#i may or may not have practice from 009 ryo

[st4rrmii]

Oh yeah lil wippy wip from a bigger sketch dump that ive gotta finish

[cyborg00-why]

Cyborg 009 The Stage Interview ft. Director Go Ueki & Hiroki Nanami

"Cyborg 009" is one of Shotaro Ishinomori's masterpieces. The first stage performance to commemorate the 60th anniversary will be performed at Nippon Seinenkan Hall in Tokyo from May 18th (Saturday). The production is by Go Ueki, and the screenplay is by Shinjiro Kameda. 009/Hiroki Nanami as Joe Shimamura, Ema Tenka (voice appearance), Shunichi Takahashi, Minori Sonica, Masamichi Satonaka, Daito Sakuraba, Toshiya Sakai, Kazuma Kawahara, Toyotaka as fellow cyborg warriors. Hiroo Otaka plays Dr. Gilmore. Standing in front of them are Ryo Takizawa as 0010/Plus and Shiki, Rita Aizawa as 0010/Minus and Riku, and Kohei Nakatsuka as Skaar. With rehearsals in full swing, we interviewed Go Ueki and Hiroki Nanami.

Q: How is the response so far?

Nanami: There are so many. Now that I know what to do, I just want the audience to see it as soon as possible. Everyone is so cool! Ueki: From the first day of rehearsals, everyone has sublimely made the characters their own, showing us zero-zero number cyborgs that can only be seen on stage. The performance and acting are wonderful, and the response is great.*

Q: What were your initial impressions of each other and what has been your impression since working together?*

Nanami: I was really happy because I had seen some of Go-san's productions and had hoped to work with him someday. I was nervous at first because I think of directors as teachers, ``people who teach me,'' and they have a sharp image, but Go-san is the type of person who takes everything in a positive light. The rehearsal room is fun because they bring out each individual's individuality. Because he's such a personable person, everyone is like, "I'll follow Go-san!" (laughs). Although it was our first time meeting, there was a very homey atmosphere. Ueki: Honestly, I thought he was a little scary because he is so cool. Nanami: We both are (laughs). Ueki: Yes (laughs). I was nervous because of his strong aura, but he was very kind. I feel like having someone like this as the chairperson creates such a wonderful atmosphere, and I think the fans would be happy if they were supporting someone like this. I think everyone else is pulled by the desire to deliver wonderful things to attendees, and the company is moving forward in a straight line. Nanami: We have members who put their hearts into great performances. Also, Go-san's direction is very precise. When someone says something difficult to me, I tend to get lost in thought and end up going in the wrong direction. I think it's good that Go-san can say without hesitation, ``This is cool.''

Q: From Ueki's point of view, what do you feel about the charm of Nanami's portrayal of 009/Joe Shimamura?*

Ueki: The story begins when Joe wakes up, and I think everyone can watch it with the same feeling as 009. That's because of Nanami-san's honest expression. I can clearly feel the emotion of ``I want to show this here'', so as a director, I often receive advice from (Nanami). There are many parts where the strength of the script comes out even more through Nanami-san's performance, and we are making adjustments based on what we notice. It's really cool. Nanami: It feels embarrassing every time you say it. But I'm happy. Ueki: (Nanami) has a lot of respect from everyone.* Nanami: Really? I thought that people would be worried about me because I had made a lot of mistakes at practice and had everyone tell me what I couldn't do. Ueki: No, no. Nanami: Each one (of us) has a high level of skill and is very passionate about expression. I feel that we are mutually enhancing each other.

Q: What part do you pay particular attention to when acting?

Nanami: In this work, Joe Shimamura, who was just a human, becomes a cyborg. I hope I can express the changes in my feelings. I think a normal person would be in a situation where they would be very confused, but Joe is highly adaptable and his desire to ``fight together with everyone!'' grows stronger and stronger. Up until now, I had been lonely and had no one to open my heart to, so I was drawn to the words ``we are brothers,'' and I felt like I wanted to cherish the members who were in the same situation as me as I played the role.

Q: If you had to describe the charm of Nanami's portrayal of Joe, in one word, what would it be?*

Nanami: Joe Shimamura, drawn by Shotaro Ishinomori, is a very loving person. I think he is a person of justice and love, who understands his circumstances and confronts even his enemies. Ueki: I think it can be summed up in 002/Jet Link's words, "You are the one who understands the good things about everyone."* Joe knows everyone's feelings, even his enemies' feelings. While watching Nanami-san I always think (Nanami) is like that too.

Q: Please tell us the highlights of the stage version.

Ueki: Even when making videos, what I want to show most is people. I think it's important to have physicality and energy coming off the board, and that's what the work is like at the moment. As I had mentioned with everyone the other day, I think it's really shocking when a modified person fires a machine gun from his own body. When I told them that I wanted them to portray those parts as actors, they expressed it very well. My enthusiasm has increased even more, and I feel that there is a meaning to performing on stage. Nanami: Go-san said, ``There may be parts where you don't know what's going on in the rehearsal room, but when you add effects and things like that, it becomes cool. As long as you believe in your portrayal, you'll be fine.'' I think it incorporates all the best things that can be expressed on stage. When video is used, it doesn't change no matter how many times you watch it, but people are the ones who can add color to it by thinking, ``It might have looked different today.'' I think the overall highlight will be everyone's performance and spirit.*

Q: Do you have a favorite scene?

Nanami: I was worried about the introduction scene for the Zero Zero Number (Cyborgs).* It's very cool, and everyone has their place in the story. Even if you come to see the show without knowing anything beforehand, you should be able to know everyone's names and abilities by the time you leave. Ueki: I wanted to draw out the charm of this work by going back to the feelings I loved when I was a child. All 9 people had different abilities, and I don't think there was ever a work like it at the time. I love scenes where you can see that, and I'd be happy if the audience was excited too.* Nanami: (Go-san's) ability to think about it to this degree is amazing.* You can feel the power of the original work.

Q: There are also a wide variety of after-events.

Nanami: Depending on the performance, there will be some action and some talk. I hope you look forward to the talk event, where we'll talk about various rehearsal scenes, and we'll be able to convey not only the charm of the role, but also the character themself. There will also be a farewell performance, so you can enjoy the entire experience from the time the curtain opens until you leave the theater as one piece of entertainment. Ueki: Nanami-san is thinking of it as a wonderful event with the idea of ​​``giving the gift of fun to those who come,'' so I would also like to respond. It's going to be fun no matter how many times you come to see it, so that's another point.

Q: Please give a message to everyone who is looking forward to it.

Ueki: It is a work that can be enjoyed by those who have never seen Cyborg 009 and those who love it, and I think there are messages that resonate in today's world. It's a catchy piece, but there's also some deep acting, so I hope you enjoy it. Nanami: Each and every cast member brings their all to the stage, so even in the rehearsal room, there is no shortage of eyes. If you think "I want to see it again!", then please watch it. It is also available for streaming. I would be happy if those who watched the performance could believe in their friends and others, work hard, and felt enriched in their every day lives, just like the cyborgs. Anyway, it's a cool stage performance, so please come and see it.*

*The syntax/context was confusing so the meaning here is likely a bit different. I hope it makes sense?

Source: x