Anime "Honō no Tōkyūjo: Dodge Danko" Teaser Visual Unveiled! Starring Manaka Nakayama, Noriko Hidaka Reprises Role as Danpei

――Besides Danko and Danpei, whom you're playing, are there any favorite characters?

Hidaka: For me, it's definitely Heiko-chan, the daughter of Taiga Nikaidō, who was Danpei's rival. I can't help but wonder how such a daughter was born from that Taiga-kun (lol).

Nakayama: Taiga-kun was such a perfect handsome guy... (lol).

Hidaka: Yes. A refreshing, straightforward person who was the picture of fair play. That Taiga-kun named his daughter "Heiko," taking the character "hei" from "Danpei" out of respect for Danpei. And so, Heiko-chan, who grew up hearing about Danpei from Taiga-kun, really respects Danpei. I'm very happy about that, but unless he married a really unusual bride, I don't think it would turn out like this (wry smile).

Whether it's hot-blooded or playful, it's a set where I'm often made to witness the actors' true capabilities. Besides that, Chinko-chan is also a character with flavor and a favorite of mine.

Nakayama: I love Chinko-chan! At the beginning of the story, Chinko-chan is like a brake for Danko, but she gradually cuts loose and becomes a rich character. In proportion to that, Kaori Maeda-san's performance also escalates (lol). You think she's a serious class representative type, but she becomes increasingly amusing, and it's truly funny how she goes from being the straight man to eagerly playing the fool. That degree of cutting loose symbolizes "This work has no brakes!" which is great.

――In this work, an adult Danpei appears. For Nakayama-san playing Danko, he's her father, and for Hidaka-san who once played Danpei, he's a future version, so he's a character with a deep relationship to both of you. Do you have any episodes with the cast member playing adult Danpei?

Nakayama: He encouraged me, saying "It's okay," when I was awkward as a first-time lead. In the scene where he talks with the small Danko sitting on his shoulder, he performed with reliability, but also with humor and full effort, so I dove in with the intention of learning from him. I thought he was a kind, reassuring person with great depth.

Hidaka: Adult male Danpei is a role I absolutely couldn't do, so I entrusted it to him, saying "Please take care of it." After the test, he asked me, "Was this kind of thing okay?" so I told him, "As long as you're bright and positive, anything else you do is okay."

――"Bright and positive" is also a common point with his daughter Danko.

Nakayama: That's right. She's a child who expresses her emotional reactions very honestly, whether it's joy, anger, or surprise, so I think it's important for me to boldly step forward and express things straightforwardly rather than thinking too much and shrinking down. Since all the co-stars are reliable people, I'm conscious of learning from them and giving my all with authentic feelings.

――Hidaka-san, what did you keep in mind during the original "Danpei" broadcast?

Hidaka: Playing a boy of Danpei's scale was my first experience. When I first read the original work, I thought, "What an energetic child!" He was like a ball filled full of air, and I wanted to express that explosive cheerfulness. He had an adorable, spoiled side when talking with his mom, and there were lots of comical scenes, so I based it on that brightness and aimed for a gap where once it comes to dodgeball, his soul catches fire and burns up. That straightforward aspect of Danpei has been properly inherited by Danko, hasn't it?

――Could you tell us about a memorable episode from the recording site?

Nakayama: At one point, there was an episode where Hidaka-san (narration) said "To be continued!" at the end, concluding the story. At that time, without any prior arrangement, applause erupted from everyone there. Including me, of course. Everyone there was deeply moved, feeling that this was the "to be continued" we wanted to hear.

Hidaka: I was even told to say that "to be continued" in a "hot-blooded" way. The recording of "Danko" inevitably makes me remember the time of "Danpei." Back then, Masako Nozawa-san played the role of Chinen, and I was very happy just to work with Mako-san, but Mako-san's voice volume, having played boy roles for many years, was tremendous... In the first exchanges between Danpei and Chinen, Chinen was much more energetic. So I repeated takes many times to be strong and energetic so as not to lose. That's why when everyone is shouting in "Danko," those memories come back... I feel like I'm going back and forth in my heart between the past studio and the current studio.

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