[Signed Pola to be given away! I wondered how I would perform "Deep Kiss for 5 Minutes." Interview with Kaede Motoi, Ai Kakuma, and Rina Hidaka for the 2019 Fall Anime "Sen x Koi (Val Love)"!

The TV anime adaptation of "Val Love" (original story by Ryosuke Asakura, serialized in the monthly "Shonen Gangan" magazine), one of the sexiest works in the history of "Shonen Gangan" (Square Enix), will begin airing on AT-X, TOKYO MX, Sun TV, BS11 and other stations from October 5, 2019.

Val Love" tells the story of Takuma Akutsu, a lonely high school student who is feared by those around him because of his strong appearance that has earned him the nickname "Akuma," and his nine sister warriors (Valkyries) who fight off the demons that are approaching humanity.

Takuma makes love with the war maidens as a way to protect the human world from the demons, and after making a lover contract with the nine sisters, he lives with them under one roof, overcoming various intense missions and leading them into battle. .......

The TV anime broadcast of this work, which thrills readers with its lovey-dovey (missions) and illustrations, is just around the corner, so we spoke with Kaede Motowatari (who plays NANAKI SAOTOME), Ai Kakuma (who plays GOYO SAOTOME) and Rina Hidaka (who plays ROKKAI SAOTOME), who play the war maidens in the series. In addition to the highlights of this work and the appeal of the characters, we also asked them about the difficulties they faced in performing sexy scenes and their unique techniques as voice actors.

Kissing scenes are recorded in two patterns: one with more water sounds and the other with more breath.

--This work has been called "the sexiest work in the history of Shonen Gangan." Were there any difficulties or memorable directions in performing the sexy scenes?

Hondo: Yes, there were. Nanaki has many kissing scenes (missions), and I was especially worried about how I should play the mission of "deep kissing for 5 minutes. The kissing sound is often expressed by "kissing the back of the hand," but I thought it was not at that level. However, it would be different to bring in beef tongue (laughs).

--If it was an episode of "I actually used beef tongue," that would be interesting, though (laughs).

Hondo: I thought about using my own fingers ......, but before I actually did it, the sound director asked me for two patterns. One was to do a normal water sound with a little more water sound, and the other was to do it with an exhalation instead of a moderate water sound. But it seems that on TV it is strict (in terms of broadcast code) to put on the water sound (more kissing sound). I had thought that the standards were stricter for pictures than for sounds, so it was a learning experience for me. In the end, they adopted the one with more breath.

Hidaka (Those scenes) started with Nanaki, so Nanaki was the standard, wasn't it?

Hondo: That's right. Hidaka I wanted to know, too, so I asked them about it (Hidaka).

Hidaka I also wanted to know, so I was very grateful that they asked me. I was happy to be able to share my thoughts with them, because there are definitely scenes like that in the duty rounds.

--Did the two of you have any trial-and-error experiences?

Kakuma: In one scene, there was a scene where Goyo was just embarrassed by Takuma. I thought to myself, "This is not Valrav! What is the definition of Valrav? I thought to myself, "This is not Valrav!

Hidaka: Because of Rokkai's character, it was difficult for me to make him say "I hate it, I hate it, but I'm happy about it. During the audition, I was told to be bold and excited because I was in Rokkai's fantasy, but the line was "I don't want to," so it was difficult to get into the "M" feeling. In terms of kissing scenes, Rokkai also had a "kiss for how many minutes" thing, but I kept checking it at home and in the end it became kind of fun (laughs).

All of them (laughs).

Hidaka: It was more positive than difficult. In the scene where Yakumo and Rokkai lick ice cream, Maki Kawase (who plays Yakumo) asked me, "How do you want to do it? （Do you want me to bring something (to make that sound)?" (to make that sound). I thought about bringing candy, but the way it had been done so far, it sounded like I was using my breath, so I ended up performing the scene without using any candy. I thought that was one of the things that was unique to "Sen x Koi," and I really enjoyed it.

--What was your first impression of this work when you read the original story?

Hondo: I read it when I was told about the audition, and it had a huge impact on me. Every time I do postrecordings, I read the original story again, and no matter how many times I read it, I still get excited about it.

