My first impression of Mr. Morikubo is that he has an amazing chain. Interview with Shotaro Morikubo and Daisuke Namikawa from "Mage Orphen: The Lost Journey

The TV anime "Magician Orphen: Hagure Tabi" will start on January 7, 2020 (Tuesday). We interviewed Shotaro Morikubo, who plays Orphen, and Daisuke Namikawa, who plays Childman.

Mage Orphen: The Lost Journey" is a fantasy novel written by Sadanobu Akita that started in 1994. In 1998, the first TV anime started, and the phrase "I am the white blade of light! played by Shotaro Morikubo, had a strong impact.

In 2020, "Mage Orphen: The Hagure Tabi" will be revived as a completely new series. The role of Orphen is played by Mr. Morikubo, who continues to play the role of Orphen from the previous series, but the rest of the cast is all new. Mr. Namikawa plays the role of Childman, a mysterious teacher at the mage training institute "Fang Tower" who trained Orphen to become strong as steel. In this interview, he talks about his thoughts on the work and the role, as well as the relationship between the two.
⇒25th anniversary project "Mage Orphen: The Hagure Tabi", the world's fastest special PV has arrived! Familiar characters such as Kreeuw and Majik are also seen in the video!

─ You are older than Morikubo, but including your career as a child actor, Namikawa-san has been in the industry longer than you. How would you describe your relationship as senior and junior?

Morikubo: For me, it is a vertical society. It is a vertical society. It's not about age, it's about career.

Namikawa You are smiling as you say that!　I have the image of (Mr.) Morikubo as a senior. It's not like in the world of comedians, where if you're a day ahead, you're a senior, so I feel like I'm just Morikubo-san.

─How long havethe two of you known each other?

Namikawa: I first saw Mr. Morikubo when I was 19 years old, so 24 years ago. I think it was at the site of an OVA, and I saw a man with chains attached to his body and I thought it sounded amazing. I was talking with Yuji Ueda at the time, and gradually I heard Ueda's voice, and when I looked up, I saw that it was Kubo Mori43283 who had entered the room. I thought he was an amazing person, but even before that, I had been told that Namikawa-kun would get along well with Morikubo-kun.

Morikubo: It was something like that. I knew each other's name before we met, and one of my seniors told me that Daisuke and Shotaro looked alike. I was often told that we really looked alike.

Namikawa: I used to have this color when I was younger. When I met him, I wondered if I could get along with someone wearing such chains (laughs).

Morikubo: After that, there was a bit of a gap. We were together for a while after that, but it was during "FREEDOM (2006)" that we got to know each other well.

Namikawa: That was for Nissin Cup Noodles. The first commercial we recorded was a 30-second commercial, but we spent about two hours on it. I remember we spent the whole time talking together in the small booth.

Morikubo: After that, we started meeting often, and we often played rivals and partners.

─ ─ So you two are going to play a teacher and a student this time.

Namikawa: Of course this is my first time, but from my point of view, it is not Mr. Morikubo who is in the studio, but Orphen. So, I am not conscious of that, but I am playing the role naturally, thinking that he is a student who needs a lot of help.

Morikubo: I am not conscious of my age when I play the role, but I feel like we are classmates, so it is easy for us actors to work together. I enjoyed it very much, and it was a happy casting.

─ ─ Now then, let's get into the story of "Mage Orphen: The Hagureta Journey" in earnest. How did you feel when you heard that "Orphen" would be adapted into an anime for the first time in about 20 years?

Morikubo: First of all, after the previous series was broadcast, Mr. Akita (Teishin Akita) continued to write the original novels, and the fans did not leave the series for 20 years. Actually, several years ago, the voice actors from the previous series got together and recorded a CD drama to accompany the novel. The CD drama was so well received by the fans that the fire of "Orphen" was not extinguished yet, and the plan to re-animate the novel was put into motion. So I think the new work was made possible by the support of the fans. I never thought I would be able to play the role of Orphen, which I played when I was a newcomer, 20 years later, so I am really grateful to Akita-sensei and all the fans who have supported me.

Namikawa: When I was notified of the audition, I was surprised that I would be doing it after 20 years. I thought that the cast would change (since we were holding auditions), but it turned out that only Mr. Morikubo would continue to play the role. I was also surprised that Morikubo-san was going to play Kirilanchello (Orphen's boyhood name) this time (laughs).

