A special lecture on "PriPara," part of the popular "Pretty Series" anime and game series, entitled "Iwasaki Gakuen IwaFest 2024 x PriPara 10th Anniversary x Special Lecture: The Mystery of the Red Flash," was held on October 26th at Yokohama Digital Arts College (Kohoku Ward, Yokohama City), with appearances by Director Moriwaki Makoto, voice actress Kubota Miyu, who plays Hojo Sophie, producer Yoda Ken of Tatsunoko Productions, and producer Oba Shinichiro of Takara Tomy Arts. The behind-the-scenes details of the audition that led to Kubota being chosen to play Sophie were revealed.
In the audition script, Sophie is named "Sora," and lines such as "A burning heart is 16-beat ponzu ice cream..." and "Pshhhh~" were prepared, and part of the script was made public. Director Moriwaki explained how Kubota landed the role of Sofi, saying, "Sofi is all about whether she can say 'pshhh'. 'pshhh' was good. She had a really good level of relaxation."
Sofi is a cool and stylish genius, but she has no ability to live independently. Her catchphrase, "pshhh," which she uses when she's relaxed, seems to have been the key. Looking back on the recording, Kubota said, "My character and Yamakita (Yamakita Saki, who plays Toudou Shion) have very different voices, especially in terms of our characters. I learned a lot from her."
When the topic turned to "Sofi's future," Director Moriwaki suggested, "She'll go on a training journey, beat idols in dance battles, and get signs. She'll go to various places and sleep outdoors," while Oba suggested, "Sofi has been released from her cage, but when she flies away, she may actually be in a bigger cage. The journey of the liberated maiden continues..."
Although the TV anime series "PriPara" has finished broadcasting, it is a series that has not yet ended, with various developments such as apps and events continuing. Kubota said of her feelings about "PriPara," "It is a series that has helped both myself and i☆Ris (the voice actor idol unit of which Kubota is a member) to grow. I really felt that 'PriPara' will continue on into the future!"
The TV anime series "PriPara" began airing in July 2014. It depicts Lala's struggle to become a godly idol. The smartphone app "Idol Land PriPara" is also gaining popularity. At a lecture held as part of Iwasaki Academy's school festival "POP STEP JUMP! IwaFes 2024," collaboration goods between Manaka Lala and Iwasaki Academy's original character HARUKO were also sold.
