I'm having a Kaede-loss right now! In commemoration of the end of the broadcast of "Aobuta", a look back interview with Asami Seto, Marie Uchida, and Yurika Kubo, Part 2!

Seishun Butayaku ha Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Yume wo Mai" (The Youth Butayaku Doesn't See Bunny Girl Senpai's Dreams) recently finished airing.

This time, Akiba Research Institute conducted a trilogy talk with the cast of the much-talked-about "Seishun Butayaku ha Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Yume wo Mai" ("Blue Buta").

(hereafter referred to as "Aobuta"), which has been the subject of much discussion at Akiba Research Institute. In the second part of the interview, we continue with the previous interview with Asami Seto playing Mai, Marei Uchida playing Nodoka, and Yurika Kubo playing Kaede Azusagawa, Sakita's younger sister. The three of them talked about episodes 11 through 13, in which everything that had been built up until then was greatly affected, and about Kaede's adolescent syndrome. We urge you to watch the final episode before reading this article.

I had to detach myself from my feelings, but I still felt sad when I was acting (Kubo).

Q: The last episode was about "Kaede," Sakihita's younger sister, wasn't it?

Seto: The story of "Kaede" is too very, very delicate. ...... I was really sad when the episode about Kaede came at the end of the anime, because I had spent about 10 episodes with her so far.

Kubo: I'm having a "Kaede" loss right now (laughs).

Seto I have hiragana "Kaede" loss.

Uchida We sisters were able to return safely, but "Kaede" is not coming back.

Seto It's tough not being able to see her anymore!

Uchida It's too hard!

Kubo The kanji "Kaede" is not wanted!　But we can't help meeting each other.

Seto That's right!　I was "Kaede" from the moment we met. And I hadn't finished reading the original work at that time, so it was a shock to me. It was a big shock, so I think those who have read the original are prepared for it, but those who read the original after it was finished or were looking forward to the anime may have felt a great deal of pain.

Q: How was the recording?

Kubo: I myself thought I was going to play "Hanafu" for a moment at the very end. But "Hanafu" appeared earlier than I expected in the latter half of episode 12, and it seemed like I was going to play "Hanafu" in the last episode. So I thought we were going to do a lot of "Hanafu" as well. And since there would be a theater after this, I knew I would use "Hana Kaede" for the theater, but in my mind, the base of the anime was "Kaede" in Hiragana. I felt a sense of discomfort because the "Kaede" I had created up to the 12th episode was more modern and refreshing than I had imagined.

Q: That's shocking, isn't it?

Kubo: "Oh brother, you're so annoying! Kubo: When I was asked to play it like that, "Kaede" is not the kind of girl who would say something like that (laughs)! I want to be the best sister! (Laughs.) She wanted me to be the best sister! (Laughs.) She was the kind of girl who wanted to be the best sister, so as a performer, I had to separate that part from the rest of the story. But as a voice actor, I felt that it was a good experience for me. It was tough, but it was a good experience for me as a voice actor.

Q: Mr. Uchida, you also participated in the postrecording, didn't you?

Uchida: Yes, I was there. Even though I was only with Kaede for a fairly short time, I felt hard, and the more I read the script, the more I understood that she was gone. Also, when Shoko-san was reading Kaede's notebooks, I was like, "Wow!

Kubo, aren't you getting weaker and weaker with each passing year with siblings?　I don't think it used to sting this much in the past.

Uchida Dogs and children (laughs). I came to the 10th episode knowing both the good and bad points of Sakihita, but he is doing his best up to this point. I was more moved by his efforts. I was touched by the way he was trying so hard! It was heartbreaking.

Sakihiro: Sakihiro has a problem with his words, but he has become so weak.

Uchida In the beginning, he suddenly stripped naked and showed his wounds (laughs).

Seto That's not a good impression (laughs).

Uchida But I felt sorry for him because he was trying so hard.

Seto Not only "Kaede" but also Sakihta's conflicts were depicted very well. He tries to understand, but he can't do it all and cries. He tries not to show it to Kaede. I was very moved by the careful depiction of each other.

Uchida: Because he has a heroine and a girlfriend, Sakihata feels like he can't help himself when he is in a situation where he can no longer care about his girlfriend. The part where he couldn't care for her was also very realistic, and I thought it was a shuraba.

Shoko Makinohara also appears in the story.

Uchida Shoko Uchida comes out a little bit!

Seto Shoko-san ....... It's kind of hard to get over. Sakihta also said (that he liked her) because it's past tense, but for Mai, it's something that will always bother her.

Mai: I guess it must have been frustrating for you that you couldn't be there for work when Sakihita was going through the hardest time.

Seto: That's right. But Mai was also very diligent and called him often. Sakihita also answered her phone calls. But I wonder. Is it better to be there for that kind of thing?

I don't think so.

Seto: You thought it was better for Mai to be there, didn't you?

Kubo: I wanted to be there for him, but I also felt uneasy because I couldn't be there and because the person who had saved my boyfriend in the past was saving him again.

Mai Seto was also trying to push him away. She is still in high school, but it is amazing. But in my heart, I was thinking, "Why? Why? Why?" I'm sure there are a lot of "Why? But I don't want to show it! I think it's a feeling of "I can't let it out!

The sense of loss that I would not be able to see "Kaede" anymore was very big (Seto).

Incidentally, what was Kaede like for you?

Seto: I think she was like a younger sister. I knew from Sakihata that she was shy and had problems, so I was very kind to her, but I didn't treat her with pity or pity for her, I just genuinely faced Kaede and was kind to her. She was also so cute and younger than me, and she was the younger sister of someone I liked, so I think "Kaede" was a big part of Mai's life as well. Because she did not know "Kaede" at the time, I think she must have felt a great sense of loss that "Kaede" was gone and she would not be able to see her anymore. At first, I was able to let it go because it was just a story, but ......, it made me very sad.

