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octanollInterview article from Animedia Spring 2022 issue, with the southern wizards, Shinichi Wago (stage actor of Figaro) and Imamaki Hikaru (stage actor of Mitile). Translated by Nomi.
Southern Country
Where would the Southern Wizards each like to go for a spring outing?
Figaro:
What do you think about visiting a place with beautiful scenery and having a leisurely picnic? Mitile always scolds me for drinking too much, but if we go out somewhere special, surely drinking would be part of the package. He’d let me drink by telling me ‘just for today, okay?’. I’ll bring a good bottle of wine for it.
Rutile:
I want to show everyone the forest in the Southern Country where spirits gather! It truly is a place out of a storybook, one that you can get lost in, fantastical and beautiful... It reminds me of Walpurgis Night in the Southern Country. I’d be happy if you’d take a liking to it.
Lennox:
Maybe the Rein Mountain Range. It’s a prairie that transcends winter, with strong scents of greenery and earth. It’s pleasant when it’s sunny, and the sheep would be happy to eat fresh grass. Besides... The sunrise there is beautiful. I want to wake up early with everyone and drink coffee as we wait for dawn.
Mitile:
I want to have a home party at our house! Picking flowers with everyone and using them as table decoration, making snacks, barbeque in the garden... With that, the neighbors will gather, turning it into a huge party. Fufu, that sounds fun!
🍀 Interview with Wago Shinichi and Imamaki Hikaru
Q: Mahosute is going to cover the entirety of the main story, so please tell me your impression of the story and the characters you play
Imamaki: While the appeal of Mitile is how straightforward he is and his sense of responsibility, there’s a scene where he says “It’d be good if I have all the power”. In that scene, you can feel his purity could lead to something dangerous, and I look forward to playing it. Also, the last part has a battle scene, but the Southern Wizards are weak when it comes to battle and their battle styles have to reflect that, I’m excited to see Mitile’s way of fighting.
Wago: Part 1 and Part 2 set up a brilliant world, but there are many serious scenes which I find interesting, I look forward to showing such serious parts on stage. In particular, Figaro keeps his secret and doesn’t reveal it to others, so that’s something difficult to enact on stage. His relationship that he can’t talk about to those around him and his 2000 years of life both add to his character.
Q: What about the relationship between Mitile and Figaro?
Imamaki: I think the way Mitile respects Figaro all while taking care of him is pretty amazing. Some parts of Figaro are exasperating, but he really loves Figaro.
Wago: This is just what I feel from playing Figaro but I think because Figaro knows the truth about himself so he feels superior. Inside him, he knows that “I can actually do it” but as Mitile tells him “You can’t do anything”, he feels good about that and I understand that feeling. It’s interesting how he holds that inside him while not showing it. He knows of the prophecy surrounding Mitile, but while Mitile doesn’t know, the two of them interact with love between them. Still, he knows that if something were to happen one day, he has to do something about it, and he thinks about whether he can do anything when that time comes... That conflict is always inside him. On the surface, the two of them look like a harmonious father-son combination, but when you really think of their future, there’s something a step deeper than this harmony, and I would like to be able to express that.
Q: Wago-san, do you find yourself similar to Figaro?
Wago: I think we have a lot of similar points. For instance, how we’re both popular (serious face). The way we both look for love is also similar. We are blessed with a lot of love, but what is the love in the truth we have for ourselves.
Q: How was the rehearsal going for part 2?
Imamaki: I received a lot of advice from the other actors around me. In particular, James-san (Shylock) continued to look after me even after the stage started. For me, one of the most difficult scenes is the one where I fight Bradley, but I’ve received advice regarding that scene too.
Wago: In the dressing room, James keeps watching the TV and going “You can do it, you can do it” cheering you on.
Imamaki: I’m so thankful for that...! Mahosute has so many experienced cast members, so I was nervous at first, but I think I’ve grown through the rehearsals and the stage itself.
Wago: I think Mahosute is the kind of stage where everyone consults with each other to create it. For instance, I want to be able to show the bit of difference when Figaro moves between his southern and northern wizard persona. During the script reading, the staff would tell me it was okay to seem more suspicious, and I discussed with the aide how to show these two sides clearly. Thanks to that, I was able to strengthen Figaro’s character and give a better performance, and I think the result is good.
Q: What’s your impression of each other?
Wago: I think he’s trendy, piling up coolness with cuteness with beauty, truly a peak entertainer... That’s how I’d like him to think of me.
Imamaki: (Was striking a guts pose all this time) It’s not about me...
Wago: I know you think that of me so I talk in your stead.
Imamaki: It’s true
Wago: It's true, right!?
Imamaki: (laughs) He’s good at communicating and is very charismatic. I’m quite shy, but he calls out to me and talks to me. During rehearsal, there’d be a lot of time where it’s just the two of us so we had plenty of time to talk.
