My translation of the interview with Taniguchi Masashi (Oda Sakunosuke role) and Tabuchi Rui (Dazai Osamu role) on the BEAST movie. This interview was included in the movie pamphlet sold at the cinema. (I tweeted sort of a summary of this on Twitter so some of you might find it familiar. This is the full, direct translation)
I tried my best to keep my translation accurate, but I don't speak either English or Japanese as my native language so there might be some mistakes here and there. Please feel free to retranslate it if you want, just keep in mind that some meanings, though little, might have been lost in translation.
I also plan to translate other interviews in the same pamphlet in the near future. The translation is under the cut, have fun reading.
Q: How did you feel when you were cast in this hypothetical, “if” story where Atsushi and Akutagawa switch place in Bungou Stray Dogs?
Tabuchi: I have been involved in the world of Bungou Stray Dogs from the stage DEAD APPLE, but while playing Dazai Osamu, I could really feel the magnitude of not being able to experience the Dark Era that was performed in the past. That’s why I was so excited to learn that I would be able to perform in BEAST this time, which includes some scenes from that era, though just a little.
Taniguchi: When I got the offer for the stage Dark Era and watched the anime, I asked myself, “Can I really do it?” I felt that it was a role that I seriously need to be prepared for. At the time, I faced it thinking that “Now that I have accepted the role, I am going to make it a legend, once and for all”. I talked about that again and again in various places, so it is a little embarrassing for me to casually come back to it this time (laughs). Back then, I did hear people say, “Please let us get to BEAST.” but I tried not to overthink things so I didn’t touch anything other than Dark Era. Thankfully, I was called again and finally read it for the first time but… then I realized I need to get myself prepared again.
Q: What is it about the BEAST story that attracted you and also how did u deepen your understanding of your role?
Taniguchi: For me, one of Bungou Stray Dogs’ charms is the setting where the people who create the story are the greatest. And among them, I felt that Oda Sakunosuke, probably the only one who tried to become a “novelist”, is a very noble man. Moreover, I found it very interesting that “a man who wants to create a story” is friend with a man who possesses the power to annihilate others’ skills and wants to kill himself on top of that, or in other words, “a man who wants to end the story”. However, to think that one difference somewhere can change the world that much… And the contrast between the main story in which “Oda loses his life and Dazai continues his story” and the development where “Dazai protects Oda’s story and loses everything” left me speechless. I think the fact that the two of them, and Ango too, probably, could never come to a fulfilling ending where they are together is the work of a writer, and it shows how amazing Asagiri-sensei is.
Tabuchi: BEAST is a world that makes us think again about how important Oda Sakunosuke is to Dazai. After we finished filming, I went and performed in “Dazai, Chuuya, Fifteen years old” on stage. And in the past, Dazai was trying to grasp the whole perspective of living by feeling close to death in Port Mafia. But I think after the encounter with Oda Sakunosuke, that encounter has become his whole reason for living.
Taniguchi: The biggest different about Oda in this “if” world, for me, is the fact that Dazai was played by Rui. Because honestly speaking, Dark Era was a stage that I had poured everything into Dazai, played by Tawada Hideya, to create. But this time, when Rui showed up on the set, how should I put it, he had a really serious look on his face (laughs). When I saw that extraordinary determination, I thought, “I’m gonna do this for his Dazai” and I’m gonna say the best “Don’t call me Odasaku” to him.
Tabuchi: Thank you very much. I am so happy to be able to work with Taniguchi-san, whom I had seen on the stage footages again and again and thought was Oda Sakunosuke himself.
Taniguchi: Of course, the battle between Atsushi and Akutagawa was also important, but the one who created and was trying to protect this world was Dazai. If a novel is something written for the protagonist, then for me that protagonist is Dazai, my first thought was what kind of influence I could have on him. This is just a metaphor, but no matter how good your ex-girlfriend was, it would be so uncool if you cannot love the current lover who is with you now with all you’ve got. The time I created with this guy is my “BEAST”.
Tabuchi: Taniguchi-san, you’re so cool.
Taniguchi: No, I was scary on set, wasn’t I? Because I was mean. Actually, the other cast did ask me to take care of Rui, but it wasn’t the kind of play that you could go “Don’t be so tense, it’s gonna be fine” casually like that. Instead, I decided not to talk to him at all. And in that atmosphere, I was able to receive what came from Rui and tackle it as Odasaku with all my might.
