The following comments of these characters are made by Producer Arai.

Yagami Taichi- His earnest, straightforward side basically hasn’t changed. However, that side is naturally not the same as it was when he was in elementary school. Right now, he’s able to see all sorts of situations from an objective point of view… that’s why he’s growing up worried and troubled a lot.

Ishida Yamato- His love for his friends and his little brother hasn’t changed. He still loves music, and he’s still earnest about the things that he likes. The proactive, matured sides of him that you will chance to see from time to time will have an affect on the story, so please look forward to it.

Izumi Koushiro- His zealousness at pursuing something that has his interest has not changed. In this story, you’ll get to see the boy he was as 10-years-old now grown up as a high schooler, plainly seeing parts about him that are part of a “typical boy” maturing into his teens.

Kido Jou- He is a serious-minded guy, so naturally his personality doesn’t have big changes. However, for this series, his ability to remain sincere/faithful may cause him to feel pressure about himself. Of course, he continues to study hard as he has every series in his school studies!

Takaishi Takeru- He receives plenty of love from his big brother, while being quite the popular guy among girls at school. I believe that he’s gained good people skills and is adept at handling friendly relationships. He has a blog, and you can see hints of his future where he becomes a writer.

Yagami Hikari- She is as usual a “big brother” child who always has Taichi on her mind. Her strong sensitivity towards Digimon is still the same, so it may be hard to discern large changes for her at first. She continues with photography.

Takenouchi Sora- I think she’s enjoying her teenage years the most normally of them all, among the gang. You’ll see how the energetic girl who loved sports changes her interests little by little to more feminine things fitting for a woman at her age.

Tachikawa Mimi- Her free-spirited ways and innocence haven’t changed. In fact, they may have gotten even moreso since her life in America. Please watch how her active, light footwork will get involved in the plot.

Although the Digimon evolve, they fundamentally exist as everlasting computer data. Unlike the children who have grown into high schoolers, the Digimon have not changed at all. I would like you to view the contrast of both sides in their conversations.

Translation for interview with Hanae Natsuki (voice of Yagami Taichi) behind the cut.

The bonds between the “Chosen Children” and their Digimon will be tested?!

When he was chosen for the role of Yagami Taichi, Hanae-san rewatched the entire TV series and movie for Digimon Adventure. We’ve asked him how he feels about this series that he himself has many memories of, as well as how he feels about performing in it.

–What is your image of “Digimon Adventure”?

Hanae: The title of “Digimon Adventure” is way too big inside of me. It was an anime that I woke up to watch every morning each week while I was in elementary school. When I heard the announcement for this new series, I was excited that I’d get to watch the continuation for Digimon; then I got the invitation to audition for it, and at first I was all, “What do I do?” “Something incredible just happened!”

–How did you feel when you learned that you would be involved in this series that you have so many memories of?

Hanae: First of all, I was happy about getting to audition for it. Since I got accepted to audition, naturally I wanted to do my best to have a part in it. The part that I was offered to audition for was Taichi, and my image of Taichi is his Crest and courage, how he has a strong sense of justice, and that while he has a fierceness inside of him, he’s a charismatic character who can also observe those around him and take leadership. Before my audition, I thought, maybe I wouldn’t be the one who would act as his grown up self.

–Who did you think you would be closer to?

Hanae: I thought that I would be either Takeru or Koushiro. In fact, I got to audition for their parts as well. When I got the notification that I passed as Taichi’s role, not only was I happy but shocked. I thought, “I’m Taichi?!” and was rather shaken (lol). It’s a series that I’ve loved for 15 years, and Yagami Taichi is the protagonist of protagonists, so I felt enormous pressure wondering why I had gotten chosen.

–How did you feel when you actually acted as Taichi?

