Azumanga Daiou Visual Book 2

Created/Updated 2003-03-08



I normally hate translating, but I wanted to try it just for the heck of it. I actually got better along the way, but I still consider it a mostly meaningless activity.

I translated Kaneda Tomoko (Chiyo-chan) and Asakawa Yuu (Sakaki-san)'s interview. Chiyo-chan's because, well, it's Chiyo-chan. And Sakaki-san's because it was the most interesting of them.

Enjoy


Mihama Chiyo role, Kaneda Tomoko
Q: Please tell us how you got Chiyo-chan's role.
A: Just when the recording for some other show ended, I was told that
   there is an audition going on upstairs, so I ended up auditioning
   for it.  I was given the manuscript then, so I had to act based on
   first impression only without making up a new character.  I thought
   Chiyo-chan was just like me for being bad at tongue twisters,
   wanting to grow taller so we can reach the bottom of a pool,
   standing, and so forth.
Q: Wasn't there something hard about acting as Chiyo-chan?
A: Even though we had a lot of similarities, Chiyo-chan is a genius,
   so...(laugh).  When she was explaining about I.T., since she is
   supposed to know this, I had to make sure I didn't "chew up" or
   have difficulty with my line while also avoiding sounding gaudy.
   Doing that was pretty hard.  Among everyone, Chiyo-chan tends to be
   the most honest and direct, but when she's coaching others, she
   breaks up a little.  That's also Chiyo-chan's charm, but if she
   breaks up too much, she stops being Chiyo-chan... and that boundary
   was really hard to deal with.  Just being cute is not good enough,
   while crossing the line the other way is also wrong.  Performing
   with that in mind was my task.
Q: How was AFUREKO (actual recording with animation in front)?
A: Me screwing up and causing NG was common.  If you're asking about
   "happening" during AFUREKO, everyone saying to me, "Chiyosuke's
   NG," or something in line with that, would be it.  For example, in
   one of the stories in Okinawa trip, there's this line: "That
   somehow tiger-like face, short legs, and puffy tail!  Spot pattern
   on the body!!  And pointy round ears!!  Yamapikarya-!!"  That line
   just wasn't lining up with the picture.  When I thought I finally
   got it lined up, I ended up saying, "Tropikarya-!!" At that time, I
   didn't realize what happened and later everyone had a big laugh
   (laugh).  But everyone encouraged me by saying things like "It's
   okay. Calm down." or "Do your best, Chiyosuke," so I was able to
   get back on track quickly.  Everyone sang to help me out when
   Chiyo-chan had to sing a song as an acapella and my rhythm was off.
   Thanks to everyone taking care of me, I was able to feel at ease.
   Staff members and actors/actresses were all so kind.  I'm so
   grateful that I was able to keep going to the last episode thanks
   to everyone's help.  One of the Chiyo-chan's song is, "Thank You
   nandesu" and I want to dedicate that song to everyone.
Q: About the songs....
A: They're all such great fit for the Azumanga world, don't you think?
   Opening, Ending, and also all the character songs, are really
   perfect for all the characters.  I was admiring how they could make
   songs that fit all these characters so well.  Chiyo-chan also has
   two songs.  One has a feeling of being reminded of everyone while
   taking a walk with Tadakichi-san.  The other one is like Chiyo-chan
   flying away with her pigtails.  I'm so happy to have had a chance
   to sings these songs and so I occasionally hum these songs by
   myself.  Everyone is so close and we were having so much fun during
   the event, that we didn't mind long waits and was just having fun.
Q: About favorite characters....
A: Father [Chiyo-chan's] is awesome! (laugh)  When he was first
   appearing, I wondered what Chiyo-chan's father would be like, but
   it was beyond my expectation.  It's the tension in lines like
   "Chi---yo---." (laugh)  I had to get involved (with the story), so
   resisting to laugh was really hard.  The voice had such an impact
   which no one other than Wakamoto-san could have come up with.
   Wakamoto-san tends to adlib a lot during test and it was different
   each time.  I wish we could show that as an extra or
   something. (laugh) [Yes, should've been DVD extra!!!]  
   Kimura-sensei is also awesome. (laugh)  It's a kind of performance
   one couldn't imagine coming out of Ishii-san, normally.  His
   character has such an impact.  Not only that, sometimes,
   Hisakawa-san and Hiramatsu-san would imitate Kimura-sensei, and it
   was so interesting. (laugh)  I laughed so much, it was hurting.
Q: How do you feel looking back about this work?
A: To me, it's something I'll never forget for the rest of my life.
   Besides it being my first leading part, it's like a treasure to me.
   Even though it was only 1/2 year long work, so many interesting
   things happened.  There were times when my voice condition wasn't
   so good and having made so many NG was the first, too. (laugh)  In
   the last episode, there's a line that goes like, "High School is
   really over....  We won't be seeing each other daily anymore...."
   and I really felt that.
Q: You cried during the last episode, no?
A: I feel all mushy thinking about it even now.  Not only was
   Chiyo-chan graduating from High School, I was also graduating from
   Chiyo-chan's role and the feeling was synchronized.  Everyone at
   the scene was so nice that I learned a lot of things.  Among so
   many roles in so many anime, it was such a specific role that even
   a slight wrong could've caused major problem for the performance.
   I'm so grateful that I had the chance to get this role.
   Thank you very much.
(Chiyo-chan rides on Yukari-mobile)
 After the first time Chiyo-chan rode in Yukari-mobile, her line, "Run
 away!" and her expression during that time conveyed how scared she
 really was.  It was very impressionable.
(Answers that people don't understand)
 When Chiyo-chan was flying in the dream world, Oosaka-san asks, "How
 come you can fly?"  Chiyo-chan answers, "But I'm 10-years old...."
 This kind of nonsense was very interesting.
(#1 is the impressionable graduation)
 Everything up until then was revolving like a kaleidoscope and my
 mind was overflowing with emotion.  When I was losing myself in the
 emotion, tissue was offered from both sides.  Everyone was so kind.


