Autumn Anime "Kizuna no Ariru" Second Season Broadcast Commemorative Cast Interview! Vol.1 Ayumi Hihara (Miraku) [PR].

As an anime project of the world's first virtual YouTuber "Kizuna Eye", the first season of the anime "Kizuna Ariru" has been broadcast since April 2023.

Following the first season, which can be called an introduction to the story of Miraku, a girl who follows Kizuna Ai's back and aspires to become a virtual artist, and her friends, the long-awaited second season will begin in October.

Akiba Research Institute continues to push this work, in which reality and virtuality cross over, to the hilt. We will be releasing daily interviews with the members of PathTLive, formed by the main character Miraku, as well as the cast of the virtual artists who will appear in the second season.

The first interview is with Ayumi Hihara (Miraku)!

─ ─ How do you feel now that the first season has been completed?

Hihara First of all, I would like to thank everyone who watched the anime. As this was my first time to appear in an anime, I was thinking a lot about whether people would like Miraku and love the work, but I was really happy to receive many warm words. Thank you very much!

─ ─ What scene or line from the first season left a particularly strong impression on you?

Hihara The scene in episode 4 where Miraku tries various delivery methods, and the scene in episode 6 where Miraku thinks about why he made Noel angry. Not only in these scenes, but Miraku is a child who shows various facial expressions at a very fast pace, so I had to turn up the gear for the recording. （It was a lot of work, but it was a lot of fun. I hope that the audience saw Miraku and felt even a little bit cheerful.

───How is the reaction of the people around you and your fans?

Hihara I was really happy to hear that Miraku cheered them up, and to see people tweeting their impressions in real time on SNS! To put it in a more personal way, my mother, who normally does not watch anime at all, watched this work, and she said to me, "I didn't know you could do that kind of voice. I had no idea. (Laughs)

─ ─ Now that you know the personalities of the characters better, who would you like to say something to and what would you like to say to the other characters?

Hihara I would say to Noel in the beginning, "It's okay to relax your shoulders! Also, Marumaru! Be my hug pillow....

─ ─ What kind of activities can we expect to see in the second season, which will finally start airing?

Hihara In the second season, Miraku and his friends will also face trials and tribulations. ...... Many things will happen, but I think you will be able to see the charm of each of the girls differently from the first season! I hope you will watch over them! I am sure your love for them will increase!

─ ─ There will be other units besides PathTLive in the second season. Please tell us about the units you are currently interested in, along with the reasons why.

Hihara To be honest, I'm interested in all of them, but if I had to pick one, I'd have to say 3DM8 (3DM8). all three of them have completely different atmospheres, so I'm really looking forward to seeing how they will perform as one group.

─ By the way, at the "Chao x Ribbon Girls Comic Fest" held the other day, you performed live and read live for the first time in real life at PathTLive, didn't you?

Hihara I have been performing in virtual form, so it was quite a new and strange experience for me. I can become Miraku rather easily in virtual form, but in real form, I felt a bit intimidated. ...... (laugh). (Laughs) But I was able to receive power directly from everyone who supported me, and it was a very enjoyable stage!

─ ─ I imagine that many things must have happened in the lessons leading up to the performance and in the dressing room on the day of the performance.

Hihara The five of us practiced on our own. We took videos, watched them, and fixed them. It was a very fulfilling time. Each member has his or her own charm, so I was looking back at the videos by myself, feeling like a fan, thinking, "This is a good way to showcase them" (laughs).

They are all serious but fun people, so they make me laugh a lot when I am with them.

You are also active as an artist in the XR artist project "Alleles.

Hihara What just came to mind was when we played a game called "Fall Guys" (*an online action game in which players from all over the world gather on a single field and compete to win first place by eliminating other players) during Mirak's birthday delivery. I was terrible at it (laughs). I was the first one to drop out of the game each time, and I was the one who watched over Chris and Zoe, who played the game with me, but at the very end, in one of my last tears, I won the game. I thought to myself, "This is indeed the hero ....... (Laughs)

What I would like to do is a one-man live concert! I would like to express my gratitude directly to everyone who has always supported me, and I would like to create more opportunities for everyone to connect with each other!

