小松 昌平

“Animal Theratopia” project where characters such as animals during the day and humans at night heal you. Among the seven main characters, Shouhei Komatsu-san, who plays Myrrh, a pygmy marmoset, appears. He told us a lot about the charm of his work!

What are your impressions of “Animal Theratopia”, a soothing tale of cute characters? Also, please tell us what kind of character Myrrh played by Komatsu-san is. Komatsu: I feel that it is a warm work that will heal your heart if you listen to it. Among them, Myrhh, who I play, is a self-confident celebrity, so I have a bit more hits than other characters. But I think that the kindness that can be seen just a little bit in that strength will make you feel excited.

Please tell us if there were any points that you struggled with or were careful about when playing Myrrh. Komatsu: Among the members, Myrrh has a higher mental age and is a smart character. For that reason, philosophers’ maxims come out in the dialogue, so it was hard to find out a lot of things. Instead of just reading what you don’t know, you must research it properly and put it into yourself before it becomes Myrrh’s lines. Compared to other works, there was an overwhelming amount of research. Also, it’s an emotional story, but even though he looks young, he’s a veteran, and I acted in a way that made everyone around me feel like a newcomer. However, the visuals are very cute, so the vocal range is set a little higher. I paid attention to the balance so that the acting and voice would not be separated.

In addition to Myrrh, there are many other characters that appear. Could you tell us your impressions of each? Komatsu: Yuzu is cute! Until now, I wasn’t really interested in pets, but after seeing Yuzu, I started to think, “I’d like to have a dog.” Tetsuei Sumiya-kun, who plays the role, is also a dog type. I think it’s cute to see him. Olive-chan seems to have a lot of troublesome parts. But when I see him grow up, he’s cute. Ginger is a big brother who goes crazy. If it weren’t for Ginger, everyone would fall apparat. As for Hinoki, I still can’t figure out what kind of character he is. It is a deeply mysterious character that seems to have something behind it. It’s the same with Neroli talking all the time. As for Lotus, it’s already “Thank you for being here.” Without Lotus, Myrrh’s remarks wouldn’t be conveyed to the surroundings (laughs). Lotus is a good link between Myrrh and the other members.

Komatsu-san, do you have any siblings? Komatsu: My sister and I are two siblings, and I’m the younger brother. But I wasn’t a big brother like Lotus, and my older sister has an air of Ginger herself, so I don’t think I’ve ever been her supporter (laughs).

Myrrh’s solo number is a whisper of love from the king – Drama CD series Vol. 2. What was your impression when you first heard the melody? Komatsu: I thought it was cool, and I was simply happy to be able to sing this song. I found out later, but it was originally a candidate for the main theme, but unfortunately it wasn’t selected. It turned out to be Myrrh’s solo number, but it was difficult because of the strong jazz colour. I wasn’t very familiar with jazz. If you let your guard down a little, the rhythm will go off. However, it fits the image of Myrrh very well, so I think it’s easier to sing as a role.

Did you receive any advice during the recording? Komatsu: There was a direction that I wanted you to sing as if you were the greatest person in the world, or rather, as if you were a king. Also, since it’s set to sing to the customers who come to Animal Theratopia, I think it’s a song that bring out Myrrh’s sex appeal, like whispering, “You and the world are mine,” rather than letting the listener down… For me, I’ve been lining up embarrassing lines all the time, so I’d like you to listen to Myrrh drunk.

If possible, I’d like to hear it on a real live stage! Komatsu: Stage is an important keyword in the story, so I hope someday we can have a live stage that heals everyone in the same way.

Komatsu-san, what kind of stage do you feel healed by when you see it? Komatsu: As some of you may know, I used to be a performer at a local amusement park. At that time, I had the opportunity to go see a show at a major theme park, and I wondered what different about top performers was, so I did a lot of research. It’s going to be a mental story, but I felt that the difference was whether the customer was the first consideration. Top performers don’t just put on a show, they look at each customer’s face. That’s why I think that the stage that makes you feel “good to see” is a stage made with the audience in mind. Of course, technology is also necessary, and if you can see that the technology has been accumulated for the customer, I think it will be a very good stage. Acting this work, I remembered my experience, and I want to keep that feeling forever.

If Komatsu-san, who is perfectionist Myrrh and wants to see his weaknesses, have a pet, what kind of animal would you like? Komatsu: I grew up in the countryside, so there were a lot of stray dogs and cats. That’s why I didn’t think about keeping a pet, but after touching this work, I came to think that it might be cute to have a pet. There was such a big change in me. My current house doesn’t allow pets, so when I move someday, I’d like to get a dog. The series is continuing. Please let me know if you would like to see such a scene. I think it would be nice if there was a live stage that healed everyone.

Playing this work now, I think Myrrh is a bit of a nasty guy, so it would be nice if I could show Myrrh’s cute side. For example, playing a game with everyone and losing to Myrrh. However, I also understand Myrrh’s feelings of not wanting to show weakness and wanting to continue to be perfect, so it’s quite complicated. To be honest, Myrrh is still only associated with Yuzu, Olive, and Lotus.

What happens when you interact with other characters? Komatsu: I expect that the importance of Myrrh will increase as the series progresses.

From your perspective, Komatsu-san, what is the highlight of this CD? Komatsu: From Myrrh’s point of view, there are many hidden aims in Myrrh’s remarks, so instead of taking it straight like Olive, it’s interesting to listen to it while considering the true intentions like Lotus. I don’t think so. Please enjoy it from various angles.