The final chapter of the TV anime series " My Hero Academia ," based on the manga by Kohei Horikoshi that was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha), is airing on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV every Saturday at 5:30 pm. The story of heroes and villains that has been broadcast for about nine years is reaching its climax. We spoke to Sakura Ayane, who has played Ayane Sakura , a student in Class 1-A of the Hero Department at U.A. High School , since the first season of the TV anime began airing in 2016, about what went on behind the scenes during the recording of "FINAL SEASON" and her thoughts on the series.
◇ Toga Himiko's final moments: Just like Ochako, "I myself have not been able to come to terms with it..."
Sakura said she has "mixed feelings" about having reached the "FINAL SEASON."
"It's been almost 10 years since the first season of the TV anime, but for Ochako and the others it's only been about a year, and the characters are living lives that are a condensed version of the emotions we've felt with our characters, so when I think about that, it feels quite overwhelming. I feel so conflicted, with all sorts of emotions mixed together: wondering if it's finally coming to an end, and wanting everyone to be relieved soon."
In the 158th episode of the previous season, "A Girl's Ego," the final moments of Toga Himiko, the villain that Ochako had been fighting against, were depicted. Many fans were moved by the turn of events in which Toga risked his own life to save Ochako.
"No matter how many times I watch 'Girl's Ego,' it always feels fresh and painful. Since we were able to record together, I think we recorded it while carefully exploring with the staff and cast what would be the best ending for Toga-chan, through a lot of trial and error."
Sakura was also overwhelmed with emotion when she performed a live dubbing of "A Girl's Ego" with Misato Fukuen, who plays Himiko Toga, at the " My Hero Academia HERO×VILLAIN FES." event held in August, and seemed unable to process her emotions. Afterwards, when filming for the "FINAL SEASON" began, she said, "Since Ochako hadn't been able to digest it, I myself hadn't been able to digest it either."
◇My heart is filled with encouragement for Deku
Sakura herself was feeling uneasy about the "FINAL SEASON" but went into the recording. In the 8th episode (167th episode overall), "Izuku Midoriya: Rising," which aired on November 22nd, the battle between heroes and villains finally came to an end. The sight of Izuku Midoriya(Deku) rushing to his side as his classmates from Class A rushed to his side, and Deku, encouraged by the cheers of many, heading towards his final battle, became a hot topic on social media. This "Ganbare" phrase also links to what Ochako said to Deku in the first season: "'Deku'... he's like, 'Ganbare!!' and I kind of like that."
"The original work of 'My Hero Academia' has been developing for a long time, and we have been involved in the animation, but in ' Izuku Midoriya: The Rising', characters from the film also appeared, and they all said 'Do your best' together. Taking into account the efforts we have made in the animation, I was very happy as a voice actor to realize that this is part of Deku's life in 'My Hero Academia'. 'Do your best' is such a simple phrase, but it becomes the final strength, and it's also the first thing Deku says when he takes his first step to U.A., and I really love that. Humans are deep and complex creatures, so deep that there is no end to it when you think about it, but perhaps what remains in the end is actually something very simple. I felt that this was also depicted, and it filled my heart."
The words "do your best" can be a burden to the person who hears them depending on the time and situation, but Sakura says, "It doesn't have the nuance of coercion or imposition, but rather it's a wish, which is why it resonates so gently and strongly."
◇ Behind the scenes of the recording of Episode 10 "Girls Who Like Smiles" "Still a mess"
With the battle between heroes and villains over, the final part of the "FINAL SEASON" serves as the story's epilogue. Episode 10 (169th episode overall), "A Girl Who Likes Smiles," depicts Ochako brooding over her past and her confrontation with Toga. Sakura said, "I was waiting for this scene, where Ochako has not yet sorted out her feelings, so it had been bothering me for a long time."
In this episode, Deku notices something strange about Ochako and the two decide to talk. What were your thoughts as you approached the recording?