Kakuma I thought that reading too much would solidify my image of the story at ......, so at first I only read it lightly. But I arrived early for the audition and read it carefully (laughs). I didn't want people to see me reading it, so I was reading it with a straight face and a "hmmm" look on my face, thinking, "Wow, that's really sexy! But they are cute in everyday scenes and cool during battles. I thought it was a work in which you could see the various expressions of the girls.

Hidaka The impact of the women's bodies was so great that I thought, "Wow, they are so sexy! Sexy! I had a strong impression of her body (laughs). Since I accepted the role of Rokkai, I made sure to check more scenes of Rokkai. Rokkai is very nice-bodied, so I really had a wonderful feeling of flesh and ...... wonder what he is talking about (laughs). I was thrilled to read it.

--What was your impression of the character you played?

Hondo: My first impression of Shichiki was that he seemed to be an honest and nice boy from the school scenes. However, she is the type of person who hits Takuma-kun quite hard and is what is called a tsundere, which means that she cannot be honest with him. I was upset by Takuma's pathetic attitude because I saw his cool side at first. Knowing that there was a reason for his tsundere attitude, I found it challenging to play the role. However, there was also a simple part of me that thought, "I can study better if I wear glasses! I also felt that there are many endearing aspects to her.

Kakuma: Goya is a student council member who is looked at with envy by everyone, but she also has a complex from when she was little. Because she has someone she cares strongly about, she thinks of her "love affair" with Takuma as just another mission. However, I am realizing that I can't just dismiss my feelings like that. She is a cute girl who is clumsy, headstrong, and has a side to her that she is unaware of. I am careful in my portrayal to be able to honestly express these feelings that have developed for the first time.

Hidaka Rokkai is a popular up-and-coming idol, and at first I had an image of her as sparkling. But in fact, she is not so good at appearing in public, and I thought it was cute that she is a frightened girl. There are quite a few scenes where she takes care of her youngest daughter, Kururi, and I felt that she is in a balancer's position, looking out for those around her because she is not trying too hard to become strong. Also, her facial expressions and lines when she goes into M mode are very cute, and I think she is a challenging character to play.

--How do you honestly feel about men like Takuma, the main character?　For example, is he a good lover or not?

Hidaka: If he was so lacking in confidence, I would feel a little insecure. Like Shichiki, I want to blackmail him by saying, "Try harder! I would want to blackmail him like Shichiki did.

Kakuma: I knew it! There are lots of good points! I would want to encourage him. (Laughs) But he is really kind, and when push comes to shove, he will stand up to you, so I think you will easily fall in love with him once you encounter him in such a scene. If you ask me if I would be a good lover for him, I think it would be very difficult ....... （It would take a long time (until I feel that way). I don't think I would fall in love at first sight (laughs).

HidakaI think that if the people around him, including the 9 sisters, support him and keep telling him that everything will be okay, he will become a great guy. He hasn't done anything wrong, and I feel somewhere that I want to change him somehow.

--Hearing these two opinions, what do you think, Mr. Hondo?

Hondo: I think I might be a little bit of a bad type. Takuma is a really nice guy, but he is the type that I want to get along with as a friend, not a lover. So I can understand why Shichiki feels awkward. You really are!" I can relate to something like that from the bottom of my heart (laughs).

Actually, I'm a ____! What an amazing gap!

--What was the recording studio like?

Hondo: Everyone is sitting in a tight group (laughs). (Laughs) Yuya Hirose, who plays Takuma-kun, is the leader of the group, and he gets the scene going in a variety of ways, either by disturbing us or by making us tease him. He really keeps things together.

Hidaka Hirose-san talks to everyone and is very helpful. This was the first time for me to meet him, but he would actively tell me things like, "We actually played together in that game (although we didn't record it together).

Kakuma: He also takes the initiative in organizing drinking parties. Thanks to this, I feel that the staff and I have become closer, and our interactions are more relaxed. Once recording begins, everyone is very serious, but during the test, they also give their best in gag scenes, which is a great learning experience for me. It is fun to see the various acting patterns and to talk about the scenes. They even prepare snacks for us, which we appreciate (laughs).

