Commemorative Stage Greeting, Official Report
■ Date and Time: Sunday, February 22
■ Location: Shinjuku Piccadilly theater
■ Speakers: Daisuke Ono (Susumu Kodai), Megumi Han (Sasha), Tasuku Hatanaka (Ryusuke Domon), Harutoshi Fukui (General Director), Eriko Nakamura (Mikage Kiryu/Moderator)
Published at the official website. See the original post here
Daisuke Ono (Kodai)
Before the main screening, Ono entered the venue, filled with excitement, and declared, “For everyone who came today, I’d like to fire a gun salute to celebrate the screening of Chapter 5. Fire!”
He fired off a loud celebratory cannon, livening up the crowd. Looking over at Hatanaka, Ono urged, “You can fire, Tasuku,” to which Hatanaka responded with, “Fire!”, eliciting thunderous applause. Seeing Han watching enviously, Ono urged, “You can fire too, Sasha,” to which she responded with a spirited, “Fire!” that sent the audience into a frenzy. Meanwhile, Director Fukui drew laughter with a punchline, “I won’t fire.”
Regarding the highlights of Chapter 5, Hatanaka said, “The battle scenes are truly thrilling, so I hope you’ll pay close attention to them.”
Han responded, “The relationships developed so far, along with all the accumulated developments, are packed into this chapter. There’s probably more than you can take in just once, so please enjoy it over and over again.”
Tasuku Hatanaka (Domon)
Hearing what the two had to say, Ono commented, “Just as they’ve said many times, the story unfolds with incredible intensity. It feels like it’s packed with all the entertainment Yamato can deliver.”
As Ono has often said in stage greetings and interviews, the first and second chapters were extremely difficult for him as Kodai, and he felt so depressed that he wondered if he could continue playing the role. ”
Ono said, “The first and second chapters were particularly difficult for me as Kodai. Director Fukui told me, ‘I want you to sink to the very bottom,’ and I wondered if I could manage to play the role. But the reward was waiting for me. After Chapter 3, a bond with Sasha was born in Chapter 4. In Chapter 5, this relationship, this bond, becomes even deeper. Not only that, but former enemies also come to my aid. That really hit me hard. I’m glad I did it. Chapter 5 is a fulfilling chapter for Kodai.”
Hearing these words, Director Fukui smiled and said, “Every time we tell people not to give away spoilers before a screening, but it’s never been as tough as this one. The whole thing is like that.” He then addressed the audience about to watch the screening, saying, “I’ll make one prediction: when you leave the theater (Shinjuku Piccadilly) on your way home today, you’ll look back.”
Megumi Han (Sasha)
Meanwhile, Hatanaka, who plays Domon, admitted that he was uneasy about the distance between him and Sasha, who has grown up so quickly. “Domon witnessed Sasha’s meeting with Kodai when she was a baby, so he had feelings for her. But when they meet again, she has suddenly grown up. He’s faced with the problem of how to deal with a girl his own age. That kind of confusion is not something you often have in battle. So it’s heartwarming, and I think it’s kind of fun being with her.”
In response, Han commented, “When I’m acting, I tend to see the other person through the character’s eyes, and personally I think Domon is a lot like Tasuke. And in some ways I feel like I’m seeing Kodai from way back when. But rather than simply copying Kodai, this time there’s a scene where Domon makes his own choices. I really like the choices Domon makes when he’s left to look after things when Kodai is away.”
She also shared her thoughts on the relationship between Kodai and Domon: “From Sasha’s perspective, Kodai and Domon are like family: brothers, or master and disciple, or superior and subordinate. I found myself a little envious of that relationship, which Sasha could never have.”
Hearing this, Ono honestly confessed, “My relationship with Domon can be interpreted as friendship, or a senior-junior bond, but we’re also rivals. That’s because Domon is the one firing the Wave-Motion Gun. To be honest, I was really frustrated at first. I thought, ‘Shouldn’t it be me?'” Hatanaka was surprised as well.
