On November 21, 2021 a special screening of the Shaman King Osorezan Revoir movie compilation was shown. This one-time presentation combined the 4 episodes of the TV anime story arc into a movie. At the Sunshine Grand Cinema venue in Tokyo, as part of the movie screening, there was a live speaker presentation by several of the voice talents from the episodes. Yoko Hikasa (Yoh), Megumi Hayashibara (Anna), and Hideyuki Tanaka (Matamune) along with a moderator were part of this speaking presentation. In addition, a costumed Yoh, Anna, and Amidamaru also made an appearance for photographs. Several seats were reserved for some of the production committee, including for Hiroyuki Takei’s manga editor.
In the days following the presentation, there was several news articles and interviews describing the event and the voice actors who were in attendance. We have included portions of those articles with a rough English translation below.
Portions of the Live Speaker Presentation
While the event was recorded, there has been no official announcement on when or if this will be distributed publicly. However several websites, including Anime-Recorder, have articles documenting portions of the live event. A rough English translation of some of those summaries is included below.
When the three guests walked onto the stage they were met with a loud applause from the fans in attendance. Yoko Hikasa almost immediately started tearing up at the sight. Megumi Hayashibara helped lighten the mood by noting that some of the fans were also in tears and “Don’t you feel like crying when you hear Tanaka-san’s voice? A truly sinful senpai. (Laughs)”. Hideyuki Tanaka commented that “I love this series and this character [Matamune], so I was very happy to be able to play him again in this anime.”
When discussing about the scene where Yoh says that Anna is “cute” the voice cast added the following:
Yoko Hikasa: “Ever since I started voicing Yoh in the first episode, every day I thought Anna was cute. Even if I never said it, it was something I always thought about. So it didn’t feel weird to say it, it just came out naturally, as I do it everyday!.
Megumi Hayashibara: “(Laughs) I know.”
Then the conversations changes to the scene where Anna first says “You’re blocking traffic. Die.”
Hideyuki Tanaka: “When I heard that line, I thought ‘Anna, you’re so cute!’ It’s not often you think “cute” when you hear “die,” but that’s the strength of Hayashibara-san’s acting ability.
Megumi Hayashibara: “Thank you very much. Yoh knows that Anna is using those words to seclude herself. They already have an understanding of each other starting with that scene.”
When discussing why the story resonated with the fans and give their final thoughts the cast commented with the following:
Megumi Hayashibara: “I think there are many people who read Shaman King when they were children and took it to heart as they grew into adults. It is a work that I hope will be passed onto many future children and a series we can all fallback on in our times of need. I hope we can continue to expand this series with the effort we are putting into it.”
Hideyuki Tanaka: “This series asks us what is truth, kindness, and love. I think Osorezan Revoir has a strong sense of that. Yoh’s battle still continues on. But I’m sure that Matamune is still watching over you from somewhere.”
(Audience applause)
Yoko Hikasa then commented about the replica bearclaw necklace that she was wearing. It was given to her by Megumi Hayashibara during the first voice recording for the Shaman King series. She commented that she was deeply touched by this gift and that Matamune has been with her since the very beginning.
Yoko Hikasa: “When Shaman King came back to life after 20 years, I’m sure there where many people worried about who this Yoko Hikasa was. I believe that can be one of the forms of love for the Shaman King series. I’ve faced this work with that doubt and made it my mission to accept all of that and tackle it head-on. I’m so happy that everyone came to see this; that I’m standing here with the help of all of you.”
(Audience applause until the end of the Live Speaker Presentation)
Mantan-Web’s Interview
Outside of the public event, Mantan-Web had a private roundtable interview with the voice cast of Yoko Hikasa (Yoh), Megumi Hayashibara (Anna), and Hideyuki Tanaka (Matamune). The full interview can be read in the original Japanese on the Mantan-Web’s article page. Below is a rough English translation from that interview.
Mantan-Web: Tanaka-san, this is the first time in about 20 years you’ve voiced Matamune.
Hideyuki Tanaka: I was very happy to return to this role and I am quite fond of Matamune. I’ve listened to the Drama CD many times. Since I had already voiced this character, I tried to walk in the same footsteps for the character again. But it has been 20 years, so as a performer, it would be sad if I wasn’t better than I was prior. That pressure was intense. That pressure was instant. No matter how many years I’ve been voicing characters, it’s not something that I can get used to.
Megumi Hayashibara: It’s embarrassing to say directly in front of you, but you have an overwhelming sense of Matamune. Since this is recorded after Corona disaster, the voice recording was done in separated spaces. In some ways, this separation was helpful here. Within that isolation, I could hear Tanaka’s voice, and it was as if he was there and not there, but he was absolutely there. It was as if I could feel his body heat, but I could not. It was my soul that was all alone. I wanted to be able to reach out to them, but I couldn’t. That sense of barriers was all around us.