"I myself went to the recording studio without having sorted out my emotions at all. The other cast members said, 'I'm curious to see how you'll act,' but I was like, 'I'm not sure either,' so I prepared thoroughly and then just went with the flow... I feel like I'm the type of person who prepares thoroughly before recording, but none of the emotions I had prepared just felt right. I stood in front of the microphone as I was, remembering my memories of Toga-chan and digging them up as I recorded, and as expected, the recording ended with me all in a mess. I still can't imagine what kind of sound it will sound like. I'm both excited and scared when it will air."
Even after finishing filming the episode, he continues to have mixed feelings.
"It's a wonderful scene in which Deku reaches out to her, wanting to share the burden with her, but that doesn't mean the past is wiped clean, and all her feelings are not wiped away. The feeling that Ochako will continue to live with Himiko in her heart has stayed with me ever since."
◇ Ayane Sakura's Plus Ultra "It reminded me of what is so important as an actor."
Sakura has been working on "My Hero Academia" and Ochako for about nine years. We asked her what "Plus Ultra" means to her.
"On other sets, there are many technical restrictions such as worrying about the length or tone of voice, and acting within the character's framework, but on 'My Hero Academia', the emphasis is on heart and emotion above all else. Even if my voice cracks a little, or my voice cracks, or my voice sounds rough, as long as my heart is conveyed, that's fine. Maybe this wouldn't be allowed on other sets, but I was able to act without worrying about length, and it was a set that made me realize once again what it really means to 'live the role.' I think this kind of thinking is very well suited to the production, so I was grateful to be on set every time. It reminded me of what is very important as an actor, and I feel like it has helped me grow."
It was precisely because of this recording environment that there were many moments when unexpected expressions were brought out.
"In everyday life, you don't often get the chance to make sounds that you never expected. But in 'My Hero Academia,' you're so desperately trading lives that you can't even think about tone, quality, or pretty sounds. I really love living a carefree everyday life, and I think that's wonderful, but if I had to choose, I'd say I had more fun when I was trading lives like that, and I felt like I could breathe more easily. It was a lot of fun, and I felt like I was alive."
I wonder what kind of person Ochako has become to Sakura, having lived with her.
"All I was allowed to do was play Ochako's vocal cords and her heart. The animators were in charge of her appearance, the director and production were in charge of her mental and physical movements, and the part that a voice actor plays may actually be at the very bottom. Even so, I think what's great about 'My Hero Academia' is that the characters' lives are so big and powerful that you always feel like even if an actor puts their life on the line to provide a voice, it still might not be enough. Ochako was a character with such a great way of life that even if it took several, dozens, or even hundreds of people to do it, you would think, 'there is still more to come,' so although it's presumptuous to say that I was able to run alongside her, I am very grateful that I was able to see the same scenery as her."
Sakura says that one of the charms of "My Hero Academia" is its "simple language."
"While Horikoshi-sensei's many devices are truly brilliant, he doesn't use that many difficult words. In particular, he doesn't use such difficult words when he's trying to say the most important things. In life, we grow increasingly bored with simple words and lean towards more difficult ones, which we often find cool and wonderful, so to me it felt like I was hit right in the heart by such simple words, almost like a culture shock. I realized that such simple expressions can still move people so much. I think there were many moments when I was blown away by such things. That's why I think so many people, regardless of age, can enjoy it."
Sakura says that "My Hero Academia" has "given me comfort many times, pushed me to the brink of despair many times, saved me many times, and given me a lot of courage." She adds, "Through all that, what remains in the end is the feeling that it was salvation, and I think that's the charm of Horikoshi-sensei's My Hero Academia."
Sakura has previously said in an interview that recording "My Hero Academia" is "a battlefield" and "a challengefield." The voice actors literally put their lives on the line in "My Hero Academia," fighting and challenging themselves. I want to see the heroes' story through to the end.
