The TV anime "The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor ," based on a light novel from Kadokawa Beans Bunko (KADOKAWA), has been airing on TOKYO MX and other stations since October 9th. The voice actor for the main character, Jill, is Shu Uchida. Uchida is a voice actor who is known for her role as Mia Taylor in "Love Live! Nijigasaki High School Idol Club," and this is her first time starring in an anime. We asked Uchida about her thoughts on the series, which is her first leading role.
◇Switching between acting as a 16-year-old and a 10-year-old
"The Do-Over Damsel Conquers the Dragon Emperor " is a new light novel series by Nagase Sarasa, author of "Since I'm a Villain, I Tried Raising the Last Boss," which was also made into a TV anime. The story is about 16-year-old Jill, who has her engagement broken off by the crown prince, and goes back to when she met him six years ago, in an attempt to avoid the route of destruction. Jill proposes to Emperor Hadis, who grabs her hand in an instant to avoid the route of destruction. In addition to Toya Kikunosuke, who plays Hadis, the cast will include Izawa Shiori, Hino Mari, Tachibana Ryumaru, Toki Junichi, and Nukui Yuka.
Uchida first came across the work before auditioning and became completely hooked.
"I first started reading the comic version, and it was so interesting that I bought the original novel myself and read it all in one go. I also watched the original author's X and did a lot of research on the work. I've always liked romantic comedies, but I've never read many stories where the male character is very affectionate, so that was a fresh experience for me. Hadis is strong because he's the Dragon Emperor, but he doesn't show that to Jill. He's completely smitten. That was interesting. Aside from the romance, there's also action, and I felt that this work had a lot of appeal."
Jill, played by Uchida, is betrayed by her fiance, and as she dies, her time goes backwards from 16 to 10 years old. She is a character with such strong magical powers that she is called the daughter of the God of War.
"She's a very strong character. She leads others and is also reliable. Even when time goes back, she has a strong core, but she also has a naive side when it comes to love, which is cute and I like the contrast."
The imbalance of having a 16-year-old heart but a 10-year-old body is also attractive. How did she try to play 16-year-old Jill and 10-year-old Jill?
"I go back to being 10 years old, but when I'm thinking, my voice remains that of a 16-year-old. I tried to act in a way that made it clear that I was 16 or 10. At 16, my body has grown, so my vocal cords should be different from when I was 10, so I was conscious of making her stronger. 10-year-old Jill also has a strong core, but I was conscious of my 10-year-old vocal cords while maintaining my strength. When I screamed, I tried to express it in a way that retained my strength while still retaining a childish feel."
During the recording, it was necessary to instantly switch between acting as a 16-year-old and a 10-year-old.
"It took me a while to get used to it. There were times when I felt like I wasn't quite 16 or 10 and I had to re-record. But gradually I got to understand Jill better and I was able to switch gears. I think it was great that I was able to understand the character more deeply while recording with everyone."
◇I did my best!
As this was her first leading role, she said, "There were so many things I didn't know," but she recorded with the help of her co-stars.
"I was very nervous at first. Toya-kun, who plays Hadis, is about my age, and everyone is friendly, so as I talked with everyone, I felt that it was a kind world! I was able to act without being nervous. Also, it was fun to record with everyone. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to record in separate locations, so I didn't have a chance to see my seniors' acting up close, but by working with them, I learned a lot. I really like talking to people, and I want to get along with everyone, so I was happy to be able to casually chat with everyone before recording, go out to eat afterwards, and become friends with them."
As it was her first leading role, she said, "That's why I felt a strong desire to do my best! I can't be the only one to give a half-hearted performance among all my seniors, and I didn't want to lose to the others! I prepared with that feeling in mind." She learned a lot as she recorded.
"At first, I was so focused on fitting in the time frame that I didn't really think about the other people's acting. I was so determined to do it right that I didn't have time to fit in with the others. After the test, sound director Iwanami (Miwa) advised me, 'You did well, but I think it would be good to deepen your understanding of the relationships with the other characters through the acting of your co-stars,' and I realized that I was only thinking about myself."
Uchida realized that by facing the script and practicing too much before recording, she had made her acting too rigid. In order to value the acting that comes out on the spot, she changed her practice methods and tried to be more flexible.
"Of course, I practice a lot, but I tried to approach the recording with a level head, just practicing not to trip up. Something comes out of acting with everyone. That's what's fun. Everyone has something I don't, and being able to experience it on set is a learning experience and it's stimulating. In a fighting scene, when the other person is really strong, you have to make sure you don't lose, and the dialogue is fun. I really love this job! I felt that I loved it!"
After finishing the recording, she seemed to realize her growth, saying, "I learned and was helped by my seniors, and I feel like I've grown as a person. I also feel like I've accomplished a lot in my own way."
Finally, when I asked her, "If you could go back in time like Jill, how old would you like to go back to?" she began, "I would be in the third grade of elementary school..." "I'm originally from Australia and grew up overseas, but when I was in the third grade, I went to my mother's hometown in Hiroshima for the first time as a trial student. It was only a one-month trial, and the schools were completely different from those in Australia, so I became interested in Japan. However, I was a child at the time, and I thought that since I could speak English, I didn't really need to study Japanese properly...But now I wish I had been exposed to more Japanese culture and studied more Japanese at that time."
