VOICE: Toma Interview on Voice official site

interview went up 090109 8D
Translated by enshinge

Vol. 3 INTERVIEW
An interview of Ikuta Toma-san
As Ishizue Ryosuke

Q. What were your first impressions when you first found out about being in the “VOICE ~Inochi naki Mono no Koe~” (VOICE ~The Voices of those without Life~) on Monday nights at nine? [t/n, ?? = gekku = Monday nights at 9 pm, priiiiiime time]
It’s Mondays at nine, so it feel special. It’s a slot where I myself have watched a lot of dramas in, and it’s an honor that I can act on such a stage. Eita-kun and (Ishihara) Satomi-chan are also actors I’ve wanted to work with, having watched their work as a viewer too, so that made me really happy too.

Q. How do you feel about forensic medicine, the core of the drama?
I didn’t know anything at all, so for starters, I went to a bookstore, bought a book in the field, and read. I say a book in the field, but it’s just a basic one defining forensic science and the basic kinds of work, but as I read, I thought “There’s a world like this out there,” and I got interested. In fact, I learned that only about 10% of the bodies that should be autopsied actually get done, and it made me feel sort of uneasy, and this feeling is precisely what the five forensic science students feel I think. It’s a very important kind of job, but I was surprised to learn that in Japan, there aren’t very many forensic practitioners nor students who major in the subject, and that there aren’t very many labs with good facilities. By it being the theme of a drama like this, I hope that it’ll stir interest and let people know about the situation.

Q. I think the program staff gave you sources about forensic medicine too; you wanted to know more than that?
I actually just bought the stuff before the staff-san gave me those sources (laughs). But since I’d read the books beforehand, when I saw what I was given, there were quite a lot of parts where I thought “I know this.” When I’m reading the script and something comes up, I go and check with my books, they’ve been useful so far. It’s just really a field I know very little about (laughs).

Q. What impression of Ishigaki Ryosuke, whom you’ll be acting as, do you have?
When the five of them are together, he’s cheerful and is the mood maker, but there’re people who act cheerful and hide their real selves. So far, that’s the kind of image I have of Ryosuke. I think the reason that he decided to go for forensic medicine is so that he didn’t have to face the responsibility of having lives in his hands. He entered medical school under the influence of his father who runs a hospital, but I think he kind of rejected the idea of facing dealing with people’s lives. At first I thought, “What kind of person would react like that if they wanted to become a doctor?” but apparently there really are people who choose this line of work for that reason. The reason Ryosuke thinks like that isn’t in the script yet, but I think that’s something that’ll be made clear as the story goes on.

Q. The filming site seems really active and fun. The five acting as the students seem quite close to each other too……?
It’s fun. Everyone’s good at acting too, and it’s simply fun to act. The cast and the staff-san, we all really think about what has to be done so that each character and each scene makes sense. Depending on each of our ideas. Eita-kun acts after thinking about a whole lot of things, and sometimes things get changed while we film, so I make sure to stock up on flexibility so that I can respond when that kind of thing happens. It’s a fun and stimulating filming site.

Q. And is seems like there’s a lot of ad libbing too.
When it’s the five of us, we talk in between filming and stuff too, and it’s kind of like the acting is an extension of that. If it’s a scene where that kind of thing would work, the director sometimes tell us “Just ad lib here” too.

Q. It seems that Ikuta-kun’s really concentrating on this already, but since the new year’s just begun, is there anything other than the drama that you’d like to challenge doing?
I’m the type that can’t do things while thinking of what’ll come in the future. I can’t do a lot of things at once, and all I can do is to do what I’m doing. So in that sense, all I can think of right now is to deliver “VOICE” to as many people as I can. If I’ve done what’s right in front of me and get the time to sit down and think, I would love to, but…… (laughs).

Q. Last question; please give a message to the viewers looking forward to the drama.
Forensic medicine is a theme that can convey the weight and preciousness of life, but at the same time I think this is a new type of drama that’ll also show you a comical youth story too. If you watch it, I think anyone, both adults and children, will feel something, so I’d like everyone to go home on Mondays at nine and watch it. Please look forward to it!