(laughs) -- The nine sisters are in charge of the ending theme, three at a time. What were your impressions of the song and any episodes in the recording process?

Hidaka About half of the song is in English, and it is very stylish and cool (laughs). (Laughs.) When it was played on the set, we all laughed and said, "What a stylish song! I have fond memories of everyone cackling "What a stylish song!

Kakuma The balance of the combination was different from what I had imagined.

HidakaThe singing was also carefully divided, and we recorded a lot of different melodies in addition to the "ha-moly" singing, so the song has a lot of depth even though there are only three singers in each group. In addition, there are parts where I dared to sing lines without worrying about pitch to match the strong personalities of the characters, so even the same song will give you a completely different impression.

Hondo: That's right. The base of the song is the same, but each of the three songs has a completely different impression.

Hidaka Shichi-chan was Shichi-chan (laughs).

Hondowari She's pretty prissy and angry (laughs).

Kakuma There is a part where the characters say "please please please" as if they were talking, and Nanaki's voice was very preppy and cute (laughs). (Laughs.) We are looking forward to hearing what the other characters say, and we are also looking forward to seeing how it will be played in the next episodes.

--Many of the characters in this work have some kind of complex. Do you ever say, "I look like this, but actually, I'm a bit..."?

Hondo: Perhaps it is because I am petite, but I tend to be seen as someone who loves sweets. But I like chili peppers more than sweet things, and every time I say that, people say, "What? Is that so? Whenever I tell people that, they are surprised. I only have sweet things when I am tired, and usually have death sauce or something like that (laughs).

--The level of spiciness is extraordinary, isn't it?

Hondo: It's hard to convey that from the outside. （I wonder if I should put a skull (on my clothes)? (Laughs)

Kakuma: People often tend to think I am firm. But at home, I lie down more often than not, and I like to keep most things within easy reach (laughs). (Laughs.) I don't mind if the house is small, and I just want to be able to live there at least as long as I can. From now on, I would like to keep my style of being honest and pampered so as not to create a gap between us. It's not easy, though.

Hidaka: People tend to look at me as if I am firm, but I am not at all. In fact, I am a bit out of my element (laughs). Since I was young when I made my debut, I used to feel that I had to work hard and be firm, and I tried very hard to look that way.

So I would like to say, "The impression that I am actually a firm person is a misunderstanding" (laughs). (Laughs) Of course, I am different when it comes to acting!

--Lastly, please give us a message to those who are looking forward to seeing your work.

Hidaka There are battles, sexy scenes, and lots of other things to enjoy. 9 sisters have their own unique personalities and charms, so I'm sure you will find a girl you like. Not only that, but the story also depicts the growth of Takuma, who is clumsy and inadequate at first, so I hope you will see the story through to the end.

Kakuma: I think there are people, both men and women, who have similar problems, though not to the same extent as Takuma's. I think it would be fun to live with sisters like these. The story also depicts the fun and frolics of living with such sisters, and there is some ad-libbing here and there. I hope you will listen to these details and enjoy the show.

Hondo: We, the cast members, are also thrilled to be able to perform in our own way, sometimes in a cool way and sometimes in a cute way. I myself am looking forward to seeing how they will be portrayed in the anime with colors, sounds, and voices. I hope you enjoy the background of each of the characters and find them cute, comforting, and exciting.

(Interview and text by Kenichi Chiba)

Val Love" Kaede Motoi (Nanaki Saotome), Ai Kakuma (Goyo Saotome), and Rina Hidaka (Rokkai Saotome) will present autographed photos of themselves!

To commemorate the interview, we are giving away autographed cheki by Kaede Motoi (Nanaki Saotome), Ai Kuma (Goyo Saotome), and Rina Hidaka (Rokkai Saotome) from "Val Love" to one lucky winner!　Please read the detailed application guidelines before applying.

＜Please read the detailed application guidelines before applying.
Entry period: October 2, 2019 (Wed) - October 9, 2019 (Wed) 23:59
Number of winners: 1 person
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Prize shipment: Scheduled to be shipped by the end of December 2019.
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