Interview with Rina Hidaka, Rina Hidaka of the original theatrical anime "Raidbackers": "Try a different role from the usual" and her newfound talent

LAIDBACKERS" is an original theatrical animation film, the last in the "Heisei Era," which opened in theaters on April 5, 2019 (Friday) for a limited two-week run. It is a story of characters who have been reincarnated in the "reverse" other world of Kyoto in the present day, sometimes going on rampages, and sometimes going about their daily lives in a relaxed and warm atmosphere. Although it is a one-shot original anime, the characters are full of charm as if they have been following the series for a long time, and you will feel familiar with each and every exchange between them. Among the main characters, Rina Hidaka plays the role of Harami Mino, a somewhat boyish, medieval girl who used to be a mad warrior and is now a NEET. Rina Hidaka spoke to us about the joys of playing a role that she has never played before.

It's an original role, so I just wanted to do something fun!

─ I heard that you auditioned for the role of Harami. Could you tell us about the audition process?

HidakaWe started with a tape audition, which I think was over a year and a half ago. The materials I received at that time were colorful and included many pictures of the characters, and I had the impression that it was going to be a fun project. Among them, I accepted Harami, Ran, and (Hontenuma) Kumi. In the past, I have often played the role of a small and pretty girl like Ran, so I personally thought that I would be asked to play such a role in this production as well, but when I proceeded to the subsequent studio audition, I was told that I was a candidate for the roles of Harami and Ran. I was very happy to hear that. Not only had I never played a neutral role like Harami before, but I rarely had the opportunity to play it in auditions, so I really enjoyed playing it and was very happy that I was chosen at that stage.


──What were you conscious of during the audition process?

Hidaka: At the tape audition stage, there was a battle scene in the script, so I tried to act cool in that scene, but there were also other scenes where I was lazy, so I tried to make a big difference between the two. During the studio audition, I was told to "enjoy playing the role without being too serious when fighting, and to play it like a boy's prank. I was also conscious of the wildness of the character before his reincarnation, and technically speaking, I tried not to speak too high or be too boyish. I was grateful that director Hiroyuki Hashimoto and screenwriter Makoto Uezu told me afterwards that I had achieved a good balance.

───And how did you feel when you won the role of Harami?

HidakaI was very happy because I felt that I had found a role that would open a new door or challenge me!　Director Hashimoto had helped me many times in the past, so I thought he was telling me to try a different kind of role. That is why I wanted to live up to those expectations, and I felt more positive about showing a good performance.

─ This is a 60-minute original anime project, how did you approach it?

Hidaka: Unlike the TV series, this was a one-time-only show, so I was nervous about what kind of play everyone would come up with. Personally, it was my first time to be credited as the top cast member of a theater production, so... I just had to perform the same way I usually do, but I still had to do my best! I was really fired up to do my best. But when I got on set, the staff said, "It's an original piece, and we just want to have fun with it! Do whatever you want! I felt that my earlier nervousness was unnecessary (laughs). I felt relieved that I could just give the performance as I wanted and they would tell me if it was not good enough, so I decided to enjoy playing the role. In addition to myself, there were many other cast members who had worked with Director Hashimoto and Mr. Uezu, such as Yumi Uchiyama and Yumiri Hanamori, so I felt a sense of home from the very beginning. Although it was only a one-time recording of a theater production, the atmosphere on the set was such that I felt as if we had been acting together in the TV series for a long time.


───How did you proceed with the actual recording?

Hidaka: There was a battle scene before the opening, and we started with that for the test, but it was the daily conversation that really revealed the characters, so we put off the opening scene for the actual recording to get a better grasp of the characters. This made it easier to decide on the direction to take, and I felt that the staff was very considerate in this regard. I remember that there were very few changes in the character's trajectory during the production, and there were not many fiddly moments. The pictures had already been created, and everyone ad-libbed as they pleased (laughs).

───What did you think of the other actors' performances from your point of view?

Hidaka: It was a perfect fit!　I had performed with all of the actors in the past, so when I saw the list of actors, I could replay it in my brain. （I was imagining how Yumi Uchiyama's Arnelia would turn out (see ......?). (laughs). I got the impression that everyone's voices were more natural than I had expected, or were close to their own voices, and that they relaxed their power in the everyday parts and brought out parts close to their true selves. I think that was because you wanted the audience to see the performance without any tension, in line with the direction of the work. In that sense, I was happy to think that they were planning the play with the same sense of direction.


───Hidaka, how did you perform the play in your daily life?

Hidaka I don't think I have ever relaxed so much in front of a microphone for such a long time. I had a lot of fun checking the script at home, and I wondered how far I would be allowed to go (laughs). (Laughs) Of course, I had to make sure that the content of what I was saying was conveyed correctly, but I really enjoyed the balance between the two. I had never experienced before not aiming to "do my best to speak well," so I think that opened up new doors for me in terms of acting.

───On the other hand, there were tense battle scenes.

Hidaka I have played various characters in battles, but in the case of Harami, I thought that the way he fought with a mischievous grin, without being too desperate, was very typical of him. At first, I made the film at home thinking, "This is a theater version, so I wanted to make it cool and serious," but as I mentioned earlier, I changed the direction on the set. But as I mentioned earlier, I changed the direction I took on the set. I had never screamed so much in a battle scene before, but we were able to finish the recording without incident. I was personally happy to hear the cast members around me say, "That's so cool! I was personally happy that the cast members around me said, "That's so cool!