Interview with Junya Enoki (actor playing Rei White) on the winter 2023 anime "Bingen no Mahoutsukai ga Sekai wo Sukeru": "I hope I can give the impression of a person who doesn't know common sense".

The TV anime "Bingen no mahoutsukai ga sekai wo tame ni" is currently airing on TBS and BS11.

Based on the light novel by Nana Mikoshiba, "Bingen no Mahoutsukai ga Sekai wo Sorcerer Ga Sukeru" (The Magician of Bingen Rules the World: The Boy Who Is the World's Strongest Magician Enters the Magic Academy), which is also being published as a comicalized version. This work is a school fantasy featuring Rei-White, the "Bingen Sorcerer," who is said to be the strongest sorcerer in the world.

After suffering from a deep psychological scar caused by his own over-powerful power, Rei disappears from the battlefield, hides his true identity, and enrolls in the "Arnold Magic Academy," where elite magicians gather. Although he is looked down upon by the aristocratic magicians, he faces numerous trials and conspiracies with his irreplaceable friends.

Akiba Research Institute interviewed the main cast of this work. For this interview, we asked Junya Enoki, who plays the main character Rei, about the highlights of the work and what he was conscious of when playing Rei.

Logically analyzed magic is fresh

--First of all, please tell us about your impression of this work.

Enoki: As the title says, "A magician rules the world," the main character is extremely strong. But for various reasons, the students at his school don't think he is good at what he does. I thought it was interesting to see how the students turn the tables from that situation and recognize his true abilities.

--The magic setting is also interesting, isn't it?

Enoki: Yes, it is. It's systematic, or rather, it's very logical, as if "this is what happens because of this," and the corresponding words are used. I thought it was an easy setting to understand how familiar magic is in this world.

--The words used are very modern.

Enoki: The sense that it is something that has been analyzed is new.

--How did you feel when you saw the finished film?

Enoki: As I think about every time, it was refreshing to see it in color for the first time. It was also exciting to hear the hot music playing. In the first episode, the battle is still between students, but from here on, stronger enemies will appear, so I was looking forward to seeing how the battle would be portrayed.

--I was looking forward to seeing how the battles would be portrayed.

Enoki: I was happy that I was hired as a result of playing the role based on the image I felt I had. I had worked with the director several times on other films, and I thought I would be able to relax and have fun.

Acting too nonchalantly is a battle against the fear of being thought of as a bad actor.

--You said that you wanted to use the image you felt, but how did you plan to create the role based on the character's materials and the original story? Could you also tell us about the direction you took during the recording sessions?

Enoki: I had the impression that Rei in the anime was more bland than in the original work, not in a bad way. So I wanted to give the impression of a person who really doesn't know common sense. From the first episode, there are quite a few racy lines such as saying "lady" to a woman, but if you say it in a cool way, you come off as someone who knows the world. I tried not to show my emotions in order to make it sound like I was just saying what I had been taught. In the direction, too, I said, "Let's start with a feeling of not showing emotion. It would be good if we could gradually develop the character's emotions as she grows.

--You didn't lose that emotionless feeling during action scenes such as battles, did you?

Enoki: Yes, that's right. Basically, Rei is extremely strong, so she is no match for a student or so. I felt like I was playing with a baby, so I didn't use my voice during the action scenes.

--Do you find it easy to say the racy dialogues without hesitation? Or is it difficult to feel the tension?

Enoki: It is difficult. If I say, "Excuse me, lady," in a cool way, the audience won't think I'm bad at it, but if I do that, it's not right for the character. But that would be a strange way to play a character. I have to act in a way that could be considered bad. I had to fight the fear that if I was too casual, people would think I was bad at it.

--It's hard to say it well when you are an amateur actor, but it's the opposite, isn't it?

Enoki: It's difficult because it's hard to understand if you don't embellish, even though it would be strange if you didn't. I had to do it while thinking that people would hate it.

-Can you be more specific about not using your voice in combat?

Enoki: In anime, when you hit someone, you say something like, "Pfft" or "Ha-ha," but I almost never use that kind of voice. I would only include them when the director instructed me to do so. Even in the direction, I was never asked to make those kinds of sounds, but on the contrary, I was sometimes told not to.

--Did you have a sense of restraint?