Morikubo: In the previous series, Kirilanchello was played by someone else.

Namikawa: Twenty years ago was when I wasn't doing much anime voice acting, so I was happy to be able to play a role in a work that has been loved since then. The pressure was that in the previous series, the role of Childman was played by Joji Nakata. I couldn't play the same role as Nakata-san, so I decided to have fun with my performance. It is still interesting and fast-paced even now, and I thought that the fact that it has not faded away 20 years later shows that it is a work with such a solid foundation.

─ Were you conscious of the performance of your predecessor, Mr. Nakata?

Namikawa: I think the image of Mr. Nakata is strong among the fans of the past, so I tried to act like Mr. Nakata in my own house as a test. After about two seconds of trying, I realized that I couldn't do that, so I went into the audition as the character I had captured without thinking about it.

─ ─ I know there are many fans who are seeing "Orphen" for the first time, so could you introduce the character you play again?

Morikubo: Orphen is a skilled mage, originally named Kirilanchero, who was educated at the highest level of the mage training institute called Fang Tower. After an incident happened to Azalee, whom he adores as his sister-in-law, he gave up his name and set out on a journey to pursue Azalee as Orphen. When I played him 20 years ago, I had the image of a nihilistic and wilful man, which is probably the Orphen that Majik and Kreeuw saw in me. Now I see him as a patient man who is sometimes shaken and immature, but still fights with a purpose.

Namikawa: I think that what Orphen is carrying on his back leads to his charm that you can't hate. Childman is a man with a core, and I think he is close to the image of a taciturn and rigid master that everyone has in mind. Of course there is a kindness in him, but basically he is a strict and straightforward person. There are many things I can't talk about, but I hope you will watch over him and see what happens to him. I also do the narration, and the timing of the narration and Childman's appearance are quite close.

Morikubo Ha ha ha ha (laughs).

Namikawa: The narration is faithful to the worldview, and the writing is unique. It is as if we are reading the original story as it is. So, it could be as if Childman suddenly started talking, but I am allowed to narrate that part of the story. However, when I start narrating, Morikubo-san loses his voice.

Morikubo: When Childman is talking, why is Namikawa narrating too?

Namikawa: You could separate the narration from the dialogue a little more (laughs).

Morikubo Childman is the key person in the story.

Namikawa: I really have a lot to say, and I'm sure many of you already know about it, but I'll leave it up to you to look forward to the broadcast.

─ ─ Can you tell us a little more about the audition for Child Man and your interpretation of Child Man?

Namikawa: I was asked if I would like to audition for the role of Child Man. I knew that Orphen was Mr. Morikubo, so I definitely wanted to be his mentor (laughs). (laughs) Childman has a harsh and rigid personality, but I hope that I can convey the sense of gentleness that oozes out of his character.

───What do you think of Mr. Namikawa's Childman from your point of view?

Morikubo: When the decision was made to use Mr. Namikawa, I had a grin on my face. 20 years ago, I was just trying to keep up with him, but this time, I feel that we worked together to create the role of an actor versus an actor. （I think (Childman) has a strong presence.

─ ─ What do you think is the reason why the original work has been loved for more than 20 years and why fans have not left?

Morikubo: I was talking about this with Akita-sensei, but I think that Orphen was one of the first light novels. It was one of the first works that started the movement of light novels, and I think the impact it had on readers at that time was huge. The reason why this work has been loved so much is because Akita-sensei continued to write it, and in the original work, there are stories about how Orphen and Kree-Oh and the other characters have grown older. I think the fact that the world has continued to move forward without stopping is the reason why it continues to attract fans. I feel differently now than when I read the original work when I was in my twenties, and I perceive the characters in a different way, so I can enjoy this work in a new interpretation. At the same time, when I see the anime version, I don't feel that it is a work from 25 years ago. I think the fact that it feels fresh even in this day and age makes it a work with that much charm.

