Vol.6] "How can I express Ruka's preciousness?" Interview with Nao Higashiyama, who plays Ruka Sarashina! Part 2

The second season of the TV anime "Kanojo, Oroshimasu" is currently being broadcast and distributed to rave reviews. This time, we interviewed Nao Higashiyama, who plays the role of Ruka Sarashina.

Kanojo wo Ouboushimasu" is a popular romantic comedy serialized in "Weekly Shonen Magazine" (Kodansha), written by Reiri Miyajima. The main character, Kazuya Kinoshita's ideal girlfriend, Chizuru Mizuhara, is actually a rental girlfriend ......?　The first season of the anime aired in July 2020 and gained popularity, and the long-awaited second season is scheduled to air this summer.

This time, Nao Higashiyama, who plays the role of Ruka Sarashina, appeared on the stage again. Higashiyama-san shared her thoughts on Ruka and the other renkanos.

⇒ Vol.5] "How can I express Ruka's preciousness?" Interview with Nao Higashiyama, who plays Ruka Sarashina, and photogravure of the interview! Part 1

Ruka is working so hard that she doesn't know what to do next.

─ ─ What are your thoughts on Ruka in the second season?

Higashiyama: Earlier you said that Ruka is very patient, and she really is. I think you can see Ruka's situation without it becoming too heavy because she comically cries or gets angry while banging her head, but if you think about it again, she is really in pain and is very helpless. No matter how hard she tries, she can't get him to look at her, and she is trying so hard that she doesn't know what to do next. It is a painful unrequited love.

When I was talking with the director about this, what really became clear to me was that "the precious thing about Ruka is that she can work so hard that others have a hard time understanding her. That's why Ruka is so great. The word "precious" fit me perfectly. I thought that many people liked Ruka because they found her attractive in a way that was more than just being energetic.

Q: Do you have any words you would like to say to Ruka?

Higashiyama: "I have to do something! I think she is in a hurry to do something and is always thinking about how she can make her boyfriend fall in love with her, but I think she should try waiting! But you can also try to wait! I understand the feeling of not being able to stand still without taking some action, but if I could think of "waiting" as one of the actions, I thought that Kazuya's impression of me might change a little. But I also think that Ruka is wonderful because she is straightforward, so I'm a little worried about whether this advice is good or not .......

Speaking of Ruka, her battle with Asami was also a highlight of the show. Aoi Yuuki, who plays Asami, said that Ruka must be the type that Asami is not good at.

Higashiyama: I often work with Aochan (Aoi Yuuki), but when I meet her in "Kanokari", her performance is so dignified that I find myself getting defensive with every word she says. However, Ruka is very reliable because she goes "gah-oh" at Asami.

In the second season, their back-and-forth is a highlight, but I'm not the type of person who likes that kind of thing, and it makes me sick to my stomach (laughs). (Laughs.) Even when I reread the original, that scene makes me go, "Ugh. I think it's old-fashioned nowadays to separate men and women, but knowing that, I have to say that I think it's a woman, a woman's interaction. While Asami is calculating and probing in that way, Ruka is using forceful techniques to twist things around. Asami tries to upset Ruka, but Ruka is oblivious to her attempts, and she just turns the tables on her with her true feelings!

I wonder if it was that scene that made me feel like I was running out of acid. I think that was probably the scene that caused me to run out of steam (laughs). I would also like to ask about Sumi Sakurazawa, who I don't have much contact with, but I am frustrated that her key visual is the same as the penguin! Do you have any feelings toward her?

Higashiyama Hahaha (laughs). I was with the penguins, wasn't I! I'm here - Hirayama-san!　And it was my favorite Cape penguin. Not Humboldt penguins, not Kotei penguins, not Gentoo penguins, but why Cape penguins~? I'm so jealous~! I thought, "Why not Humboldt penguins, or Kotei penguins, or Gentoo penguins? (Laughs).

Sumi is the type of guy I would like if I were a man. I just want to protect him, and I think his hard work is irresistible and irresistible. I also find her unpredictable and unpredictable behavior very touching. He is too cute! I love him because I can't help but think, "He's too cute! But I think Sumi is also interested in Kazuya, and I wonder how she feels about Kazuya and Chizuru's coupling. I feel like I'm rooting for them, so I can't read that part either ....... At this point, I wonder if it's more about her being attached to Kazuya as someone who understands her, rather than being in love with him.

ーーA bit off topic, but I have a question in relation to the title of this piece. What do you want to rent or borrow right now?

Higashiyama: What do I want to rent? I use rental space quite a bit. I rent a kitchen space to shoot YouTube videos, and when I get together with my voice actor friends, I rent a room to have a party. Voice actors have a clear voice, so it can be difficult to talk to them in an izakaya (Japanese-style pub), but in such a place, we can talk freely and freely, which I appreciate.

Q: What are the highlights of the second season and what would you like to say to your fans?

Higashiyama: In the second season, there are a lot of quotes from various characters. So there is a great amount of information, and there is a depth to the human drama that cannot be explained by just being cute and exciting.

What impressed me was an episode in which Shun Horie, who plays Kazuya, told me that he came to like Ruka even more. The episode is about a sleepover, and it is such a strong episode that it completely changes my impression of Ruka.

I have been convinced since the recording sessions that "Kanokari" has not only maintained the worldview of the first season, but has also become more powerful. Each of the heroines definitely shines and shows her highlights. There are many scenes that really make you feel alive, as if you are falling in love with each of them not only as girls, but also as ICHIHUMAN beings.

As for Kazuya, he is actually a manly man. I used to be anti-Kazuya, but now I really think he is a wonderful boy. He is very dynamic, and even though he is just saying what he really feels, I wanted those words! I think, "This guy is so nice! I hope that even those who thought "Who is this guy?

(Interview, text, and photography by Junichi Tsukagoshi)