Q: How was the post recording?

Seto: I was watching from the back and it looked like a lot of work. Sakihita cried and screamed a lot. But I think that scenes with a lot of emotions are hard work, but I think they are worthwhile. The more emotional ups and downs, the more interesting it will be because it will be something you don't get to see in everyday life.

Q: So you also have feelings as an actor. How did you like SAKITA's performance? There was a scene where he and Shoko read notes together.

Kubo: That part got a little funny during the test (laughs). (Laughs.) We had a good harmony! I was like, "You've got a good hamo! But yes. Shoko is the only one other than Sakihita who knows about this event, so I thought it must be very meaningful. If Sakihita had found it and read the notebook, I don't think it would have gone that far.

I see.

Kubo: I felt that if I had read it myself, I would have blamed myself and that would have been the end of it. But I think that the way Shoko dared to tell the story made me feel as if I was somehow forgiven. I think I read it as "Kaede", as Sakihta's feelings were converted into "Kaede's" voice in my head. It was very sad to look back and read about the fun times we had, the things we did together, and the things we did our best to achieve. It was a scene that made it very clear that Kaede's world basically revolved around her brother. I think she had no idea what her own existence was, but the fact that she thought about what would happen after she disappeared and left that kind of diary is very sad.

Kubo: You described her as if she knew what she was doing.

Kubo That is not something a junior high school girl can do. I thought "Kaede," who uses hiragana, was no ordinary person.

Q: By the way, did you change the way you played "Kaede" and "Kaede"?

Kubo I think they are totally different.

Uchida It's different.

Kubo Thank you! At first, I kept the lingering tone and changed only the tension, but it was more ...... than I expected.

Seto: The instructions were to change a lot, too, weren't they?

Kubo They wanted me to do it as if I was changing the whole voice. So I was very anxious!　I wondered how the audience would receive it.

Uchida It's "Kaede," but it's not "Kaede. It's the same voice, though.

Seto It's totally different!

Uchida You are probably right.

Seto I felt so sad when I heard it. I was like, "Who is it? I was like, "Who are you?

Kubo I was not sure if this was the right fit for me or not! I was like, "I don't know if this fits! I played "Hanafede" for the first time there, but I had not seen the movie yet, so I was very anxious about it. I was afraid that I might get annoyed if anything.

Q: Because "Kaede" was cute, wasn't she?

Kubo The difference is that my ideal sister became my real sister (laughs).

Uchida It was really tough!　(laughs) Uchida It's really tough! At first, you miss "Kaede," who you thought was impossible to have a sister like that.

Q: But in the end, Sakihita goes to Mai, which shows the loving side of the story. Nodoka also helped Sakiita to go to Kanazawa, Mai's location, just before the end of her birthday. This is an original scene in the anime.

Uchida: He was helping her. He asked her where her sister was.

Seto: I am the type of person who thinks that birthdays are just fine (laugh), but I thought it was important for Mai and Sakihta, so I thought it was. I don't think Mai would sulk about it, but she would want him to understand that she was sulking. Sakihita understood that and came to Kanazawa, which made me think that it was important to meet him. I thought it was important to meet him in person, not over the phone, and that sometimes it is easier to solve problems than you might think.

Q: Lastly, how do you feel about the TV series and your enthusiasm for the event on February 9?

Kubo: The TV series has reached its final episode, and we have a theater version coming up, so my mind is still focused on that, but I felt while recording that this was going to be an interesting work! I felt while recording that this was going to be an interesting production. I felt while recording that this was going to be an interesting production, but it was more exciting than I had imagined, and I feel that it has become a production that is loved by the audience! I hope I can do something to make it even more exciting in the future!

　As for the event, I have no idea what it will be like since there will be quite a large cast and it will be my first time, but I hope I can enjoy it at my own pace. Everyone seems to have their own rules (laughs), and I think that's probably better than being overly cautious, so I think it will be an interesting event.

Uchida As Sweet Bullet, we sang an insert song, and in the anime, Mai and I switched places. I am sure that this will continue in the movie version, and I am looking forward to seeing what will happen next in this completed relationship. I would be happy if you could see what was going on with Shoko-san in the theater.

　As for the event, there is a place that was used as a model, so I think it would be interesting to do something related to that, or even a section on puberty syndrome. I don't know what we will do yet, but I think there is a lot we can do, so I hope you will come and enjoy the show.

Seto: After the work, I felt sad that it was over. I really enjoyed the story, and I had a lot of fun playing the role with everyone at the recording studio, so I felt both a sense of wanting to do more and a sense of having finished. But there is still a theater version coming up, so I think I will continue to feel this way. The story had a lot of troubles, conflicts, and hardships, but Mai had a lot of excitement in the process of dating Sakihita, so it was very rewarding for me to play that part. I have never played a character who could get along well with others, so this was my first challenge, and it was very rewarding. I hope that my role will expand in this way, and I am looking forward to seeing what kind of expressions I will have in the theater.

　As for the event, I was very happy when it was announced. I was very happy when the event was announced, and there were so many members. To be honest, I had never been together with Mr. Kubo and other cast members at an event before, so I wondered how it would turn out. I wondered how it would turn out. But since I have been doing radio work and had many opportunities to talk with them at events and interviews, I was looking forward to seeing how they would act at the event. Of course, I am looking forward to the readings based on the works, but there will also be a variety corner, and I think it will be an event where "Aobuta" fans can get together and have fun together, so please come and enjoy the event.

(Interview and text by Junichi Tsukagoshi)