It has been revealed that actor Ihara Rikka will be appearing as a voice actor in the TV anime "Fushigi Dagashiya Zenitendo" (NHK Educational TV), which is based on a popular children's book series. Ihara has also been making waves for her role as fashion magazine editor Aida Yoko in the live-action film "Fushigi Dagashiya Zenitendo" (directed by Nakata Hideo, December 13th), and this will be her first attempt at voice acting.
Ihara will appear in the episode that will air on December 6th at 6:40pm. The episode will focus on 16-year-old high school student Yugemae Minato, and she will play his junior, Kurumi.
As she tries her hand at voice acting for the first time, Ihara is delighted, saying, "I was so nervous that my hands were shaking... I've always said that I wanted to do voice work since pretty much my debut, so I'm very happy that I've finally been able to do it."
On playing a 15-year-old high school student in the anime, he commented, "At first, I thought I should act younger because the role is about 10 years younger than my real age, but Irino Miyu, who plays Minato-senpai, told me in advance that he thought it would be fine to just play my real self, so I listened to Miyu's voice and was able to act as I am, without trying to look too young!"
"I was very happy to be able to take part in this hugely popular series. I was nervous, but it was fun and exciting, so I hope everyone will look forward to the anime as well. And as the movie is being made into a live-action version, I think the story is a mysterious fantasy that will excite children but will also surprise adults, so I hope you will enter the world of Zenitendo at the theater."
"The Mysterious Candy Shop Zenitendo" is a popular children's book series written by Hiroshima Reiko and illustrated by jyajya, with a total of over 11 million copies in circulation. The story is set in Zenitendo, a mysterious candy store that changes the fate of anyone who buys its sweets, and follows the story of the store's owner, Beniko, and her customers. The animated film was screened as part of the Toei Manga Matsuri in 2020, and the TV anime began airing in September 2020.
The live-action film version stars Amami Yuki as Beniko, and also stars Ohashi Kazuya, Hirasawa Kokoro, Irei Himeka, and Hakuyama Noa.
