The TV anime "This Monster Wants to Eat Me," based on the manga by Naekawa Sai, currently serialized in "Dengeki Maoh" (KADOKAWA) and other publications, is currently airing on AT-X, TOKYO MX, and other networks. Set in the Chuyo region of Ehime Prefecture, the show tells a beautiful yet poignant story that begins with the encounter between Yaotome Hinako, a girl who wishes for death, and Omi Shiori, a mermaid who desires her flesh. Hinako's best friend, Yashiro Miku, is played by popular voice actress Fairouz Ai. Miku is a girl with the brightness of the sun, and Fairouz said that portraying that brightness presented new challenges for her. We spoke to her about the appeal of Miku and what went on behind the scenes during the recording.
◇ Miho is more human than anyone else. "She reminds me of gratitude."
The manga has been serialized in Dengeki Maoh since August 2020. A mermaid girl named Shiori suddenly appears before Hinako and gently tells her, "I've come to eat you." Shiori protects Hinako until she reaches her peak maturity, promising that she will one day eat her, and Hinako begins to feel a strong desire to herself, thinking, "Maybe this person can make my wish come true."
In the beginning of the story, Miku is shown to be worried and concerned about Hinako, almost to the point of being overprotective. Later, it is revealed that Miku's true identity is a fox spirit that has lived for many years. She was once a man-eating fox, but after being captured by a monk, she began to protect humans and watch over the people of the land as Okitsune-sama.
Fairouz, who loves monsters and horror, said that when he saw Miho's appearance, he knew "this is definitely a monster."
"It wasn't drawn in an easy-to-understand way, but from the way the pupils were drawn, like an animal, I could sense that it was definitely no ordinary creature, that there was something otherworldly about it. Maybe it was my instinct as a yokai fan that was at work (laughs)."
Miku has protected the local people, including Hinako, who has been visiting the shrine since she was a child, but after Hinako lost her family, she transformed into a human and began to watch over them. Fairouz describes Miku as "the most human of all."
"Although she's a yokai, she has a side to her that prevents her from being completely cold-hearted, and I think it's rare to find a philanthropic yokai like her. I think she's a wonderful character who makes you wish you had someone like Miku around you, and reminds you of the gratitude you should have for the people around you, and that you may not have realized it, but that friends like Miku have always supported you."
◇ How to portray the role of a fox spirit with persuasiveness
Fairouz, who loves monsters, says that fox spirits are something she admires, and playing Miho in the form of a fox spirit was a challenge.
"Miho's appearance as a fox spirit is completely different from her usual gal-like appearance, so I was happy to be able to show so many different sides to one character. The fox spirit has lived for hundreds of years and knows all sorts of things I don't know, and knows about eras I don't know about, so it was an extremely difficult challenge to figure out how to make her words convincing, and how to express the suffering and hatred that comes with being a fox spirit."
When playing the role of the fox spirit, Fairouz said he thought of the "large, imposing, non-human creatures" that influenced him as a child.
"That's Moro from ' Princess Mononoke.' Of course, I'm not imitating him, but I tried to keep in mind the way Akihiro Miwa spoke with such force, the volume that makes him step back, and the lowness of his voice. The voice will be processed in the film, so I thought it would be more realistic, and I was looking forward to seeing the finished product."
◇The challenge of playing a cheerful character by subtracting
During the recording, she was also inspired by Reina Ueda, who played Hinako, and Ishikawa Yui, who played Shiori.
"Hinako's voice was quieter than I expected. I thought that was really wonderful. It felt more natural. I think that in anime there are exaggerated expressions, and in foreign films there are more natural expressions, but I got the impression that Hinako's acting was somewhere in between anime and foreign films. I think that's what's great about this work. So, Miku is a girl who could act in an endlessly flashy way if she wanted to, but I thought it would be better for the work if she didn't do that. I think that's something that Ueda-san brought out."
Up until now, Fairouz has often played bright characters like Miku by adding to their character, but she says, "This was the first time I had the opportunity to try playing a bright character by subtracting, and it was a great learning experience."
"It's difficult to tone down the brightness and still appear cheerful, so I was conscious of the sense of distance. Hinako has her own personal space, and Miho has her own personal space, so when I interact with Hinako, I lowered the volume of my voice a little, but I was conscious of maintaining a level of excitement that didn't make me seem depressed."
Regarding Ishikawa, who plays Shiori, he said, "She has a voice that is very pleasant to listen to, and I want to listen to it forever, but the way she speaks in a way that is deliberately unpleasant is just like a monster. I can't get enough of the way she speaks, as if she's making fun of humans."
"Shiori is good at stirring things up, so she can empathize with Miku's angry feelings. I think it's only because of Yui's wonderful acting that she can do that so naturally."
In the anime, Miku's true identity will be revealed, and the relationship between Hinako, Shiori, and Miku will change. We asked about what we can look forward to in the future.
"Miho herself ended up lying to Hinako for over 10 years, and even though she was trying to protect her, she was also pretending to be someone she wasn't, and I think that caused her to feel a great sense of remorse and guilt. But she was able to let go of that, and Hinako accepted her for who she was, which I think is really great that it has created a world where Miho can live more like herself. She can now speak her mind to Shiori without any reservations, and the relationship between the three of them has become closer. They're not exactly best friends, but I think we'll be able to see the three of them working well together in the future."