Wago: We talk about things such as what’s popular these days. It’s fun to see the generational gap between us. I told him that the first CD I bought was SPEED’s White Love, but he doesn’t know who SPEED is, hurting me with the realization of how old I am.
Q: What’s your impression of Imamaki-san, Wago-san?
Wago: With our age gap, it wouldn’t be odd for me to be his papa, but instead of being distant, he is carefree with me, so I just purely adore him. I think he’s really cute. Whenever he has nothing to do, he starts messing with me, and I think that’s so high schooler of him. At 18, plenty of people would try to act more like an adult. Especially in this field and with his long history, there’d be lots of people who think “Eh, are you really 18?!” but he really is 18. He’s really a guy who’s as he is.
Imamaki: I’ve been told that a lot (laughs)
Wago: He’s a mischievous guy with lots of love, but even the parts he doesn’t show are wonderful. Very cute. The Hikaru-chan that everyone loves.
Q: Please send a message to our readers who are looking forward to the stage!
Imamaki: Part 1 and part 2 are well-received, I hope you’d continue watching part 3 with the same excitement. We enjoy our roles, and we hope our enjoyment of playing these characters goes to you as well so this can be a work that we all create together.
Wago: To be able to be involved in such an exciting production makes me happy. I think there are a lot of expectations about it, and I have the resolve to answer them. We’re working hard to create this work.
🍀 Special Spring Questions
What kind of place would Figaro and Mitile go to for a spring trip together?
Wago: As these two are like father and child, in this warm and pleasant weather, I can see them going for a picnic or to the zoo. I can imagine a warm scene where Mitile runs around saying “Dr. Figaro, hurry here!” while Figaro says, “Now, now, wait for me”. And then while he holds up a lunchbox that Nero makes, Mitile might ask Figaro “Where should we eat this?”
Imamaki: I think they’d go somewhere where the cherry blossoms bloom. I can imagine Mitile going “Dr. Figaro, look! They’re so beautiful!”
Where would the wizard you play take the sage to if they go out with the sage?
Wago: A bar, some place for adults where they serve alcohol. I think Figaro would say things like “Won’t you have a drink, Master Sage?” and “Keep this a secret from Mitile, okay?” while taking the sage around the adult world, enjoying the sage’s reaction. He’s such a terrible adult (laughs). Maybe he’d also take the sage to Shylock’s bar.
Imamaki: I think Mitile would take the sage to the Southern Country. They can feed Lennox’s sheep, enjoy the lake, and eat outside. He’d also take the sage to all these places outdoors. I think they’d go to the mountain and sound out echoes. It’d be an outdoor adventure for kids that push themselves to the limit.
Southern Country
Where would the Southern Wizards each like to go for a spring outing?
Figaro:
What do you think about visiting a place with beautiful scenery and having a leisurely picnic? Mitile always scolds me for drinking too much, but if we go out somewhere special, surely drinking would be part of the package. He’d let me drink by telling me ‘just for today, okay?’. I’ll bring a good bottle of wine for it.
Rutile:
I want to show everyone the forest in the Southern Country where spirits gather! It truly is a place out of a storybook, one that you can get lost in, fantastical and beautiful... It reminds me of Walpurgis Night in the Southern Country. I’d be happy if you’d take a liking to it.
Lennox:
Maybe the Rein Mountain Range. It’s a prairie that transcends winter, with strong scents of greenery and earth. It’s pleasant when it’s sunny, and the sheep would be happy to eat fresh grass. Besides... The sunrise there is beautiful. I want to wake up early with everyone and drink coffee as we wait for dawn.
Mitile:
I want to have a home party at our house! Picking flowers with everyone and using them as table decoration, making snacks, barbeque in the garden... With that, the neighbors will gather, turning it into a huge party. Fufu, that sounds fun!
🍀 Interview with Wago Shinichi and Imamaki Hikaru
Q: Mahosute is going to cover the entirety of the main story, so please tell me your impression of the story and the characters you play
Imamaki: While the appeal of Mitile is how straightforward he is and his sense of responsibility, there’s a scene where he says “It’d be good if I have all the power”. In that scene, you can feel his purity could lead to something dangerous, and I look forward to playing it. Also, the last part has a battle scene, but the Southern Wizards are weak when it comes to battle and their battle styles have to reflect that, I’m excited to see Mitile’s way of fighting.
Wago: Part 1 and Part 2 set up a brilliant world, but there are many serious scenes which I find interesting, I look forward to showing such serious parts on stage. In particular, Figaro keeps his secret and doesn’t reveal it to others, so that’s something difficult to enact on stage. His relationship that he can’t talk about to those around him and his 2000 years of life both add to his character.
Q: What about the relationship between Mitile and Figaro?
Imamaki: I think the way Mitile respects Figaro all while taking care of him is pretty amazing. Some parts of Figaro are exasperating, but he really loves Figaro.