Sakaki role, Asakawa Yuu
Q: How did you get the role of Sakaki-san?
A: From the start, I auditioned only for that role.  My manager knew
   the original work and was unusually excited about the role that I
   thought, "I better get this role," and when I did get the role, I
   was relieved.  It was more emotional than even the last episode
   (laugh).  I've done characters that people would be afraid to talk
   to, more than once so far, but Sakaki isn't really scary, I guess.
   But the way she broke down when she first met Yamamaya-..., I never
   imagined she would be like that.  Sakaki and I both are weak
   against cute things, so there are similarities.  With such a good
   style, it'd be fine to act all sophisticated, yet in reality, she's
   such a shy person.  But just by the looks, people get scared of
   her.  Getting in that kind of situation, too, is also similar.  I
   also like cats.  If I see a cat on the roadsize, I try to touch it,
   too, but they run away, so Oosaka-san (Matsuoka-san) says, "It's
   Sakaki-san."  I actually had a cat, but when it got big, it was
   like, "I don't need you anymore, thanks anyway!" and left (laugh).
   I was like, "What the heck?"  I guess this kind of thing could've
   fit in to "Azumanga" story.
Q: Was there any especially interesting episode?  [Note there is a
   typo in the book.  omoshiroi is written as omoroshii.  Heh, I guess
   Japanese aren't perfect, after all ^_^]
A: There're so many, I could sell them (laugh).  I thought of this
   during the last episode.  Everyone is just like their characters.
   Chiyo-chan (Kaneda-san) also cries in the anime and Oosaka is also
   same as usual.  Sakaki was acting as usual and so all the actors
   were acting just like the characters.  Chiyo was bad at tongue
   twisters and Oosaka made sure to take notes, but can't read it.
   "What does it say here?" becomes "[same thing in Oosaka-ben]"
   (laugh).
Q: Was it common to call each other by their role name?
A: Chiyo and Oosaka called my by my role name.  Others usually called
   me Yuu-chan.  Once in the studio, I'm so immersed in the role that,
   I know this is impolite but, I can't come up with the other
   person's name quickly.  Because of that, I call them by their role
   name oftentimes.
Q: Favorite character is?
A: Kagura-chan.  She's always such a nice girl.  There is a scene
   where she knocks down the tent during an Athletic Event and gets
   cautioned once, but she says "I'm sorry" and starts to cry.  Even
   though she doesn't understand the language, she helps a foreigner
   carry his baggage.  When someone is in trouble, she goes to help
   them without thinking of the consequences, and I thought that she
   is such a nice girl.  She's always trying her best.  Kagura voiced
   by Kuwashima-san is so cute, so I like her a lot.
Q: What do you think is the charm of Sakaki that makes Kaorin to lose
   her heart to Sakaki?
A: Certainly her outward appearance has the merit.  She's tall, has
   long hair, has good style, and is good at sports.  But since Kaorin
   only sees Sakaki's outward appearance, she mistakes Sakaki's
   reticence as being cool.  The one who is charmed by the inner
   Sakaki is actually Chiyo-chan.  Sakaki likes Chiyo-chan the best
