TOUGEN ANKI Interview with Kamiya Hiroshi and Koutaro Nishiyama

Meet the cast!

Hiroshi Kamiya is a renowned voice actor with a long-standing career in the industry. His role in TOUGEN ANKI is Naito Mudano, the instructor of the Oni at Rasetsu Academy.

Koutaro Nishiyama has many impressive roles under his belt, including Jin Kougasaki, one of Mudano’s students.

Left: Jin Kougasaki
Right: Naito Mudano

Prior to the audition or being officially cast, were you familiar with the original TOUGEN ANKI manga? What was your impression when you first encountered it?

    Kamiya: My first time seeing the manga was just before the audition, so I didn't know of it before then, but it was a very interesting manga because every Japanese person will probably know Momotaro; it's a famous legend. So I was interested in seeing the continuation of the story after the original legend.

    Nishiyama: Similar to Kamiya, I first read the manga right before the audition, and what I got from the manga was that the battle scenes were very interesting, and I think they were very coolly drawn. I think that by having TOUGEN ANKI like this, I would be able to show many readers and new viewers how appealing many of the characters are, because I find them appealing myself. I wish to share that with all of you.

Would you mind sharing how you became involved with this project?

    Kamiya: So, with regard to the audition, there were two auditions altogether. At the first audition, I strategized with our production manager. They were giving me directions on what kind of character to act out or how my acting should sound, and I taped that and sent it in. In the secondary audition, where we actually met with the staff and the other people auditioning, it was kind of a test run– kind of a rehearsal run, and then the real deal. I didn't get much feedback, so I was left thinking, “Oh, I guess I failed this one.” And I left kind of depressed and everything, but then I later heard [back], “Oh, I passed. I got the role!” That was memorable for me.

    Nishiyama: So, like Kamiya-san, I also had two auditions, the first audition on tape, the second audition at the studio, but similarly to Kamiya-san, I didn't have any confidence about it. I often do characters that are a bit more reasonable, a bit more mild, but then Kougasaki, as you might know, is kind of like a low-energy, kind of calm character. It was a new experience for me as well. So when I heard that I passed, I was very happy about it.

How did you feel after watching the completed version of the anime? Do you often revisit it once it’s aired or released on streaming platforms?

    Kamiya: After recording, there was quite a bit of time before it actually went on air. So, if you start counting from the auditioning and then after recording, all the way to the honor, that's probably roughly around one year until I actually saw the on-air version of it. So I've been saying, “Wow, I've been waiting for a long time for this. I wonder how it came out.” And I'm especially interested in that because, after recording, I do have a sense of what might be happening, but I don't have a sense of what the music might sound like. As you know, the first episode is of very high quality, but I was especially interested in the music that plays. So, I do watch it, mainly to hear the music that's playing.

    Nishiyama: This is something that could be said for TOUGEN ANKI almost exclusively, but I thought the animation for blood was particularly effective, since, as you know, blood is a theme in there. They were very aggressive in the animation of blood, and I found the animation to be very exciting to watch. The quality of the product is very high, so on one side, I thought it was a bit scary. Still, on the other hand, I thought the emotional parts, such as the tears and genuine feelings, really contrasted with the feel I got from the animation of blood and everything else. There were some things that I watched the on-air version of, and thought that there were some things specific to the anime that were added on that were exclusive to what you could express in anime.

Hiroshi Kamiya

Could you share what you find appealing about this series, as well as the character you portray? Are there any traits of the character that you personally identify with, and perhaps any that you don’t?

    Kamiya: I personally don't think about the appealing points of the characters, because if I think about the character's charm, I would probably be a bit heavy-handed in trying to present that to my audience. And I believe that you, as the viewer, should be the one who decides on what a character is, where the character is charming, and how they are interesting. Having said that, Mudano is someone that I cannot relate to. Only like he is very cool-headed, and he cares about efficiency over everything else, and I know that that's being thoughtful to his students, but still, you know, he could show it a bit differently?

    Nishiyama: In terms of a point of charm or appeal about my character, I think Jin is a very stoic person who's a bit hard on himself, but then he has lots of responsibilities. So he's not really good at maybe expressing himself over that responsibility. But I think if I were in his position, I probably wouldn't be able to deal with other responsibilities that he's feeling. Having said that, similarities or how I would identify with him would be a bit more difficult, but I would say masks, maybe, because as a voice actor, I often wear one.

