八代 拓

“Why am I me?” Taku Yashiro faces the characters with deep insight, thinking about the meaning of their lives in that world, as if repeating such unanswerable questions. Looking back on the year when he was able to show the face of a “senior” with a wider range of roles than ever before.

One way to say each line. It’s been a year where I was surprised by the various approaches Yashiro-san has taken to characters, including “Project Scard: Praeter no Kizu” playing Kouga Tatsuma, which was full of unbelievable charm. Yashiro: “Praeter no Kizu” is actually younger than the middle of the group, but I felt a lot of pressure to play the oldest character in his late 30’s. I really thought about what to do. Whatever role you play, you are the yardstick. At first, I start thinking about what I would think. It also gives you the chance to take a bolder approach to roles that are further apart. What came to my mind was, “If you really mean it, you say it jokingly, and if you don’t mean it, you say it seriously.” If you don’t know what you’re thinking, and you’re not someone who speaks your mind frankly, I thought it would be interesting to turn things around. I think he was able to express his own words in the last episode, “You like this town, don’t you? I love you too.”

Gugu in “To Your Eternity” was a cool character who wore a mask and could be conveyed without showing his expression. Yashiro: Ever since I read the original work, I have felt sympathy and love for the character Gugu, who has a sense of justice, is kind because he is clumsy, and is lonely because of it, and is always searching for the reason why he is alive. I was really honoured to perform. It was almost time for me to “take over” from Ryoko Shiraishi-san, played the child version. The appearance is also muscular, but in order to convey the persuasiveness that he grew up from such a wonderful childhood, I tried to convey the nuances of his words and something like his “soul” even though his face cannot be seen. I cherish and perform. Also, meeting Reiji Kawashima-san, who plays the main character, Fushi, was also special. It was rare that he invited me to dinner. I was attracted to his personality.

“Yu-Gi-Oh! Sevens” is also a long-running series, but there’s something to be gained from co-stars. Yashiro: It’s a relatively young generation, and the main character, Tatsuhisa Kamijou, is 7 years old. I can’t put it into words well, but I’m happythat I can play the role of Luke, his rival and partner next to him. Because he grew up in a different generation, he can also absorb different things. Also, the character Guru Guru, who has recently appeared with Luke, is played by Kiku Ise, a junior in the same office. Just like Showtarou Morikubou-san says, “Pay it forward,” that he left behind when he went independent, I think that maybe there is something I can do as a senior. I hope that it will become a place where everyone can grow, even if just a little.

It is also impressive that you were active in various works in the so-called “Narou” series. “Banished From The Hero’s Party, I Decided To Live A Quiet Life In The Countryside” you played Ares. Yashiro: Unlike my rivals, I haven’t played a role that gives the main character a one-sided, unpleasant feeling, so I thought a lot about what I needed to do to play Ares. That’s why, at first, I focused on persuasiveness as a sage who could drive out the main character. But after that, it became my job to express his immaturity, the heat, and short-sightedness that lie within. I came to think that there was a meaning in acting.

“The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent” in which you played Jude, is similar to your own impression. Yashiro: It was a healing role, almost no role-playing required (laughs) Nonetheless, in the world where the story is set, the main character is the first person to become interested in medicinal herbs. That’s what I thought.

By the way, do you dream of being reincarnated in another world? Yashiro: I watch a lot of European football, but especially the English Premier League, which has taken root in my hometown. I really love it. People go to school or work on weekdays and go to watch games with their families on the weekends. When I see the spectacle of the stadium uniting and singing a song, I admire that kind of life. Well, in today’s world, I’m fully satisfied, so I don’t think I have that kind of imagination as much as I did when I was younger.

I think that the fact that there are many works that you have appeared in means that you have received more auditions than this number. When things don’t always go your way, what motivates you? Yashiro: With that said, the way I think about auditions has changed. Of course, I want to pass all of them, and I need to think about what I should do to be involved in the work, but right now, it’s more like a desire to “how I want to play this role.” I would like to place importance on whether or not there is a solid foundation. So, recently, even when I see a failed work on air, I can honestly settle my feelings when another actor takes a completely different approach than I do.

What kind of year do you want next year to be? Yashiro: This year, I have also appeared in many dubbed works, and in particular, being able to play the main character, Jace, in an overseas drama called “Swagger,” which was created based on the experiences of active NBA players, became a great source of inspiration for me. It is a human drama that goes beyond just adolescence, including social issues. It’s interesting, so I hope you’ll take a look at it. However, during filming, the coronavirus pandemic hit, and the actors began to wear masks as well. I also wore a mask during the recording. There are works that are unique to this era, and even though the situation is still changing, I was encouraged by the staff who tried to bring out our performance by devising in a limited environment. It was the year where in fact there were many works that I haven’t been able to tell you about, and I can’t wait for next year with the feeling that I want to act as soon as possible and have everyone enjoy it. Through my encounters with these characters, when I had the opportunity to talk to them again like this, they said, “I said something different from last year!” (laughs). I hope that this will be a year in which new ideas are born and progress can be made.

Column: Happy holidays

I would be happy if I could eat chicken at Christmas and mochi at New Year’s. However, when I gather around my family for New Year’s Eve, I feel refreshed and ready for the new year.