   (laugh).  I'm worried about Sakaki-san.  After the anime ends, she
   will go on as herself, without me, becoming a college student.  I
   wonder if she'll be able to make new friends at her new school.
   Her starting to live by herself is also worrying me.
  [catch sales (unscrupulous sales practice involving expensive
   haard-to-break contracts)]
   If some catch salesman came, she could end up buying something
   while saying something like "ah."  And I hope she doesn't get
   deceived by some weird man.
Q: You seem like her mother (laugh).
A: This anime is causing my mother instinct to come out.  Ever since I
   met Chiyo, even if I see a little kid, I think, "Kaneda Tomoko is
   cuter than that" (laugh).  Average kids became not good enough for
   me.  I told that to my manager and the reply mail said, "If you
   like her that much, adopt her!" (laugh).  But seriously, this show
   isn't just fluff.  There are scenes like the rope-jumping scene and
   Kagura and Chiyo talking about the future under a cherry-blossom
   tree.  The show has that kind of serious moments, too.  We get to
   see the timid part of the characters, too, so how do I say it, it
   is an affectionate and brings out feelings.  It's also uncommon to
   be able to perform 3 years worth of a character's life.
Q: What kind of work was this?
A: There wasn't any kind of major event in the show.  Events were all
   ordinary day's events... Chiyo-chan did suffer from riding on
   Yukari-mobile, though (laugh).  It's really a ordinary high school
   life.  To be honest, what I remember from my school days was the
   fact that I didn't get along very well with my upper class people.
   It was a "tairantou" (laugh) [That's a rebel.  See the anime.
   "FURE- FURE-!"] [rebellious] student life.  But thanks to this
   work, I got to re-live a proper student life (laugh).  Finally,
   those cats drawn by Azuma-sensei are so cute.  Yamamaya- is the
   best!
Q: Final message, please.
A: Before I knew it, it ended.  I think that's because it had such an
   ordinary life story.  There were so many fans at the event so I was
   happy about that.  The subject of this show is so timeless that I
   hope it gets to be seen by all kinds of people.  Everyone is
   wishing for a continuation.  In the direction of everyone getting
   back together after a long time..., just kidding.  I'm excited
   about it.  I'm sure it's due to everyone's immense support
   (laugh).  I hope we could do more interesting things in Azumanga.
(Yamamaya-'s story is wonderful)
 I was so moved when I read the original work.  Not only is the
 drawing cute, when Sakaki is holding Yamamaya-, it looks like
 Yamamaya- is embracing back with [his/her?] front paws.  That's so
 cute!
(Rope-jumping with Chiyo-chan)
 It's like treating Chiyo-chan like a child with a good intention.
 Usually, Chiyo-chan is helping out Sakaki, but this time, Sakaki is
 making Chiyo-chan's wish come true.
(Oosaka's exorbitant/astounding/tremendous/crazy lines)
 When Oosaka-chan says, "we were talking about hemorrhoids," Sakaki
 saying, "no, I'm not!" was amusing.  Even though she was in such a
 beautiful setting, she was saying things like, "it's written as sea's
 pig."  [iruka (dolphin) is written in kanji as umi no buta]


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