Natsumi Takamori:"You and Idol Pretty Cure" Interview: The true meaning of "Kokoro wa Samurai" - Cure's hard work and determination make her heart flutter

Natsumi Takamori plays Cure Kyun Kyun/Shiu Kokoro in the 22nd installment of the popular anime "PreCure" series, " You and Idol Pretty Cure ". Takamori also played the fairy Kome Kome in the 19th installment of the series, "Delicious Party PreCure", which will air from 2022 to 2023. At a press conference held before the broadcast of " You and Idol Pretty Cure", she made a statement that "Kokoro is a samurai", which became a hot topic. We asked Takamori about her thoughts on "PreCure" and the true meaning of her "samurai statement".

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The motif of "You and Idol Pretty Cure" 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, making "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 - shine brightly. And it is "you" that makes Idol Precure shine brightly and strongly. Misato Matsuoka plays Cure Idol/Sakura Uta, Minami Takahashi plays Cure Ink/Soukaze Nana, and Takamori plays Cure Kyun Kyun/Shiu Kokoro. The show airs every Sunday at 8:30 a.m. on ABC TV and TV Asahi.

Takamori had a special feeling for the role, as she played Kome Kome in "Delicious Party PreCure" for about a year.

"I had auditioned for PreCure several times before I was chosen for the role of Kome-Kome. That's why I thought I had been auditioning all this time for the role of Kome-Kome! So when I was playing Kome-Kome, I felt like it was a culmination of my career. Kome-Kome grows from a baby, and is the only fairy who can take on a human form. She was the character that was in the spotlight in the movie, and I was able to fight alongside the PreCure, and I felt like I was able to fulfill her dream of becoming a PreCure and a fairy together with them. So I felt like it was a culmination of my career. I wondered if there was anything more to come."

She auditioned for "You and Idol Pretty Cure" and was cast as a Precure. "Is something like that really happening?!" she said. It's been a while since recording began, but that feeling is still somewhere in my heart.

◇ I thought it was all cute, but

Kokoro Shiu, a first year junior high school student, is good at dancing and has a lot of passion inside her. Her catchphrase is "My heart is pounding!" She's a cute character, but there's more to her than that.

"At the first tape audition, there were no pictures, just a description of the character. I was described as a 'sensible girl,' but her name is Kyun Kyun, so I went in thinking she'd be a cute girl who makes your heart flutter. At the studio audition, I saw the visual for the first time, and (series director) Kon Chiaki gave me a more in-depth explanation. She's also very cute in appearance, isn't she? But when I heard that 'her heart is a samurai,' I realized that I wasn't just focusing on cuteness... and changed direction. I think 'My heart is fluttering!' is a phrase with depth. You might imagine a chirpy voice, but it's boiling. In terms of the voice alone, it's close to the way I use my voice when I play boys."

In episode 6, "Is your heart pounding?", where Kokoro makes her full appearance, we get a glimpse of the "samurai", but what exactly is a samurai?! This leaves us intrigued.

"You may be wondering what a samurai is (laughs). I think it's stoicism. I think of it as the stoicism of an athlete. I think episode 6 is an episode that really brings out that stoicism. She's a junior among the PreCure girls, but I imagined she'd have the confidence of an eldest daughter in a big family when she gets home, but she's actually an only child (laughs). However, after learning about her family background, I realized she's a strong-willed girl who doesn't want to cause trouble for her mother. At heart she's a samurai, but she also has the qualities of someone her age, and she has feelings for her idols. When the two of them (Cure Idol and Cure Ink) give her fan service, she gets happy. I'm trying to portray her in a way that shows the difference between them. She's chasing after the two of them, so I'm sure she'll continue to grow, and she's probably aware that she can't do it as well as them. I think she has such strong respect for them that she feels like she's standing on the same stage as them!"

In episode 6, Kokoro was unable to transform into Precure, but in episode 7, "Kokoro Odoru♪ Cure Kyun Kyun Debut!", she finally transformed for the first time. In interviews with voice actors of Precure, I have heard many say that "the first transformation was really nerve-wracking."

"It took two episodes, and it was a really extravagant transformation. Episode 6 was really nerve-wracking. It was the first episode in which Kokoro speaks a lot, so I got nervous and ended up singing in a high key, which surprised even myself. I was able to do my first transformation in episode 7 relatively calmly. In preparation for the recording of episode 7, I had practiced the transformation speech many times. Precure transform naturally even when it's their first time. I thought it would be bad if I wasn't used to saying it, so I would say the transformation speech whenever I had free time. I will consider it a success if it sounds like it's not my first transformation."

◇ Misato Matsuoka takes the lead

I'm also curious about how the combination of the three PreCure voice actors, including Matsuoka and Takahashi, will work.

"Misato, who plays Cure Idol, leads the group with her voice. This was the first time we worked together, and when I heard Cure Idol speak for the first time, I felt an overwhelming light and was moved. Cure Idol leads the group, and Cure Ink supports them. The three of us have a great balance."

Matsuoka may be a junior in terms of experience, but he has a power that doesn't make that apparent.

"Before we went to the set, I wondered if we were the ones supporting the Cure idols. But I was wrong. I feel that Misato is someone who can really believe in her own acting. She doesn't seem anxious, and is very reliable. She acts with all her might and looks like she's having fun, so it's the kind of thing that pulls us along and raises the tension on set. Misato is like a Cure idol. She's always speaking positive words, so I think she was destined to be a Cure idol, and I'm very touched."

More than 20 years have passed since the first series, "Futari wa Pretty Cure," began in 2004, and "Pretty Cure" has become a beloved, long-running series. What does Takamori think is the appeal of "Pretty Cure"?

"During 'Depapuri' we couldn't all record together due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this time we are all recording together. I am moved by how united we all are when we all play PreCure! In my generation, many children wrote Sailor Moon on their Tanabata paper strips as what they wanted to be when they grew up, but now it's PreCure. I heard from a dance teacher I know that her child said, 'I want to be Cure Kyun Kyun!' It makes me realize that PreCure is a character that people look up to, and that I am involved in an amazing production. Kome Kome was a character that everyone loved, but this time I'm playing a character that people look up to."

The smiles and voices of children and others who support her are her source of energy.

"I've had the opportunity to see the Thanksgiving events, the 20th anniversary concerts, and the debut concerts of 'Kimipuri', and I'm always moved by the way the children move their bodies in their own way. They cheer for us at the shows too. The children feel like they're there with Precure, not just in the show. I get so moved that I almost cry."

Takamori said that while playing Cure Kyun Kyun, she felt, "Kokoro-chan is someone who puts in effort and determination! She also experiences setbacks. Kokoro-chan is someone who puts in effort, so if I don't put in effort, I won't be able to catch up!" It seems like we won't be able to take our eyes off Cure Kyun Kyun, who overcomes setbacks with effort and determination.