[Signatures! Episodes with great predecessors are also available at ......! Interview with Ayaka Fukuhara as Anastasia Palma and Hibiki Yamamura as Azami Mochizuki in "New Sakura Wars the Animation

The TV anime "New Sakura Wars the Animation" will start airing on April 3, 2020. In advance of the broadcast, we interviewed Ayaka Fukuhara, who plays the role of Anastasia Palma, and Hibiki Yamamura, who plays the role of Azami Mochizuki.

The TV anime "New Sakura Wars the Animation" will depict a story directly connected to the conclusion of the PS4 game "New Sakura Wars," which was released on December 12, 2019. The story will be depicted.

The two appeared for this interview dressed as if they had consulted with each other to get the right image. The two actresses, Anastasia and Azami, are both known for their singing ability. Teikoku Kagekidan," and about the anime just before it airs.

In addition, we will be giving away autographs of Ms. Fukuhara and Mr. Yamamura to one lucky winner!
Don't miss the link to the application form at the end of the article!

Yamamura-san once sang at an event with Tomosa Yokoyama, "Proclamation! Teikoku Kagekidan" sung by Mr. Yamamura at an event with Ms. Tomosa Yokoyama.

─ ─ Today's costumes of the two of you seem to fit perfectly with the image of the two of you.

Yamamura & Fukuhara It was a coincidence (laughs)!

Fukuhara They have the same taste and point colors.

Yamamura It's like a unit costume (laughs). (laughs) Even their nails are similar.

─ ─ That's how much you two hit it off. So, first of all, I would like to ask you how you feel about being cast in "New Sakura Taisen".

Fukuhara: I can't say enough about how great "Sakura Taisen" is, so at first I really couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe that I was chosen to be a member of the Hanagumi! The day I heard that I had been chosen for the role, I was so excited that I didn't want to be here for the rest of the day. After the schedule was set, I gradually became more and more aware of the role as we exchanged information about the character, and I was both looking forward to it and feeling the need to tighten my grip. I am now determined to do my best as a member of the Hanagumi.

Yamamura: At first, I couldn't believe that I had been chosen. I wondered if it was true that I would be able to perform in "Sakura Taisen" with the word "New" attached to it as a member of the Hanagumi. I spent that night carefully reading the materials. We had a chance to discuss what direction we wanted to take with the characters, voices, and acting, and it was there that I realized once again, "Oh, I'm going to be in "Sakura Taisen. I loved "Proclamation! Teikoku Kagekidan" and bought the CD, so I never thought that the day would come when I would be singing as a member of the Hanagumi, and I am very honored.

───The story of the anime version begins as a continuation of the story of the PS4 game "Shin Sakura Taisen". Compared to the game, how do you feel the characters are played and what changes do you feel in the relationships between the Hanagumi members?

Fukuhara: In the game, Anastasia is very mysterious and her true identity is unknown, but in the anime, she joins the Hanagumi and becomes familiar with everyone. Anastasia is not the type to express her feelings so openly, but I tried to create a relaxed and open atmosphere in her performance.

Yamamura: Azami's first appearance in the game was as an acrobatic ninja (laughs). She always had a tense and stiff atmosphere, but through the various experiences depicted in the game, she came to form firm bonds with everyone in the Hanagumi group. As Furin (Fukuhara-san) said, I am relaxed. I thought it was wonderful to see how they looked before going on stage, as depicted in the anime, and I felt like I could see the daily life that everyone in the Hanagumi spends.

─ How was the recording session?

Fukuhara: It was very peaceful. （Michie Tomizawa, who played Sumire (Kanzaki), was there, and she created a comfortable tension but also a friendly atmosphere. She was very attentive to me. Tomokazu Sugita, who plays the role of Reiji Shiba, would whisper interesting things to her, and it was a fun place to be.

Yamamura It's like a warm and sunny place. Mr. Sugita knows a lot about "Sakura Wars," so he would explain things like, "This character was in this position in the previous work! He would give us explanations like, "This character was in this position in the previous work!

Fukuhara: I learned a lot from his commentary. (laughs). This is the recording with commentary by Mr. Sugita.

─ Is there anything that you were impressed by what Mr. Tomizawa said?

Fukuhara I felt the weight of his words when he said, "The new captain, Kamiyama-kun, is very solid" (laughs).

Yamamura He was very complimentary about the new Hanagumi. He says that we are all very good at singing, even though it is very difficult to sing. I am very happy to be treated so kindly as a member of the Hanagumi.

─ ─ You sang the ending theme song "Sakura Yumemoshi" for the anime as the Hanagumi. Please tell us about the recording and other aspects of the song.

Fukuhara: The song has such a great jump of sound that it almost made my blood vessels break (laughs). (Laughs.) I had to restrain myself during the parts with somewhat sad lyrics, and sing the parts in a high, melodious tone. I thought the song portrayed the image of a fighting maiden. I am looking forward to listening to it every week on air, and I am sure that I will be able to listen to it in various ways depending on the content of the main story. I can't wait to hear the song along with the anime.

