[Interview] Elegance Eve 2020/6 Edition – Saito Soma in Sake to Koi ni wa Yotte Shikarubeki – Part.2

Released: 2020/4/25

※Part of this interview is repeated from Souffle – Saito Soma in Sake to Koi ni wa Yotte Shikarubeki.

Soma’s Recommendation Comment: “When you like a restaurant, it’s not necessarily for a logical reason—something just clicks with you. This manga is the same! Once I got a taste, I was already hooked, and both my page-flipping hand and sake-drinking hand were constantly in motion! Matsuko-san, let’s have a toast with cup sake!”


Q: Sake to Koi ni wa Yotte Shikarubeki depicts Matsuko’s heart swaying between Imaizumi and Date. As a man, are you able to understand this woman’s heart?

Imaizumi-kun and Date-san are both the types that’ll sway a woman’s heart, right? Matsuko-san goes through mood swings at the whims of the two men, but at the end of the day she’ll enjoy blissful alone time with her sake, and I thought those wildly changing emotions of hers were very charming.

Q: Between Imaizumi and Date, which do you have more in common with?

I think it’d be Date-san. I relate to his childish passion for his interests, and how he likes matching alcohol with food. Imaizumi-kun really has that modern day youth feel, though… so if you ask which one makes my heart skip a beat, it’s him *laughs*.

To be honest, I think Matsuko will have a hard time with those two. Date-san’s quite the ruffian, after all. We’ll see how the troubles continue in Volume 4 and beyond.

Q: The female characters are very unique too. Which one is your type?

All of Haruko-sensei’s characters are charming, so it’s hard to choose… but Matsuko-san would be the most fun to live with. She seems like she’d always be excited about delicious food. Seeing her drinking and going “That hits the spot~” would make me relax too.

But the one who’s my type is actually Shiraishi-san. I like the cool, beautiful onee-sans, so I thought “She’s my type” from the start. But thinking realistically, considering how fickle I am, I’d probably find myself pretty tied down by a stable adult like her. But then again, I’m okay with that *laughs*.

Mimori-chan is younger than me, but she’s strong-willed in a good way. So, she’d be the most likely to have me in the palm of her hand *laughs*. Shiraishi-san also says, “I think it’s impressive that she has so much confidence in herself at the age of 24.” She has her life clearly planned out, and shows it off in a way where I can’t tell whether she’s trying to discourage Matsuko-san or actually has good intentions *laughs*. She seems like she’d guide the person she’s going out with, so I think she’s reliable despite being younger.

Honestly, all of the characters are appealing.


Bonus: Off-shot from Soma’s stylist, Honda Yuuki:

Bonus: A blog post from Honda Yuuki about the styling:

https://note.com/yuukihonda/n/nf7da252e66c8

(I won’t be translating it because he doesn’t allow reposting/alterations of his content)

[Interview] Souffle – Saito Soma in Sake to Koi ni wa Yotte Shikarubeki

Original Article: https://souffle.life/topics/souffle-special/20200327/
Published: 2020/3/27

Mentioned:
Nakajima Yoshiki, Yashiro Taku, Eguchi Takuya, Hirose Yuya, Takeuchi Shunsuke


Saito Soma recommended Sake to Koi ni wa Yotte Shikarubeki in Nikkei Woman’s “Books and Manga to Cheer You Up” feature. He wore a suit to match the characters Imaizumi and Date. In this interview, he talks about why he enjoys SakeKoi so much.

He knew at first sight that he would like it

Q: How did you find out about Sake to Koi ni wa Yotte Shikarubeki?

I saw an ad for it online. I thought the art was really cute, and I’ve always liked manga about alcohol and gourmet food, so that piqued my interest. I read Chapter 1 as a start, thought “This is interesting!” and immediately bought the rest of the chapters *laughs*

Haruko-sensei’s art is very much my style. The female characters are so cute, especially the protagonist, Matsuko-san! I knew from first sight that there was no way I wouldn’t like this.

Q: You dressed as Imaizumi and Date for this feature. Which of the two do you relate to more?

I think it’d be Date-san. I relate to his childish passion for his interests, and how he likes matching alcohol with food. Imaizumi-kun really has that modern day youth feel, though… so if you ask which one makes my heart skip a beat, it’s him *laughs*

To be honest, I think Matsuko will have a hard time with those two. Date-san’s quite the ruffian, after all. We’ll see how the troubles continue in Volume 4 and beyond.

Q: The female characters are very unique too. Which one is your type?

(1) Matsuko, the alcohol-loving, easy-going protagonist
(2) Shiraishi, Matsuko’s reliable friend
(3) Mimori, Imaizumi’s self-assured, confident girlfriend
(4) Mogami, Date’s chill coworker

All of Haruko-sensei’s characters are charming, so it’s hard to choose… but Matsuko-san would be the most fun to live with. She seems like she’d always be excited about delicious food. Seeing her drinking and going “That hits the spot~” would make me relax too.

But the one who’s my type is actually Shiraishi-san. I like the cool, beautiful onee-sans, so I thought “She’s my type” from the start. But thinking realistically, considering how fickle I am, I’d probably find myself pretty tied down by a stable adult like her. But then again, I’m okay with that *laughs*

A solo trip to Kyoto, drinking sake while chewing on sweetfish on the riverbed…

Q: This manga loves to show how delicious alcohol and snacks can be. Please tell us which ones interested you!

For the snacks, it was the marinated tuna that Matsuko-san made for Imaizumi-kun the first time. I like to cook, and I do marinating sometimes too. It’s a simple snack that doesn’t require any difficult work, but Matsuko-san’s passionate talk about grating fresh wasabi and the mood between them when they went shopping left a big impression on me.

