【Interview】Denji Chainsaw Man voice actor Kikunosuke Toya

スポンサーリンク

Interview with Kikunosuke Toya as Denji in 【Chainsaw Man】

The TV anime 「Chainsaw Man」 written by Tatsuki Fujimoto (serialized in Shueisha’s Shonen Jump +) will start airing on October 11 in TV Tokyo and elsewhere. In this work, Denji (CV: Kikunosuke Toya), a boy who lives as a devil hunter to repay debts left by his parents, makes a contract with Pochita (CV: Shiori Izawa), a chainsaw demon, and becomes a 「chainsaw man」 who has the heart of a demon. The battle action story of the 「Chainsaw Man」.

Anime! Anime! conducted an interview with Kikunosuke Toya, who plays Denji, to commemorate the start of this work’s broadcast. We asked him about the appeal of the work and the character he plays, his relationship with his co-star cast, and the kind of voice actor he aspires to be because of his experience with 「Chainsaw Man」.

Citation. アニメ！アニメ！

Voice Actor to Play Denji 「I had a lot of mixed emotions.」

-Could you tell us again how you felt when you got the role of Denji in “Chainsaw Man” at the audition and heard the result?

Anyway, I was so happy that I used the same expression as “Denji of original manga” “Yatter! (laugh). At the same time, I was still a newcomer as a voice actor and had no experience playing main roles, so I felt a strong sense of “I can’t believe it”. I felt grateful, happy, and incredulous. …… I had mixed feelings with various emotions.

–Did you feel any pressure when you were cast in the lead role?

That, of course,! (Laugh) Until the recording of the first episode started, I was thinking, “Oh my God, what am I going to do now? When I went to the recording studio and talked with the director, sound director, and cast members, my nervousness gradually eased.

Everyone was extremely kind. At the beginning, they explained the direction of the work and answered my questions very politely. The warmth of the workplace made it possible for me to concentrate on the postrecording.

Denji　charm is that he is honest, for better or worse.

When you read the original story, what did you find attractive about “The Chainsaw Man”?

What I like most about the original work is the pictures, composition, and frame layout. The scene where the Chainsaw Man defeats the demon and blood is splattered all over the place is something that “pulls you in.

Then there is the world view created by Mr. Tatsuki Fujimoto. The story and the characters are really fascinating. I feel the “Tatsuki Fujimoto world” in each and every line, and I am moved by it. I think this is one of the reasons why so many people are attracted to “Chainsaw Man.

What is your impression of Denji, the character played by Toya?

For better or worse, it is the “honest part. He sets goals that are faithful to his desires, such as rubbing breasts, kissing, and wanting to try sex (laugh). I also “think” that this honesty leads to the fact that I immediately do what I think, violate ethics with impunity, and cannot step on the brake.

Another characteristic of Denji is that he is able to think and act in ways that no one else would think of. I think it is because he grew up in an environment that was far from normal, but he defeats demons with ideas that no one would think of. I felt the fear of not knowing what he would do.

Are there any similarities between you and Denji?

I sometimes act before thinking too, but unlike him, I have brakes (laugh). So I can’t do anything as crazy as Denji.

I tried to eliminate the anime feel and make Denji play more in line with reality.

Was there anything you were conscious of when playing Denji?

The director and sound director always told me to “eliminate the anime feel” and “make it natural as if you yourself were speaking. This is what was required of the cast members as well as myself.

I also wanted to make my performance realistic, so I imitated Denji’s body posture when I read the script in practice. I would lie down and say the lines for the scenes where I was lying down, and for the scenes where I was running, I would say the lines while running. I tried every single thing to see what kind of voice I could produce at each moment.

What did you find particularly difficult about acting?

There are many, but Denji has a habit of speaking in a very peculiar way, often adding “O” at the end of words like “~yo o”. I was directed to give the character a Showa-era hard-boiled feel, rather than a cute one (laugh). I felt it was difficult to get the nuances of such fine word endings right.

You were born in the Heisei era (1998), but were you able to capture the “Showa hard-boiled” feeling? (Laugh).

I managed to do my best with the image I had in my mind.

Was there any “part” that you enjoyed playing Denji?

I don’t think it is the same as “fun,” but I felt that I was able to get into the character emotionally at the moment when he becomes a chainsaw man. I was able to express my emotions to the fullest, especially in the scene where he fights with the demon.

Like Denji , I too admire Ms. Makima.

When the cast was announced, I felt that everyone seemed to get along very well. What kind of atmosphere do you feel at the recording studio?

Fai-chan (played by Ai Fayruz, Power) is the main person who keeps coming up with topics to liven up alwaysseveryone (laugh). Since the cast members are close in age, we get along well and have a lot of fun, and we spend a lot of time chatting while waiting (laugh). Sometimes we would say to each other, “I liked the scene you just did! and other times we just chat about unrelated things.

What is your position among the voiceactors.

I wonder!　I often say strange things and everyone tells me, “You’re so energetic! I do it because I think it’s funny, but it’s not very popular (laugh). When I say funny things during postrecording before the cast was announced, they say, “I can still take you out of your anime role! I know he was joking, of course, but I was scared inside that he would actually remove me from the role (laugh).

Fai-chan says the same weird things as I do, but she makes everyone laugh. ……

(Laugh) Do you see any similarities between the cast and the characters that everyone plays?