Q: The encounter between Dazai and Oda at Bar Lupin was a signature scene of BEAST, with a tense atmosphere that even a drop of emotion overflowing could cause it to crumble.
Tabuchi: That scene was… As Taniguchi-san just said, I didn’t get to talk to him on set, and my memory was fuzzy because of the tension, the pressure and all the other emotions that swirled around me.
Taniguchi: Desperation, right?
Tabuchi: Yes. Dazai knows Oda, but Oda doesn’t know him. That was linked to my hopeless frustration and impatience of not being able to be a part of Dark Era, and I went beyond Dazai as a character and felt myself struck by the words “Don’t call me Odasaku.” The only things that can move Dazai’s emotions to the point of crying are the things about Oda. Then, when I suddenly couldn’t stop crying, the Director was like, “Wait! Don’t cry now.” (laughs)
Taniguchi: That couldn’t be helped. Deep inside, I kept thinking about how I could not, as Oda, just say, “Thank you for letting me write my novel.” to Dazai. And it would pain me even if I said that. But Director Sakamoto shot that same scene again and again from many different angles so I was overflowing too (laughs). Crying definitely doesn’t equal good acting, but I think it was a scene that both of us put a lot of emotions in. We humans play the characters’ feelings, and it is exactly why no matter how cool we try to make them, somewhere in the depths of our eyes, there is always something wavering and it shows. I think that is probably the “0.5” of what we refer to as “2.5 dimensional” (2.5D) works. It was also my first time playing a stage character on the big screen, so I didn’t know how it would turn out. But I found it very interesting because there are things that could only be seen when projecting it up close, and I was able to use my consciousness in a different way from usual, in “a space with just the two of us”, without any audience.
Tabuchi: I was also happy because we got to film the scene in the actual Bar Lupin. It gave me strength.
Taniguchi: That’s right. When I saw the photos of the real Dazai-san and Odasaku-san there, I got a feeling about how the two of them couldn’t live together even if they were laughing with each other like that, and I was moved by the power of the place. My head almost went crazy from saying the same line all over again, but we had the luxury of spending a whole day shooting the scene and I was happy with that.
Q: What are your impressions of the other co-stars throughout the filming?
Taniguchi: If felt somewhat strange to be with Akutagawa in the Detective Agency. Like, so if he were on this side, he would be able to laugh like that? I have known Hashimoto Shohei who plays Akutagawa for a long time. And we had done a lot of roles as a duo so I didn’t worry at all. But I did wonder if I would be able to act seriously with a guy whose har is only white on his sideburns (laughs). But I didn’t mind at all, thanks to the skill of the makeup artists, of course, and also because he fit the role so well. He got that great presence of someone who had carried the role on stage so far, and every single expression of him was flawless. I “co-star” with Torigoe-kun at bars and pubs a lot, but it was a pity that I did not get to interact with him this time.
Tabuchi: This time, I was instructed “not to smile so much” when messing with Chuuya, so it was different from the usual joyful manner. Contrary to the hierarchical relationship in Port Mafia, Tori-san and Ue-chan are both my big seniors in real life, but I was very grateful because they always let me relax behind the scenes.
Q: This is a question in reference to the theme of this movie. Have you ever felt the existence of a BEAST inside you, either as an actor or an individual?
Tabuchi: I have been holding back the BEAST that wants to go drinking with his friends for almost two years now I think I’m going to lose it! Tori-san and others are not the type to talk about the play when we drink, but even the most trivial conversation would mean a lot and I have a lot of things I want to hear after this production.
Taniguchi: Just the other day, I was reading a book that said something along the line of, “No matter how angry you get, no matter how hard you fight, they say the world is not going to change. But even if the world is not going to change, you yourself can change.” and it hit very hard with the me right now. The moment you give up on the things you want to do, the world becomes even more of a boring place to you and that is really the end of everything. I think an actor’s way of life plays an important role in deciding how much he can bring out what is inside him while immersing himself in the work, and I always want to keep such an “angry” beast inside. Especially this time, I felt like I was able to release my inner BEAST through playing Oda, with a lot of hard action scenes involved. So, I want to keep doing so in the future.
Q: Finally, please have some messages for the fans.
