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Chainsaw Man Starter Rope Cast Interview: Kikunosuke Toya

A character who is ridiculous at first, but you grow to understand

What were your thoughts when it was first decided you would play Denji?

I was very happy! It was announced by the agency as a surprise, so all I could say was something like, "Really?! Okay!" (laughs). It was my first time being casted as the main character in an anime, and I'm really honored to have been given the leading role. At the same time, Chainsaw Man has a passionate fanbase and is a work with a very unique worldview, so I felt a lot of pressure.

What was your impression of Denji, and what about him appealed to you?

My first impression was: "Working so hard just to hold someone's breasts, what a ridiculous character!" But as I read more, I started to understand the thought process behind his actions. From Denji's standpoint, there's nothing wrong with wanting to touch someone's chest, or getting mad when someone makes fun of him; his upbringing and thought processes are totally different from normal people I think Denji's good points are that he is a reliable person and works hard to achieve his goals. There are also cute things about him, like when Makima feeds him udon and he acts a bit like a dog. On the other hand, when he transforms into Chainsaw Man, all I can say is that he's crazy (laughs). The boldness of being able to kill demons without hesitation is refreshing.

What was your approach when acting?

Director Nakayama told me that he wanted me to do a play that was closer to live-action than anime. For other anime works, I would think about adding nuance or emphasizing the dialogue, but for Denji, I focused on drama-like acting, thinking, " How would I speak in my everyday life?'' When I acted out the first episode in a way that sounded more like me, the director told me to act in the same way, but to make the sentence endings sound a little more punk-like, and from there I worked on creating a more Denji-like character. Other than that, since I'm acting based on reality, for the scene where Denji speaks while lying down, I actually lied down at home and tried out what kind of voice would come out in that position, before recording. But I found out you can't really make a sound when lying down, apparently.

How has the response been so far?

Since the first episode, I received solid instructions from Director Nakayama and Sound Director Koizumi-san, so I think I was able to capture the character of Denji there. Because of this, I could confidently intensify my Denji performance in the following episodes.

What should people pay attention to in the beginning?

Denji's monologue in the first episode before he becomes Chainsaw Man. "Why did these people wish for a better life when they are so blessed?" the dialouge in this scene was so good, it was easy to get emotional and I almost cried while acting it out. You can see that Denji is thinking carefully and looking at himself as well, saying, "Am I the same? I wasn’t satisfied with the happiness I had with Pochita…"

You'll fall in love with Denji's distinctive way of thinking!

What did you think of the original Chainsaw Man manga?

When I first read it, it felt like I went through a storm. I read up to volume 11 in one go after completing the first part, and I was so surprised that I cried after I finished reading it. The story unfolded so quickly that I was left wondering, "Huh? Huh? What?" After reading it several times, I finally understood.

What is your favorite Denji scene in the manga?

I like Denji's out-of-the-box ideas that I would never have come up with, like the "dream battle" in the fight against the Leech Devil, or the competition to see who can kick Katana Man in the crotch hardest with Aki. When he did his "power of light" idea in the battle with Santa Claus, or when he rode Beam during the fight with Reze, I thought "no way!" (Laughs). I generally like Denji's blunt scenes.

Now that it's finally on air, please give a message to your fans.

The original work has great dynamism in its illustrations, such as scenes of blood gushing out and battles, but the animated version of Chainsaw Man has the impact of moving as it is. Both the staff and actors are working hard on the anime version, and every detail has been carefully crafted to embody the atmosphere of the original work. We're really looking forward to it, so let's enjoy the wonderful finished anime together!

Translation notes:

I've written his name with the family name (Toya) last.

Additionally, there is a lot of （笑）in the interview, I translated that as (laughs)

In the second question, he technically says chest, but the sentence did not make as much sense.

サムライソード, or Samurai Sword, is known as Katana Man in the official English translation.

I was more specific about the scene that the actor mentions when he is talking about his favorite Denji scenes. The moment is known as「最強の大会を開く」to Japanese fans but English fans wouldn't recognize it.

#i'll add pictures later #chainsaw man #denji #kikunouske toya #toya kikunosuke #chainsaw man starter rope #tv animation chainsaw man official start guide