Namikawa: I think that the light touch of the work contains something universal. Watching Mr. Morikubo perform during postrecording, there are scenes that make my heart clench, but the overall base of the piece is somewhat open, and it feels good to listen to. Even today, we live in an era where there are many unpleasant things, but I think that kind of royal road remains unchanged. Mr. Morikubo is also struggling to play the role, but I think the character is worth putting his life on the line for, and I feel that Orphen gives me energy when I see him.

──Can you tell us about the other cast members?

Morikubo: Rumi Okubo, who plays Creaou, and Yusuke Kobayashi, who plays Majik, are from the generation that saw the previous series of "Mage Orphen". Rumi, in particular, is a fan of the original work, which is how she first became aware of anime. She brought the first volume of the original work, which she had read to the point of changing color, to the site. She may be the most knowledgeable about Orphen since she has read the original much more than I have. When I ask her what happened in the original story between scenes, or how to use a certain phrase, she answers immediately.

─ ─ When Yoko Hikasa, who plays Azalee, and Shizuka Ito, who plays Letisha, line up in the position of Orphen's older sister, I feel at ease.

Morikubo: Both Ms. Hikasa and Shizuka have a strong presence. I have known both of them since their debut, but it has been a long time since I have worked with them, and I feel as if they have become older sisters. There are also many young people who are performing with us for the first time, including Maeno. Volkan and Dotin, Mai Fuchigami and Marie Mizuno are also doing their best. There must be a lot of pressure to take over a role that was previously played by a senior actor.

Namikawa: That's true. You are absolutely right about the stability of Ms. Hikasa and Ms. Ito, and I think there is a good balance of young and experienced actors on the set. There are many skilled actors, so each line of dialogue is interesting. Anyway, the person doing Kirilanchero is amazing.

Morikubo You did a great job.

Namikawa The tension in his voice is so great that it sticks with you.

Morikubo The funny thing is, when I first did Orphen in my mid-20s, my childhood (Kirilanchero) was voiced by another female voice actor, and now that I'm over 40, I wonder why I'm doing the childhood myself.

Namikawa: I was in great shape.

Morikubo: You can still go.

Namikawa: I can still go!　I think the whole team is working as one with Morikubo-san at the center.

─ ─ It's been 20 years since you worked on an anime, but did you find it easy to get into acting as Orphen?

Morikubo: It's been a long time, but I didn't think about whether I could do it or not. I didn't think about whether I could do it or not at all. Orphen is a very special work for me, so I feel like it has been alive for a long time. I played the role in a drama CD a few years ago. However, as I got older and the original story continued, my interpretation and approach to the character of Orphen naturally changed.

─ ─ Do you look back at the series from 20 years ago?

Morikubo: No, it was 1998, so I don't even have DVDs, but VHS (laughs). When I go back to my parents' house, there is a deck, I guess?　But even if I didn't watch it back, Orphen existed inside me. That's how big a presence it is, even though we are far away from each other.

─ ─ If I ask you a little more about your role as Childman, do you think the glimpses of gentleness and humanity that you show are original to you?

Namikawa: Yes, that's right. Of course, if Mr. Morikubo played the role, it would be his own performance, just as it would be Orphene's, but anyone can play the role through his or her own personality. If the previous Child Man is somewhat transcendent, I think that those who know him will feel that they have come a little closer to Child Man.

Morikubo: In the previous production, the overall direction was heavy and dark in tone, so I think there was a certain type of performance that suited that. This time, the production style is more in line with the taste of the original work, so the relationship between Childman and Orphen may fit in well with the fans of the original work.

─ ─ Finally, do you have a message for the fans?

Namikawa: You really can't miss the story moving from the first episode, and whether you have been a fan of the show for 20 years or are new to it, I am sure you will find a character that you will like, so please find your guess. You will also be able to hear the echoing chants of Mr. Morikubo, so I hope you will look forward to it.

Morikubo: This is a work from a time when magical fantasy and light novels began here, but I think it is enjoyable and fresh enough to be enjoyed even today. I think you will be absorbed in the fascinating characters and the story. For those of you who have been supporting us for a long time, it is thanks to you that we were able to make it into an anime again. As you all know, there is still a vast amount of story to be told, and hopefully I will still be traveling with Orphen. The staff has really put a lot of love into this work, and I think you will be satisfied with it, so please look forward to it.

(Interview and text by Kiri Nakazato)