“A dynamic junior has emerged from below,” Ono continued. “And as Han-chan said earlier, he’s just like Kodai when he was young. So I can point out his mistakes in a logical manner, but he doesn’t listen to what others say. That’s another characteristic of the Tactical Department. They live their lives leaning forward. That’s why when I look at Tasuku, I think of Domon.”
Harutoshi Fukui (General Director)
Hatanaka then spoke on behalf of Domon, saying, “For Domon, the captain who guided him so much in 2205 has fallen into the depths of despair in this work. His appearance made me feel a certain way, so I felt like I had to be the one to fire it.”
Ono said, “But little by little, Kodai is starting to move forward. I’m sure there will come a time when I’ll think of him as Captain Kodai again. He’s still someone whose footsteps I want to follow.”
Then, revisiting the highlights of the film, Ono revealed, “There are times when Sanada calls her ‘Sasha’ and times when he calls her ‘Mio.’ That really hits home. There’s a line where he says ‘Mio,’ and it makes you feel like he’s saying it from the bottom of his heart, not as a matter of his job or duty, but as a real father. I hope you’ll pay attention to that.” Then, as if savoring the thought, Ono couldn’t help but mutter, “I hope Sasha finds a husband like Sanada…”
Hearing this, Han laughed and said, “You say things like that, Uncle.” She then went on to say that she thinks the highlights of the film will be the scenes involving Alphon. “I would like Yuki to be the first person Alphon loves, but there’s a scene that makes me think Kodai is the first person he trusts. It’s a scene that has nothing to do with Sasha, but I wanted to share it today,” she revealed.
Eriko Nakamura (MC/Mikage Kiryu)
The highly anticipated event was finally coming to a close. When asked for a final message, Ono commented, “With seven chapters in total, we’ve already passed the halfway point. It’s been a truly painful and difficult journey, but looking back, it all seems to have flown by. I feel like I’ve barely made it this far, but at the same time, I feel like I want to continue my journey even further.”
He continued, “However, I personally think that this fifth chapter is one of the climaxes of 3199. The enemies and allies we’ve met so far. The Garmillans. The Bolars. That person you met in battle is on that ship and will lend you a hand. If you are a fan of Yamato, I think you’ll empathize with each and every one of them and feel very passionate about them. That’s how I feel. I’m really glad that I’ve continued my journey up to this point, and I believe that many difficulties await us on the journey ahead. I believe that’s the kind of script Fukui-san wrote.”
He then made a powerful appeal, saying, “But we absolutely will not give up. We, the actors, and all the staff, are the Wave-Motion Engine that drives Yamato. Please add your Wave-Motion to ours. With everyone’s strength, let’s move Yamato forward into the future! Please continue to support Yamato!”
Additional coverage from Mantan Web:
One of the highlights of Chapter 5 is the all-out battle between the Yamato and Garmillas combined fleets against the intermediate supply base Digablas, and the main visual also has the catchphrase, In the last minute, everything changes.
While concerned about spoilers, Hatanaka said, “Chapter 5 is also great…I wonder what will happen.” He added passionately, “The development of the all-out battle was so exciting, it got me pumped. It was amazing. I was thrilled by the performance of the air force. I love the combination of Sakamoto and Raiden. I hope you’ll watch it, including Raiden’s lines.”
Han said, “When I act, I tend to see the person through the character, and I think Tasuku is very similar to Domon. It’s like I’m looking at the old Kodai, but rather than just copying him, there are scenes where you can see that he’s making his own choice. I really like that choice. As someone who plays Sasha, Kodai and Domon are like family, like brothers, like boss and junior, a relationship that Sasha would never have, and I envy them.”
Ono nodded, “When I look at Tasuku, I think of Domon. He’s straightforward and passionate.”
Backstage at the Shinjuku Piccadilly. Photo posted on Twitter by the Yamato Production Committee
Ono muttered that he hopes Sasha finds a husband like Sanada. Does that mean Sasha will survive because in order to do that she must be alive and should be at least an adult but she is currently a teenager. And it doesn’t appear that she will become an adult by the end of the series.