Taniguchi: Anyway, now I’m looking forward to the completion of the movie. The filming was delayed due to Corona, but I never wanted it to be cancelled. It is Torigoe and Shouhei who supported Dark Era even though they were not in it, because they have a burning desire to make Bungo Stray Dogs the best thing ever. It is Rui who stood up and took on the role with such a strong will that made me want to become a force to connect them. I myself also poured my life into it. I hope this will be an opportunity for those who are unfamiliar with the work to learn that such an interesting tale exists and that it is put together by such interesting people.
Tabuchi: I have only been acting for about two years and there was a possibility that my lack of ability would make this movie less interesting. So, I confronted it thinking I have to do it with all I’ve got. The scene at Lupin was where I confirmed my determination. I thought, “If this doesn’t go well, I’d better give up on acting.” I think I would have never had that thought had I not encountered the role of Dazai Osamu. I never thought that I had managed to grasp everything about him, but I was able to experience his feelings towards the world that he had continued to create to keep Odasaku alive and that was an irreplaceable experience that would change the stages I play later as well as my future life as an actor. I hope that a lot of people will watch this movie and I will be very happy if you will find “2.5D” something that is appreciated all over the world.
These words Dazai said to Oda were also directed at himself. This is how Dazai finds the strength to face his reality everyday: he was hoping for something to happen, and while he did not know what that was or how, he had to believe it would happen. This is why I’m convinced Dazai never truly wanted to die. He was seeking something out there that he didn’t quite understand, but tried to make himself believe it would give him a reason to stay alive.
But this is also the reason why Dazai couldn’t save Oda. His plea, his heartfelt advice couldn’t become Oda’s reason to stay. While Dazai was searching for his calling, Oda had found his, and had lived for that sole purpose ever since. Sadly, that purpose had been taken away from him. A man’s sole reason to live and seek redemption, reduced to ashes all too quickly and too easily.
Dazai’s long and painful wait for that something was the reason he stayed alive. Oda having found that something to live for, and him seeing it destroyed within minutes, was the reason he stopped wanting to live. Dazai’s yearning for the unknown and hopeful - “it will happen” - couldn’t be more contrasting with Oda’s utter destruction from knowing his hope had already been extinguished - “it’s all over for me”. Dazai was chasing without knowing, but Oda had already chased, already known, and now that his destination had been burnt to the ground, there was nothing worth chasing anymore.
Which is also why Oda was the right person to give Dazai any sort of advice, and not the other way round. Oda had been there, and now he passed on the knowledge to Dazai that being good would definitely be better, even if it’s just a little bit. Dazai was holding on to something unreachable and unseen, but Oda gave him a new hope - a thread to cling to. Even if their hearts couldn’t reach out to each other in time, even if they were more different than similar, Oda was able to give Dazai a part of himself to help Dazai move on, to have something to cling to and rely on in the new struggle he had to face, this time without the bond he had with Oda and Ango to keep him afloat in dark waters.
im having so many emotions about bsd beast like dazai does everything for odasaku but he becomes everything oda never wanted him to become. all oda wanted from dazai was for him to help others and create the best life he can for himself and in cruel irony beast dazai throws everything odasaku wanted for him away to save odasaku. he stays in the port mafia he burns his relationships with anyone else he hurts and hurts the people hes cherishes in the original universe all for odasaku live his dream and the only way to achieve this outcome is for oda to hate him for it. never in any universe can oda live happily and still be with dazai, one has to sacrifice themselves be it oda dying in the original and never living his dream of writing a novel or dazai dying and never living odas dream for him in beast. in no universe can dazai become a good man and keep the person who made him that way.
That time I was showing my cousin the Oda death scene and as a light-hearted, thoughtless question she asked me why Dazai threw away his coat and I answered without hesitation “that’s to symbolize how he’s repudiating everything he’s ever known for Oda”. I still stand by that
Hi, how is your day? I want to ask you about Dazai's character and its developments in the series, and what do you think of him? Do you think he's smarter than fyodor? Thank you for the answer in advance... And in the end, I would like to thank you for your hard work and your wonderful style of writing. it is relly special ..
Hi, thanks for the message. I am glad u like what I do (I don’t really “write”, just “translate”, though).
I’m quite bad at expressing my opinions. I normally do not give much thought to things until I am asked about it. So u may find it my answer all over the place because I haven’t had it arranged in my head, it’s more like pulling out old notes from a rusty drawer. So I’m sorry about it in advanced. And this is all my personal opinion, so you don’t have to agree with me.