Wago: This is just what I feel from playing Figaro but I think because Figaro knows the truth about himself so he feels superior. Inside him, he knows that “I can actually do it” but as Mitile tells him “You can’t do anything”, he feels good about that and I understand that feeling. It’s interesting how he holds that inside him while not showing it. He knows of the prophecy surrounding Mitile, but while Mitile doesn’t know, the two of them interact with love between them. Still, he knows that if something were to happen one day, he has to do something about it, and he thinks about whether he can do anything when that time comes... That conflict is always inside him. On the surface, the two of them look like a harmonious father-son combination, but when you really think of their future, there’s something a step deeper than this harmony, and I would like to be able to express that.
Q: Wago-san, do you find yourself similar to Figaro?
Wago: I think we have a lot of similar points. For instance, how we’re both popular (serious face). The way we both look for love is also similar. We are blessed with a lot of love, but what is the love in the truth we have for ourselves.
Q: How was the rehearsal going for part 2?
Imamaki: I received a lot of advice from the other actors around me. In particular, James-san (Shylock) continued to look after me even after the stage started. For me, one of the most difficult scenes is the one where I fight Bradley, but I’ve received advice regarding that scene too.
Wago: In the dressing room, James keeps watching the TV and going “You can do it, you can do it” cheering you on.
Imamaki: I’m so thankful for that...! Mahosute has so many experienced cast members, so I was nervous at first, but I think I’ve grown through the rehearsals and the stage itself.
Wago: I think Mahosute is the kind of stage where everyone consults with each other to create it. For instance, I want to be able to show the bit of difference when Figaro moves between his southern and northern wizard persona. During the script reading, the staff would tell me it was okay to seem more suspicious, and I discussed with the aide how to show these two sides clearly. Thanks to that, I was able to strengthen Figaro’s character and give a better performance, and I think the result is good.
Q: What’s your impression of each other?
Wago: I think he’s trendy, piling up coolness with cuteness with beauty, truly a peak entertainer... That’s how I’d like him to think of me.
Imamaki: (Was striking a guts pose all this time) It’s not about me...
Wago: I know you think that of me so I talk in your stead.
Imamaki: It’s true
Wago: It's true, right!?
Imamaki: (laughs) He’s good at communicating and is very charismatic. I’m quite shy, but he calls out to me and talks to me. During rehearsal, there’d be a lot of time where it’s just the two of us so we had plenty of time to talk.
Wago: We talk about things such as what’s popular these days. It’s fun to see the generational gap between us. I told him that the first CD I bought was SPEED’s White Love, but he doesn’t know who SPEED is, hurting me with the realization of how old I am.
Q: What’s your impression of Imamaki-san, Wago-san?
Wago: With our age gap, it wouldn’t be odd for me to be his papa, but instead of being distant, he is carefree with me, so I just purely adore him. I think he’s really cute. Whenever he has nothing to do, he starts messing with me, and I think that’s so high schooler of him. At 18, plenty of people would try to act more like an adult. Especially in this field and with his long history, there’d be lots of people who think “Eh, are you really 18?!” but he really is 18. He’s really a guy who’s as he is.
Imamaki: I’ve been told that a lot (laughs)
Wago: He’s a mischievous guy with lots of love, but even the parts he doesn’t show are wonderful. Very cute. The Hikaru-chan that everyone loves.
Q: Please send a message to our readers who are looking forward to the stage!
Imamaki: Part 1 and part 2 are well-received, I hope you’d continue watching part 3 with the same excitement. We enjoy our roles, and we hope our enjoyment of playing these characters goes to you as well so this can be a work that we all create together.
Wago: To be able to be involved in such an exciting production makes me happy. I think there are a lot of expectations about it, and I have the resolve to answer them. We’re working hard to create this work.
🍀 Special Spring Questions
What kind of place would Figaro and Mitile go to for a spring trip together?
Wago: As these two are like father and child, in this warm and pleasant weather, I can see them going for a picnic or to the zoo. I can imagine a warm scene where Mitile runs around saying “Dr. Figaro, hurry here!” while Figaro says, “Now, now, wait for me”. And then while he holds up a lunchbox that Nero makes, Mitile might ask Figaro “Where should we eat this?”
Imamaki: I think they’d go somewhere where the cherry blossoms bloom. I can imagine Mitile going “Dr. Figaro, look! They’re so beautiful!”
Where would the wizard you play take the sage to if they go out with the sage?
Wago: A bar, some place for adults where they serve alcohol. I think Figaro would say things like “Won’t you have a drink, Master Sage?” and “Keep this a secret from Mitile, okay?” while taking the sage around the adult world, enjoying the sage’s reaction. He’s such a terrible adult (laughs). Maybe he’d also take the sage to Shylock’s bar.
Imamaki: I think Mitile would take the sage to the Southern Country. They can feed Lennox’s sheep, enjoy the lake, and eat outside. He’d also take the sage to all these places outdoors. I think they’d go to the mountain and sound out echoes. It’d be an outdoor adventure for kids that push themselves to the limit.