Hanae: As I was reading the screenplay, I understood why I’d been chosen for the part. When you read the manuscript during auditions, you don’t know the full story so you sometimes have to search in the dark as you voice the part. But when I received the screenplay of the first chapter, I could kind of visualize the differences between Taichi as a child and Taichi as a 17-year-old, and that was when I got a clear grasp of Taichi’s image within me for the first time. All that was left to do after that was to put all of my focus into acting and be Taichi. Since this series is very dear to me, I didn’t want to mess it up, which I was really worried about. So, I rewatched all of “Digimon Adventure” as well as the movie. My rewatch of it made me reaffirm once again how amazing Taichi was, and while getting a hold of Taichi’s traits when he was as a child, I went into post-recording hoping that I could do the grown-up Taichi justice in “Digimon Adventure tri.”

–This is your first time meeting Taichi as a high school student, but how does 17-year-old Taichi appear to you from your point of view?

Hanae: Taichi as a high schooler is still mischievous, but he’s able to take in the situation around him better. He’s also able to look at himself objectively. You can clearly see him growing into an adult bit by bit. He’s grown to think about how buildings would crash and people could be endangered if Digimon fought, so you’ll see him hesitate first. I think that’s the biggest part of him that’s changed. On the other hand, Yamato still has the strong sense of justice that he had as a kid, and he’s grown up into the same fierce man who faces the hesitating Taichi and says, “Shouldn’t you be doing it this way?” The changes between the two, or rather, how the two grasp things differently, fits into “Digimon Adventure tri” and made me feel that people don’t always grow up in the same way. That sort of relationship between those two felt nice.

–What do you associate with the keyword of the series, “one summer adventure”?

Hanae: I often made secret hideouts when I was in elementary school. Since you get a lot of free time every day during summer vacation, I’d bring cardboard boxes and things to the bamboo grove that was behind my school building and make a small space there where my friends and I would bring comics, and we’d say “This is our secret hideout!” That was during the time when I was watching “Digimon.”

–Please tell us your memories of high school.

Hanae: When I went into high school, I grew shy around other people, so studying wasn’t much fun for me and I actively avoided school events if I could. I wanted to work after I graduated, so while I was looking up many jobs, I discovered the world of voice acting. That was my turning point. If I’d enjoyed my high school days, I probably wouldn’t be Taichi right now (lol).

–Please give a message to the fans looking forward to the movie release.

Hanae: The people who watched “Digimon Adventure"s first series back when it was airing are now adults, so the series that they’ll be watching anew is "Digimon Adventure tri.” I think that it will become a series that really hits the heart of the people who were fans back then. The children become high schoolers, and I don’t know if the idea of “age” exists for Digimon, but the Digimon remain small as always. I think in that area of physical growth, you’ll feel how the children and yourself has changed as well. There are places in the story that will really grab the fans’ hearts. There are situations that were from “Digimon Adventure” that will connect to this new series, and familiar old jokes will come back. Although it’s a new series, I think you would feel familiarity from it. The message that “Digimon Adventure” wants to convey, as well as the complications of the children as they grow into adults while being involved with Digimon, is portrayed in “Digimon Adventure tri.” I think it’s a plot that can be appreciated by everyone from all over the world. I think that it would be enjoyable to show your children, as you yourself had watched the broadcast as a child, and there are many messages in it that will reach the grown ups as well. Omegamon and Alphamon appear in the poster and, of course, they appear as well! When I first saw Kuwagamon appear in the PV, I thought, “Yes, it’s gotta be Kuwagamon who appears first” and got excited (lol). It would make me happy if you watched it while being reminded of memories from back then.

–In closing, since it is the “autumn of appetite,” who do you think is the “glutton” among Digimon Adventure’s characters?

Hanae: In terms of body size, I think Whamon would eat a lot (lol). Agumon also has the image of being a glutton. Taichi made Agumon eat a ton when he evolved into SkullGreymon (lol).

What Digimon does Hanae-san have fond memories of?

I love Numemon because despite his appearance, he’s a kindhearted fellow. He risked his own life to protect Mimi, that was very manly of him (lol). I also like the Angemon who welcomed me hospitably in the games. Not only does he look cool and he’s already pretty strong, but he evolves further! Those are my memories of Angemon.



Scan credit: SCCHI.

