“I could say everything I wanted to say as the current Asuka.”
Interview with Yuko Miyamura as Shikinami Asuka Langley in EVANGELION:3.0+1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME
May 23, 2021 17:00
"EVANGELION: 3.0+1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME" is now in theaters.
We talked to Yuko Miyamura, who plays Shikinami Asuka Langley, about the final part of the series, and about the Evangelion series.
EVANGELION: 3.0+1.0 THRICE UPON A TIME" is now in theaters.
First of all, I was relieved that the film was released successfully.
In the midst of the terrible situation caused by the Corona disaster, so many people watched the movie as soon as it was released, and I could feel how much everyone was waiting for the final version, and how strong their feelings were.
I was very happy to hear the voices of people who said they would wait for the film no matter how many delays there were.
What did you feel when you saw the completed film?
Frankly speaking, when I saw the "Previous Evangelion" at the beginning of the film, I was confused at first, wondering if it was included because it was a preview, or if it would be included in the public version.
I was surprised that they were so kind to the audience (laughs).
Of course, the film has colors and sounds that weren't there when I was postrecording, and I could see footage of scenes I wasn't in and other cast members' performances for the first time, so I was completely into it.
The two and a half hours flew by.
The scene where Rei Ayanami (tentative name) falls backwards in the rice field was cute, and the battles were really cool.
Especially Misato, she was just so cool!
You talked about each scene in detail in the interview in the magazine, but please tell us about your thoughts on the woman Asuka and how you have depicted her mind for over 25 years.
It's been an amazing experience to be involved with a single work and a single character for such a long time, and to see the changes of the times together.
Looking back on it now, at the time of the audition, the TV anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion" hadn't even had its broadcast slot decided yet.
I was also auditioning for the role of Rei, not Asuka.
I had heard that Rei was a quiet girl, so I played a quiet girl, but I had been a stage actress for a long time, so I guess I wasn't quiet at all (laughs).
It was your first time auditioning for an anime, right?
Yes.
I didn't know how to use the microphone well either.
When I came to think about it later, Megumi Hayashibara's voice for Rei was so soft that I couldn't hear it even though I was standing right next to her during the postrecording.
So my voice for Rei was definitely not good.
It made me realize, " Okay, that's how you use a microphone."
At the audition, after several retakes, I was asked, "Would you be willing to take on one more character?"
He said, "This one will be fine with a cheerful voice," so Asuka jumped out with all the energy I had.
How has your impression of Asuka changed over the years and through your work?
We didn't know each other at first, but we've been together for a long time, and I felt like a mother to Asuka at times.
So, I cannot watch "The End of Evangelion" even now because it's too painful.
What are your thoughts on Asuka as portrayed in Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time?
I feel that I could say everything I wanted to say as the current Asuka.
Also, I was really happy to see Asuka so cute and looking bright and happy in some scenes.
More than anything, I'm glad that Anno was able to depict Asuka without forgetting her.
I felt as if I could release a long-standing tension (laughs).
What kind of changes do you feel in general director Hideaki Anno over the past 25 years?
Whether he has changed or not, I think he has definitely changed.
If there were 100 people, I think 100 of them would say yes.
To find out what kind of change that is, I think you have to watch his works.
Anno was a famous director even before "Eva", but he became even more famous after "Eva", and as Japan became a major animation country in the world, I think the environment around him changed a lot.
Newtype readers may not know this, but back in the day, you could find anime books on the farthest shelf from the entrance of the bookstore.
It certainly was (laughs).
Believing in the power of animation in those days, he continued to work, wanting to express himself in such and such a way or draw such and such a thing.
Then, with the support of the times, he is now shining as a general director who has completed the four-part "Rebuild of Evangelion" series.
Anno now has the energy and love to make "Evangelion" come to a happy ending.
That's very different from the struggling man from the past.
The fact that I and the fans were able to follow this process together was a blessing itself.
It's a feat of energy and love.
That's really true.
And I believe that Anno is basically a kind person who cares for others.
If he wasn't, he wouldn't have been able to give all the characters a proper ending like this.
He saved the characters, he saved the cast, and then he sincerely responded to the wishes of the fans.
Over the years, Evangelion has come a long way from the days when we said, "I wish everyone would just die," to now being able to say, "Let's get through it all together."
<Original JP site : https://webnewtype.com/report/article/1033825/>