Lupin III's boyhood is revealed! Interview with Yu Hatanaka (Lupin) and Shunsuke Takeuchi (Dimenton) to commemorate the distribution of the anime "LUPIN ZERO"! Part 2

LUPIN ZERO," an original anime depicting the boyhood of Lupin III, will be exclusively distributed on the newly launched video distribution service "DMM TV" from December 16, 2022 (Friday).

Set in the Showa 30s, the same period when the manga "Lupin the Third" (original story by Monkey Punch) was first serialized, this is a nostalgic yet new original story about the still-unknown "Lupin" who travels around Japan during its period of rapid economic growth. Telecom Animation Films is in charge of animation production. How did a boy become "Lupin the Third"? Lupin, a middle school student who is still a nobody, meets his future partner, Gyoji, and confronts a dangerous case in order to save a woman!

In this second part of the interview, we asked Yu Hatanaka, who plays Lupin, and Shunsuke Takeuchi, who plays Douji, about how they portrayed Lupin and Douji as boys.

Grateful for the environment and the chance to take the first step in the same stride

--As you got to know Lupin and Dimentional better, were there any points that you felt were similar to your own?

Takeuchi I have been called shy (like Dimentional), and I think we may be rather similar in that I am a romantic.

Hatanaka That's true.

Takeuchi The gun (S&W M19) that Dimension uses, to the people around me, they would say, "Why don't you just use a gun with good performance without being so particular about it? ......," but I also feel an invisible charm that comes from having used it for a long time. It's the same with voice acting. Why do you do it with that kind of acting feel? Isn't it hard to convey the message? I have my own aesthetics, so I have been doing it. This is also connected to the "I was happy" comment I made at the audition I mentioned last time, and I thought we were relatively similar in that respect.

I bought a bucket hat and sunglasses a month before the recording session started, and I wore them all the time (laughs).

Hatanaka You were wearing them (laughs).

Yu Hatanaka

Takeuchi Akio Otsuka and Seiji Kobayashi both wore caps and sunglasses, so I decided to start with their appearance. When I was thinking about it on the set, I would cross my legs (like in a dimensional role) and do other things like that. It's not so much a role modeling thing as it is a hobby (laughs). What about Yu? What are the similarities between you and Yu?

Hatanaka I wonder. ...... If you look up Yamada-san, you can see what he says. I thought that behind his harshness, there is a very gentle nature, and I also get a glimpse of how he may be an extremely vulnerable and sensitive person. That is why he must have been extremely stoic and strict.

Takeuchi It is because I feel this way that Yu is like Lupin, or rather, he is a person who has the qualities to understand Yasuo Yamada.

Hatanaka This Lupin is a Lupin who has not yet fully put on the "Lupin mask. Why does the adult Lupin wear the mask? It's just my guess, but he may be shy, or he may have a family relationship that he doesn't want to intrude on. But if that mask is removed, he seems very human. There are scenes in which the voice of Lupin, played by Mr. Yamada, is laced with sadness, and there are moments when you can see a great deal of loneliness behind the cheerful words he says.

--So there is a gap between the two?

Hatanaka Yes, there is. That is something I really sympathize with. I don't know if we are similar.

Takeuchi We may be similar in that we have many layers of the mind. I think Yu also has a complicated mind. He talks to me about his problems, but he knows that he can only give me answers within himself, and he doesn't give me many answers until he is satisfied with everything.

Hatanaka Is that so? (Laughs)

Takeuchi You are much more troubled than you think, aren't you?

Hatanaka I worry to death. In that sense, Yamada-san may have been lonely and very solitary. Because he could not find an answer, he had no choice but to worry by himself in the end. Even if you receive evaluation from someone else, you still end up worrying about it.

Takeuchi It doesn't matter how many good friends you have or how many family members you have.

Hatanaka That's right. I feel that if you were satisfied there, you would be finished, and I think that Yamada-san was not shallow enough to be satisfied there, or perhaps he was really troubled.

--When I talked to Mr. Kurita before, he talked about how difficult it was when he was the only newcomer among all the great actors around him. Considering that, it was great that the two of you were together this time, wasn't it?

