Season 3 of the TV anime "SPY×FAMILY," based on the manga by Tatsuya Endo, currently being serialized in Shueisha's manga magazine app "Shonen Jump+," is currently airing every Saturday at 11 PM on TV Tokyo and other networks. Episode 44, which aired on November 15th, marks the start of the "Bus Hijacking Arc," in which Anya Forger, Damien Desmond, Becky Blackbell and Eden Academy students play an active role. We spoke to Atsumi Tanezaki , who plays Anya , Natsumi Fujiwara, who plays Damien, and Emiri Kato, who plays Becky, about behind-the-scenes recording, each other's charms, and highlights of the "Bus Hijacking Arc."
Becky meets Damien Lloyd, who has taken the next step
--Looking back on Season 2, what episode left the biggest impression on you?
Fujiwara: Damien's outdoor study in Season 2 was great. Despite dealing with the Desmond family and other issues, the teachers gave him a push and he was set free into the natural world. He also got to go with Emil and Ewin, so I really felt the greatness and preciousness of their existence. It was an episode that gave him a sense of accomplishment after overcoming the difficulties in the wild, and allowed him to take a step towards moving on. It was a very important episode in my heart.
Mr. Kato: I really think that without those two, Damien would have been lonely, so I think this episode really made us feel the importance of Emil and Ewin's presence.
Tanezaki: Speaking of Season 2, I was really impressed by the efforts of Yor Forger's mother in the cruise ship arc. I also remembered that after the trip, Anya exaggerated her experience of being on the Princess Lorelei (a luxury cruise ship) and bragged to her classmates, embarrassing herself (laughs). Damien, the son of the National Unity Party president, comes from an impressive family background, but the Blackbell family is also impressive, and I was reminded that Anya is attending such a school. They all really come from "good families."
Fujiwara-san, now that you mention it, that's true (laughs).
Tanezaki: However, when you listen to Becky's voice, you don't get any unpleasantness. I think that's because she's a young lady from a really good family.
That might be the case for Kato-san . He doesn't try to take the upper hand by saying "because our family is like this," but just talks about his daily life as if it's the most natural thing in the world. He doesn't really seem to care that much about the other person's family background.
Tanezaki- san has a big heart.
--Season 2 also featured an episode in which Becky visits the Forger family to meet Lloyd, the man she fell in love with at first sight.
Kato: I was extremely nervous before the recording. In the original work, there is a scene where Becky's reaction when she sees Lloyd is expressed using emojis, so I'm sure there are fans who are wondering how I'd act it out, and I was worried about how I'd overcome that pressure. However, when we actually started recording, Becky spoke at a furious speed, so I didn't have time to think about that sort of thing, and all I could see was Lloyd, so it was a lot of fun.
--It was adorable to see Becky panic in front of Lloyd.
Kato: This is a personal thing, but right before the recording of that episode, I got my first ever crush, so I was able to vent all my excitement on Lloyd (laughs). In that sense, I feel like it was a really meaningful episode.
◇The appeal of Anya, Damien, and Becky's "voices"
--Please tell us about the appeal of each character you play. First, what is the appeal of Anya, played by Tanezaki-san?
Kato-san, Anya has a very rich range of facial expressions, so it's amazing that you can keep up with that. Every time we record, I feel the richness of Atchan's (Tanezaki-san) expressions. I really think that Anya's cuteness and charm really stands out because Atchan is playing the role. At first, my only impression of Anya was that she was "cute," but when I heard Atchan actually play the role in Season 1, I was completely convinced and thought, "This is it!" So, personally, I'm really glad that Atchan played Anya.
I really think so , Fujiwara-san .
Kato-san , even when I read the original work, it now naturally plays in Acchan's voice, and Anya expressions look even more expressive in the original. I think that's the power of the voice actor.
Fujiwara-san, when I first heard your voice, I was shocked and thought, "Wow!" I was so grateful to you for being able to play Anya with such a wide range of expressions! At the same time, I think it's because the difference between your usual comical personality and Anya's slightly more serious attitude is so big that it really touches the heart.
Thank you , Tanezaki-san . By the way, I heard that there were many people who could play Anya cutely in the tape auditions.
Kato: I was also imagining Anya played by someone else in my mind, but when I heard Atchan's voice, I really understood that there was more to it than that.
-Next, what is the appeal of Damien, played by Fujiwara?
Mr. Kato , Damien is just so adorable! There are so many different elements and pieces of information that it's really hard to summarise, but even though he's a child, he behaves like an adult. I don't think he's like that at heart, but he carries the weight of the Desmond family on his shoulders, and his older brother is so talented, so I think that the pressure he's under has influenced the way he behaves now, and my adult heart wants to see a more honest Damien (laughs). It makes me want to hug him and pat him on the back.
