Special feature] Serialization in commemoration of the Boitama Project Reading Theater vol. 2 "white Swan+"! The first interview with Akane Kumada!

The Voitama Project, a project in which new voice actors take on various challenges with the aim of becoming world-class voice artists, will hold a reading theater vol. 2 "white Swan+" on November 2 and 3, 2019.

Boitama Project Reading Theater vol. 2 "white Swan+" is a re-staging of the reading theater event "whiteSwan" held on March 27, 2019 at Ebisu Tenmado.switch, with two versions: "ver. Denev" with the same cast as last time and "ver. Albireo" with a shuffled cast. Albireo" in which the cast has been shuffled.

The five new female voice actors belonging to the Boitama Project, Ruri Arai, Akane Kumada, Moeba Gomoto, Marina Horiuchi, and Chisato Yoshitake, will be performing. The reading play, in which the girls, who are striving daily to achieve their dreams despite the obstacles they face, play the same new voice actresses as themselves, is packed with entertainment elements, including acting and singing!

Akiba Research Institute interviewed the five girls, who are currently rehearsing for the performance! We asked them about their thoughts on the show, what they usually think about, why they wanted to be a voice actor, and what they are thinking about. We also asked them about their reasons for wanting to become voice actors and their episodes.

The first interview is with Akane Kumada, who plays the role of Sensui Shibusawa in the popular fall anime "Rifle is Beautiful" and will make her debut as an artist with the OP theme song for the 2020 winter anime "Oda Cinnamon Nobunaga".

This is the second interview with Akiba Research Institute, and we asked her to answer a number of questions we were curious about!

⇒Akane Kumada is a fresh girl who plays the role of Eren in "Tensura" for the first time as a regular! What is the ideal voice actress that fresh girl Akane Kumada is aiming for? Welcome, newcomers! 11th Edition]

It's been a while! This is your second appearance at Akiba Research Institute, and you have been remarkably active recently with the voice actress unit "Life Ring 4" for "Rifle is Beautiful"!

Kumada: When we last interviewed you, you said that you wanted to be a voice actor who could be active in multiple fields, and in "Rifle is Beautiful," I was able to do everything I wanted to do: voice acting, singing, and performing on stage (......). I have been able to do all the activities I wanted to do. Things are progressing just as I had hoped in the beginning. ......, what should I do (laughs)?

─ ─ But I think it is a very good balance to have such a glamorous activity and at the same time to have a down-to-earth activity as an actor, as you did in this reading play. What kind of project is "Boitama"?

Kumada: It is a life-size youth group reading play in which we, the five of us "voice eggs" who are new voice actors, work together to play roles that match our own current situations. The roles we were cast in last time were perfect for us, and this is the perfect stage for people to see us as we are now. We are all in tears as we perform, and since we are new, everything is fun and sparkling, but at the same time, we are still comparing ourselves to others and losing our confidence.

─ ─ Sayaka, the character you play in the previous and current "ver. Denev," is a modern child who says what she thinks straight out, isn't she?

Kumada: That's right. There is one thing I want to say (laughs). The character I play is a bit of a disturbing character. I don't mean to be offensive, and I don't mean to say anything wrong, but I do tend to disrupt the scene by saying things like, "You're saying that right now? But there are moments when he disturbs the scene. But because of that, she is a very nice girl who speaks up for what everyone else is having a hard time saying!

I love her because she's cute, but I also love to hear her say things like, "This kind of person would definitely bring practice to a halt. I also thought, "She's the complete opposite of me. Then people around me would say, "She's perfect for you! What makes them perfect for you? (laugh).

I've accepted the fact that she is honest and cute, but when I was in junior high school, I was afraid to speak my mind because I was afraid of disturbing the others. However, as I have been working toward becoming a voice actor, I have become more and more determined to "share my opinions and make it better." For this reading play, I have a rather strong will that "I want everyone to feel this emotion" and "If I have something to convey, I don't want to do anything half-heartedly. So I give my opinion during practice, or I call the members and ask them, "How do I look in this scene? I would call the members and ask them, "How do you see me in this scene? So I guess we are similar in the way we make things clear.

Recently, I feel that I am becoming more and more linked to the role in a good way. I think it was because I played this role that I was able to express myself more and more, and I am happy about that.

─ Did Michiru Amama, the writer/director, set up the characters based on your personalities?

Kumada: At first, I heard that there were some parts where he thought, "This girl is perfect for this role," but in the end, he created various types of characters and held auditions for them. At that time, Tenma told me, "Sayaka is too perfect for this role.

Kumada: So she saw right through me.

