Interview Furukawa Yuuta Noah's Ark Circus
Please enjoy this interview with Furukawa Yuuta on the musical of Noah’s Ark
I found it an incredibly interesting interview, and I really wished to share it with as many people as possible, so I decided to translate it into English. As in the original interview both speakers refer to Sebastian as ‘Sebas’ (セバス), I have also left it as it is. Click [here] for the original Japanese interview.
Interview with Furukawa Yuuta on “Kuroshitsuji – Noah’s Ark Circus"
With the new announcement of your recast as Sebas, fans of the series have been absolutely ecstatic.
“Thank you very much. I have received quite many letters from fans, many of which included comments such as “I have been awaiting “Kuroshitsuji” with great anticipation”. I am very honoured to receive such kind words, though also feeling the pressure anew of wishing to live up to the fans’ expectations.”
The Kuroshitsuji musical franchise started in 2009, and from the latest run of “Lycoris that blazes the Earth 2015” on, the baton of Sebastian Michaelis’ role has been passed on to you. How do you experience the pressure of diving midway into a hit series?
“Pressure indeed. Well… even though I ‘succeeded’ the role, I think that I have been able to put all my heart into it. Although for me this is merely the second time I will be playing Sebas, I feel that along with my wish to suture even more deeply with this character, I have also come to realise again the daily worries while reading the comics and studying the script.”
As expected, you turn to the original comics for basis?
“My wish is to deliver to the audience that very experience that is left inside me from reading the Kuroshitsuji comics as a fan myself. It was like that the last time too, but this time I want to leave out all unnecessary things and wholeheartedly devote myself to delivering and expressing the inspirations and impressions I got from the original comics. That, I value the most at present.
This time the story is based on the original comic’s Circus Arc. From the published main visual images, I was left with a very deep impression.
“As many circus members are portrayed and it fuels the anticipations towards the assorted characters and highlight scenes… I have secretly been hoping that the audience would be thrilled. Visually speaking, I think this episode is very befitting for a stage adaptation. Just with one single glance… well, it’s a circus! The trapeze scene especially, but many other performances are incredibly difficult, but I shall take on the challenge. I am pleased that the trio of the mansion (Bard, Finny and Meylin) are going to have a great début as well, and I look very much forward to opposing Teruma’s William. Naturally, I have great hopes towards the songs the new musical will bring us.”
It’s the first time on stage for Uchikawa Reo who plays Sebas’ young master, Ciel Phantomhive.
“I have only met him a few times up to this point, but a bond has already grown between us within which we can talk without any masks. I heard that this is going to be his first stage performance, so I hope that before anything else he can enjoy the life on stage. To this end, I… well, ‘because’ of Sebas, just like him, I have come to want to stay by his side and support him. I want to make him smile. I told him” if there’s any kind of sweets you like, I shall present to you a full box, my Lord.”(Laughs)”
Mr. Furukawa, just a few days back you have successfully finished your performances in the musical “1789, Les Amants de la Bastille”, and now you will also play in great hit musicals like “Elisabeth (Rudolf)” and “Romeo and Juliet (Romeo)”. And along those, you will also be playing in the so called 2.5D musical of “Kuroshitsuji”?
“I have not really linked those at all. Just purely, every staging has its characteristics and charms, and are absolutely fun to watch.”
As a performer, is there something you feel especially strong about from experiencing both [musicals]?
“Strong… um… that is difficult. I can’t think of anything that strikes me especially, but I am absolutely certain that I will be able to gain a lot if I can become more and more active in activities within genres not restricted to these. I am sorry, I only managed to say things this abstract (laughs), but I’m sure it will all become a source of nourishment. Ah, more concretely I guess, some people who have seen me in “Kuroshitsuji” have thought “Let’s go watch the *Imperial Musicals (Elisabeth, 1789, etc.) next time,” and also, there are quite many similarities with “Kuroshitsuji” in the solemn aura as can be experienced in the historic play ‘Elisabeth’, so I think I have been able to bring that to live in the previous staging of “Kuroshitsuji”.”
In “Noah’s Ark Circus”, tragedies await to happen within the unique circus. Even though it will never have a happy end, that is the unshakable charm of “Kuroshitsuji”. What kind of Sebas will Circus Arc’s Sebas become, do you think?
“Generally speaking, I think I want to become one that is even more faithful to the original comic’s charms. Besides upholding the elegance and vigour of the character, I strive for a more subtle presence to become a truer demon. The brighter the spotlights shine, the more I wish to make Sebas’ shadows as the main character. Another point is, principally, Sebas looks down on human beings and makes fun of them.”
That is because besides not being a human, for a long, long time, he has witnessed and seen through the foolishness of human beings, right?
“Most likely. However, I really think that that very Sebas has been somewhat impressed on the inside from witnessing Ciel growing stronger and stronger as a human by going through all kinds of cases and tragic accidents. I personally think that the “while they may be foolish, the more they struggle, the stronger human beings become” is one very important theme within “Kuroshitsuji”. Therefore, I think that Sebas, although as a demon he thoroughly looks down on humans and merely makes fun of them, he treasures Ciel from the bottom of his heart… Sebas’ goal is then to solve this very contradiction for himself. It is my goal in turn, to accurately deliver to the audience the very ‘core’ of this series, to the point that they can truly feel the ‘unique master-servant-relationship’, an incredibly complicated, deeply and strongly entangled bond between Sebas and Ciel.”
I really look forward to the Circus Arc in which sheer elegance and cruelty are intertwined.
“The director Mr. Mouri has also said that he wants to “gradually remove all the pop-vibes”. That is definitely not to reduce the entertainment, instead it is to accentuate the… um, the darkness included, the world view that is unique to “Kuroshitsuji. We too will become one and work towards that very same goal in the new production.”
* Imperial Musicals
Stage productions for the Imperial Theatre in Japan - Teikoku Gekijou (帝国劇場)
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