Interview with Makoto Koichi (played by Lavien Winslet) on the TV anime "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Genesis Northern War"─ ─ "(played by Koki Uchiyama) Lin-san felt like a hero!

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Genesis Northern War" TV anime will begin airing on TOKYO MX and other stations on January 8, 2023 (Sun.).

This is the first anime project in the "The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Sen" series, a story RPG popular around the world. Directed by Eiichi Sato and produced by Tatsunoko Productions, the original story is told from the perspective of the heroine Lavie (Lavienne Winslet), who fights to protect Northumbria as the "Hunter of the North.

With the broadcast of the film just around the corner, we asked Makoto Koichi, who plays the main character Lavi, about the highlights of the film, what he was conscious of when playing Lavi, and much more.

I studied the history of this world to find out what happened in the past.

--Did you know about "The Legend of Heroes: Sen no Kiseki" series before?

Koichi: It's a famous series with a long history, so I knew the name, but I had never actually played the game.

--What was your impression when you got involved in this animated project?

Koichi: I was surprised that the settings were as detailed as the real history! Also, there are many characters in this anime, but when I saw their names, I wondered "Are these original characters? Or are they from past works? I was also surprised at how many characters appeared in the anime this time.

--How did you go about finding out more about these other characters and the series?

Koichi: I did my own research on the worldviews of other characters and works. I wondered if such things as the "XX World War" and the "XX Incident" had happened in the past! I wondered.

--I was like, "I didn't know that these things happened in the past!

Koichi: Yes, I studied it.

--After studying the history and understanding the social background, what was your impression of the character Ravi?

KOICHI: As "hero" is one of the themes of this work, I felt that Ravi is a girl who is living her life tied to being a "hero. And although she is 15 years old, I got the impression that she has a lot of mature aspects to her because she has grown up in the midst of battles.

--By the way, did you feel any pressure when auditioning for the role because it is a long series?

KOICHI: Since the character was an original anime character, I had to imagine what kind of person he would be like during the audition, so I felt anxious and pressured in that respect as well.

--What do you think is the charm of Ravi?

KOICHI: The speed of his growth is tremendous. In the beginning, they were mature, but at the same time, they looked like 15-year-olds. But in the final episode, I thought they had aged about 10 years. In the final episode, she was mentally matured to the point where I thought she might have aged about 10 years. I think this is what makes him so appealing.

What were you conscious of or what were the difficulties in playing Ravi?

--Even though she grows up, she is still a 15-year-old girl, so were you conscious of her age when you played her?

KOICHI: I was very conscious of it at first. 15-year-old girls can be this cute and young. I was told by the director, "Ravi is not a heroine but a hero, so you don't have to be too cute or juvenile. At that time, I felt that was why he chose me for the role! That's why they chose me! After that, I didn't think too much about what I should do because I was 15 years old.

--I was just trying to do what I thought I should do because I was 15 years old.

Koichi That's right.

--Do you always think about that, not only in this film but also in your acting?

KOICHI I am very conscious of it. For example, even if someone says "a 12-year-old boy," his mental age will definitely be different depending on whether he is a 12-year-old today or a 12-year-old in the Edo period.

--Did you find it difficult to be conscious of the age of the characters this time around?

Kouichi: Ravi is a talker, or rather, he is basically a listener and doesn't say much about himself to others. He doesn't talk for very long, just saying "Uh-huh" or "I understand. That is why every word I say is important, and since I don't show much emotion, I was very worried about how to convey my feelings to the audience.

--Do you sometimes express your inner feelings explosively in the latter half of the film?

Koichi: No, rather, in the first half, she didn't talk much but responded in a cute 15-year-old way, but in the second half, she talked but in a mature way. In the second half, she speaks but maturely. She becomes a child who firmly says, "I am like this" with a core. So I felt that it became more and more difficult as the second half went on.

--Until now, you have not played many heroines who fight like Lavie, have you?

Koichi That's right. I had never played a character who quietly attacked like Ravi.

--So you felt that this was a new character for you even in your career, and that it was a challenge for you as well.

KOICHI Yes. So I asked the sound director, "Is it okay if I keep it this low? I could show the rest with the pictures.

--You yourself have experience in sword fighting.

Koichi: I wasn't really conscious of that, but I think it may have helped me in terms of the sense of distance and how the parts of my body move when I am hit.

I was careful not to be a pussy to Lin.

--Please tell us about any memorable episodes you had with your co-stars.

