5D's seiyuu interview, part two
-->Understanding the characters through card games! Interviewer: “Yuugiou” has been a popular series for almost 10 years running. How did you like being cast in it?
Miyashita: I watched “Yuugiou Duel Monsters” around the time they were doing the story of the Millennium Puzzle, so I’m surprised to be taking part in it now. Some of my young relatives are fans, and the other day when my mom was on the phone, she said, “Yuusei is here,” and turned it over to me. I was jumpy about ad-libbing Yuusei, but the kid seemed very happy. I wound up inadvertently saying I’d give him a Junk Warrior card, though. :-)
This sort of thing puts a lot of pressure on me, but it’s also very encouraging.
Hoshino: At my age, some of my friends have kids, and the response from them has been overwhelming. Back home, they ask me to appear as a guest at duel tournaments at the local toy store. :-)
Interviewer: The “Yuugiou” card game is also popular. Have you played it?
Miyashita: The director gave me the Yuusei deck, and I’ve started to play. I’m the aggressive type, and if I build my own deck I want to put in cool-looking cards with a strong attack, and I’ve lost that way sometimes too. But Yuusei uses the sort of cards you’d say, “I don’t need this weak stuff,” and pulls off great turnarounds. Yuusei loves all the cards.
He may think they’re all alive. I love things like shoes, and they have a life of their own too. So if I wear them with love, and give them a rest once in a while, they return the favor by staying in good shape. It’s the same with cards. Everything has a life of its own and has a purpose… I feel that’s the message Yuusei conveys.
Hoshino: When I was cast in this production, I started to play the card game, too. Jack uses cards with a deluxe, high-powered feel, and I think it expresses his personality well. Where Yuusei values the process, Jack has a strong sense that the result is what matters.
But I have the feeling that, by dueling Yuusei, Jack has noticed for the first time where his own weaknesses are, and it may be a fresh opportunity for him. At the point of the 15th episode, Jack is still angsting, so I hope he gets a refreshing type of duel soon.
Interviewer: The duel scenes have their own special kind of dialog. Is it hard to act?
Hoshino: It’s tricky to pace myself. If I’m shouting already in the test runs, I’ll regret it when we get to the real take. :-) But it sure makes it easier if you understand the effects of the cards.
Miyashita: If I don’t grasp what the cards mean, I won’t grasp the timing for the dramatic turnaround.
Hoshino: Whenever new rules appear in “V Jump,” I always bring it to the studio, and I urge the guests to read it, too.