Interview with Kana Ichinose (Sletta) and Lynn (Miorine) from "Mobile Suit Gundam: Witches of Mercury

The latest TV animation of the Gundam series, "Mobile Suit Gundam: Witches of Mercury" ("Mercury Witches"), is currently airing on the MBS/TBS network of 28 stations nationwide.

This is the latest work in the TV series after seven years since "Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphens" ("Tekketsu no Orphens"), and has caused a stir among anime fans with its first female protagonist, school setting, tie-up with PARCO, and many other topics before it begins broadcasting. The prequel "PROLOGUE," which was released prior to the broadcast of the main story, raised everyone's expectations even higher as to what kind of story would be spun with high quality images.

Kana Ichinose plays the role of Sletta Mercury, the pilot of Gundam Aerial, the first female protagonist in the TV series, in this remarkable work. Lynn plays Miorine Rembrandt, the only daughter of Dering Rembrandt, the president of the Benelit Group, who is also the president of Astycasia High School, which Sletta attends.

For this interview, we spoke with the two about their roles and performances, their impressions of the Gundam series, and even Gunpla.

What were your impressions of the Gundam series and what works have you seen?

--The Gundam series has a history of more than 40 years, but what kind of image have you had of it?

Ichinose: Gundam has been on the air since before I was born, and is one of the most representative works of Japanese animation. The title "Mobile Suit Gundam" and the names of the characters Amuro and Char are familiar to everyone, and I had a particularly cool image of the battle scenes in mobile suits.

I have always liked works with battle themes, but when I saw the movie, it made me think a lot about the meaning of fighting. The more I watched it, the more I realized that it is not just about cool mobile suits, but also a very deep work.

Kana Ichinose (Sletta Mercury)

--By the way, what kind of works were you watching?

I 've been watching "Mobile Suit Gundam" and recently "Mobile Suit Gundam UC (Unicorn)" as well as "Mobile Suit Gundam 00" (hereafter "00"). I was surprised to see how differently the same Gundam title is portrayed in different ways, and how the impression of the Gundam series can change so drastically.

Lynn Everyone knows that Gundam has a really long history and has many fans. Gundam works depict conflicts between people, with their differing positions and arguments and differences. I don't think they are depicted in such a way that only one side is the enemy and one side is justified. It is unrealistic that this is taking place in a setting centered in space, but I felt that it is a work that depicts a very human society.

I watched Gundam productions when I was a student and really liked them, so I wanted to act in them someday. When the production of "The Witch of Mercury" was announced, I thought, "They are doing a new work! And the main character is a girl! I thought, "I wonder if the audition has already finished. ......I wish I could have taken it. ...... Then I heard about the audition. I wanted to give it a shot so that I wouldn't have any regrets.

Lynn (as Miorine Rembrandt)

--What did you watch when you were a student?

Lynn: "Mobile Suit Gundam SEED" ("SEED"). I happened to see "SEED" broadcast in real time, and I thought it was interesting, so I watched it from the middle. I continued to watch "SEED DESTINY" and "00" in real time. After that, I watched "Mobile Suit Gundam.

--How do you feel now that you have been chosen to play a major role as the main character in such a historic Gundam series?

Ichinose: I was under a lot of pressure because this is the first Gundam TV series with a female lead and the first new series in seven years. However, it is a really interesting work, and since it is a story set in a school, I think there are many aspects that will appeal to students who are currently living their adolescence. I hope many people will watch it.

Lynn It is a work that is absolutely indispensable in the history of anime, and one that I would love to be a part of if I ever become a voice actor, so I feel quite a bit of tension and responsibility being involved in it. Whenever the latest episode was broadcast, everyone's reaction was very quick, and I could tell that people were looking forward to it that much, so I was very excited and nervous at the same time.

I want people to see the relationship between Sletta and Miorine with their own imaginations.

--I think some people are expecting to see a new kind of Gundam with a female protagonist and set in a school. What do you think are the unique charms and features of this work?

Ichinose: "The Witch of Mercury" is set in a school, so it has a comical tone at first. In previous works, a war involving life and death would start immediately and the story would often take a serious turn, but in this work, the students of the school fight each other for what is important to them as a "duel". Although mobile suits are used, it is not a battle where lives are at stake; it is a rather light fight. However, depending on what is wagered in the duel, it can become important and even affect one's life. It's not that bloody, is it?

--Is it not a bit gory?

Ichinose: Yes. The battle scenes are really cool, but there is no chance for anyone to get seriously hurt at this stage. We don't know what will happen in the future, so we would like to find out together with everyone what will happen in the future. The sound director even asked me to make it less serious. The fights are without danger to life, so I think the story is easy to watch even for first-time Gundam viewers, and I hope that young children will watch it as well.

Lynn You are right (laughs). We don't know what will happen in the future either, but at this stage, there is a duel going on in the school life, and mobile suits are being used for that purpose. I don't know if there will be a fight for life between humans in the future. But I think the impression in the beginning is very different from the previous Gundam series.

-I am also looking forward to seeing how the relationship between Sletta and Miorine will turn out.

Ichinose: That's right. Miorine and I may not be friends yet, but as we get to know each other better in the future, I wonder what kind of interactions we will have and what kind of distance we will feel. It's a little scary, but I'm looking forward to it.

