Interview with Nobuyuki Abe, Sound Director of the TV Animation "Kemono Friends 2! What is important is how to inspire the characters.

The "Kemono Friends Project" has been developing in various ways, including anime, games, stage performances, and zoo collaborations. The second season of the TV anime "Kemono Friends 2," one of the main pillars of the project, will start airing on January 7, 2019 (Monday) on TV Tokyo and other stations.

Akiba Research Institute has directly interviewed the staff members who are producing "Kemono Friends 2," for which expectations are rising for broadcast. Following the interview with director Ryuichi Kimura in the last issue, we spoke with sound director Nobuyuki Abe, who also worked on "Kemono Friends.

On-site chemical reactions can create a worldview

--I think the reaction to "Kemono Friends" was unknown until it was actually broadcast. Were you aware of the public's excitement?

Abe: I didn't really get a sense of it until much later. However, I heard that it was very popular, so I was very motivated. Before the recording, I was greeted by producer Hosoya (Nobuyuki Hosoya of TV Tokyo), who said, "The popularity of the show is increasing. ...... However, the staff members were concentrating on making each production, so I don't think they really felt it.

-When it comes to the recording, many of the main cast members were newcomers or did not have much experience as voice actors. Looking back at the beginning, how did you feel?

Abe: You can tell when someone doesn't have much experience by their first words, or rather by the lines they read. But you could really sense the motivation in their faces. The most important thing for me is how to inspire the characters. When I put the voice actor's voice into the character, how much of the character's personality I can inject into the character, and most importantly, how I can make the character appealing. That is my main focus. （It's not about how good they are (technically).

Of course, as a newcomer, I knew it would take time, including preparation and practice, in the beginning. I don't have unlimited time, but I used the maximum amount of time I had to create the character.

--You said that the worldview was created along with the characterization.

Abe: That's right. I would say that the chemical reaction of the voice actors' casting and the synergistic effects that could only be achieved onsite helped us to gradually create the characters.

For example, I was not familiar with the word "Friends" at first, so I may have thought it was a heartwarming story full of "beasts" and "cute 15-year-old characters. I might have thought it was a heartwarming story full of "beasts" and "cute 15-year-old characters. On the other hand, there was a lucky beast, a cerulean, and a kaban-chan whose roots are unknown. I was concentrating on how to bring out the character's personality, emotions, and other characteristics, so I thought that if I could get the actors to capture those aspects and perform them well, I would be able to see the world as a result.

--As a result, that is what made the work so appealing, isn't it?

Abe: We did not set the worldview from the beginning, but rather created it through chemical reactions, and I think this resulted in a work with many layers of depth and mysterious charm. There was a part of us that hoped that the worldview would evolve into something that we ourselves would want to see more of when we were actually working on it.

--What was the most impressive line or scene for you as a sound director?

Abe: "Please don't eat me! was very impressive. It was just something that was said when Kaban-chan and Serval met and they were scared of each other, but I thought it was a line that was unique to this work.

I focused on realistic sounds, not sound effects.

--What do you feel is the charm of "Kemono Friends"?

Abe: "Kemono Friends" is a work with many newcomers, but I think that Mr. Yoshizaki's characters are all very lively, and I think he was able to create more appealing characters. In addition to the newcomers, Toki (CV of Tomoko Kaneda in the anime version) and the other guest characters also brought out their strong personalities, which I think was a big part of the charm of the work.

Personally, the heartwarming aspect of the story was also appealing. Listening to the conversation between Serval and Kaban-chan was soothing. Also, the fact that we were able to keep sending the viewers full of the thrill of the mysterious part was also appealing, and I think there were many synergistic effects.

--I think there were many synergistic effects.

Abe: I think all of the various factors must have had a strong impact on the viewers' hearts. When I first heard the theme song, I thought it was a great song. I also hoped that the music accompaniment, which I was involved in, would fit naturally with the worldview. I asked Akiko Tateyama to write the accompaniment.

I am sure that the talents of many people were concentrated together.

--Were there any specific things you paid attention to or focused on in terms of sound to create the atmosphere of this work?

Abe: We focused on realistic sounds instead of using cartoon sounds or sound effects such as "Biyoyoyo~o". For example, for the music used when Serval is startled, we created ME (music effect) with sound effect elements for that purpose, and used ME instead of sound effects.

-If it were a complete gag manga, the sound effects (SE) would be the hook, but in this work, you were conscious of natural sounds. Now, as sound director, what is your enthusiasm for the new "Kemono Friends 2"?

Abe: I hope that I can live up to the expectations of the viewers, as this is a continuation of the previous work. This time, the focus of the story is not on "Kaban-chan" but on "the child," and I think it is my role to follow the characterization of the voices. There are new elements in this production, and there are many places where we all work together and feel a sense of friendship, so I hope I can enhance all of these elements.

I want to make this a site where we unite and work together.

-With the introduction of new characters, newcomers will join us. What are your expectations for them?

Abe: I think it's great that newcomers who are not yet steeped in anything are being cast. Of course, there will be some birth pains, but they are young, absorbent, and sensitive, so there is a sense of expectation that they may have something we can't imagine. I would like to see their charms, too, and I hope that their abilities will visibly improve.

--For example, has Yuka Ozaki, who plays Serval, changed since the last series?

Abe: I think Ms. Ozaki has grown a lot. I think she made a lot of effort to create that character, not to mention her subsequent success.

--In terms of newness, what was your impression of Director Kimura?

Abe: I had never met him before, but I thought he had a strong core. On the other hand, he is also very open-minded. I also like people who are open and frank, and I was hoping to work with him in a frank and honest manner in the creation of the film, so I felt intuitively that I would be comfortable with him. It may have been a one-sided love, though (laughs).

--I think that's important in any job. The atmosphere of the staff is conveyed to the work site as well.

Abe: I hope that the atmosphere of our staff can create a mood in which the actors and actresses can participate together. That's the kind of scene I want to create.

--I am looking forward to it!

Abe I am also happy to hear that there will be a second film. I hope I can support the director Kimura's image with sound. At the same time, I want to carry on the atmosphere of the previous series, and I am excited to work with all the cast members and characters. There are many exciting aspects to "Kemono Friends," so please look forward to it.

(Interview and photos by Kenichi Chiba)