[Interview Part 2] Yorozuya’s Comedy Is Always Unpredictable: Tomokazu Sugita, Daisuke Sakaguchi and Rie Kugimiya Talk “Gintama Style Catch”

Gintama returns with a completely new film as New Film Gintama Yoshiwara in Flames continues its theatrical run in Japan. Tomokazu Sugita who voices Gintoki Sakata, Daisuke Sakaguchi who voices Shinpachi Shimura, and Rie Kugimiya who voices Kagura once again demonstrated their perfectly timed chemistry in an interview that felt just like the banter of the Yorozuya trio themselves.

Based on the manga by Hideaki Sorachi which began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in December 2003, Gintama is set in an alternate Edo ruled by aliens known as Amanto. The science fiction period comedy follows freelancer Gintoki Sakata and the colorful people around him. The original manga concluded in June 2019, with cumulative circulation surpassing 73 million copies. The television anime began airing on TV Tokyo in April 2006, followed by animated feature films and a live action adaptation starring Shun Oguri.

The new film is set in the underground red light district city of Yoshiwara Paradise. Gintoki, Shinpachi and Kagura step into a city ruled by the Night King Housen, where the light has been lost. The celebrated Yoshiwara in Flames arc from the original manga has been newly adapted as a feature length anime. Hideaki Sorachi serves as original creator and Super Advisor Gorilla, with Naoya Ando directing, Yoichi Fujita supervising, and Taku Kishimoto writing the screenplay.

Interview

――When you look at the other two, do you think there are any characters who resemble them?

Sugita
A lot of people say Daisuke Sakaguchi and Shinpachi Shimura are basically the same person, but I would say Sakaguchi san is more like a hybrid Shinpachi.

Kugimiya
That is true. His straight man reactions are sharp even in everyday life.

Sugita
And at the same time, he is warmer.

Sakaguchi
I would not go that far.

Sugita
He can also be properly strict. That is something Shinpachi does not really have.

Sakaguchi
He does too. Shinpachi has that as well.

Sugita
But Shinpachi is still a kid. He will grow and gain those qualities in the future.

Kugimiya
So he is like an evolved version.

Sugita
Exactly. The grown up version.

Sakaguchi
I do not like the sound of that.

Sugita
They are separate personalities, of course, but rather than being equal, there are many elements that flowed from Daisuke Sakaguchi into Shinpachi Shimura. Like getting hooked on a certain dating game.

Sakaguchi
Stop that. That one is not good.

Sugita
In the anime it is called Ai Cholis, and in the original manga it is Love Cholis. A dating simulation game was even created, so it had a huge influence. That is why I call him hybrid Shinpachi. I feel that strongly. Susumu Chiba once said that after playing Isao Kondo, he started getting more roles as middle aged men like Kondo, or what you might call gorilla roles.

Sakaguchi
And originally he was Sai Fujiwara in Hikaru no Go.

Sugita
In some way, the roles influence the actors, and that influence goes back into the characters. I think that is true for any character and any actor.

Sakaguchi
Sorachi san has that kind of quality. He is good at reflecting things back into the work. Maybe that is the Hideaki Sorachi style.

Sugita
The author himself is like an embodiment of all the characters combined. I have talked to him about three times.

Sakaguchi
He does not really show up in public.

Sugita
It was a weekly serialization, so basically he did not come out.

――We picture him as a gorilla.

Sakaguchi
He is a gorilla.

Sugita
I heard that he was tricked into coming to an anime recording session once and said he never wanted to go again.

Sakaguchi
He was only called in for cheese steamed bread.

Sugita
Let us say that is the official story. In reality, it was because of the weekly serialization.

Sakaguchi
He was busy.

Sugita
The quality of Gintama manuscripts is very high.

Sakaguchi
And even if it was late, it never got dropped.

Sugita
It could not be helped.

Sakaguchi
I guess in some way, actors and characters do resemble each other.

Sugita
That is probably why certain people pass the audition.

――Do you ever start to resemble your characters over time?

Sakaguchi
I do not know about resembling. What do you think?

Sugita
I think we influence each other, but it is not like we gradually become them.

Sakaguchi
I have never been punched by Kugimiya, after all.

Kugimiya
That is right. I treat him very politely and kindly.

Sakaguchi
Well, maybe not always that politely. But she does have a big appetite, just like Kagura.

Sugita
That is true.

――What did you think about the Shinsengumi and Katsura appearing in this film?

Sakaguchi
Each character really maintains their position. Kondo is still Kondo, even in a theatrical film.

Kugimiya
They do not feel tacked on. It feels as if they had always been there.

Sugita
Even characters who appear in the film feel like they were part of the original manga from the start. They blend in naturally.

Sakaguchi
I hope everyone looks forward to it.

――You have worked as the Yorozuya trio for many years, and your exchanges are perfectly in sync. What is the secret to that chemistry?

Kugimiya
For me, it feels like Sugita kun and Daisuke san are standing firmly there, and I just follow along. Since the two of them are so solid, I just go along with them.

All laugh.

――It also feels like the straight man and comic roles are naturally divided.

Sakaguchi
I wonder.

Sugita
I try not to complete a performance on my own. A joke only works if there is someone to react to it. So with Gintama, I do not check every detail too thoroughly at home beforehand. I do not know what will come. Sometimes something far beyond the reaction I imagined comes flying at me.

Sakaguchi
It goes both ways. You cannot predict how the joke will come. You do not know the level of intensity either. Gintama often has off screen lines, so if someone throws a joke off screen, you will not know until the day of recording. Kugimiya and Sugita are amazing, so I basically feel like I just need to receive the ball.

――It really is like playing catch.

Sakaguchi
Without that back and forth, dialogue based stories are not interesting.

Sugita
We prepare ourselves for that even before going into the recording booth.

――Lastly, please share a message for everyone looking forward to seeing the film.

Sakaguchi
I think even those who watched it sixteen years ago as a television anime will be satisfied. The Shinsengumi and Katsura also stand out strongly. You could start here and then go back and watch the rest of Gintama. It might become a great entry point. A work cannot live long with only the same audience, so we would like to welcome new viewers as well.

Sugita
It is completely fine to have your own way of loving a work, but if you start demanding that same form of love from others, it stops being entertainment. The viewing order does not matter. You can experience Gintama for the first time through this new film and then watch the television series afterward. That is also a valid way to enjoy it.

Kugimiya
Sorachi san’s style is at its sharpest in this story. The comedy goes all the way, the serious parts are truly serious, and there are many heartwarming scenes as well. Whether you know this episode or are experiencing it for the first time, I hope you will watch it and deepen your own love for the series.

Source : ORICON NEWS