[Interview] Otomedia 2017/2 Edition – Hand Shakers

Released: 2017/1/10


“It’s a wonderful boy-meets-girl story”

Q: Please tell us what you were particularly attentive to when voicing Tazuna.

Tazuna-kun looks like a cute boy on the outside, but on the inside he loves tinkering with machines, and once he’s gotten absorbed in it he loses sight of his surroundings. I think that boyishness of his is appealing. In order to demonstrate that as much as possible, I strive to voice him in a lively and relaxed manner.

Q: Do you have any interesting stories from the recording sessions?

The recording sessions were rather difficult. Everyone’s acting was so funny that it was hard to keep Tazuna-kun from getting strung along by them *laughs*. Even if I thought something was hilarious as Saito Soma, as Tazuna-kun I had to take it seriously. Also, during the battle scenes, there are emotional exchanges that only happen when you’re clashing with each other, and I think that was fully depicted for each team.

Q: Who’s your personal favourite character, and why?

Hmm, I’m not sure *laughs*. Hayate-kun, Masaru-kun, Hibiki-san, well, basically all of the male characters are incredibly unique, and it’s hard to narrow it down to just one. I think it’d have to be Makihara-sensei, though. Why does he love shumai…? There are also a lot of charming female characters, but I’d like you to appreciate the way Riri handles her tarot cards.

Q: The theme for this issue of the magazine is Valentine’s Day. Which character in this series do you think would enjoy Valentine’s Day the most?

That’s a tough one… Since Kodama-san’s an idol, she’d probably be the busiest because of work, but maybe she enjoys it privately…? Thinking along those lines, Makihara-sensei probably gets more chocolate from his students than you’d expect. And he probably eats them with shumai *laughs*. Hayate-kun seems like the type to smile and go “Huh?! Is this okay?! I don’t deserve this!” if someone gives him chocolate.

Q: What’s your favourite chocolate food, Saito-san?

I usually don’t eat much chocolate, but if everyone’s going to a cafe between jobs or something, I typically order cheesecake or chocolate cake. It’s very rare, though… *laughs*. Also, it’s not really a thing, but chocolate tastes good with whiskey.

Q: Thank you. Lastly, please give a message for the readers regarding Tazuna’s future activities.

A lone boy meets a mysterious girl, and they grow through the battles they encounter. That’s the kind of wonderful boy-meets-girl story this is. Please enjoy the gorgeous backgrounds, stunning battle scenes, stylish music, and extremely animated characters! Thank you for supporting Hand Shakers!