Fujiwara-san, that's right!
Tanezaki- san and Fujiwara-san honestly return what they receive in their dialogue, which makes Damien even more appealing. Even though the character has so many elements, they are able to immediately respond to what they receive in each situation with a "wow!", which is really amazing. It's hard to put into words...
I totally get it, Kato-san ! Natchan's (Fujiwara-san) honesty and purity really come through in Damien, so I think he's not a nasty Damien. If you just look at Damien's lines, there are times when he says things that are really harsh, right?
Tanezaki-san is really harsh (laughs). He's spouting such abusive language...
Kato-san ... But because Damien is played by Nacchan, his cuteness really comes to the forefront. That's also what makes me think, "The voice actor's power is amazing." And so the conclusion is, "The voice actor is amazing" again (laughs).
Fujiwara-san , you did it! Thank you both so much...! I'm so happy.
-So, what do you think of Becky, played by Kato?
Fujiwara: At first, Becky seemed like a rich girl, but once she started to see Anya as a friend, I felt like her honesty started to come out. She has a bit of a precocious side, but I think her childlike side is really cute. As the story progresses, she starts to support the relationship between Damien and Anya, assisting them in a good direction. In that respect, I really feel that she has a different and more attractive side to Damien and Anya.
Tanezaki- san's cute and precocious side is complemented by Emiri-san's innocent personality... oh, sorry if I'm wrong...!
Kato- san, thank you so much!
Tanezaki- san is a bright and carefree person, and her personality brightens up the room just by being there. On top of that, she expresses Becky with her voice, and just like Emiri-san said earlier, "Voice actors are amazing!" Even though Becky is from a "good family," she's not annoying, not at all annoying, and I think it's Emiri-san's help that makes her seem lovable and cute.
Kato-san, I wonder if my inner self is working in a positive direction? (laughs)
Fujiwara-san , when you play the role of Becky, do you just be yourself?
That might be the case , Kato-san . It feels like I just let the Becky inside me come out as it is. When I first saw Becky in the original work, she didn't seem like a mean girl... At first, she was a little harsh towards Anya, but she's actually a nice girl. When the voice was added for the anime, I didn't want to overshadow Becky's good qualities with the impression of her voice. Her attitude towards Anya and Damien is slightly different, so I wanted her to be a sweet, honest friend towards Anya, and to be like, "Hey, boy!" towards Damien, I wanted to properly portray an elementary school girl. It's not that her tone of voice changes drastically, but I thought it would be good to make a slight difference in the way she's spoken to.
Tanezaki-san is feeling it!
Fujiwara-san, really!
Tanezaki: I often sit at the microphone on the far right in the studio, but even if Emiri is at the far end, when I hear "Anya chan," I feel like she's right next to me. I really feel like she's conscious of the distance. I always feel like she's right next to me.
Mr. Kato, my Becky's soul was right there with me!
Fujiwara-san is amazing! It's wonderful!
◇ "Scary" for kids, "profound" for adults: "Bus Hijacking" only in "SPY×FAMILY"
--From what you've said, filming the scenes at Eden Academy sounds lively and fun.
Kato: Of course, there is a sense of tension in the work, but perhaps because I'm already in character, I'm just having fun.
Tanezaki: The test is the most fun. We all record at the same time, so it goes by like a whirlwind.
Kato-san certainly feels the closest to the broadcast. I always look forward to the ad-libs, wondering, "What will everyone say?"
--Season 3 will also feature the "bus hijacking arc" in which everyone at Eden Academy plays a major role. What are the highlights?
Kato: Season 3 seems to have a good mix of serious and comedic elements. If the seriousness continues for a long time, it can get tiring for the viewer, but when the story of Eden Academy comes in between, it's a bit of a relief. I think that the "Bus Hijacking Arc" is scary for children, but from an adult perspective, it's a very deep story, which I think is typical of "SPY×FAMILY."
We get to see the family circumstances and characters of each of Tanezaki 's characters, and we get to see in-depth descriptions and aspects of them that we haven't seen before, so I think it's really worth watching.
Fujiwara-san , there's also the matter of Eden Academy, and Damien's mother will also appear in Season 3. I think this is the season where Damien's new family situation will be revealed, so I hope you'll pay attention. In the "Bus Hijacking Arc," everyone from Eden Academy plays a major role, and I hope you'll enjoy watching to see how they play their roles.
Tanezaki: With Anya, who can read people's minds, it's not like a typical bus hijacking (lol)! It's a series of events like this, so I hope you enjoy this bus hijacking that is unique to "SPY×FAMILY"!
※The "崎" in Atsumi Tanezaki's name is pronounced "tatsusaki"
