Exclusive Interview with Saori Hayami, Yoko Hikasa, Yu Shimamura, and Ami Koshimizu on how to enjoy the anime "RWBY

Last fall, the American-born 3DCG anime "RWBY" was dubbed into Japanese with ideal casting. This fall, the long-awaited sequel "RWBY VOLUME 2" was dubbed in Japanese with the same casting as its predecessor, and the third installment "RWBY VOLUME 3 <Japanese dubbed version>" was shown for a limited two-week event.
On the first day of its release on December 3, 2016, a stage greeting was given by the four stars Saori Hayami as Ruby Rose, Yoko Hikasa as Weiss Schnee, Yu Shimamura as Blake Belladonna, and Ami Koshimizu as Yang Xiaolong. Immediately after the stage greeting, Akiba Research Institute asked the four leading voice actors for an exclusive interview.
While the exhilarating action of the four girls with rich personalities has been the talk of the town, we hope this rare interview will give you a sense of the delicacy and depth of the psychological portrayal delved into by the voice actors.

The voice actors themselves talk about the charm of Team "RWBY

Hayami──For those who are going to watch "RWBY" from now on, could you describe the character you are playing?

Hayami: My character, Ruby Rose, is an innocent girl who faces things straightforwardly. She has an older sister, Jan, who is two years older than her, and she skipped a grade to enter the same hunter training school (Beacon Academy) as Jan. After entering Beacon Academy, she joins Weiss and Blake as the leader of the four-member team "RWBY" and confronts various incidents.


Hikasa: First of all, "RWBY" starts with four girls gathering at the academy and forming a team. By teaming up, they are able to compensate for each other's past and immaturity, and each grows as a person. My character, Weiss Schnee, is a typical young lady who thinks that everyone else is less than her and that it is strange that I, a brilliant girl, cannot be the leader. But little by little, I am influenced by Ruby. She is gradually influenced by Ruby and discovers her true self, which had been held back by her family background, when she enrolls in Beacon Academy and teams up with Ruby and the other students. Therefore, I think Weiss is a character whose image changes considerably between VOLUME 1 and VOLUME 3.


Shimamura: In the world of "RWBY," there is a race of "faunas," which are a combination of beasts and humans. Blake Belladonna, who I play, is also a faunas girl. However, some faunas have formed an organization called "White Fang" and are in conflict with humans. Blake hides her past as a member of the White Fangs and is unable to be open with everyone, so she comes to Beacon Academy with her own world. She is a slightly introverted and cool girl. She is a character who cannot express her emotions in a straightforward manner, but has something solid inside her.


Koshimizu: The character I play, Yang Xiaolong, is not only Ruby's big sister, but also the big sister of the entire "RWBY" team. I am not saying that she is feminine because she is an older sister. She has the same mentalism as an upper elementary school boy: "If I can protect the weak from evil, that makes me a hero, right?　Yay! She has a strong orientation like that. The justice in her mind makes sense, but her inner self changes little by little as she interacts with the people around her. Basically, she is a strong girl who clearly says what she thinks.