki is similar to Sakasho, and I feel that he is right there with me. His attitude toward dubbing and personality is just like Aki's, and he really fits the role perfectly. His power is very energetic. He has a lot of dialogue with Denji, and I feel that his presence changed the play, or rather, shaped Denji.

--I would like to ask you about your work as an actor and voice actor. What do you value as an actor and what kind of actor do you want to become?

Toya: I want to create a comfortable working environment. The scene of "Censorman" was very warm and easy to work in. I was probably the most nervous, but there were many things I was able to do because of the warm atmosphere. After that experience, I wanted to become a voice actor who can make people feel at ease. I don't want to return the favor, but I want everyone to be warm to me.

--I think that's why the lead actor is called "the chairperson," right?

Toya: I have been told that (laughs).

(laughs) -- Didn't you learn a lot about creating the atmosphere at each performance?

Totani That's right. I learned a lot from Fai-chan, especially how to make the place more relaxed. I really want to become someone like that.

--By the way, you are a student of the first term of "Team BareboAt," a free private school run by Emi Ogata, aren't you?

Toya: That's right. I learned the basics of acting from scratch at Ogata-san's school. He taught me thoroughly that when I got a role, I should stand in front of the microphone as the character itself. I am truly grateful for that.

--I am very thankful for that. Do you want to showcase that aspect of your music as well?

Toya: Yes, I do. I think I can broaden my range of expression by working hard in music as well, so I would like to continue to do so.

--Lastly, Denji is an easy person to understand who is motivated by things like kissing or having his breasts squeezed.

Toya: When it comes to postrecording, it's the joy of meeting everyone and being able to act together with everyone. I think that was the best motivation for me to work hard.

(Interview, text, and photography by Kenichi Chiba)