Ayane Sakura: Ranma 1/2 Interview (1) Her thoughts on playing the role of Kodachi, the pressure and responsibility that comes with being a huge fan, and laughing out loud with all her might

Translated by: Harley Acres

A completely new anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi-san's hit manga Ranma 1/2 began airing on Nippon Television in October. The series was originally broadcast as a TV anime from 1989 to 1992, and this is the first time it has been adapted for TV in 32 years. The new anime will feature the same voice actors such as Kappei Yamaguchi-san as Ranma Saotome, Megumi Hayashibara-san as Ranma, and Noriko Hidaka-san as Akane Tendo, with the appearance of new cast members like Tomokazu Sugita-san as Tatewaki Kuno and Ayane Sakura as Kodachi Kuno has also been much discussed. We asked Sakura-san, who took over the role of Kuno Kodachi from Saeko Shimazu-san, who played her in the 1989 anime version, about her thoughts on Ranma 1/2.

When I was a girl I adored Ranma, Ranma 1/2 was "a friend I could turn to even when I was feeling down"

Ranma 1/2 was serialized in the manga magazine Weekly Shonen Sunday (Shogakukan) from 1987 to 1996 by Takahashi-san, who is also known for Urusei Yatsura and Maison Ikkoku. It depicted the hectic daily lives of Ranma Saotome, a high school martial artist who turns into a girl when splashed with water, and his fiancée Akane Tendo.

For Sakura-san, Ranma 1/2 is "such a part of my life that I can't even remember when I first came across it."

"I first encountered the original manga when I was a child. There was a manga store at the cram school I went to. I read Ranma 1/2 and Inuyasha there, and Ranma was my favorite character from Ranma 1/2 when I was little. I've always liked androgynous characters, and I was boyish and used the first person pronoun "boku," so Ranma was like an ideal character for me, and I watched it thinking, "I wish I could be like that." ^[1]

She was such a manga-loving girl that she said in a past interview, "I wanted to be a manga artist when I was in elementary school." Sakura-san describes the appeal of Ranma 1/2 as "it's like a friend you could turn to even when you're feeling down."

"Personally, I think the appeal of Rumiko Takahashi-sensei's works is that you can read them even when you're tired. The manga expressions are so skillful that you can understand it all without any effort. I think that's an overwhelming requirement in order for a masterpiece to be handed down, like a traditional art form. I don't know how she writes such entertaining stories that can be fully appreciated by people from all walks of life, but I think it's really amazing. Even in serious scenes, there's always a cathartic moment, and after you finish reading, you feel wonderful, and you feel like you can do your best again tomorrow! I find that very reassuring, and it makes me want to read it again and again."

The dream of being involved in a Rumiko Takahashi production

Sakura-san first learned about the production of a "completely new anime adaptation" of Ranma 1/2 when she received an offer to audition for the role of Kodachi. She was "quite surprised" that her favorite work would be revived as a new anime in the Reiwa era. At the same time, she had a strong desire to fulfill her "once in a lifetime dream as a manga fan to be involved in the work of Rumiko Takahashi-sensei."

"The truth is, I was always disappointed that I wasn't able to join the cast of the new Urusei Yatsura anime, and it's always been in the back of my mind. ^[2] However, this time around, Ranma 1/2 was basically a story with the original cast, so I thought it would be harder to get cast in than Urusei Yatsura... I was only offered an audition for one character, Kodachi, so I thought it would be very difficult, but I just decided to do my best with what I could do."

Kodachi Kuno is the younger sister of Tatewaki Kuno and an expert in rhythmic gymnastics, nicknamed "Kodachi the Black Rose". Not only does she look good in a leotard with a black rose in her mouth, but she is also a strong character who has feelings for Ranma and will stop at nothing to prevent anyone else from falling in love with him.

"When I heard I'd be playing the role of Kodachi, to be honest, I couldn't imagine myself playing the part. I'd never passed an audition for a character like this before, and when I read Ranma 1/2, she was also the most difficult character to understand. It's a role that's difficult to empathize with, or rather, it's the type of character that makes you happy when you suddenly see something you can empathize with, so conversely, I thought I could ignore the pressure I felt because I could empathize with her. I put together a completely over-the-top performance for a character that is difficult for ordinary people to understand."

I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable.

The voice of Shimazu-san, who played Kodachi in the 1989 anime adaptation, also left a strong impression. ^[3] The person who felt that charm more than anyone else was none other than Sakura-san herself.

"Shimazu-san's performance as Kodachi is perfectly balanced; it's incredibly outlandish and crazy, yet elegant, and her voice has an incredible range. It's like it's exhilarating even though it's hard to understand her behavior. I felt a lot of pressure, wondering if anyone else could express that sort of thing."

Sakura-san herself is a big fan of Ranma 1/2, and so she spoke frankly, saying, "I don't know if I should say this as a new cast member, but I can painfully understand the feelings of those fans who wanted to hear Shimazu-san's Kodachi."

"That's why, even if they don't accept it, I didn't want to make it seem strange to viewers. I listened to Shimazu-san's voice a lot and incorporated my admiration for her voice into my own. The emotions carried in it are something that can never be imitated, the emotions that Shimazu-san puts into it are her own, and the emotions that I put into it inevitably become my own, so I tried to make that my originality. Other than that, I was very conscious of creating a sound that would not make those who love Shimazu-san's Kodachi uncomfortable. However, because I have a distinctive vocal quality, I felt a little frustrated when I couldn't kill off my own individuality. On the day of the recording, I went in with the intention of laughing as loudly as I could, in a voice that would not lose out to my seniors (laughs)."