I drink sake often, but I never really thought about drinking single-serve cup sake by myself. I found out through this manga that you can microwave cup sake to make it hot, and realized that there are other ways to enjoy it. There are a lot of different varieties these days, such as the one with the cat label in the manga. It made me realize that cup sake is easier to get into than I expected.

I’m from Yamanashi, so the “Shichiken Sparkling” that appears in the manga is from my home precture. Lately, more people have been telling me that they like Shichiken. Yamanashi is famous for Hakushu whiskey and Koshu wine, but I want to learn more about its local alcohol. Shichiken is very delicious.

Q: What would your ideal way of drinking sake be?

A long time ago, I decided to go on a trip to Kyoto by myself. It was the end of September, and in that cold weather, I drank cold sake and chewed on sweetfish at a riverbed, all by myself.

People probably don’t drink by themselves at the river during that season, so I think the lady who worked there was concerned about me becoming a hermit when she kindly spoke to me. It was a memorable trip, with a beautiful view and mood, and the thought of “Don’t worry, I’m just a tourist!” *laughs*

Q: Do you have any drinking buddies among your fellow voice actors?

Lately I’ve been drinking with Nakajima Yoshiki a lot. We’re at the same agency, and he also enjoys a wide range of creative activities, like writing. We talk about creating things and future plans. I also drink a lot with Yashiro Taku-kun. He’s a good listener, and very fun to drink with.

For senpais it’d be Eguchi Takuya-san, and for kouhais it’d be Hirose Yuya, although he’s from a different agency. A kouhai from the same agency would be Takeuchi Shunsuke-kun. He’s… a bit similar to Imaizumi-kun, maybe. He’s a good guy that makes people smile. Since he’s younger than me, that might be why I feel Imaizumi-kun’s cuteness in him. I also enjoy drinking with my unreserved former classmates, although I haven’t been able to much lately.

Q: You provided a wonderful comment for the Volume 4 wrapper. What kind of feelings went into it?

As someone who had already been reading the series, I was happy when they asked to feature me on the wrapper. Writing wrapper comments is actually quite difficult. There’s a character limit, and you have to consider what kind of information you’re allowed to include.

At Volume 3, I thought “No matter what they say, Matsuko-san’s going to stick with Date-san, right?” But then in Volume 4… Imaizumi-kun is a bad man *laughs*

Q: That’s what the “That’s it, Imaizumi!” line in the comment was about, right? *laughs*

“Anyone would be swayed by a move like that!” In that sense, I think Volume 4 was when I empathized with Matsuko-san the most *laughs* I’m dying to see what happens next!

[Interview] Elegance Eve 2020/5 Edition – Saito Soma in Sake to Koi ni wa Yotte Shikarubeki – Part.1

Released: 2020/3/26

※Part of this interview is repeated from Souffle – Saito Soma in Sake to Koi ni wa Yotte Shikarubeki.

Soma’s Recommendation Comment: “The considerate comedian Matsuko-san, the cool bespectacled Shiraishi-san, and the clever, worldly Mimori-san are all wonderful! But Matsuko’s probably locked onto Date-san’s route, right? …Or so I thought! That’s it, Koizumi! You are interested, Koizumiii! I can’t wait for the next cup (volume)! I’ll drink another cup sake tonight, wishing for everyone’s happiness!”


Q: How did you find out about Sake to Koi ni wa Yotte Shikarubeki?

I saw an ad for it online. I thought the art was really cute, and I’ve always liked manga about alcohol and gourmet food, so that piqued my interest. I read Chapter 1 as a start, thought “This is interesting!” and immediately bought the rest of the chapters *laughs*. Haruko-sensei’s art is very much my style.

I actually microwaved cup sake like Matsuko (the protagonist) did *laughs* and found it relaxing to drink it while reading the manga. I also love all of the characters! It has a comedic touch, so it goes down smoothly.

Q: For this photo shoot, you wore suits inspired by Imaizumi and Date, two of the characters in the manga. What did you think?

I usually don’t get the chance to wear business suits, so it felt very fresh. I’ve imagined before what kind of people might play the role of Imaizumi and Date-san, but I never once thought it would be me. Recreating their scenes and voicing their lines for the PV were novel experiences for me.

If I were to become the voice actor for one of them, I think I’d be a better fit for Date-san. It was rather difficult to portray Imaizumi-kun’s free, cat-like nature. It’s unfair how he’s normally cool and composed, but becomes all smiles when he’s drunk *laughs*. I think it’d be fun to drink while imagining who I’d want to voice him!

Q: With the release of Volume 4, things are getting more exciting in Sake to Koi ni wa Yotte Shikarubeki. A message, please!

When I began reading, I knew instinctively that I was going to like this manga, but I’m enjoying it even more than I thought I would. I think that those who pick it up for the first time because of my collaboration will also enjoy “drinking” it in, so I hope we can enjoy it together. Every chapter has me wondering who Matsuko will end up with, and I really want to know where this is going *laughs*. But it’s great how both sake and this manga make me think, “I want to drink a little more.” I’m savouring each and every chapter. As a fan, I’m looking forward to what happens next.


Bonus: Off-shot from Soma’s stylist, Honda Yuuki:

Bonus: A blog post from Honda Yuuki about the styling:

https://note.com/yuukihonda/n/n236dc47b41e7

It has another off-shot as well. (I won’t be translating it because he doesn’t allow reposting/alterations of his content)