Interview with Yuzuko Ono, Sawako Hata, Risa Kubota, and Ai Kakuma of the fall anime "Konohana Kitan! The charm of this work that heartwarmingly depicts the daily lives of fox girls

The TV anime "Konohana Kitan" began airing on AT-X, TOKYO MX, and other networks in October 2017. Based on Sakiya Amano's comic of the same title (serialized in Gentosha Comics "Monthly Birds"), it is a Japanese-style fantasy anime that depicts the mysterious days and emotional exchanges between the main character, a new matchmaker named Yuzu, her friends, and the guests who visit the inn at the "Konohana Tei" hot spring inn where fox girls work as matchmakers.
⇒2017 Fall Anime

To commemorate the start of the broadcast, Akiba Research Institute has selected from the main cast: Yuzufuko Ono as Yuzu, a slightly clumsy but cheerful new matchmaker; Sawako Hata as Satsu, a serious senior matchmaker and Yuzu's educator and partner; and Risa Kubota as Ren, an honor student with elegance as her motto but a rather tongue-in-cheek matchmaker at heart, Kuma Ai, who plays Sakura, the quiet but curious little fox waitress, and Risa Kubota, who plays Ren, the elegant but rather tongue-in-cheek waitress, are interviewed. They talked about their impressions of the work, their thoughts on their roles, and what it was like at the recording studio. The inn where the cute fox girls work and the recording studio where the cute female voice actors work have some things in common. ......?

A new matchmaker and a new voice actress both work very hard!

--First of all, could you tell us about when you first got the part and what your impression of the character was?

Yuzuko Ohno (Yuzuko Ohno ) My first impression of Yuzu is that she is a transparent girl. I thought she was just straight-forward, pure and honest. When it was decided that I would be playing Yuzu, I was really surprised because I was still very inexperienced, and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to do it. But Yuzu is also a rookie waitress who tries her best ...... and is a straight, energetic, and cheerful girl, so I thought I would just try my best as well!

Sawako Hata (Hata): I was rejected on the day of the audition for Satsu, and I didn't really know what kind of role I was going to play, so I was very surprised when I was chosen. When I tried out for the role, I found that it was a lot like myself. She is a bit stubborn (laugh) and seems to be a decent person, but she has a weak side to her. The more I play Satsuki, the more I feel like I am becoming more and more like Satsuki. Also, I had never played a role with a tone of voice before, so at first I was a little worried if I could do it. I was a little anxious at first.

Risa Kubota (Kubota): I didn't know what role I was going to play when I was contacted for the audition. I saw the characters on the official website of the original work, and I thought, "I might get this girl," and that was Ren-chan. So I accepted the offer and ended up playing the role of Ren-chan, so it was like ...... I had a successful blind date (laughs). My first impression was that she was sparkling, very pretty, and had beautiful eyes.

Ai Kakuma (Kakuma): I didn't think too much about Sakura for this role. But when I finally got into it, I realized that it was a good thing that I just went with what I felt. Sakura doesn't have much in the way of facial expressions, but gradually there are gag-like expressions, detailed descriptions, and expressions that would make an adult gasp.

I thought it would be just a cute, relaxed daily routine, but it's not. ......?

--What was your impression when you read the original story?

Ohno: I thought it was a very beautiful story. Of course the characters are cute, but the content is very deep. No matter how many times I read it, it always makes me think, or makes me wonder, or touches my heart.

Hata: I don't read this type of manga very often, so it was new for me. I also thought the author, Amano-sensei, was a man at first, so I was very surprised when I heard that she was a woman. Also, at first I thought it would be a work that only depicted romance between girls, but when I read it, I found that there were many things that stuck with me and pushed me forward. I felt that the work probably portrayed a very kind and strong person.

Kubota: I had seen another work of Ms. Amano's before, and I thought, "Wow, she has very beautiful drawings. When I read the original story of "Konohana," the backgrounds were drawn in great detail and the story was not only cute, but also had great depth. I thought that although there are people who start with the pictures, I am sure that there are many people who will also like the content of the story.

Kakuma: Before I read the book, I thought it would be a pretty loose and fluffy daily life type of story, but it is not like that. It is filled with messages, questions, and things that make you think, "Oh, that's cute! But there are also scenes that make me think, "Oh, that's so cute" (laughs). The main focus is on the activities of the girls, but the coolness of each of them and their attitude toward their work made me feel like I should do my best, too. I think it is a work that gives me various feelings.

--What do you keep in mind when creating and playing the role?

Ohno: Yuzu is a very honest girl who says what she thinks and feels just as she is. At first, I thought she was a "transparent" girl, but the staff directed me to say, "She's an honest girl! I went back and read the original story again and found that she was indeed more muddy and animal-like. I went back and read the original story again and found that she was indeed more muddy and animal-like. I had the impression that she was not trying to decorate anything, but was just being herself. Anyway, I'm trying to think about Yuzu a lot as Yuzu.

Q: I was thinking, "Are Satsuki and I close?" At first, I was drawing too much to myself. I'm not the type of person who expresses my anger or sadness in a loud voice! But I tended to act like that. But I started to think that Satsuki and I are different, and I am trying to be more careful to show my emotions. I'm careful not to do the same thing with Satsuki because of our proximity.

Kubota: Ren's facial expression changes from one moment to the next, but at first she is still a bit "tsun" in many ways. But as he opens up more and more, he starts to say this and that with a genuine concern for the child, and that brings us closer together. I pay attention to such changes. I also get angry at ....... She really does get angry every time (laughs). She uses a lot of energy, so I think I have to give it to her until I am full. She is quite apt to say, "Just a little bit more!　Just a little more! It's difficult. ......

Kakuma: I just play it as it is. Also, the staff often says to me, "Sorry you don't have many lines" (laughs). In terms of the role,...... Sakura may not seem to be thinking about anything, but gradually she starts to think, "Oh, maybe he's thinking about something like this...?" I think the viewer will have more and more things to think about. He is a child who is not given much information but has a lot of blank space, so I wonder if he is thinking about something like this. And so on. So, I hope that you can do some voice-over work for me (laughs).