Enoki: For example, when I would say, "Wow," I would not say, "Wow (with emotion)," but rather, "Wow (without hesitation). Do you really think so? I do it in such a way that people think, "Oh, my God, this person.

I sometimes say, "Wow! Even if they don't think so, they may say something like "That's amazing! Even if they don't think so, they may say something like "That's great! But Ray is the kind of person who can't do that. It's like he was taught to say "That's great," so he just says it.

--On the surface, Rei is an elusive character, but what do you think is attractive about him?

Enoki: Rei has lost a lot of things, and she goes to school trying to gain something from the state of having nothing. I like the feeling of a baby growing up. His strength is at its lowest level from the beginning, but in terms of mentality, he is the character who absorbs like a sponge and grows the most.

--Incidentally, what would you think if there was actually a man like Rei who praised women in a casual manner?

Enoki: It's scary no matter how you think about it, but you have to make it seem less scary. The challenge was to make it sound as casual as possible, without being pretentious or sarcastic.

--I got the impression from what you said that you analyze your characters a lot.

Enoki: I divide the character's purpose and what I want to do into about three parts. I divide it into three parts: the overall purpose, the purpose of the scene, and the purpose of a single word. It's very tedious (laughs).

--(laughs) - Do you think about it at home?

Enoki: Yes, that's right. I do it at home.

--Is there a reason why you decided to focus on the purpose instead of feelings?

Enoki: When I studied acting, there were not many acting theories that focused on emotions, but rather on purpose. Adlerian psychology also has a theory of cause and purpose, and I do my acting with the hope that I can identify what I absolutely want to do with the character.

The character I am interested in is Rey's muscle friend.

--What is your impression of Amelia Rose (CV. Iori Saeki) and Elisa Griffith (CV. Nana Harumura), who attend the same academy as Rei, and how has your impression of them changed since they were voiced in the anime?

Enoki: I have the impression that Amelia is a bit mellower in the anime. Her character is more like a gentle noblewoman. I think she is a character with a sensitive heart. Ms. Saeki also has a calm personality, so I felt there was a link between her and Amelia's regal demeanor.

--How about Elisa?

Enoki: Elisa is a shy girl who lacks self-confidence. It was my first time working with Ms. Harumura, and I think she was nervous because she was still a newcomer. But the nervousness of a newcomer was very much like Elisa. It is different when an experienced performer is more relaxed, but I think she became "the unique Elisa of the moment.

--If you had to name another character you are looking forward to seeing, who would it be?

Enoki: Yes, I think so. Evi Armstrong is a character I like a lot. He is a muscle buddy of Rei, who is played by Yuichiro Umehara, and when he appears in the film, it doesn't become too serious, or the atmosphere of the film doesn't become too somber.

--The interaction between the two is interesting, isn't it?

Enoki: Personally, I didn't have much of an image of Umehara-kun playing muscular roles, so it was refreshing to see him in this role.

--I heard that Rei and Evi are muscle buddies, and as those who know the original story know, Rei's muscles are amazing, too. By the way, do you like muscles, Mr. Enoki?

Enoki: If it comes down to whether I like it or not, I do. But excessive muscles are intimidating and scary (laughs).

--Do you yourself do a lot of muscle training?

Enoki: I used to exercise all the time, so my body was in great shape. My body fat percentage was something like 3%.

--You are a complete athlete, aren't you?

Enoki: Not at all now. I think it's probably around 20%.

--What did you and Umehara-san talk about during postrecording?

Enoki: I remember talking about how difficult it was to make a character like Rei realistic.

--Not only in this film, but do you often talk about acting in between postrecording sessions?

Enoki: No, not really. Everyone is shy and has their own way of doing things. This conversation with Umehara-kun was just a brief moment, and the rest of the time we were mostly chatting (laughs).

--(Laughs) - I understand that the recording sessions were still dispersed, but now that you are able to meet directly on the set and record together, do you find that the interaction between you is different?

Enoki: It is totally different. It is almost impossible to do it alone. You can manage to make it look like you are recording alone, but if someone with good instincts listens to it, they will know that you are recording alone. So, if possible, I would like to record with everyone.

--I am waiting for that day to come as one of the viewers. Thank you very much!

(Reporting, writing, and photography by Kenichi Chiba)