Manga Planet Exclusive Interviews with RAYZ OF LIGHT Rōdoku Geki Cast

Exclusive Interview with Yuki Kimisawa, Hiroki Sato, Nibansenji, Nichan, and Yasunori Kasuga

On March 22, 2018, Manga Planet had a chance to attend the RAYZ OF LIGHT Live Talk Show to celebrate the DVD release of the first rōdoku geki. At the event, fans had the chance to see watch the rōdoku geki with commentary from the acting cast Yuki Kimisawa, Hiroki Sato, Nibansenji, Nichan and then have their questions answered by the actors. There was even a game that made the actors improvise while in character.

Thanks to the kindness of the staff and actors, we interviewed stage actors Yuki Kimisawa, Hiroki Sato, Nibansenji, Nichan, and scriptwriter Yasunori Kasuga.

Yuki Kimisawa (LAW)

Yuki Kimisawa (KW): Hello, I am Yuki Kimisawa and I play LAW.

Manga Planet (MP): Could you please describe LAW to us.

KW: LAW runs an ad detective agency in an era where it is commonplace for people to wear clothes that display advertisements. However, trouble related to those ads also occur. LAW is like a jack of all trades. At first glance, LAW looks like a human, but he is a computer generated persona program. He is conscious, and he has human weakness, like how he plays hooky and sulks at times. But when it’s time to work, he pulls himself together. He is that type of character.

KW: How was it performing RAYZ OF LIGHT as a rōdoku geki?

KW: There were other times I did rōdoku geki, but this was the first time l used an iPad, on top of that stood and wore costumes and wigs like the character in this way. Ah-how do I say this, it was new to me. Remembering the script like that and just standing on the stage and acting, it seemed almost like it could be a real play, and in the end, everyone was high quality. This new genre of entertainment was fascinating.

MP: Please give a message to overseas fans who first encounter RAYZ OF LIGHT through the manga.

KW: RAYZ OF LIGHT is finally becoming a manga. We were looking forward to it. I’m thrilled that it could become a reality in this way. RAYS OF LIGHT is continuing as a rōdoku geki, and it’s becoming an anime and people will have all sorts of opportunities to experience RAYZ OF LIGHT. As a comic and our Rōdoku geki too, please keep cheering us on!

Hiroki Sato (Sasaki)

Hiroki Sato (HS): I am in charge of playing Sasaki from RAYZ OF LIGHT. My name is Hiroki Sato. Thank you for watching this!

Manga Planet (MP): Could you please tell us a little more about Sasaki?

HS: This is the first time RAYZ OF LIGHT has turned into a comic, and I think Sasaki is the enemy in it. Maybe you’ll think he’s more of a villain each time you see him, but I hope you can enjoy it too!

MP: If you were a computer-generated persona program like Sasaki too, what would you like to do?

HS: Well…I’ve never been overseas before, so I would like to go and see a lot of places because I wouldn’t have any boundaries as a persona program I think.

MP: Do you have a message for the fans who are encountering RAYZ OF LIGHT for the first time through the manga?

HS: RAYZ OF LIGHT was initially a script and a rōdoku geki, and now a manga. We hope everyone can feel the hard work we put into it!

Nibansenji (Urmanov)

Nibansenji (NS): I am Nibansenji, and I played Stepan Urmanov, the President’s Chief of Staff.

MP: Could you please introduce Urmanov to us?

NS: Urmonov is the President’s Chief of Staff, but he is a character that has a princely demeanor that he shows often. As I played him, his two-sidedness, what can I call it, a ruthlessness in him came out too. He’s a fun character to play. I think that’s what makes him so appealing.

MP: What is the most intriguing part in RAYZ OF LIGHT.

NS: In RAYZ OF LIGHT, humans and computer-generated persona programs exist. It’s a world where persona programs and humans coexist. If this happens in the near future, this would be amazing, and I’m looking forward to that. What’s really appealing about this work I think is that it has this worldview that persona programs and humans can coexist.

MP: Could you please give a message to overseas fans who first encounter RAYZ OF LIGHT through the manga.

NS: In this world where persona programs and human beings coexist, how are the two involved and how do the cooperatively solve problems and overcome? This is an exciting story, and I hope everyone can enjoy it.

Nichan (Marchosias)

Nichan (NC) My name is Nichan, and I play Marchosias. Pleased to meet you.

Manga Planet (MP): Starting off, could you please introduce us to Marchosias?

NC: Marchosias, a persona program, serves Urmonov. When I say persona program, I mean something like artificial intelligence, something that feels a lot like a robot I think, but it unexpectedly has human weaknesses. If you think robots act and answer like everything is yes or no, these persona programs are nothing like that. I played Marchosias while I was thinking about how it would be terrific in the near future, when artificial intelligence has been developed, something like Marchosias, with human judgment, or something that can make decisions while thinking of humanity. He is that kind of character.

MP: What is the exciting part of RAYZ OF LIGHT?

NC: Persona personalities are like AI, and this is a story where humans and non-humans both coexist in this world. Marchosias also has points of human follies, and this is a series that made you think about just how human he is. I’ll be happy if you notice how I worked to make him like a wonderful human and how this story makes people think about various things. That is the exciting part of this RAYZ OF LIGHT.

MP: Do you have a message for the fans who are encountering RAYZ OF LIGHT for the first time through the manga?

NC: The words and story are probably complicated, and there might be points that are hard to understand. But each character is very individualistic, and it is a story that makes you think. So please read and enjoy it!

Yasunori Kasuga (Writer)

Yasunori Kasuga (YK): I am Yasunori Kasuga, the writer for RAYZ OF LIGHT.

MP: Could you please introduce RAYZ OF LIGHT?

YK: RAYZ OF LIGHT is a story that takes place in 2025. In this near future, Harajuku, Japan is the setting of the story. It is a cyberpunk story intended for a female audience. Since I was told to write a science fiction story, and I am good at science fiction and cyberpunk, it wasn’t hard. So I worked hard to make a science fiction story that women could enjoy. I am thankful that it could go from a rōdoku geki to a manga.

YS: Do you have a message for all your fans?

YS: The most significant thing about making a rōdoku geki to a comic is when you express the characters are moving actually in the story through the divisions of the pages, depicting relationships and such and the actions between fellow opponents, something that can be enjoyed through manga.

I was in charge of the original story, and Harami-sensei was in charge of the art, and we met to make this work three chapters. But, it ended up with three times the number of pages we had initially planned, so please look forward to it!

You can read all chapters of the RAYZ OF LIGHT manga for free here on Manga Planet!