Interest
Multi-Talented Voice Actor Tomokazu Seki Returns as Rickshaw Puller in Live-Action Shorts
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Apart from a multitude of voice acting roles, Tomokazu Seki (Infini-T Force's Ken Washio, Psycho-Pass' Shinya Kōgami) has lent his talents to stage, live-action special effects, radio, and rakugo comedic storytelling productions. Now, he is returning in another unique role: rickshaw puller. The third and fourth parts of the Rikisha (Rickshaw) live-action shorts he stars in are slated to debut at screening events this fall.
In the past few decades, rickshaw has become a popular way for tourists to sightsee around cities. Rickshaw pullers share their knowledge of the area with passengers as they pull them around from location to location. (The English word "rickshaw" derives from the original Japanese term "rikisha.")
In the shorts, Seki plays a veteran rickshaw puller. The third short, which is now in production, will feature fellow voice actor Ryōhei Kimura (Dame×Prince Anime Caravan's Mare, Natsume's Book of Friends' Satoru Nishimura) as a guest. The short is titled "Asakusa Risshi-hen" (Asakusa Life Goal Edition) and is set in the Asakusa district of Tokyo. Kenshō Ono (Bungo Stray Dogs' Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, ReLIFE's Arata Kaizaki) will appear in the fourth short. The short, titled "Sumida Tabidachi-hen" (Setting Off to Sumida Edition), is also set in Tokyo.
Yuuichi Abe (live-action The Prince of Tennis, SD Gundam Force) is directing the shorts, and Yasuyuki Mutō (Basilisk, Mobile Suit Gundam UC) is writing the script.
The first short screened at the Cartoonist event in France in 2013. Both of the previous shorts also screened in Japan and had independent DVD releases.
Source: Anime! Anime! (Katsunori Takahashi)
