It was revealed on February 19th that Daisuke Sakuma of the popular group "Snow Man" will be appearing as a voice actor in the 22nd installment of the popular anime "PreCure" series, "You and Idol Pretty Cure". This will be Sakuma's first time appearing in the "PreCure" series. He will play the role of Kaito Hibiki, a "legendary idol" who has attracted attention from all over the world and is loved by everyone from babies to the elderly. Kaito Hibiki will appear in the fourth episode, which will be broadcast on February 23rd.
The motif of "You and Idol Pretty Cure" is "idols," and active idol Sakuma will play the "legendary idol" Hibiki Kaito. Hibiki Kaito is currently on hiatus and studying abroad to study singing, but when he secretly visits the cafe Glitter, run by the parents of the main character Sakura Uta, he meets Uta and her friends.
Upon being confirmed to appear, Sakuma said, "I was very happy, as expected. I think PreCure is an amazing work that has already established itself as a culture, even within the world of Japanese anime, so I am very honored to be a part of it. When I told the members of Snow Man how excited I was, they were like, 'What! PreCure!?' and couldn't believe it, and they were really happy...Everyone said things like 'We're rooting for you' and 'We're really looking forward to the broadcast,' so I felt like they gave me even more of a push."
Regarding the character Kaito, whom he plays, he commented, "What I felt was that Kaito is someone who takes his role as an 'idol' very seriously. His expressions and tone are not light-hearted, and he wants to convey what he is thinking and feeling now with a gentle and honest heart. He is just a kind boy. I really like the way Kaito lives his life."
He said he feels that the common point between him and Kaito is "the way we approach creating or accomplishing something," and added, "Kaito is the type of person who will take the initiative to go and help someone in trouble. I also like to create something together with the staff, so for example, when the staff member is moving desks or chairs, if I think it would be quicker if I helped, I want to do it myself first. I was raised as an idol to be able to do things by myself without bothering others, so I think that's something I can sympathize with Kaito about."
Regarding his thoughts on the "PreCure" series, he commented, "I'm from the generation that grew up with ' Futari wa Pretty Cure PreCure,' so I've been watching this series since it first aired. Since then, each series has been produced with various themes, and the scope of PreCure has expanded greatly. "In 'You and Idol Pretty Cure,' the unexpected theme is 'idols,' and 'PreCure' and 'idols,' which seem close but are far apart, are brought together. I think idols are something that are familiar to everyone, but by combining PreCure, which is something everyone aspires to, with idols who are familiar to everyone, I think that more and more girls will want to become PreCure, as well as idols like PreCure. I hope that by watching 'You and Idol Pretty Cure,' which is full of various dreams and sparkling excitement, they will chase all kinds of dreams, including becoming an idol."
With the theme being "idols," she said, "I'm glad I was an idol, and there were parts of the series that I could really relate to, like 'I understand this part' or 'This is how it feels,' so I thought I could make use of my own experiences." She expressed her enthusiasm, saying, "I hope I can work with Kaito to help make KimiPuri popular."
She sent a message to viewers saying, "I think that through this work, you will feel more and more like 'I want to do my best' or 'I want to support someone' in your daily life. I think it would be wonderful if you could cherish those feelings and make each day shine brightly. Be sure to watch 'You and Idol Pretty Cure' and let it help you in your daily life! Thank you!"
The motif of "You and Idol Precure♪" is "idols," and the theme is "Because of you, I can shine and become stronger!". The legendary saviors, Idol Precure, sing, dance, and give "fan service" for "you," the people they love, the people they care about, the people who support them, the people next to them, and the people in front of them, and your presence makes Idol Precure shine brightly and strongly.
The cast will include Misato Matsuoka as Cure Idol/Sakura Uta, Minami Takahashi as Cure Ink/Soukaze Nana, and Natsumi Takamori as Cure Kyun Kyun/Shiu Kokoro. Broadcast every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on ABC TV and TV Asahi.