Kumada: She saw right through me (laughs). (laughs). Also, when she said, "You're right! I read the line "You're right!" in a modern child's style, and the way I said it seemed to link to the character.

─ ─ In "ver. Albireo," you play the role of Chihiro, who is the complete opposite of Sayaka, isn't she?

Kumada: She is the complete opposite. Chihiro is a girl who lacks self-confidence and is unable to show her ability, but in fact has more power than anyone else. The part about being nervous and not being able to show her ability is linked to my feelings.

I am the newcomer wherever I go now, and even if I don't mean to, I am sure to cause trouble for the seniors, and because I think about that, there are more than a few times when I feel like I have to delegate. I am always embarrassed because I think about it.

But as Akane Kumada, Sayaka says, "If that's how you feel, then you have to practice," but at the same time, I can see that this kind of girl is the reason why the place comes together. This reading play is also a story of a group of people who want to help such a girl, so I think Chihiro is a fascinating character like that.

Like that, the five people in the play are all very human characters, and they are perfect for our "now". They all want to grow up, but they can't. I think that's a path we all go down. I think that is a path that everyone goes down, and I am sure that you can relate to that.

─ ─ From your point of view, what do you find attractive about your co-stars?

Kumada What? There are so many. First of all, Ruri (Arai). She has a neat and cool beauty look. I think she is often seen as a very quiet older lady, but in fact she is a very funny girl. She's like a goofy, funny older sister. I would like to see more of Ruri's funny side in various situations.

But I'm not usually the type of person to say, "Yes! If you know Ruri, when you see her playing Yuki-chan (the role played by Ms. Arai in ver. Denev), you may think that she is playing a role that is the complete opposite of Yuki. She may think, "I am not this intense," but I think, "I have that part, too.

Yuki-chan has the power to do her best single-mindedly. Ruri is also a person who has a melancholy inside her, so I think that makes her a perfect match.

And then there is Moe (Moeha Gomoto). Moe is the youngest. But she is not the type to be shy. She is one year older than my sister, so I treat her as if she were my sister. She is very cute, and when she says something, I always end up making fun of her. The other day, she told me that she was glad to have Moe-chan make fun of me, so I thought, "Okay, I'll make fun of her even more. (Laughs.) However, although he has a naivete and a reckless spirit appropriate for his age, he is also very serious at heart, and I think there are things that trouble him that people don't know about. So, although we are only a few years apart in age, I always hope that the four of us can cover for each other, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. I am sure that Chihiro's lack of confidence is a part of Moe herself, and I think her humanity is what makes her so appealing.

（Marina is the kind of person who made me realize that there are such kind senpai in the world. Even if she has something on her mind, she doesn't show it in public. She also has a funny way of showing her feelings, so much so that the term "Marina's world" was coined.

And yet, Marina is the kind of person who is willing to discuss things with you as if they were her own. She says, "I understand. I know." Instead of saying, "This is how it was when I was there," she says, "I see. What would I do? Let's think about it together! They say, "I'll think about it with you. He is a funny character who tends to drop bombs on TV programs, but at heart he is very kind, takes things seriously, and is very passionate about his role, so I respect him a lot. And even though she has been in the entertainment industry for a long time, I was surprised to learn that she has such a low profile. I thought to myself, "There is a person who is so down-to-earth!

I think I am in sync with Ruri in that I want to lead everyone with such a kind heart.

And Chii-chan (Chisato Yoshitake). As Tenma mentioned, Chii-chan is a perfect fit for the role of Himari. She is so perfect for the role that anyone would think that only Chii-chan could play the role. Her voice is soft and gentle, so she is often seen as a bit soft and gentle, and although she is older than me, she is a really cute person. She has strong feelings about her roles, and in fact, I often ask her for acting advice. I want the audience to feel this way. Chii-chan is the one I talk to the most about what we should do to achieve that. Like Himari-chan, she is usually a bit fluffy, but I think she actually has a strong core.

She is always very close to me and I often go out with her, but I feel like she is my girlfriend who watches over me. I feel like a boyfriend. That's why I always take a lot of pictures. I take the pictures of other people that Chii-chan usually uploads! Isn't she cute? I want to say, "Isn't she cute?

─ ─ Lastly, please tell us again about the highlights of the Boitama Project reading play vol. 2 "white Swan+".

Kumada: The reading play features five unique characters, so I think anyone who watches it will find at least one who looks like me.

Whenever I perform in front of people, I always hope that the audience will feel a little better tomorrow. So, the highlight of the show is to see the five of them struggle, work hard, and grow, and I hope that everyone will be cheered up, even if just a little.

─ ─ Thank you very much! Thank you very much!