"This phrasing doesn't feel very Kamui-ish": What was Satoshi Hino's challenge during the dubbing session? 【"Shin-Gekijōban Gintama: Yoshiwara Daienjō" Interview】

—You've played those key points once before in the TV anime series. Even for a remake, isn't it rare for a new production to have the exact same scenes or similar lines as a past work?

Hino: That's true. While there are many remakes lately, I think this is the first time (in my career) that I’ve played the same character in a remake of a series I was originally in. So, there were discoveries like, "Oh, so this line was cut."

—Now that you’ve played the "early days" Kamui again, was there anything new you noticed precisely because you now know Kamui’s past after all these years?

Hino: Having watched Kamui through the whole series and then returning to the beginning, what I realized again is that, despite everything, you could catch glimpses of Kamui’s hidden affection for his sister, Kagura, even back then.

It’s not explicitly visible, but when you connect all the dots, you can feel through the brief pauses in his dialogue or his actions that, deep down, he truly treasures that love for his sister and his family.

—Does that mean you were consciously mindful of those aspects in your performance for this movie?

Hino: I wasn't doing it consciously, but because of the accumulated experience I have now, the "persuasiveness" of the lines inevitably changes. I was thinking about how to bring that closer to my younger self... lol.

It's impossible to go back completely, and it's not just me—the other voice actors have also grown through the same years and experiences. So, I acted with the mindset that showing something new within that growth is probably the most enjoyable approach.

—Since you were playing Kamui again, were there any parts where the experience you've built up over the last 16 years came in handy?

Hino: There are certain phrasings where you think, "This is a classic Kamui line," but in "Yoshiwara in Flames," the wording was slightly different. For example, a part where Kamui would usually say "I'll kill you" was written more like "You'll die."

During the test run, I thought, "Actually, this phrasing doesn't feel very Kamui-ish," so I tried changing it to the way he usually speaks. They said, "Yeah, that's definitely the one," and it was adopted. That was an original scene added specifically for "Yoshiwara in Flames," and being able to feel that distinction was something that only came from playing Kamui for so long.

　Of course, I can't determine on my own if that interpretation is "correct," but I did take on that kind of challenge.

While Hino made an effort to stay true to his performance from 16 years ago, he also seemed eager to take on challenges that only his current experience allows. When watching "Shin-Gekijōban Gintama: Yoshiwara Daienjō," his passionate performance is definitely something to look out for.

Text / Ryuya
Photography / kato
(C)空知英秋／劇場版銀魂製作委員