Everyone has similarities with their characters. Sakasho (Shogo Sakata), who plays Aki Hayakawa, is just as serious as Aki. His attitude toward the play and his straight-forward attitude toward his goals are very similar to Aki’s.

Fai-chan is just like Power, high energy and energetic. Kusunoki (Tomori), who plays Makima, is kind and truly like Makima.

Ms. Kusunoki and I belong to the same company, and I admire her because she is a very active person. Denji admires Makima as well, so in that sense, I feel that there are some overlaps between Denji and me.

Chainsaw Man is an inspiring work that anyone can watch.

This is your first starring role in an anime, how do you feel now before the broadcast starts?　Are you filled with nervousness?

I am very nervous (laugh). But I gave it my all in the postrecording, so I am confident about that. Above all, the director, sound director, cast, and staff all worked together with obsession to create this work, and I am confident that we can present it to everyone. I myself am looking forward to the broadcast!

Just by looking at the teaser video, I can feel the attention to detail.

Click on the image to go to the youtube video.　↓

It really is amazing, isn’t it? I am an amateur when it comes to art, so I can’t say too much, but the worldview of “Chainsaw Man” itself has been created. I felt that the characters’ movements, direction, music, and sound effects were all created with great care.

I am sure that everyone who is a fan of the original work will be absolutely delighted with this work, but I think that even those who do not usually watch anime will be satisfied with this work. It is a work that will move the heart of anyone who watches it.

What do you think are the highlights of “Chainsaw Man”?

The best part is MAPPA’s animation, but for me as a cast member, I think it is the acting. We, the cast and the directors, were particular about making the characters act as if they were actually there. I hope you will enjoy it.

In the first episode, you can catch glimpses of the changes in his feelings before he becomes a chainsaw man in the monologue and in the conversation with Pochita. I feel that I was able to let out my emotions in those scenes. I hope you will pay attention to it!

I aim to be a voice actor who can make viewers feel at home.

What do you think will be the impact of your first starring role in a TV anime in “Chainsaw Man” on your future career?

I learned a lot from the technical aspects through the postrecording of “Chainsaw Man”. By watching the senior actors, I learned and was taught how to act with a freedom of thought that I did not have. For example, there is a scene in which Denji tells Makima, “Let me hold you” and falls down, and Mｓ. Kusunoki told me, “You can play the role with such force that you really fall down. I didn’t have that idea, so I tried to play the role as he advised.

I was grateful for that kind of technical knowledge and skill, which he taught me (laugh). I feel that I will be able to make use of this knowledge when I perform in other productions in the future.

-Finally,Let me know what kind of voice actor you are aiming to be.

I want to be someone who can make a place relax. When I first went to the “Chainsaw Man” studio, I was really nervous, but the cast and staff were very kind to me, and I was able to relax my shoulders. I think it would be great if I could be the kind of voice actor who can relax the people around me in that way.

I would also like to expand my range in terms of acting. I would like to develop my realistic acting in 「Chainsaw Man」 and I would also like to try my hand at acting with a strong sense of deformation. If I can do a variety of voices, I will be able to broaden the range of my work, so I would like to continue cultivating my voice technique.

Interview　Kikusuke Toya as Denji　Chainsaw Man

Citation.

Denji’s strong lines, which he would not be able to say in everyday life, are exhilarating to play.

Denji, who I play, is by no means a heroic character, but in the fight scenes he quickly becomes more like a hero. He devises various ways to overwhelm the enemy demons in the midst of his battles, and the viewer is drawn in by his instinctive high combat IQ. Denji is also very wild because he has lived outside the norm, and in a sense, he is pure; he is happy and troubled by small events, and the gap between such honesty and his flashy fighting style is a big attraction for him as a character.

I always enjoy playing the role of Denji, who is honest to himself and gives out all of his feelings as they are. For example, in episode 3, when he says to the bat demon, “I’m going to rip your belly open! I’m going to rub her breasts!It’s a great feeling to be able to say (and act) such a strong line that I normally wouldn’t say (laugh). I can use honorifics, so I am one step ahead of Denji as a person (laugh), but for me, playing the main character in an anime for the first time, Denji is an important friend who I can grow up with.

That growth is of course not something I can do alone, and it is thanks to the three main cast members who I have had many opportunities to record with this time, who are my seniors of the same generation. I am gaining knowledge and experience by watching my seniors’ performances up close and exchanging lines through Denji. Ms Kusunoki (Tomori) is a senior in the office with a career that I wonder if I am allowed to work with her…. My admiration for Ms. Kusunoki is exactly the same as Denji’s feelings toward Ms Makima, and I put my real feelings into my lines.

Sakasho-kun (Shogo Sakata) loves acting, and his attitude toward each line is always sincere. I learned how to approach my roles from him. Fai-chan (Ai Fayreuse, who plays Power) is a mood-maker who makes the place feel comfortable, and her presence brightens the atmosphere and makes the booth a cozy place. Her performance is full of energy, which makes the lively conversation between Denji and Power much more appealing.

It is this chemical reaction between the Hayakawa family (the three Hayakawa members) and Makima-san that creates the best dialogue exchange, so please pay attention to each and every act!

Thank you for watching. See you soon.

chainsaw man.　(World’s largest number of translations)

animePage

English Page