Hello, Crunchyroll viewers!
I'm Minase Inori.
Hello! I'm Ono Daisuke.
TV Anime "Somali and the Forest Spirit"
Voice of Somali: Minase Inori
Voice of the Golem: Ono Daisuke
Interview
The two of us will be appearing in the TV anime Somali and the Forest Spirit.
Yes. Somali and the Forest Spirit is a popular manga
that is currently serialized in Web Comic Zenyon.
It's a fantasy tale depicting the bond between parent and child.
Yes.
It's set in a world dominated by unusual-looking beings,
where humans are nearly extinct, but...
But... my character, a golem who is the guardian of the forest,
meets Minase-san's character, a young human girl named Somali,
and they set out on a journey to find the survivors of the human race.
Yes!
What are your characters, Somali and the golem, like?
So... as for what our characters are like...
Yes. Each of our characters.
I'll start with Somali.
Okay. Somali.
Somali... you can see her right here.
She has a somewhat mysterious look...
She's a very cute little girl in terms of her appearance,
but the story begins with the question of why a child
who looks like her is in a place like this.
She really looks up to Ono-san's character, the golem, as her father.
The bond they have is really something that transcends
what we think of as parent-and-child relationships.
She's always running around saying, "Dad! Dad!"
She has her cute, girly side, as well as a lively, boyish side.
That's what Somali's character is like.
She is adorable. She really is adorable.
Yes. She is.
And the golem is the character who sort of protects the adorable Somali,
Right.
and he also takes the role of her father.
Yes.
And, well... He's known as the forest guardian,
he's of the golem race, and...
he's basically an emotionless character.
He's very indifferent.
Right, like...
Somali's behavior and the way she adores him is really sweet and precious,
and I'd really like to respond to that, but... he's a golem.
So I have to really suppress my emotions,
which makes it quite a difficult role to play.
Yes.
Is there anything you have made a particular effort to do, or struggled with, during recording?
Well, something that I've struggled with has been...
Is there anything you have made a particular effort to do, or struggled with, during recording?
Right, the emotions...
It's really hard to keep emotions from slipping in.
When we're doing tests, the sound director always has to tell me,
"You slipped there."
Some love slips out.
Yeah, love. That's exactly right.
But... and I think people will see this when they watch the show,
but Somali is seriously adorable.
Yeah.
I want to react to it.
So Somali has to keep doing everything she can to warm her dad's heart,
and to bring out some warm feelings in him.
The more she hears him speaking in that flat tone,
the more playful she gets.
She'll do childish things like getting distracted and
running off in the middle of a sentence,
so I've been careful to express that childlike innocence when recording.
The dad's very unchanging nature
and Somali's ever-changing innocence are the things I watch for.
I see... The balance works out well, though.
Yes, it does.
In the beginning, we each had a set amount of time...
There were set amounts of time that each of our lines had to fit in,
and the two of us could add to each other to fit them together.
Right, right, right.
Like, it was okay for you to finish early...
Er, no, it was okay for me to finish early.
Oh, right!
And it was okay for you to actually run a bit long.
And if you're wondering how that's possible,
it's because Dad doesn't move his mouth.
That's right!
His mouth doesn't move. It stays closed.
Right, it just... looks like this.
Right, right.
Yeah, so because of that...
Minase-san and I could add and subtract parts of our acting,
so the end result is created by both of us together.
Yeah.
And that can make it sort of challenging,
but it also makes it all feel worthwhile.
It does. I hope everyone will watch out for that.
Yes.
Of the towns that the duo visits, and the experiences they have, which were your favorites?
Next is... what towns or experiences on their journey were our favorites?
Uh... That's a tough one.
Yeah.
That'd be a spoiler.
That's right!
If we give away things that haven't happened yet...
I know!
Oh, okay, Ono-san.
It's the part I talked about before. Right here.
Oh!
This part is great.
What part of this? The whole thing?
This whole thing. It's where they meet for the first time.
You took the whole thing...
There's nothing else I can talk about.
There's not much we can say!
This scene is great, though.
I mean, it's gotta be this, right?
It's where they first met,
and it's where she first called him "Dad."
That's right.
Out of nowhere.
Yeah. Out of nowhere, she just goes, "Dad."
This is the moment when he becomes "Dad."
Yes.
He never had any intention of being a dad...
Right, since he's a forest spirit.
But she calls him that, so it's like, "Uh, sure... I guess I'm Dad..."
Right, she just came out and called him that.
Yeah, this scene where they first meet is a big one.
It really is.
Also, since we're avoiding specific scenes and stories...
I love the backgrounds, like the way this forest is drawn.
Yeah.
Also, I really like caves... limestone caves and things like that.
Oh, really?
I just love natural occurrences like caves,
so I love how a lot of places that aren't man-made are used in the show.
I can't wait to see those backgrounds done in full color within the animation.
The backgrounds and coloring are both really unique to this title.
Yes, yes, yes.
There are lots of scenes featuring music, too.
That's exciting.
I hope you'll look forward to that.
I'm excited for the ending theme, too.
I sang it!
Please share a message with everyone who's looking forward to seeing this series.
Right, so... A message for everyone who's looking forward to seeing this series.
Please share a message with everyone who's looking forward to seeing this series.
Yes.
Who's going first? Who's first? Who's first?
Uh... Dad!
Okay!
Our timing was perfect there. Okay...
So, Somali and the Forest Spirit...
From the first time I read the manga,
I felt that it had a beautiful atmosphere and gave me a very warm feeling.
We've come pretty far in recording it, too,
and every time I'm in the booth, it gives me a really calm, gentle feeling.
The mood in the booth is always really nice.
I feel like fate had a big part in this series.
We're working hard with all the staff to bring you a show you can get into,
and to express the gentleness of the series to all of you,
so please look forward to it.
Yes, since I'm playing the part of Somali...
I have read the manga, of course,
but all of Somali's different expressions,
and the reason why she calls him "Dad"...
It warms my heart to see how each episode brings them closer
to being a real father and daughter,
so I think adults can enjoy the series, too,
and people who actually have children of their own.
It's really a series that illustrates what a family is,
and it covers some really important themes, like life itself.
I'm hoping that people can enjoy a relaxing time as they watch this show,
so please make sure to watch the TV anime.
Somali.
Dad!
That was a fine comment.
Thank you! Dad praised me!
So on that note... the series will begin airing very soon,
Yes.
so please be sure to watch it in real time. Thank you!
Don't miss it. And now...
Look forward to the show!