This is the secret to playing a "dominant character"! Interview with Aozora Tokui and Yuu Serizawa of the TV anime "Gunrenase! Seaton Gakuen" Interview with Aozora Tokui and Yu Serizawa

The popular TV anime "Gunrenase! Seaton Gakuen" (original story: Bungo Yamashita, serialized in "Saikomi"). Set in Seaton Gakuen, a private school for animals, this work depicts the crazy school life of a "human (penis)" who hates animals, Mazama Jin (Jin), and a lone "wolf girl", Oolou Ranca (Wolf Ranca). This work depicts a crazy school life centered on "Jin," a "human (♂)" who hates "human (♂)" and "Ranca, the wolf girl" (wolf Ranca), a loner.

As the story reaches the midpoint of the series, new characters have been added to the cast, including Aozora Tokui, who plays Kurumi Nekomai, the "cat (♀)," and Kurumi Ichigo, the "panda (♀). The following is an interview with Aozora Tokui, who plays Kurumi Nekomai, a "cat (♀)", and Yuu Serizawa, who plays Meimei, a "panda (♀)", about the characters they play and their episodes related to animals.

⇒The first episode of the TV anime "Gunrenase," a romantic comedy about a school for animals who are weak and strong! Seaton Gakuen", the first episode and the second PV have been released!

The characters are played by a fast-paced cat and a dominant panda!

--First of all, what are your impressions of the original story?

Tokui: I thought there were so many unique characters. The male characters are just like animals (in appearance) and are depicted in a realistic way, and the female or anthropomorphic animal characters are very cute. I thought it was an interesting setting.

Serizawa: I thought, "There's a gag like this! I thought. As I read the book, I learned about the ecology of animals that I didn't know. ...... Koalas grow up eating "xxx" (laughs). (Laughs.) "You're kidding, right?" (laughs). It's amazing how you can make such trivia work as a gag.

--How do you feel about playing each character?

Tokui: I guess it's because they are cats that their gestures and words are so cute. Kurumi is a "miss female," so there was a lot of pressure on me to play her in a way that would attract everyone. I was under a lot of pressure. There are a lot of cat lovers out there, so I wanted to play the role in a way that they would like it too.

Serizawa: Mei Mei is an exchange student from China. She is a popular panda who has been pampered by the whole country, so I wanted her to be selfish and to have a good sense that she is not taking the world for granted. It was interesting to see his M-ness blossom when he was treated roughly by Jin for the first time in his life, and it was a very challenging character to play.

--Have you ever played an M character before?

Serizawa: I've played M characters before, but I don't think I've ever played a dominant M character. It was the first time that I was directed to be completely disgusted with the character, while being completely pleased with him (laughs).

--(Laughs.) - Did you feel any new sensations when you tried it?

Serizawa: I didn't (laugh), but I felt that I needed to have the courage to play the role with all my might. I didn't want the fans of the original to think that the character was different from what they had imagined, and I was worried that they would think, "How much should I take it in stride? I was wondering "How much should I take it in stride? But I didn't want to be like that because I didn't have the courage.

--So it was difficult to find the right balance. Tokui, have you ever played a character like Kurumi before?

Tokui: Kurumi is a girl who comes to the clubroom on a whim and has a really carefree personality, and her pace is the best among all the characters I have played so far. I was especially conscious of that.

--Do you also have a fast-paced personality?

Tokui: Yes, I am. I am also the type of person who can go anywhere by myself, so I thought I was close to Kurumi in that respect. I really enjoyed playing her.

--What were some of the most impressive directions you were given?

Tokui: When she meows, I thought she was going to speak in her own words, but she instructed me to make her meow sound realistic. After that, I sometimes used my own judgment to make realistic meows even without instructions.

Serizawa: In my case, I looked up panda sounds and found that they sounded a little scary and realistic, like strange noises (laughs). (Laughs.) In the scene where the narration says, "Pandas meow," I was told to "make it sound more like a meow than a realistic meow. So, MeiMei in the film often makes a cute "meh~" sound.

--By the way, did you have any difficulty with the Chinese that MeiMei speaks?

Serizawa: As it happens, I was actually just studying Chinese. The words that came up were words that I already knew, so I was fine with the pronunciation. The Chinese language places great importance on sound, so much so that the meaning of a word differs depending on its sound (pronunciation).

The narration by Tetsuaki Genda and the male animal in each episode, played by Kenjiro Tsuda, are also noteworthy.

--The cast of this work includes both young and experienced actors. How was the recording studio?

