The TV anime "The Daily Life of a Middle-Aged Online Shopper in Another World," about a forty-something man who is transported to another world and uses his cheat ability to use mail order websites, is being broadcast every Thursday from 10:30 pm on TOKYO MX and other stations. The original work is a comic adaptation of a light novel by Hifumi Asakura, who is popular on the novel submission site "Shosetsuka ni Naro," and was serialized in the monthly manga magazine "G Fantasy" (Square Enix). The story is about Kenichi, a forty-something man who is suddenly transported to another world, who uses his cheat ability to use mail order websites in the other world to aim for a slow life... Kenichi is played by Junichi Suwabe, Kaede Hondo, the eldest daughter of the Marou Company, is played by Kaede Hondo, and Anemone, a girl who has grown up in an unfortunate situation, is played by Misaki Kuno. We asked Hondo and Kuno, who play the two heroines who adore Kenichi, about the work and the appeal of Primula and Anemone.
◇ The endearing charm of Kenichi, a man in his 40s. "It's a bit of a problem."
-What is your impression of the work?
Hondo-san: I found it interesting that the other world and mail order shopping go surprisingly well together. Everyone else in the other world except Kenichi is like, "What is this?", "It's hard, it's big, it's iron!" no matter what gadget Kenichi brings out (laughs).
Kuno: I thought it was novel that the main character is a man in his 40s, as the title suggests. I was interested in what kind of character Kenichi is, so I read the original work and found that he is laid back in a good way. He is a man who aims for a slow life with a relaxed attitude.
I think the relaxed and unassuming feeling of Hondo Kenichi makes the film easy to watch. Even when he orders a backhoe (excavator) online, he doesn't say, "Here's a backhoe, how about this!" but rather, "A backhoe is really cool," and it's fun to see him fulfill his childhood dream.
Kuno: Mr. Suwabe-san charmingly portrayed Kenichi's boyish heart and excitement. He didn't raise his voice, but rather, he was so excited from the bottom of his heart that his voice trembled unintentionally, which was really wonderful. I think that Mr. Suwabe-san's acting made Kenichi an even more charming character.
Hondo: From the perspective of Primula, the character I play, the one thing I can't stand is Kenichi's inability to say no to women (laughs).
--Kenichi's charm and kindness attract many women to him.
Combined with the acting of Hondo-san and Suwabe-san, Kenichi has become a person that is hard to hate. From Primula's point of view, there are times when Kenichi is jealous and makes you wonder "why?", but I think Primula is chasing Kenichi knowing that he is like that. Kenichi is a sneaky adult (laughs).
That must be a problem for Kuno-san (laughs).
◇ Primula never stops! I'm impressed by the growth of anemones
--In the story, Kenichi leaves Dahlia with Anemone and starts a new life. He also reunites with Primula, who has been chasing Kenichi, and the story moves forward in a new direction. What do you find attractive about Primula?
Hondo Primula seems demure at first glance, and if she were quiet, she would be very popular, but in reality, she has a very strong core. That's because she values the business spirit of the Marou Company that her father taught her, and I really respect her mental strength. She has feelings for Kenichi that make her want to find him and chase after him, so I just can't help but like her. She's unstoppable. She has a lot of momentum. As I acted, I got to know more and more about her strong and unyielding side, and I thought, "I like this girl." She's cute, and it was brave of her to chase after Kenichi. I think she really took the courage to do so.
Kuno Primula is a girl you really want to root for. At first glance, she can be forceful, so Kenichi is overwhelmed at first, but he is touched by her straightforwardness and dedication. At first, Primula was all about business, but after meeting Kenichi and falling in love, she becomes more and more feminine. Kaede-chan portrayed Primula's maidenly feeling when she was talking to Kenichi so beautifully that I think she became a character that is easy for women to empathize with. She is elegant, smart, and intelligent, and the way Kaede says her lines and the way she ends them is pleasant to listen to. If she had an older sister like this close to her, Anemone would probably grow up to be a wonderful girl.
--On the other hand, Anemone has become more talkative and expressive since she started living with Kenichi and the others.
Kuno: Anemone is a girl who grew up in a poor family, had a hard life, and experienced many sad and scary things. But that's why she's sensitive and kind to the people around her. Kenichi teaches her how to read and write, and as she slowly becomes able to do many things, and as she spends time with Primula and the others, the things she finds "fun" start to increase bit by bit. Thanks to the kind people around her, Anemone's expressions become more and more expressive, which I think is really great. It was a lot of fun to portray the changes in Anemone's heart.
Hondo-san's Anemone is someone you have to protect. Also, Kuno-san's voice and acting make me feel even more responsible... When a girl joins the family, she can become a target of jealousy, but she becomes like a little sister that you want to take care of together. After Anemone learned many emotions, she started fighting over Primula and Kenichi (laughs). It's really nice to see them grow into an equal family.
Kuno: I think it's because they trust each other that they can have such fun competing with each other.
Hondo: It's true that Kenichi is important to both of them, but for Primula and Anemone, the first priority is caring about each other. It's a great relationship.
To be continued in interview (2).
