Original Link: https://www.b-boy.jp/special/syounen/cd/interview.html
Published: 2020/4/10
※Only Soma’s section has been translated in this post.
Q: What were your impressions of the Shounen no Kyoukai recording?
When I read the original work, the relationship polygon was so serious and dense that I felt it was going to be a challenge to convert to voice form. When I was checking the script, there were some parts that were hard for me to visualize, but today when we were all acting it out together, I realized “Oh, I don’t need to approach this logically; I can just let it carry me away.” We were able to produce the dialogues in a way that can only be done in person, and that was a lot of fun. Partway through, we got weirdly excited *laughs* and I felt a sense of unity with everyone.
Q: What did you think about the character you played?
I voiced Yuka at various stages of life, from child to adult. As a child, he was the center of attention, and ability-wise he was #1. As he grew up, he went through a phase where he acted lethargic, thinking it made him cool, and later, he found out that he was an omega. The work depicts how he changes from then until adulthood. I was impressed by his internal conflict as he faces the truths of being an omega, becoming a pair with Kaoru, and not being able to go back to how he was before. I was also an active kid up until around second grade, always wanting to play dodgeball and whatnot, but I developed lethargy syndrome after that as well. So, I expressed the parts I could empathize with as I knew them, without embellishment.
Q: What did you think about the special “omegaverse” setting?
This is my first time appearing in an omegaverse work. The setting has six genders that are unsurpassable walls, and the highlight is how the characters struggle against it. I felt that the omegaverse setting makes it easy to depict those clear boundaries.
From Yuka’s point of view, he knows that as an omega, what he’s experiencing is only a physiological reaction. But his body acts contrary to what he wants, and when he crosses the line, he becomes anxious about whether they’re truly understanding each other’s feelings. Even from a reader’s perspective, it moved my heart. The last part of the drama CD is certainly something that can only happen in an omegaverse.
Q: What gets you suddenly excited like you’re in heat, and why?
Lately I’ve been into this game with “holes” and “rods”… and other shapes of blocks… That’s right, it’s Tetris *laughs*. I normally don’t play puzzle games much, but some years ago I played it again at a friend’s house and ended up buying the game. Recently I started playing it again when I have some spare time at home, and I got into it again. I even read strategy guides online. Lately, whenever I see a rod I start playing Tetris in my head *laughs*. I’m addicted.
Q: A message for the fans, please.
Yuka is listed first on the character list, but this story is really about each of the four characters, and can only exist by interweaving the four. The original work’s fantastic composition and well thought-out story made it a really worthwhile read, and all of us did our very best to transform it into audio. I’m anxiously looking forward to hearing the completed version too. The original work is in its third season now, so while the four of us have reached a stopping point here, I’m looking forward to seeing what kinds of emotions we’ll be expressing in the future, from the perspective of a reader and a performer. I hope you enjoy listening to this drama CD, and thank you for supporting Shounen no Kyoukai.