Interview with Yashahime Voice Actresses

Translated by: Harley Acres

What were your first impressions after reading the manga adaptation of Yashahime?

Mikako Komatsu: Just being able to read Yashahime drawn by Shiina-sensei is the best thing ever, but I was honestly surprised to find that the atmosphere was quite different from the anime.

Sara Matsumoto: Me too. Personally, I was shocked when Towa wore a skirt instead of slacks. I thought that was a really beautiful thing to see.

Azusa Tadokoro: It was interesting to see Towa-chan being squealed at by the girls around her, which is something you don't see in the anime.

Komatsu: In fact, in the anime, Towa is the one that seems spellbound by Setsuna in this melodramatic way chasing after her and yelling, “Come onnnn!”

Matsumoto: Also, when her classmates ask her out to karaoke but then run away because she glares at them too intensely, or when she asks a girl out just to fight against the monster, all of these are things I've never seen before in Towa, and I thought, "This kind of Towa is cute too.”

Tadokoro: Sota-Papa's parental foolishness, Mei-chan's sis-con (sister complex) foolishness, the whole thing is full of comedic bits, that I think are more powerful than the anime’s.

Komatsu: While inheriting Rumiko Takahashi's "Rumic World", Shiina-sensei also added a new angle to it, and I felt that the fusion of the two was "Shiina-sensei as expected".

Were there any particularly memorable scenes that stick out in your minds？

Matsumoto: It’s the scene where Setsuna and Moroha appear. I like Moroha's line, "It’s what cousins do!" They've never been called "cousin" in the anime (laughs).

Tadokoro: I was really excited when the two of them appeared, "Here they are!” But I was more concerned about her physique than how they referred to each other. Is her body getting better? (laughs)

Komatsu: Not just Moroha, but everyone seems to be a bit more dashing visually.

Tadokoro: That's right. Maybe my voice doesn't fit anymore (laughs). All the characters look really great, which is the appeal of comic adaptation.

Komatsu: I'm impressed with Papa Sota's flashbacks. I remember Sota as a child on Inuyasha's back. I was happy that he hadn't forgotten.

Matsumoto: It's also nice to call Inuyasha "Inu no ni-chan".

Tadakoro "I want to see you again, Ni-chan" was really great.

Komatsu: Also, when it comes to Setsuna, she feels more like Sesshomaru than in the anime. Her eyes and facial expressions.

Matsumoto: Towa said, "They’re scared of my eyes!?"

Tadokoro: I laughed at the onomatopoeia of "boom" (don) (laughs).

What kind of manga do you read in your private life?

Komatsu: There are some works that I've always loved and read, such as Detective Conan (名探偵コナン/Meitantei Conan), but I haven't been able to pick up many new ones. Because of work, I have to give priority to reading the works that I’m auditioning for.

Tadokoro: Yeah. Most of what I read are also audition-related.

Komatsu: Moreover, no matter how long the original manga is, I have to read all of it before I can consider it finished (laughs).

Matsumoto: That's... that’s really hard.

Komatsu: It does cost a bit (laughs). Therefore, I usually read comic essays on my smartphone when I’m in need of a break. It makes me feel relaxed, “ah this is what I need.”

Tadokoro: I like heartwarming stories with yokai, so Inuyasha and Natsume's Book of Friends (夏目友人帳/Natsume Yujin-cho) are right up my alley. I love the way that monsters and humans communicate with each other. I also read Black Butler (黒執事/Kuroshitsuji) because I like its otherworldly atmosphere.

Matsumoto: I like historical stories featuring Japanese samurai and warriors, and I usually fall in love with stories like that. I don't know anything about what really happened in those days, but somehow I get so emotionally involved in them that I can't help but cry.

Our final topic is Inuyasha, please tell us who your favorite characters are and the best scenes.

Komatsu: I really like Kagura, so her final scene (volume 38 chapter 6 "The Wind") is the best. I was just bawling, thinking how beautiful, fragile and sad it was. I wanted Kagura to be rewarded, but Sesshomaru had Rin, so I felt indescribably sad.

Tadokoro: I like the interactions of Sesshomaru-sama and Rin-chan, so one of them is "Together With Lord Sesshomaru, Forever" (episode 162). Rin-chan asks Sesshomaru-sama, "Will you remember Rin even if Rin dies someday?", And Sesshomaru-sama, who was stunned by it, responded "don’t say such silly things." Sesshomaru-sama makes me cry with just one comment... so not fair (laughs).

Matsumoto: I really like Miroku-sama. I liked the fact that he was a womanizer despite his good-looking design, and I liked his frivolous nature. However, as the story progressed, it became clear that he was actually troubled and conflicted by the curse of Wind Tunnel. Whenever I saw him struggling by himself and trying not to worry the people around him, I got sad and thought, "If only I was there, I could listen to everything Miroku-sama has to say! I feel so sad... I'm pretty creepy, aren't I? (laughs)

Komatsu:I know what you mean. In my case, it was Kagome who was in as a character, and I was still a little weird about it. I was always angry with Kikyo, saying things like, "I can't tolerate your flirting! I also tried to imitate Kagome by shortening my skirt a bit and asked my parents to give me a Japanese-style room (laughs).

Matsumoto: Kagome's room is a Japanese-style room with a western bed.

Komatsu: That's right. I had a delusion that Inuyasha would come through the window if I made it look like Kagome's room (laughs). Also, there was a well at my school, so I went to see it every day even though it was pointless.

Matsumoto and Tadokoro: I understand!

Matsumoto: Even now, when I find a well, my heart goes "Woohoo" (laughs).

Tadakoro: That's an "Inuyasha thing", isn't it?