The TV anime "Your Forma", based on the light novel by Dengeki Bunko (KADOKAWA) author Mareho Kikuishi and illustrated by Tsubata Nozaki, will be broadcast on TV Asahi's new nationwide anime slot "IMAnimation W" every Wednesday at 11:45 pm from April 2nd (excluding some regions). Set in a world where people's memories are recorded in an information terminal called "Your Forma" embedded in their brains, genius girl Etika Hieda, who has become the world's youngest special agent and electric search officer who can dive into the collection of records "Kioku", and her partner, humanoid robot Harold W. Lucraft, take on crime. We spoke to voice actress Kana Hanazawa, who plays Etika Hieda, about the appeal of the work and what goes on behind the scenes in the recording.
◇What if Kana Hanazawa was “searched”?
The work won the grand prize at the 27th Dengeki Novel Prize. Following the book's release commemorative PV released in 2021, Hanazawa will play Etika and Kensho Ono will play Harold in the anime. Hanazawa said she was "surprised" to be continuing in her role from the PV.
"I feel very lucky to be able to continue from that kind of PV. I have experience, but not that often, so I'm really grateful."
In the series, everything you see, hear, and even your emotions are all stored in your brain's information terminal, Your Forma, and serious crimes are investigated by Ethica-like electric search officers who can dive (electrically search) into the collection of records. Hanazawa-san talks about the appeal of the series, saying, "I thought it was really amazing that they created the setting of electric search."
"No matter how advanced technology becomes, no one really wants their own memories to be seen. It's frightening to imagine. But there's also the struggle of knowing the absolute truth. Even in the world of the work, there are people who are against Your Forma, so while I think it's very realistic, I also think that this kind of future may come. Even difficult cases can be solved if you can enter the memories of the people involved. You'd need to have special powers like Ethica, but it would be incredible if it actually existed."
When asked "What if your electronic data was searched?" Hanawa replied, "I think what's going on inside my head would be really scary (laughs)."
"Like, does this guy go to the bakery every day? I'm worried that I'll be digging up memories that I probably don't need to look at, and it makes me nervous. I think there are only six patterns: listening to the radio, checking work, doing pilates, going to the gym, taking a walk, eating bread (laughs). Personally, I think it's really funny, but from the outside, it seems like 'this person has very few behavioral patterns,' so I don't think it's something I can show to other people. So I hope nothing bad happens around me (laughs)."
◇Ethica, the genius and clumsy
Etika, played by Hanawa, is a genius girl who became the youngest electrician in the world, but she has been isolated because of her talent. Hanawa describes Etika as a "clumsy girl."
"The original work was very helpful in capturing her character. If you watch the first episode, you'll understand that she is cold and says things she doesn't really mean, and there are many things about her that you can't understand just from her attitude and lines. She's also a clumsy girl, so I relied on the original work to pick out what she was thinking when she acted in a certain way, and what she was really thinking when she said what she said."
Regarding Etica's partner Harold, she says, "When I imagine him being close to me, I feel very scared." Harold is a super high-performance humanoid robot called an Amicus, and has specs and observational skills that are incomparable to those of ordinary Amicus, and his information processing ability is comparable to Etica's. He sometimes bosses Etica around with audacity that is uncharacteristic of a robot.
"If Harold was close to me, it would be like he would control everything, and guide me in everything. It would be fine if it was all aimed at 'solving the case', but if he guided my private life and everything, I would become very suspicious, and I might start to wonder, 'Where is my own will?' I tend to be easily swayed (laughs). It's scary to imagine it in real life."
◇The emotional distance between Ethica and Harold
One of the highlights of the film is the bond between Etica and Harold as a buddy team, and their actions. Hanazawa says she feels that Etica's humanity comes out in her interactions with Harold.
"From the outside, Etica seems more robot-like, or expressionless. However, there are times when she chooses to be expressionless, or when she is clumsy, so when you look into her true nature, you can see her human side. This side of her becomes apparent especially in her interactions with Harold. Etica approaches Harold with the belief that humans and AI can coexist, so she gets hurt when she thinks to Harold, "Wow, that was an incredible machine." When she tells Harold this, she goes too far. She is clumsy, but also endearing."
There are scenes in which Ethica is manipulated by Harold, and he said, "It doesn't show on her face, but her heart is extremely agitated," and added, "I was really conscious of taking those emotions into consideration, without making it seem too forced."
The anime will be based on the second volume of the original manga. Because the first volume, such as the meeting between Etica and Harold, is omitted, "I think it was necessary for me to digest the first volume in my own mind," but he also feels that "the viewers will be able to enjoy it even if they don't understand the story of the first volume."
"I thought it would be good enough to show that this well-balanced duo would solve more and more cases from here on out. However, in my mind, they have been through a lot and have become close enough to even have light-hearted conversations. Furthermore, the bond between the two deepens considerably from the first episode to the final episode, so I was thinking about the potential for growth there."
He asks viewers to pay attention to the changes in the relationship between Ethica and Harold and the frustrating conversations they exchange.
"I think with each episode the distance between them gets a little closer. Just when you think they're getting closer, they suddenly drift apart, but that kind of relationship between the two is really interesting. Towards the final episode, there was a scene where Etica and Harold really connected with each other, and I thought it was great that they were able to get to the point where it had nothing to do with whether they were human or robot, but rather a clash of souls."
The relationship between Etika and Harold, as well as the mystery of the case they are investigating, are of interest. Even at the recording studio, "There was a great debate about who the culprit was, and who was suspicious." Expectations are also high for the search scene, which Hanazawa describes as "very mysterious," as if they were swimming in the "sea" of memories. We look forward to seeing the performances of Etika and Harold, the "two strongest people."
