石川 界人

Enjoy shooting as if you were playing in front of the camera. Then, when the time comes to spin the words, the conversation begins to move forward cautiously and steadily. Kaito Ishikawa’s journey has been firmly trodden down. What did you feel this past year as you have come this far?

Over the past two years, you appeared in many productions. Are there any impressive works? Ishikawa: All of them were fun, but “Vanitas no Karte” was particularly impressive because it was a role I hadn’t played before. Also, when I just made my debut, I had a lot of roles with Hanae-san (Natsuki) as rivals and bad guys. I hadn’t been there for a while, so I was very happy to be able to perform with Vanitas and Noe after a long tie.

The new animation “Ryman’s Club” starting in January as an original animation with the theme of a badminton adult team. Ishikawa-san, what was your experience with badminton? Ishikawa: I was in a badminton club when I was in elementary school, so I’m a little familiar with it (laughs). This work belongs to the players who belong to the company. Souta Saeki, who I play, is a player with a cam playing style. However, he is a character who always has a sense of resignation somewhere, so I hope people will pay attention to how that influences his badminton. I think it’s okay.

A team of working people, not students. That’s why it’s a must-see. Ishikawa: That’s right. Not only badminton, but also the daytime work is clearly depicted. There are also setbacks and hardships outside of the competition, so I think that working adults will have empathy as well as discoveries. Above all, it’s a business team, so the degree to which you win or lose a game has a considerable impact on your life. Each victory has weight. Conversely, work such as desk work can affect a badminton lie. Enthusiasm for balancing work and competition. It can be said that it is more than a student. In the case of club activities, if you get a failing score in a test, you may not be able to participate in the game, but in the case of an adult team, the badminton club may be abolished if the sales quota is not properly met. In that sense, there is also a slightly tense atmosphere. And because we’re members of society, we can communicate with each other. I think it’s a work where you can see a new world.

The new anime “Tokyo 24-ku” is also an original story. What kind of character is Kouki Suidou, who you play? Ishikawa: One of three childhood friends called RGB for red, green, and blue. Ran Akagi, Shuuta Aoi, and Kouki Suidou, who is charge of the green. Stay calm, think logically, and make rational decisions. Among the three, I am positioned as the person in charge of the brains. Even so, I have the ability to make judgements that are appropriate for my age, and I have emotions, so I get lost and conflicted. Ran is quite free-spirited and has an artistic sensibility. My head spins so fast. Shuuta has a strong sense of justice and is kind, but he’s actually the type to process everything with his emotions. The three types are different. These three people get together and complement each other’s inability to move forward toward a single goal.

What do you think is the charm of the work, Ishikawa-san? Ishikawa: Since it’s an original work, I would like people to enjoy it with a open mind, but it’s a work where the so-called “trolley problem” is pushed out to the force. Is it okay to sacrifice many to save one. I ran into a problem that could be called philosophical. Sometimes, the way the three of us approach things and the answers we give are completely different. Of course, it will be interesting to see how the relationship between the three of them will develop in the end, and I think it will be very worth seeing as it will properly mention why such problems are occurring.

You started a YouTube channel last year. Ishikawa: I’m working on it with this thought in mind. I’m most obsessed with it now. In the first place, the fact that there were no opportunities to interact with fans due to the corona crisis where everyone felt lonely. The fact that it was started to dispel that is a big deal. Right now, I’m mainly focused on live streaming games, so I don’t need editing, but I also edit other videos myself. Editing is fun, but it takes 5-6 hours to edit a 10 minute video. Anyway, YouTube is a hobby for me. I think it’s time to relax the most.

You and Daisuke Namikawa-san have been working as MC’s on Thursdays for “Seiyuu to Yoasobi.” I think it takes a lot of energy to stream live every night. Ishikawa: I realized a lot of things in my own way. At first, I was thinking about the skills of myself and the person I was talking to, and what kind of perspective I needed when I was being filmed, but that’s not what’s important. It’s us MCs who stand out on the show, but it’s all because of the staff. They would laugh out loud in a pleasant way, and they would give out contests as the performance progressed. Above all, I think it’s ridiculous to squeeze out interesting projects for live streaming every week. At the same time as I felt that I should be grateful to be here, it also affected my other work. This is because, until now, acting as a voice actor has been something I thought of as acting independently. However, I once again felt that the reason I was able to play this role was because of the strength of the many people around me. I’m really happy that I got to be on this show.

What kind of person is your partner, Daisuke Namikawa-san? Ishikawa: I think he’s really amazing. It’s not uncommon for me to play around with Namikawa-san as a cheeky character on the show, but if I’m not afraid of being misunderstood, I can play around with Namikawa-san, and I don’t have to. But Namikawa-san’s choreography becomes more interesting when you play around with it. That’s why I end up playing around with him, but this is something that we both agree on. However, there are many people who watch without knowing that, and I want to make sure that they do not feel uncomfortable. Namikawa-san also said it really helps.

What things do you want to do next year? Ishikawa: I really want to do something. Long live on YouTube. Usually, I avoid broadcasting in the anime I’m appearing in or when the radio broadcasts, so… I’d like to do something like 12-hour game streaming. It may be difficult, but I keep wanting to try it. That’s how much I enjoy streaming.

Column: Happy Holidays

I say it every year, but the new year’s holiday makes me want to go snowboarding. I hope I can go this year. Also, it would be nice to get in a few cars with the friendly staff and drive somewhere.