FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST SPECIAL INTERVIEW: ROMI PARK x RYOSUKE YAMADA - When the 2 Eds Meet!!
Fullmetal Alchemist, the movie that has been attracting attention and is soon to be the opening screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival. Ryosuke Yamada and Romi Park, together as two fans of the manga who have played the protagonist Ed in the live action and anime versions respectively, discuss their thoughts on the passionate love for FMA and its adaptation to live action.
“I cried like a baby at the scene with Ed, Al, and Winry” (Park)
It’s almost time for the opening of the live action movie of Fullmetal Alchemist, an almost legendary dark fantasy manga that has sold a total of 70 million copies as a series worldwide and has had 2 anime adaptations. Ryosuke Yamada, who with an extraordinary resolve took on filming as the lead role [of the movie], is actually close friends with the long time voice of anime version Ed, Romi Park. We started by asking the two fans of the manga to tell us the story of how they met.
Y: The first time I met her was over lunch. Because Romi-chan is the Ed that I’ve always seen, I kept fidgeting unsure of what to do… Her personality also resembles Ed… how should I put it, she’s cool. She told me her honest feelings about the live action adaptation and, after watching the movie very attentively, she also gave me her exact impressions on it so I was very happy. We talked about a lot of things like the hardships that only someone playing Ed would understand and It was a wonderful time.
P: The first impression I had of Yamada-kun was “what beautiful eyes this kid has!” Straight ahead, the inside of those transparent eyes were full to the brim with a fighting spirit intent on carrying Fullmetal Alchemist on his shoulders to the very best of his ability… As someone who played the same Ed, I also started overflowing with more happiness than I thought I would.
At the time [of the anime] Park, the senpai Ed, also felt the pressure of playing the protagonist of this worldwide popular work.
P: The work Fullmetal Alchemist itself is something quite like a black hole and this monster created by (Hiromu) Arakawa Sensei takes everything away from you. That’s why, in order to carry [FMA], it’s important to be able to take an enormous amount of heat. It’s just like, “Your body, mind, soul, everything, hand it over!” because it’s constantly doing a lot of tampering with your interior. Every week, every week I submitted myself to this monster with all my power, would be wrapped up in it, and would have everything taken away. It was a work that needed that much infinite power.
Y: I wanted to give importance into not thinking about it deeply. However, because the human being standing on-set is me, I did what I could on top of obviously taking on Ed’s appearance, rewatching the anime, and also reading the manga over again many times. I had to stand on-set, not as the manga’s Ed nor the anime’s Ed, but as “Ryosuke Yamada’s Ed” so as it’s expected, some originality also became necessary there. When I take on filming, I stand on top of many things that I’ve studied so I don’t really think about it too deeply and just face all of the things that happen on-set earnestly, giving importance to reacting.
“In my 24 years of life, this is the work that I’ve poured everything into.” (Yamada)
It is also said that Yamada personally went all out and took on dangerous action scenes. Was there something you were carefully about during filming?
Y: Just “don’t get injured” I guess. That’s what I’d always think while doing [the action scenes]. That’s why in the beginning, the scene where I jump off from a roof to leap onto Cornello (Kenjirou Ishimaru) was filmed on the day we finished shooting. They built a roof set and dug a hole about 5 meters deep in the ground that I was supposed to run and jump into. But that scene was something that I had never done until then so it was fun. What was the most important [scene] during shooting was the fight with (CG-created) Al. There, I had to punch an opponent that wasn’t there and Al’s height is 2 m 20 cm so…
Y: My punches don’t reach him you know. It was also my first time having to punch with my left hand instead of my right. If it was with my right then I could have very good form, but I couldn’t do that with my left so I earnestly started shadow boxing at home while researching it. That scene was very tough, but after watching the completed scene I was extremely satisfied.
P: In the movie, this was the scene that I also got caught up in the most, to the point of almost forgetting to breathe. Ed, Al, and Winry’s unavoidable feelings seem to have a triple intersection, making me teary-eyed and my heart tremble. Despite that Yamada-kun, I can’t believe Al wasn’t there during shooting! It’s really amazing! Without fail I always had Al there, Rie (Kugimiya)!
Among the appearing characters the precious partner, younger brother Al, and the brothers’ childhood friend Winry have an especially strong emotional attachment.
Y: I also had a lot of time involving Winry and Tsubasa (Honda) also knew the character very well herself so in both her relation to me and in our exchanges she was thoroughly Winry. She’d always say things like, “Your face is pretty. Your face is pretty, but your height…” (laughs). I’d reply with “Shut it! Idiot…” though. We were able to start shooting with that kind of relationship so it was really easy to play [Ed with her]. Even the scenes that became emotional were like a well-played melody that didn’t fall into dissonance. I think that if it hadn’t been Tsubasa, maybe I wouldn’t have been able to play Ed.
P: For a little while, when the movie started, Al didn’t speak so it made me very impatient, but the moment he spoke, I cried out in complete joy, "…, ah! Al! Al spoke!“ (laughs). Seeing the exchanges between Yamada-kun’s Ed, (Atomu) Mizuishi-kun’s Al, and Honda-san’s Winry made me feel once again that Fullmetal Alchemist really is a "story of bonds.”
The movie completes Lust, making you feel like there will also be further development and that’s the place where expectations for a sequel are swelling up.
Y: Of course, I’m very eager to do it. Because there’s still many characters that haven’t appeared, and it’s not like we’ve told the whole story. Director (Fumihiko) Sori, the staff, and cast - everyone is also hoping for a continuation to become a reality.
P: (About appreciating the movie) This new Fullmetal Alchemist really got to me, to the point that inside of my mask there was a mix of tears and boogers. Starting with Yamada-kun, the passion that everybody having to do with this movie has is impressive. Even if it’s just one more person, I would like you to watch it. And if you could support [this movie in order] to be able to meet even more Fullmetal Alchemist, I’d be happy. To put it another way, I want to see [a continuation]!
Y: Because Romi-chan said it, we have to make it now.
P: Wait! Is it just me [saying it]?
Y: Well then, it’s because the ‘2 Eds’ are saying it so…
P: Yeah, the 'Eds’ [said it]!
Source: DVD & Bluray Data Magazine Nov. 2017 Issue [Oct. 20, 2017]
Scan: twitter @yamachi_c
