“Mashle” (hereafter referred to as “Mashle”) is an abnormal magic fantasy that depicts the protagonist Mash, who is unable to use magic, as he fights to become a Divine Awakener (a title given to the most outstanding student) using only his well-trained body as his weapon.

The anime adaptation of this work, which has gained popularity for its comical and original world view and has sold over 4 million copies worldwide, will begin airing on TOKYO MX and other channels from 24:00 on Friday, April 7th.

The role of the main character, Mash, in this film will be played by popular voice actress Chiaki Kobayashi, who has landed leading roles in a succession of productions, including “Moriarty the Patriot” and “Clumsy Boys.”

We talked to him about the unique appeal of animation and the behind-the-scenes process of creating a character.

I was surprised to find out that I would be getting the role of Mash.

–Please tell us how you felt when you were chosen to appear in the TV anime “Mashle.”

I was more confused than happy. To begin with, I had a strong desire to pass the audition for this project. I had told my manager about it. So, my manager told me the news as a surprise.

-What kind of surprise was it?

Usually, my manager would send me a message on LINE or email with details about the role and the words “You passed.” But this time, he just said, “I’ve attached two documents for tomorrow.” And when I opened them, one of the documents was a blank page.

The next day, when I met my manager and told him about it, he said, “It’s not an error, so please look carefully.” I scrolled down to the bottom and it said, “Mash has been selected. Congratulations.” I was really surprised.

–That’s wonderful! Did you feel like you did well in the audition, Kobayashi-san?

I felt it was easy to act. Like Mash, I’m not the type of person who usually speaks very clearly. In that sense, I think I was able to do it without having to strain myself.

— In your other works, you have the impression of being a “cool character.” The character you play this time, Mash, is also a character who doesn’t show his emotions, but please tell us if there was anything you were conscious of when creating the character.

In my mind, I have a strong image of Mash as a calm and collected character rather than a cool one. And yet, deep down, he’s a genuine and kind person. When his grandfather points out something to him, he gets disheartened.

That’s why I don’t want to show him as a cold-hearted character, and I try to make him a warm character. I would be happy if the viewers thought, “Mash is a good kid.”

– Were you conscious of how you differentiate between the comical scenes and the action scenes?

Mash himself doesn’t have two sides, so I didn’t really differentiate between the roles. If I had to say, I tried to subtract something from the character. The other characters were probably adding more to the character.

Also, I think the reason Mash says such silly things is simply because he’s a muscle-brained guy (laughs). So I thought that if he got too excited and made a stupid comment, the lines would stand out and it wouldn’t convey the atmosphere of Mash.