Hideyuki Tanaka: I wonder if that was planned by Masafumi-san. [Masafumi Mima, the Sound Director]
Megumi Hayashibara: It felt very lonely and more demanding. It might have created a miracle with this recording method. Tanaka-san’s voice was the guidepost through it all.
Yoko Hikasa: I had those same feelings. I hasn’t not listened to the Drama CD, but I did know that Tanaka-san was voicing Matamune. I had never voiced anything with him before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. When we did meet, I felt that Matamune was really there but in ways not. When we first recorded the PV [Promotional Video] for Shaman King together, I got goosebumps on my left side as Megumi-san was standing to my left. But this time, I felt a pain on my left side, like a thorny pain rubbing against a wall.
Mantan-Web: Matamune does have many great and impactful lines.
Hideyuki Tanaka: He is a chatty cat! (Laughs)
Megumi Hayashibara: That’s a thousand years’ of experiences. (Laughs) Matamune has an overwhelming amount of stories in his time. From those 1000 years, the words he speaks has such weight and persuasive power.
Hideyuki Tanaka: It’s a tome of wisdom, isn’t it?
Megumi Hayashibara: Another way to phrase it is “Let your heart decide what’s important.”
Mantan-Web: Anna’s encounters with Yoh also has those impactful lines. The sudden “You’re blocking traffic. Die.” and “I’ll kill you.”
Megumi Hayashibara: I love those lines. (Laughs)
Hideyuki Tanaka: She says “Die,” but she’s so cute! I think? That’s Hayashibara-san’s acting ability.
Megumi Hayashibara: Even though I tell him to “Die?” (Laughs) I’m very happy that came across somehow.
Yoko Hikasa: I felt the meaning behind the words “Die” and “Kill.” While strong, they had a feeling of warmth. That feeling of destiny colliding in that place. There was more than just the face of the words. When I met Anna, the white breath was coming out from her mouth, as a show of her true feelings? I wonder.
Mantan-Web: The “Osorezan Revoir” story is very popular. What do you think contributes to this?
Hideyuki Tanaka: It’s the story about meeting for the first time.
Megumi Hayashibara: Was Anna’s seemingly perfect past so spectacular? Eh? Even 20 years ago this story would have been unusual. People look to their heroes as if they were heroes. Of course, even a hero can also suffer. Anna is in a never ending agony until she is saved. But she still has things inside her that will never go away. It may have resonated with readers at the time. It’s hard to find someone who will “Let your heart decide what’s important.” It’s hard even for parents to say that. But I wanted someone to say that to me. Maybe that was something that left a big impression on me. This “revival” can then bring that to others.
Hideyuki Tanaka: What is the truth? Love? Kindness? This is a story that strikes at the very heart of human nature.
Yoko Hikasa: In the battle against Faust, when Anna says to Manta “Yoh’s first human friend”, the word “human” was there on purpose, as his first friend was Matamune. It starts back at the beginning, but it also a never-ending cycle where the story connect through time. I think that’s another wonderful thing about this story.
Mantan-Web: What is your favorite scene?
Megumi Hayashibara: ……It’s difficult. I was in some great scenes. Personally, I liked the scene where they were watching TV.
Hideyuki Tanaka: The pauses can be quite exquisite, no?
Megumi Hayashibara: This is the moment where Anna has a slight hope for the first time in her life. She has a little argument with a boy close to her age and can feel joy for the first time in her life.
Hideyuki Tanaka: I enjoyed that too. I also liked the expressions on Awaya and Ringo’s singing faces. With Matamune, the favorite scene is when he is possessed. He couldn’t save Hao-sama, but he can entrust Yoh to save him instead. That is Yoh-san’s power. Yoh-san is trustworthy and has a good heart. After searching for 1000 years, the answer was Yoh-san. Yoh-san helped save me too.
Yoko Hikasa: I also enjoyed that train scene. When I was going there, I was facing Matamune. But when he was leaving, I was…….. I felt that metaphorical expression of that train ride.
Mantan-Web: There are many touching scenes.
Megumi Hayashibara: Hikasa-chan was crying a lot, wasn’t she? When I saw her crying in a shattered state, I, as the proprietress, thought to myself “Cry any more and you’ll break her!” The second half of the battle is coming up, and it’s uphill from here!
Yoko Hikasa: I thought you all didn’t notice. (Laughs) I thought I was able to keep my cool.
Hideyuki Tanaka: Oh, I could tell. (Laughs)
Megumi Hayashibara: You said “Excuse me!” as you ran towards the bathroom and blew your nose so hard it echoed down the hall. That’s how much it went into your heart, right? That’s amazing.
Yoko Hikasa: You are very kind……. There were times I couldn’t see what was happening around me and I was very in-the-moment. Megu-san and the Sound Director [Masafumi Mima] once told me I needed to have a bird’s-eye view. You should scold me next time! I think.
Mantan-Web: Especially in the finale, the passionate performance of the actors, the visuals, the music… everything was wonderful.
Megumi Hayashibara: It takes everyone to help move a “mountain.” So everyone, please take a look!