Yamamura: It goes without saying that the music is wonderful. The taste of the music is a little different from that of the game. I think it's a wonderful song for maidens fighting bravely, and at the same time, it's a very difficult song to play. I think it may be the most difficult song I have ever sung for "New Sakura Wars," including the game song. I put a lot of energy into recording it, so I hope the song reflects that feeling. The crisp expressions of the members of the flower troupe in the ending video are also perfectly suited to the song, and I thought it was only possible to see it from various angles in 3D, even though it appears to be a still image.

─ Did you have any communication with the composer, Mr. Kohei Tanaka?

Fukuhara: He is a very friendly person, so when we were recording, he would say, "Good morning, how are you? How are you? and we often talked during breaks. He is very good at praising and stretching people, so I was happy to hear him praise my voice and the way I developed it. Kohei Sensei likes sushi and often shows me pictures of it (laughs). He is a very great person, but he is very friendly. He has a great aura, but he is very soft to the audience. He created an atmosphere of calmness during breaks.

Yamamura: I also have a strong impression of him as a very friendly person. Proclamation! Teikoku Kagekidan <New Chapter>," I remember when we first recorded the song, he asked me to take a picture with him. I was very happy to know that this person had written a song that I had loved since I was a little girl, and yet he was so friendly and kind to me. After I sang my heart out on one of the songs, he said, "It's really good, though you weren't worried about it, Mr. Yamamura. I was so full of myself singing, so I was very afraid, but at the same time, it gave me a lot of confidence.

─ How did you feel singing "Gekitei," a song you have loved since you were a child?

Yamamura: I was very honored. In fact, after I became a voice actor, I had the opportunity to sing "Gekitei" with Tomosa Yokoyama (who plays Sakura Shinguji) at a karaoke event! Teikoku Kagekidan" with Tomosa Yokoyama (who plays Sakura Shinguji) at a karaoke event after I became a voice actor. He taught me the choreography very quickly. At that time, I never imagined that such a future would come, so when I thought that we were singing this song as the new Hanagumi, my heart was filled with excitement and I almost cried.

─ ─ In the play, there are many depictions of Hanagumi members standing on stage. How do you feel about your own activities on stage?

Fukuhara & Yamamura (looking at each other) I would love to!

Fukuhara: When I think of "Sakura Wars", I have an image of the cast members standing on stage.

Fukuhara: If you were to take the stage in the "New Sakura Wars," is there any performance or content that you would like to play or see performed?

Yamamura I would like to see Anastasia play a handsome guy. In the first episode of the anime, Anastasia looked like a prince, so I would like to see Furin playing such a figure.

Fukuhara That is a high hurdle!　When I was given the idea of Anastasia playing a male role, I watched DVDs of various stages. One of them was the Takarazuka Revue's "Me and My Girl," which is amazing even if it is just a woman playing a man, but there are handsome men and handsome men, and they perfectly play different types of male roles. So I would like to see not only Anastasia, but also other male roles that the members of Hanagumi express. I think Azami would be a beautiful boy. Hatsuho's male roles also look good!

─ ─ What is your impression of Kamiyama (Seijuro) from your own point of view, Mr. Fukuhara and Mr. Yamamura?

Yamamura: I like him a lot. He seems to be a hard worker, trying his best to be firm, but there is a sense of being out of the loop. But when he does his best as a captain, he is cool. In the first episode of the anime, you received some harsh comments from the other members of the Hanagumi (laughs).

Fukuhara In a good way, I think he is a good-looking young man in the modern style. I think he is a boy that anime viewers can relate to. He is honest, not twisted, hardworking, and charming. I think he will be liked by both men and women. He is an older brother who came to an all-girls' school for an internship and is a bit of a tease, but I think he is popular with the girls.

Yamamura He is a well-liked character.

Fukuhara I think he is a beloved character who will make everyone cry when the internship is over.

───What do you want people to pay attention to in terms of how your acting matches the pictures in the anime? Are there any particular aspects of your performance that you would like people to pay attention to?

Yamamura: Azami is a ninja of the Mochizuki school, and she is determined to do her best, but there is a childish and cute side to her in the anime. When I see a glimpse of this side of Azami, I myself get very excited, so I tried to put that into my performance so that the audience could enjoy it. The animation really moves well, and Azami's movements as a ninja were created beautifully. They have matched the details of the pictures to our performance, so please watch the animation without fail!

Fukuhara: When I was recording the game, I was imagining how graceful Anastasia's gestures must be. In the game, her hand gestures were very beautiful. I have the impression that the artist has made a breakthrough in creating pictures that combine the best aspects of 3D and portraying girls in a cute manner, so that we can see the connection between battle scenes and acting scenes without any sense of discomfort. I think it is amazing. It is an anime that makes my eyes happy, so please look forward to it.

(Reporting and writing by Kiri Nakazato)

Commemorating the broadcast of the TV anime "Shin Sakura Taisen the Animation! One lucky winner will receive a colorful paper autographed by Ayaka Fukuhara and Hibiki Yamamura!

<Prize
A colorful paper autographed by Ayaka Fukuhara and Hibiki Yamamura

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How to apply: Use the dedicated application form below.

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