Ayane Sakura: Ranma 1/2 Interview (2) - Determination to inherit Kodachi's voice and soul - Recording secrets

A completely new anime adaptation of Rumiko Takahashi-san's hit manga Ranma 1/2 began airing on Nippon Television in October. The series was originally broadcast as a TV anime from 1989 to 1992, and this is the first time it has been adapted for TV in 32 years. The new anime will feature the same voice actors such as Kappei Yamaguchi-san as Ranma Saotome, Megumi Hayashibara-san as Ranma, and Noriko Hidaka-san as Akane Tendo, with the appearance of new cast members like Tomokazu Sugita-san as Tatewaki Kuno and Ayane Sakura as Kodachi Kuno has also been much discussed. We asked Sakura-san, who took over the role of Kuno Kodachi from Saeko Shimazu-san who played her in the 1989 anime version, about her thoughts on Ranma 1/2.

The recording was under incredible stress

Sakura-san, who took on the role of Kuno Kodachi as a new cast member, said she was "extremely nervous" on the first day of recording.

"I imagined all the worst-case scenarios as I headed to the studio. I knew that the senior voice actors I would be acting with were kind people, but I just wanted to make sure that no matter what happened, I wouldn't let my nerves get the better of me. Even if I was told that I wasn't up to it at all, even if I ended up dragging my seniors into a lot of retakes, I still headed to the set with the determination to see it through to the end, but the set was hundreds of times more welcoming than I had imagined."

On the day of the recording, she was joined by Yamaguchi-san, who plays [male] Ranma Saotome, Hayashibara-san, who plays [feamle] Ranma, Hidaka-san, who plays Akane Tendo, Koichi Yamadera-san, who plays Ryoga Hibiki, and Sugita-san, who plays Kodachi's older brother, Tatewaki Kuno.

"They welcomed me with something like, 'Come in, Ayane-chan,' and then said, 'Did you audition? We did a voice test too.' I had plenty of time to chat with everyone before the recording started, so the seniors really helped me to relax. I thought it was amazing to be able to hear the live voices of the original cast members of Ranma 1/2, which is something you can only get by being on the set. It made me feel like Ranma 1/2 has really returned in the Reiwa era."

During the recording, she recalls, “Everyone was relentless, which made me very happ, it was so fun."

"I was treated like Kodachi, and even after the recording was over, I received a lot of kind comments. One senior said to me, 'When I heard that Ayaneru (Ayane Sakura) would be playing Kodachi, I knew it would be fine,' and another said, 'You were going all out, it was amazing,' and on another set, Sugita-san said to me, 'I'm glad that Sakura is playing my sister, Kodachi,' and I've received a lot of words that motivated me. I felt like I was included in the group, and I was very happy. During the break, I heard a lot of stories from back then, and I felt that each and every one of us has that kind of history, and that's how we've made it to the Reiwa era of Ranma 1/2."

The joy of having Ranma 1/2 become a part of my life

After completing her first recording as Kodachi, Sakura confessed, "I had no confidence at all."

"I tried not to forget how confident I was in my role as Kodachi, but when I came back to myself, I had no confidence at all and was very nervous. I was not confident, and I was more anxious, but with a lot of help from my seniors, I was able to finish the first postrecording."

She released her own limiter and is taking on the role of Kodachi with all her might. She once again felt the incredible talent of Shimazu-san, who played Kodachi in the "1989 version" of the anime.

"After laughing out loud, I ran out of oxygen and felt dizzy for a long time. I thought it must be very difficult to perform this every time. It's been a very valuable experience. I realized once again that Kodachi really does have a lot of power, and that Shimazu-san, who has been walking alongside Kodachi for so long, must be a very powerful person."

When Sakura-san's portrayal of Kodachi was revealed in the second promotional video, there was a huge response from fans, with comments such as "It really seems like Kodachi," "Seeing her really touched me," and "It's amazing."

"I myself have had many opportunities and have been approached at all sorts of places and asked, 'So you'll be playing Kodachi, huh?' I'm deeply moved that we will be able to watch Ranma 1/2 in the Reiwa era, and that matters related to Kodachi are no longer something that only concerns other people. Of course there's pressure, but there are also many emotions, and when I saw Kodachi in the opening credits of the first episode that aired, I was so happy that it became something that involved me. I'm just so happy to be involved with Ranma 1/2. Shimazu-san's Kodachi occupies the image of Kodachi in my mind, and I'm sure that this is true for everyone even more so, so I would like to continue to work hard at recording so that I can properly carry on the voice and spirit of Kodachi that Shimazu-san has always cherished. I intend to continue supporting Ranma 1/2 as a fan."

Sakura-san will be taking on the role of Kodachi in this completely new anime with her love for Ranma 1/2 and extraordinary passion. Let's all appreciate her soulful acting.

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Footnotes

• [1] "Boku" (僕) is more commonly thought of as a masucline "I/me", though some women use it, though less frequently. A "boku-onna" (僕女) is a woman that refers to herself with the "boku" pronoun.
• [2] A new adaptation of Urusei Yatsura that was designed to stick more closely to the original manga was released from 2022 to 2024.
• [3] Saeko Shimazu (島津冴子) is a long-time mainstay of Takahashi anime. She has played Shinobu Miyake in Urusei Yatsura, Sayoko Kuroki in Maison Ikkoku, Kodachi Kuno in Ranma 1/2 and Princess Abi in Inuyasha. She was interviewed a few days later and shared her memories of working on the original series as well as her words of encouragement to Ayane Sakura.

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