odorekijin

Interview with Yasui Kazuma and Kohatsu Allen,

respectively playing as Kurahashi Kairi and Takatsuki Kagura,

for Theatertainment News.

Published on October 26th, 2023. (original article)

ーNow that a few months have gone by, how do you feel about the first stage?

Yasui: It was awesome. Allen-kun and I bonded so quickly, no one would have believed we had just met… And that goes for our fellow actors as well! Whether we were acquainted from other stages or if it was our first time working together, we all got along right away. Coupling this great ambiance with the acting and the intense concert scenes truly made me feel like I was on top of my game (laughs). I had a blast.

The only difficult aspect to this all—which was more of a challenge than anything—was Kairi’s strange speech pattern and figuring out how he would move on stage. There was no visual material for me to study, so it was obviously difficult to imagine how he would occupy the space, while adding my own flair. But I had a lot of fun studying his character… I guess it wasn’t actually as difficult as I made it sound (laughs). More seriously though, I had an incredible time with that troupe and that stage.

Kohatsu: As Kazuma said, the first stage was also our very first play together—everyone else had worked as co-stars in other productions before. I often find myself walking on eggshells to understand how my new coworker works, but that didn’t happen with Kazuma: we frequently had honest chats about what we wanted to do in our respective roles. Our ability to create such a good and strong relationship in the first volume was very rewarding… And also the fact that the audience still got to see how awesome “our Kairi-kun” was (laughs). I’m glad we got to show off his talent.

Yasui: Ahah, I’m touched.

Kohatsu: I also had my fair share of troubles: although I deeply resonated with the themes of the story, I had difficulties actually acting it. Since “Tokyo Color Sonic!!” is based on drama tracks, you have to imagine the characters’ body language and, like Kazuma, this challenge was always on my mind. While I could picture Kagura as part of Unit.4, I struggled to visualise how he would stand among the others while making sure I stayed in-character. But we are a troupe that gives 120% of ourselves in whatever idea we have settled on, so that was the least I could do for character-building (laughs). I must say, everybody seemed to enjoy themselves quite a lot.

ーWhat do you think about your character now?

Yasui: Kairi is, let’s say, a different breed of man (laughs) but he is incredibly forthright when it comes to his passion for singing and music. I know that those characteristics could apply to every other character in “Tokyo Color Sonic!!,” but Kairi-kun fools around so often that sometimes a switch flips to unveil that side of him… What I like about him is how that switch may be flipped at all times, yet no one would know because they don’t understand his true intentions or way of thinking.

Although we have vastly different personalities, our approach and feelings towards music are very similar. The more I acted as Kairi, the more I grew to like him. I also like his conversations with Kagura—Kairi-kun is a character you can freely play around with.

Kohatsu: My first impression of Kagura-kun was how inflexible he was. You know how some people have strong personal beliefs they want to uphold? Well, he seemed to be very… Rigid about it. Kagura-kun is as severe on others as he is on himself.

When it comes to similarities though, Kagura-kun composes his songs with a profound respect and as a lover of classical music. I often listened to the genre myself when I was a child since my parents are both opera singers.

As the son of Ironoha Music Academy’s chancellor, and as I’m also from a family with professional musicians, I empathise with the pressure on Kagura-kun’s shoulders: I think being compared to his parents and the harsh expectations that weighed him helped me fit into his role more easily. His perfectionism becoming an insurmountable obstacle was a very down-to-earth depiction of the consequence of his rigidity—even his father told him that he couldn’t do this to himself. An average person, surrounded by naturally gifted people… Though Kagura-kun doesn’t exactly qualify as an average person himself (laughs).

To me, he has this innate sense of rivalry that ignites when faced with an overwhelmingly talented partner. All in all, he is a fantastic character inhabited by his devouring passion for music, though he should probably go a little easier on himself and others (laughs).

ーWhat are the highlights of Vol.2?

Yasui: In the last stage, each of the units got their share of the spotlight and subtly explored their bonds; this time around, the story will delve deeper into Unit.4’s relationship—or rather, that the narrative will emphasise us more than the world-building. Those who discovered “Tokyo Color Sonic!!” through the first volume were left on an exciting cliffhanger, not exactly knowing where the story would go afterwards. Let me tell you, Unit.4 gets intense, and we have a lot in store for you (laughs).

I finished reading the script not so long ago, and I cannot wait to see how they’re going to proceed with the story. I want to rehearse and be on stage already.

Kohatsu: Unit 4 would cross swords and argue at any given opportunity in the first volume, but Vol.2 will see their relationship changing little by little: by acknowledging their respective skills, making the first step, and sharing various challenges, the two of them will learn to live around the other. One of the highlights in Unit.4 is their slow progression into becoming a unit—especially how they grow as individuals first before finding cohesion.

Honourable mention to the other characters' growth in this second volume, which is definitely something worth experiencing. Keep your eyes peeled for the characters (Takeshi) Naoki-kun and Teruma-kun play, and the novelty they will bring to the table.

ーDo you have any last words for our readers?

Yasui: If you're still considering getting into this series, I'd recommend coming to the show first! “Tokyo Color Sonic!!” is a pretty intense story: even if they don't physically go at it through flashy fights or dances, the narrative still manages to hit something deep within. Something truly moving, to me, is how the songwriters closely watch over their vocalists during the concert scenes. It was the first time I've felt such passion through this style of music, especially when you realise that it acts as a continuation of the story.

I want people to simply come, enjoy the show, and experience a new, different world. That’s why we will pour everything we've got, and put in every effort to present this wonderful world to our audience. We hope to see you at the theatre!

Kohatsu: Tokyo Color Sonic is a series that focuses on the entertainment industry—an industry which I believe can enrich and soothe anyone, no matter the current state of the world. I wish for anyone that comes to our performances to feel for themselves the wonders of performing arts. On the other hand, I hope it will make our audience feel, even if just a little bit, the goodness that resides within every human. Conflicts are bound to happen throughout our lives, be it at school or at work, but they’re not synonymous with break-ups. To me, this play teaches you to embrace these frictions: disagreements aren’t inherently bad, and overcoming those can bring good. I believe that growth awaits beyond the dark clouds of discord, and I hope you will be able to experience this sentiment for yourself as well.