How did you prepare for your role in this series? Were there any particular aspects you paid special attention to in your performance? Additionally, what kind of communication or direction did you receive from the director or sound director during the recording process?

    Kamiya: Preparing for the character, what I often do is try to know how they think, because, regardless of what they're doing on screen at the moment, there is always a “why” they do something; “how do I explain this character's motivation,” or “why they are doing something?” So this question of “but why” is something that I ask the directors about a character's motives. So, in terms of Mudano, despite all the things I said about not being able to relate to him, I still try to understand that everything he does is out of love for his students.

    Nishiyama: As you know, Jin is a “mask character”; his expressions are kind of hard to read. In the animation, his eyes are a point of focus, revealing his character and how he expresses himself. I tried to see how I could relate his eye expressions to my voice and asked the sound director for advice on how to do this. And something he says to me is that I should be aware of the fact that, despite his responsibilities and everything, he's still a student, so he is not yet mature. So I still try to act as a student. And that is something I discussed with the director about how I could achieve that.

Kamiya-san and Nishiyama-san, you’ve collaborated on many titles before, but what was it like working together as main cast members on this series? During the recording sessions, did anything stand out to you about each other’s performances? If there are any memorable moments, including from promotional activities, we’d love to hear them.

    Kamiya: Nishiyama is the perfect person to be around, because he is so kind, he's so thoughtful, and I feel very relieved, because for the first time I've come to the U.S, but then there's really nobody better than him to be around because he's so kind and thoughtful. And of course, he's also good at acting.

    Nishiyama: I’ve been indebted to Kamiya-san ever since my voice acting debut. Kamiya voiced the main character for the first 30 minutes of the series I was ever in. He has been at various points in my career, turning points in my life, and I respect him a great deal; I like him a lot. It's also very nice to be working with Kamiya-san at interesting moments in my life. Even while working on TOUGEN ANKI now, I would say the character dynamic between Mudano and Jin, being a student and teacher, is a very apt representation of how we are in the studio, because he often acts as a teacher figure to us, and we are the students. But then at the same time, he sometimes takes on the role of the student and asks questions. So, in terms of acting and in terms of setting the environment to a very good mood, he is a very important person to me.

Pictured left to right, Koutaro Nishiyama and
Hiroshi Kamiya with the upcoming 2nd cour's key visual

The morality in TOUGEN ANKI are intentionally blurred. Amatouro and Oni are both victims and perpetrators. Did this moral ambiguity challenge your perception of your character? Were there scenes where you personally question whether your character was truly right in their actions?

    Kamiya: The short answer is, yes, because TOUGEN ANKI is something that is not right and wrong or just and unjust answer, and for the Oni, the Oni are not entirely evil, and Momotaro might not be completely just. So, for each of them, going from each of their other perspectives, that becomes even more the case. So kind of ironic thing is that they would think the endpoint should be a talk, a conversation, but then they cannot get there without conflict. And that is how I feel about it.

    Nishiyama: Jin Kougasaki is a character who has a very tough past, and he's kind of off himself because of that. He should seek help, but then he tries to fix all his own problems, so I think there might have been different ways he could have acted in seeking help. At the same time, knowing how Kougasaki feels, I know that would be difficult for him. So, his hatred for his hatred is also the other side of his love for what he holds valuable, and I would like to be alongside this character in keeping him comfortable, because he's probably a very lonely person, too.

Kamiya-san, you voice a lot of characters that are quiet but have long internal monologues. How do you approach playing those characters? Do they require more preparation?

    Kamiya: Well, I have over 30 years of experience, so I can't reveal my weaknesses to my kouhai. I won't complain about lots of lines and monologues, but then at the same time, in terms of TOUGEN ANKI, there are lots of things that I would need to put in terms of character thoughts so that they aren't monotonous expositions. I would want the characters' feelings to be influenced by that explanation. So in terms of preparation, though, I don't really prepare too much [because] again, my career length is my kind of driving force behind me.

Nishiyama-san, are there any series you watched or featured Actors that inspired you to pursue voice acting?