─ ─ What do you feel you have gained and grown through this work?

Hihara First of all, it was the first time for me to play a cheerful and energetic girl, so I discovered a lot about my acting. I gained a lot. I never thought I would be able to say the line "Forgive me, Nyan" myself. (Laughs)

─ By the way, if you were to actually enter the virtual world, what kind of avatar would you make?

Hihara I can't decide because I admire both cute girls and cool, cool women. ...... I could be a boy. ...... Maybe the ideal would be to change my equipment depending on my mood that day and become various characters.

─ ─ Finally, do you have a message for both those who enjoyed the first season and those who are interested but have not yet seen the show?

Hihara First of all, I would like to thank all of you who have encountered and enjoyed this work! Since I have been able to connect with all of you, I will do my best to continue to create a time we can enjoy together! Thank you for your continued support!

And to those of you who have not yet seen the work, but have met me through reading this, thank you! The work is full of new possibilities and dreams. I will be happy if I can meet you all again, either in animation or in Alleles' activities. At that time, let's draw various dreams together!

[Work information
TV animation "Kizuna no Ariru" second season

＜Broadcast Information

TV Tokyo Wednesday, October 4 at 24:00~.
TV-Osaka October 4, Wednesday at 1:35 a.m.
TV Aichi October 4, Wednesday at 2:05 a.m.
Animax Saturday, October 14, 9:30 a.m.

<Cast

PathTLive
Miraku: Ayumi Hihara
Quon: Rina Kawaguchi
Chris: Hikari Kodama
Noel: Yuzuka Nukui
Liz: Arisaki Hanawa

BRT5
Nisca: Yuri Matsuoka
Jessie: Ran Fue
Ellie: Yuka Yoshiki
Sarah: Hina Natsume
Hal: Hinaki Yano

VICONIC
Jua: Nozomi Nagumo
Seah: Tsukino

3DM8
Hymena: Ruri Arai
Zoe: Nawa Furuhata
Sophia: Yuna Kitahara

Kizuna Ai: Kizuna Ai

Auris: Maazumi Tazawa
Ada:Kana Ueda

<Staff
Director : Kenichiro Komaya
Series composition：Deko Akao
Character Design : Shiori Asaka / Fumina Morita
Chief Animation Director : Shiori Asaka / Futatsuna Morita / Mizuki Takahashi
Prop Design: Kai-Qi Dan
Color Design: Mitsuko Sekimoto
Art Director: Masakazu Miyake
Art Director: Masakazu Miyake ・ Art Setup: Kazushige Kanehira / Yuri Sanami / Hitoyuki Ogi
CG Director: Ryo Sasaki
Director of Photography: Mayuko Koike
Editing: Junichi Masunaga
Sound Director: Hitoshi Akutagawa
Sound Effects: Yui Ando
Music: Tsuyoshi Sakabe
Animation Production: WIT STUDIO × Signal M.D.

Second Season Opening Theme
Perfect World! (Sung by PathTLive)

Second season ending theme
Jankenhoi! (Sung by #kzn)

<Distribution information
Bandai Channel, Hulu, TELASA, J:COM On Demand Megapack, milplus, Smart Pass Premium, dAnime Store, NETFLIX, U-NEXT, Anime Unlimited, Prime Video, DMM TV, FOD Premium, Flat Video, ABEMA, Nico Nico Live, Lemino, Animax on Demand

XR Artist Project "Alleles
What is XR Artist Project "Alleles"?

Dive into "i" Let's dive into it, into the me you want to be.
It is a project in which 15 members with different origins and personalities from the TV animation "Kizuna no Ariru" Dive into the virtual world and grow up.

YouTube channel: #
Official Twitter: #

(c)KA/Kizuna no Ariru PJ (c)Kizuna no Ariru Production Committee