Lynn Miorine has quite a difficult personality (laughs), and she is a hard girl to build a friendship with. She will probably change through her relationship with Sletta, and she will probably get involved with people she has never been involved with before, so I am looking forward to seeing how things will develop. I hope that she will change from the lonely person she is now to someone who feels the happiness of being loved by someone else, so I would like everyone to imagine various things as they watch the show.

Both Sletta and Miorine are characters that will open up new drawers for me.

--Please tell us about your first impressions of each character and how you approached the auditions and postrecording.

Ichinose: At first, I thought Sretta was a serious and shy girl. I thought she was a bit shy. But in the actual postrecording, she had a faltering side to her (laughs). (Laughs.) I was conscious of the fact that she could be out of character and would repeat the same words over and over if she got flustered, and that she was suspicious of other people. She is introverted and has trouble grasping the distance between people.

--Is there anything you were particularly impressed by in the direction?

Ichinose: What was shocking was when I was asked to make Sletta look like a crying child in a shopping mall in the scene where she cries (laughs). I was surprised that she cried that much. But as I began to see the image the staff had of her, I began to like her more and more. Every time I do postrecording, I think Sletta is a really funny and nice girl.

I was also impressed by her reaction scenes. In the first episode, when she asks "Hmm?" but I subconsciously said "Go?" in the test. I unconsciously said "Go? In the test, I said "hmm? But after the recording, I was told, "The test 'go? I was happy with the test "Go? I was told, "Can you do it again with 'go? (laugh). (Laughs) I tried, but I couldn't get the "Go? (Laughs) I tried, but it didn't come out as natural as the test, so I ended up using the version from the test. Because of that, I thought that Sletta was a good girl who could suddenly produce a mysterious part. It was quite a new challenge for me, and the character makes me think every day about what parts of her I should make attractive. But it is fun to play her.

--How about you, Lynn?

Lynn When I read the material on Miorine, she seemed like a cool girl that I really liked, and I thought I could give a physical performance, so I went into the audition with a lot of energy. I was very happy when I was chosen for the role of Miorine. Moreover, the day I received the call was my birthday, so I really felt like I had received a wonderful present. I was very happy to be able to take on the challenge of playing a female lead in a challenging work. Besides, I have always wanted to work with Ichinose-san, so it is a great honor for us to be able to work together as a main cast.

Ichinose: I'm so happy!

--Lynn Did anything change in your impression of her after you played her in the recording?

Lynn: My initial impression of her as a cool girl was not at all what I thought when I actually played her (laughs). (Laughs.) She shows more emotion than I expected when I read the script. So I asked the director, "Is she a girl with a lot of emotion? He said, "She doesn't hide what she is thinking rather than expressing it. When she is angry, she is angry, and she can express what she feels and thinks in an instant, without worrying about what other people think or what they think of her. She is very straightforward with her words, and she doesn't wrap anything up in a blur.

At first, I tried to be cool and restrained in my role, but I could be more aggressive where I wanted to be, and I could say things in a way that would irritate the other person. After receiving such direction, I chose expressions that I would not normally choose when practicing. When I read a script, the first thing that comes to mind is, "Is it like this? But when I tested it with more humanistic and reflective expressions, I was given the OK. It is always very interesting to find answers by opening up drawers that had never been opened before.

I definitely want to get a Gundam model kit for "The Witch of Mercury" and make it!

--Speaking of Gundam, Gundam plastic models are also popular. Have you two had any experience or interest in making Gundam plastic models?

Ichinose: Yes! I have made many kinds of Gundam models! We made the "HG 1/144 Gundam Aerial," "SD Gundam EX Standard Gundam Aerial," "Mobile Suit Ensemble Gundam Aerial," and although they are not MS, we also made the "Figure-rise Standard Sletta Mercury! I would like to make Miorine when it is released.

--How did you feel when you made the Gundam models?

Ichinose: When you open the box, there are about three plastic plates (runners with parts attached). At first, I honestly wondered if I could do it with so many small parts. I honestly wondered if I could do it. But after carefully looking at each step and checking the angles and directions to make sure they were correct, there was a moment when it clicked into place. I thought it was interesting, like a three-dimensional puzzle. It took me 3 to 4 hours to make it, but it was so much fun that I got absorbed in it without taking a break. I'm sure I'll get addicted to it.

--How about you, Lynn?

Lynn I haven't made one yet, but I really wanted one when I was watching "00". But I was still a student and my family was pretty strict, so I couldn't afford it. ...... I found a small size completed one for sale in the sweets corner, so I collected and displayed it. This time I definitely want to get one and make it.

--Do you like to make things in itself?

Lynn: I liked detailed work and arts and crafts, so I think I will definitely get into Gunpla as well.

--Lynn, you have always said that you wanted to be in a Gundam movie, but do you also want to ride in a mobile suit?

Lynn Of course I do. When I auditioned for the role, I thought I was going to ride in one. I did for a moment in the first episode, but when I opened the door, I was a bit shocked to find out that I was not the pilot character (laughs).

Ichinose We don't know yet, do we? (laughs)

Lynn That's right. I will talk to the director directly! (Laughs)

(Interview, text, and photography by Kenichi Chiba)