    Nishiyama: I first learned about voice actors in grade school. There was a variety show that I watched called something along the lines of “Seeing the Face of the Voice Actors: Best 100 series”. And that's where I found out about the profession of voice acting. Back then, in grade school, the teacher said I read the books very well because in Japanese schools, there is a part of the lesson where you need to read in front of the class. That's when I thought I wanted to be in a profession that utilizes my voice. So there are many voice actor schools around Japan, and that is where my journey began.

Koutaro Nishiyama

With the story derived from Momotaro, all Japanese fans will be familiar with its significance. For international fans who are not familiar with the story, what would you say are the key elements to focus on?

    Kamiya: That is an excellent question, because I think every Japanese person would know that, the baseline facts are that the Oni are evil and Momotaro rights the wrongs, but why? What are the Oni doing now, and what justice does Momotaro have? Because they no longer have that kind of thing going on anymore. I think the story of TOUGEN ANKI is about them all looking for a way to coexist, but then I wouldn't be here. If I were to discuss the ethics of how we should all come together and everything, I think everyone would tell me, “Well, we already knew about that.” And I think the core principle about TOUGEN ANKI is, since we know where we want to end up, I think how we get there, and how, through appealing characters and exciting battles, are some things that we want to represent.

    Nishiyama: So I won’t talk about Momotaro, since I think Kamiya-san has done such a wonderful job. I think I'll actually talk about the Oni. They have this ability called the Blood Eclipse Release (Kesshoku Kaihou), which is influenced by their past traumas, and this ability is how they fight. I think that's depicted in an entertaining way, and I hope everyone can focus on their personalities, how they fight, and the techniques they use.

Was there a voice actor or a previous role who was taken into consideration when coming up with the voices for your characters?

    Kamiya: I think I can't really put a finger on it, but I am sure that subconsciously, there are things that really guide my performance, because they encompass everything I have seen and experienced, and they are a part of what has built up my expressiveness until now. So all the characters, all the experiences. But what exactly? That's a bit hard to say.

    Nishiyama: Kougasaki is a character who represents a new type [of character] for me. So, when I think about voices, I would ask myself, “As a voice actor, who would I put in the role of Kougasaki? And I would think about, say, choice A, choice B, choice C in terms of voice actors, but then again, at the same time, I am not that person A, B, or C, so I cannot do the voices of A/B/C. Ultimately, my thought is on how I would act, which is how I would handle this.

Nishiyama-san and Kamiya-san with their respective characters.

Why do you think Anime is more emotionally impactful than live-action at times?

    Kamiya: I wonder why. But my idea is that anime is actually something that is made by subtraction rather than addition. If you add more details, you get more information; however, adding more content can sometimes detract from the overall experience of how the message is conveyed. So, in essence, anime conveys those feelings better because it knows what it wants to tell its audience.
    Nishiyama: For anime, the characters don't really exist. However, with animators, voices, and music, it gets to a point where that anime is almost believable. And once you cross a certain threshold, you kind of feel, “Oh, the character came to this side; They're on this side now.” I think that’s when our emotions are stirred.
    Kamiya: Oh, I see, we are actually making the characters come this way by our imaginations. We actually add our imaginations to the equation.
    Nishiyama: Yes, in that way, the audience might feel even more involved emotionally.

In closing, would you like to say a few words to your international fans?

    Kamiya: First of all, thank you very much to everyone interested in reading this interview article. TOUGEN ANKI is based on the Momotaro legend that every Japanese person would know. However, I'm not entirely sure if we have the same kind of knowledge base here in North America. Aside from that, I do believe that as entertainment, it is very fun and it has very appealing characters. So I wish for all of you to find characters that you like, and I hope that you can find something about TOUGEN ANKI that you love.

    Nishiyama: I would appreciate it for people who are watching TOUGEN ANKI. Since TOUGEN ANKI is on Netflix and various screen platforms, all over the world, I think that it's a very interesting that we get to see the Momotaro legend spread all over the world, and I'm happy with all the cast and staff of this show because this is quite literally a show that we poured our soul and blood over; this is precious work for all of us. So I'm telling you all now, it won't betray your expectations.

TOUGEN ANKI 2nd Cour key visual; begins October 3!

We would like to thank Kamiya and Nishiyama for their time and thank Otakon and PONY CANYON for this wonderful opportunity!