Dazai is a complicated and interesting character for me. He is smart, too smart that it brings him misery. People say ignorance is bliss, right? Then Dazai must be the most unfortunate guy on earth. Even Asagiri once described him as someone who has lived for 2000 years. I, with the brain of a normal person, can’t bring myself to imagine how boring life would be for him, knowing things too well. Some might say that he was being overdramatic when he was young, and that he’d regret having all those thoughts when he gets older. But I personally don’t think so. I think the pain and agony he felt was real, then or now. Just that in the past, he hadn’t met people who would surprise him, or go beyond his calculations, he lived on thinking humans were ugly, sinful and stupid and didn’t understand why they should be saved. His head must have been overwhelmed with thoughts that no one would ever be able to understand, and no one would even try to understand. That is why he was always lonely, and suicidal. I don’t think he really wanted to die, he just couldn’t find what to live for.
The thing I like about Dazai’s character is that he fundamentally didn’t change, even with all the so-called character developments. He was still the smart, and sad and lonely guy that he used to be. But he have met people who made him want to try living, peope who gave him a purpose and people who genuinely cared about him. And those are things that even his genius brain couldn’t have predicted. From a fifteen year old who believed nothing was worth living for, he has become able to tell Kyouka that everyone deserves a second chance in life, to Fyodor that it is okay even if we are all sinfully stupid, and admit that no matter how well him and Fyodor can foresee things, the fate of the world is not decided by them, but the imperfect human beings that are fighting for what they deem precious out there. I doubt Dazai will ever get rid of his suicidal thoughts, or loneliness, but at least he has things he wants to protect, and it gives him the motivation to live on. We haven’t seen him talking about dying for no reasons for so long. Now he only lets himself get hurt, or take risky action for the greater sake (BEAST is not counted cuz that is a totally different universe), and I think it is a good sign in his character development.
I forgot to write about his relationship with Akutagawa and Atsushi. Basically, I don’t think Dazai was a good mentor. Someone who hardly experienced failure is not likely to become a good mentor. He treated Akutagawa badly in the past because all he could see was that the weak could not survive in the harsh world and there was no saving for them. But the meeting with Oda has changed his way of thinking. He now sees orphans and the weak as those he has to protect, that’s why the way he treated Atsushi is very different from that of Akutagawa. He is still not the best mentor, but he is better now.
About Fyodor, I don’t think he is smarter than Fyodor. They must be on the same level of wits. Dazai actually can act more human when he is around people like him, so having Fyodor as an opponent can actually be very entertaining to him. Even if Dazai is going to win the final battle, I don’t think it is because Dazai is smarter. He is just backed up by more people in the “somewhat beautiful” side.
As someone who is really interested in Dazai, do you think he liked being nurtured in the side A novel (The day I picked up Dazai)?Do you think he was just pretending or he really enjoyed being taken care of ?
Thankss,love u
Hi there,
So… if u ask for my take, I don’t think he was pretending, but I don’t think he particularly yearned for being taken care of either. Actually if that was what he wanted then probably his life would be much easier, imo. By the time he was picked up in Side A, all he wanted was death. I think he himself didn’t even know what he wanted at that time because for someone as smart as him, life was just so expectable, boring and meaningless. So probably, in Side A what he enjoyed was not the fact that someone was taking care of him, but the fact that that act was out of his calculation. Being obsessed with suicide since a young age, I think he has gotten used to the fact that most people treated him because that was their responsibility, or their job, or because he is of use to them (like Mori). He cannot make himself understood, nor did anyone try to understand him. He is used to being alone, and being feared of in the mafia. He didn’t expect someone to ignore his status and save his life, knowing that they won’t get any benefits from that. He didn’t expect someone to tell him he was stupid for wanting to die, even though he has a thousand reasons to back it up. He didn’t expect that he would have a place he wanted to go by the end of the story. Everything that happened in Side A caught him by surprise, and he loved it.
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"They were just empty. Not only was there no compassion or kindness, there was no hate or passion to kill. His eyes were those of a person who had given up all hope and despair—the eyes of a person who had removed himself from emotional things." .. Odasaku's eyes in Ln3
"His eyes were too calm. Those black pupils absorbed everything from light to noises, not leaving a single thing behind. Not even his own feelings."- Dazai's eyes in Storm Binger
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