Tokui: Hina Kino, who plays Ranka, was very straight in her acting and led the scene with Haruki Ishitani, who plays Jin. Also, Tetsuaki Genda, who plays the role of "Tyrannosaurus (penis)," Mr. Terano, also narrates the story, but his role is also as a commentator, and he tightens the scene so well that I couldn't help but laugh. I couldn't help but laugh at him. I think that Genda-san's narration is very interesting, and I hope that young children will listen to it as well.

Serizawa I participated in the postrecording from the middle of the story, but the scene had a school-like atmosphere, and I experienced the nervousness of a new student as he or she was probing into the conversation. From the very beginning, I couldn't say, "Yeah! from the very beginning (laughs).

--Kenjiro Tsuda plays the "male animal in each episode" and his role changes each time, doesn't it?

Tokui: That's right. Sometimes he played a teacher with a cool voice, and other times he played a character with an unexpectedly funny voice.

Serizawa: Ms. Tsuda has a very nice voice, so it would be a great combination if she played a handsome character. So when he played a slightly surreal role, I was moved that I was able to witness a rare scene.

Tokui: Also, since he plays a different character in each episode, he improvises quite a bit, so I think that is also a good place to laugh.

--I was also surprised to see Mr. Tsuda in the live-action visuals and PV as the publicity captain.

Tokui I was surprised too (laughs).

Serizawa You are using Mr. Tsuda extravagantly (laughs).

--What is your favorite or most memorable scene from the first half to the middle of the story?

Tokui: I really like the episode in which Kurumi makes her first appearance (episode 2). At first she is very tsun, but when she joins the group, she becomes more reserved. I thought it was really cute how she showed the typical tsundere attitude of cats.

Serizawa: I also liked Mei Mei's first appearance (episode 6). Meimei has a lot of cheeky remarks, so I carefully made her appear so that she would not be completely disliked, but rather become a character that is loved. It was also good to see a girl who has lived her life with zero hardship up until now, and whose M blossomed when she was treated by Jin-kun (laughs).

--So, other than the characters you played, are there any other characters you are interested in?

Serizawa: When I heard Mr. Kino's performance for the first time during postrecording, I had such an image of Rancho that I said in my mind, "This is it! I thought it was exactly what I imagined Lanka to be like. I felt like I wanted to protect her so much, and the cuteness and love that she exudes is just irresistible. I thought this is the kind of Lanka that only Ms. Kino could play.

Tokui: I think Yu is also a perfect fit for Mei Mei. She is a perfect match for the number one idol, and only Yu could bring out that lovable and lovable side of her.

Serizawa Thank you very much!

Tokui: I've always liked sloths, so I'm still interested in Miyubi-chan. （I'm rooting for Miyubi-chan because I think her hard work and the frustration of wanting to fit in with everyone else but not being able to is cute.

--I think it's cute that she wants to fit in with everyone else, but she's not.

Serizawa: I really like cats, so I wanted to get a cat. But they don't make much noise, and when I was looking for an easy animal to keep, I found a "Netherland Dwarf," the smallest rabbit in the world. I found the smallest rabbit in the world, the "Netherland Dwarf," when I was looking for an animal that would be easy to keep.

--I was wondering if I would like to have a pet rabbit.

Tokui: Yes, there is a certain image. Like a big dog or a fluffy cat with long hair (laughs).

Serizawa: A Persian, perhaps? I have many siblings, so my parents said, "If we get any more, we'll be in trouble. ......! (laughs). But I also feel lonely living alone, so I would like to have a family.

--Tokui, have you ever owned an animal?

Tokui: I have never had an animal either. But I did take care of stray kittens and canines in a secret place with my friends when I was in elementary school.

--You mentioned earlier that you like sloths; is there a reason for this?

Tokui: I am a laid-back person myself, so I like to watch animals that move slowly. Besides sloths, I also like cows.

--Lastly, do you have a message for the viewers?

Tokui: There are many fascinating animal characters in this work. Among them, Kurumi is one of the most adorable, so please pay attention to her. Just as a cat attracts everyone by rumbling its throat, I would be happy if everyone who watches the film gets hooked on Kurumi-chan. Please continue to support us.

Serizawa: Meimei is a character that is truly loved by the whole country, so I did my best to play her with as much charm as possible so that I would not lose to the character. I would be very happy if you could make the whole country fall in love with her (laughs). There really are a lot of attractive characters, both female and male, so please watch the show.

(Interview, text, and photos by Kenichi Chiba)