Hatanaka: Indeed, Mr. Kurita talked about "being the only one on a grassroots baseball team in a major league baseball team. In that sense, I feel quite fortunate to have a partner of the same generation with whom I can share my problems.

Takeuchi I felt fortunate. I am grateful for the environment and the chance to take the first step in the same stride. I am glad that we keep in touch and consult with each other.

Hatanaka That's really true.

Shunsuke Takeuchi

I had a longing to play a role like Lupin someday.

--What are your impressions of the completed film?

Takeuchi I thought the images, music, and direction, including the opening and ending, were all wonderful.

Hatanaka There is no doubt about it. I can't stop thinking about how it could have been more Lupin, though (laughs).

--(laughs) - Do you have some things to reflect on?

Takeuchi I have no regrets or remorse. I think I did a good job, but I could have done more.

Hatanaka: I think about what would happen if I recorded it now. I think about what would happen if we recorded it now. But as a work, I think it was really passionate. Director Sakamukai came into the animation industry because he loves Lupin, so his enthusiasm is extraordinary, and the Lupin family is made up of the staff he assembled and the people he brought together. I think the people around me have made me Lupin in large part. However, because our feelings are so strong, I am nervous about how the audience will perceive the film. To put it straight, I am very scared.

Takeuchi: To be honest, we don't know what the right answer is, so we hope that everyone will enjoy it with an open mind.

Hatanaka That's right. On the contrary, I would like to hear what you think.

-Speaking of the content of the work, I was also surprised that it is set in Japan in the Showa 30s, a period of rapid economic growth, and that it depicts Lupin and his friends attending a school. How did you two feel about such a setting?

Hatanaka: The first audition materials we received said "Japan in about 1958. It was written in the initial audition materials that I received, "Japan around 1958, high economic growth," and so on. If I was in my 20s in 1971 (when Lupin started), that would be about the same time if I counted backwards.

Takeuchi: I didn't feel that much different either. But I thought it was interesting that there was an aspect of a school story. Both of us were wearing school uniforms, and Dimension was wearing a school cap, so it was a fresh look. I had never seen a "school Lupin III" before.

Hatanaka I had never imagined that. But it looked very much like Lupin, or rather, like Lupin as a boy. I was amazed at the power of the picture.

Takeuchi It is interesting that he looks like Lupin even though he has a different hairstyle.

--By the way, which was the first "Lupin the Third" film you saw?

Hatanaka I think it was Mamou (Lupin the Third: Lupin vs. the Duplicate Human).

Takeuchi That's right. I think it was Mamaw or Cagliostro (Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro). I don't know which came first.

Hatanaka It is a famous place after all.

--At that time, of course you didn't know that you would be acting in the future, but did you ever think that you would like to be in "Lupin the Third" someday?

Hatanaka I had a longing to be in "Lupin the Third" since I was a child. I wanted to be an actor since I was a child, so I wanted to play a role like Lupin someday.

Takeuchi I had it from the moment I set my sights on becoming an actor (laughs).

Hatanaka That's amazing. You're looking too far ahead (laughs).

Takeuchi An actor must have that kind of momentum. That is the engine of an actor. I had no vision at all when I saw it, but I thought it was really cool and I would like to live like this.

--I thought it was really cool, and I wanted to live like this. Lastly, I know that there are people who are seeing "Lupin the Third" for the first time with this film, so please give a message to everyone, including those who are seeing it for the first time.

Takeuchi: "Lupin the Third" is a very long series, so some people may not know where to start. The story is not very difficult, and it is a work that can be watched in a sensible way. I mentioned jazz and classical music earlier, but this is a film that will make you feel familiar with Lupin in the sense of pop music, so I hope you will enjoy it with an easygoing feeling.

Hatanaka: I think there were many different faces of Lupin in every era. You may be a bit confused when you hear the name "Lupin the Boy," but I think this is the face of Lupin in its own way, and in a way it is the most primitive version of Lupin. So I think it's definitely a good start, and I feel that even people who don't know Lupin can sympathize with him, saying, "I didn't know he was such a human being. I am very happy to have met Lupin in this film, and I hope that you will have the same experience.

(Interview, text, and photography by Kenichi Chiba)