Notes

Dazai Osamu and the Dark Era’s Cast Commentary Translations

The commentary just came out here. I read it, and because of Mamoru-san’s thoughts on Dazai, I did a quick translation of it!
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To commemorate the anime broadcast of “Dazai Osamu and the Dark Age,” here’s commentary from Oda Sakunosuke’s VA Suwabe Junichi-san, Dazai Osamu’s VA Miyano Mamoru-san, Sakaguchi Ango’s VA Fukuyama Jun-san, and Gide’s VA Miki Shinnichiro-san!
Question 1: What was your impression of the original light novel?
Question 2: What did you have in mind while voice-acting the character?
Question 3: The anime production is charming and attractive, do you have a message for those who have seen it?
Oda Sakunosuke’s VA Suwabe Junichi-san
Question 1: Oda Sakunosuke is the main protagonist of “Osamu Dazai and the Dark Era.” It’s all about the impact he had on the current main character Dazai, and Oda has significantly influenced who he is today. He’s cool and hot (t/n: he uses a phrase for “spicy” here lol). And it was a sad story.
Question 2: It’s frequently been said that Oda is an attractive character (t/n he literally says Odasaku is a delicious character). It’s a spoiler to explain, so I won’t say it. Looking at the anime as a whole, the story is his first-person narrative account. I played his part with all of my heart.
Question 3: With a theme such as these great literary authors and their works…there are so many possibilities that can be easily imagined. [This anime is] like a soft cushion before the all out war with the Guild (t/n: edit, he uses the phrase “one cushion” which means something like “an action to soften the blow”). Please enjoy the drama between Odasaku and the rest while eating curry.

Dazai Osamu’s VA Miyano Mamoru-san
Question 1: These episodes are very, very important because they touch on that “something” deep within the mysterious Dazai. I don’t think these episodes “answer everything,” but they’re valuable in that they explain his “motives.”
Question 2: Just like a simple youth, this Dazai lacks “purpose” and “feelings” and “methods,” this “Dazai has not chosen yet” and so what he did and said was important.
So for his “reason for choosing” because of these important episodes and the “motives” that are there, in scenes like the ones with Odasaku and Ango, I truly cherished them as I acted.
Question 3: These are Dazai’s precious and extremely important Dark Era episodes. Even I had to keep a strong heart during certain moments. If you know what happens in the episode or even if you don’t know, I think future Dazai’s “heavy words” are different. No, instead, the impression of those words will change, won’t they? Those deep feelings are carved into the current “Bungou Stray Dogs.” Please enjoy what’s to come.

Sakaguchi Ango’s VA Fukuyama Jun-san
Question 1: When I learned of the title and its theme, I was extremely interested in reading, and it’s a really interesting work (the light novel) with beautiful dialogue.
Question 2: I made it so that it is the role of a person who acts as the balance between Odasaku and Dazai.
A true friendship is in the conversations between these three personalities, so I kept that atmosphere in mind.
Question 3: With the great literary authors as a theme, the dialogue’s connected relationship to [those authors] is a really nice feeling. A Dazai worthy of Dazai is created in these episodes, so please completely enjoy them!!

Gide’s VA Miki Shinnichiro-san
Question 1: At first, I thought that couldn’t be the end of the work.
Question 2: Blood really flows within him (t/n as in, he’s really alive). It’s usually like that in front of the microphone.
Question 3: Even if it’s just a bit, this will move the hearts of those who watch it.
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First time translating and posting so a short disclaimer here that my translations aren’t perfect (and were really quick). I’m in awe. I’m blown away by how well Mamoru-san understands Dazai and I am so grateful the Dark Era has an anime! Thank you @princemaru for proofreading!

https://arisatounox.tumblr.com/post/151783470031/dazai-osamu-and-the-dark-eras-cast-commentary