Koichi: I often worked with Mie Sonozaki (played by Jaina Storm) during the recording sessions, and every time she brought her earphones with her, she had onigiri (rice ball) clips on them (to put on her clothes, etc.), which was really cute! (Laughs) When I said, "You have onigiri on your earphones," he said, "What? I said, "What? They don't sell them. We had a lot of fun talking about that.

--How was your relationship with the cast members of "The Hunters of the North" who team up in the film?

Onoichi: Mr. Ono (Tomoki Ono who plays Tarion Drake) treated me very well when we were in the same office, so he asked me "How are you? He asked me, "How are you doing? Bridgecut-san (played by Emi Bridgecut Sailer as Yseria Frost) had also worked with me before, and she would say, "It's been a long time. Especially Yseria and Lavie often worked together, and we recorded quite a bit together.

--What did you talk about with Yuichi Nakamura (played by Martin S. Robinson)?

Koichi: I talked a lot with Mr. Nakamura, but I don't remember much of what we talked about. I think we were just having a good time talking about trivial things (laughs).

(laughs) -- "The Northern Hunter" was a friendly atmosphere.

Koichi: In the beginning, we were depicting how we became one team, so we were often in harmony. But in the second half, they start to act on their own, so the recording was separate.

--I heard that the characters from the game also appear in the anime. Did you record together with the cast from the game?

Koichi: Yes, we did. I sometimes recorded with Mr. Uchiyama (Mr. Koki Uchiyama who plays Lin Schwarzer).

--Did you talk about the "Sen no Kiseki" series with Mr. Uchiyama?

Koichi: I asked him what the "Sen no Kiseki" series was like. I asked him what he thought about the "Sen no Kiseki" series, and he replied, "There's a gap between the previous works. I'm recording it while thinking about how the previous one was" in a small voice (laugh).

(Laughs) -- So you were also remembering the previous work.

Koichi You said so, but you have been doing it for a long time, so from the very beginning, I had a sense of heroism, like "Oh, it's Lin-san".

Lin is a natural and womanizing person, but when I played Ravi, I was told, "Don't say to Lin, 'Oh, I love ......'". I was told not to flag her by the way she breathes when she saves me. So I played the role while maintaining a sense of distance that did not lead to romance.

But I thought, "Surely he is that strong and helps me without compensation, and I will like that receptiveness.

My goal for 2023 is to be about that person who is the president of the office.

--What are the highlights of the first episode, which is about to air?

Koichi: In the first episode, Ivano (played by Jun Fukushima) and Tuck (Ryuichi Kijima) talk a lot, so that is a highlight. Ravi basically plays the role of a sounding board (laughs). They lighten up the world and lift it up in a good way when the story gets too heavy. I think it's amazing that the characters stand out so well in this work, with their realistic heads and calm drawings, but their acting is so off-the-wall and their characters stand out so well.

--I think it's great that the characters stand out so well.

Koichi That's right. I don't think you can get a sense of the appeal of these two characters just from their standing pictures.

--Aside from Lavi, are there any other characters you are interested in or would like people to pay attention to?

Koichi I would like you to pay attention to Ivano and Tuck, but I would also like you to look forward to how Lin-san and Ravi, who I mentioned earlier, will interact with each other. When I read the script, I was like, "We met! I also read the script and thought, "We've met!

--Please tell us about the scenes that you enjoyed playing as much as you can.

Koichi: The part where we all go to the hot spring. There are many comedic scenes like that in the first half of the movie, and Ravi is not the type to show it, but he enjoys it a lot. I had a lot of fun playing Ravi, and I hope you will pay attention to the scenes.

--Lastly, on a personal note, what would you like to challenge yourself with in 2023?

Koichi I don't know if I can call it a challenge, but I would like to have a relaxed talk with Mr. Namikawa (Daisuke), the president of our office! (Laughs)

--Mr. Namikawa often teases me on TV programs, etc., and I feel he is okay with it. ......(laugh).

Koichi The seniors in the office tease Mr. Namikawa, but I don't know if I can tease him. ...... Yes, that's right! That's my goal for 2023. I will tease Mr. Namikawa once! (LOL)

--I look forward to your report on how you were able to tweak him! Now, please give a message to our readers who are looking forward to it.

Koichi: This work will feature an anime original story, but also characters that have appeared in the game so far. I think it will be easy to watch for those who have played the original game and know what the story was like in Northumbria before arriving here, as well as for those who are unfamiliar with the original game since various things are introduced in the beginning of the story. We are happy that people can get into the game from the anime, and we hope that those who have played the game will also enjoy the anime.

(Interview, text, and photography by Kenichi Chiba)