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. The "Wheeler Arc," which will finally begin in earnest on December 13th, will see the popular character Fiona Frost, also known as "Tobari," play an active role and show a different side of herself than before. We spoke to Ayane Sakura, who plays Fiona, about her thoughts on "SPY×FAMILY," Fiona, and behind-the-scenes recording.
◇By far the most interesting of all the unique characters!
"SPY×FAMILY" began serialization in "Shonen Jump+" in March 2019. The story follows a skilled spy who creates a temporary family for the sake of his mission and begins a new life. A spy father, a psychic daughter, and an assassin mother hide their true identities and live together as the Forger family. The comic series has sold over 38 million copies in total.
Sakura says the appeal of the work is that it "isn't like a Jump work, in a good way."
"I think the first time I came across the original manga was around the time the first volume of the comic was released, and the cover design of the comic made a big impression on me. I don't often pick up shonen manga myself, but Endo-sensei's stylish illustrations and designs were very fresh and I thought 'this might be easy to get into,' so I picked it up at a bookstore and that was my first encounter. When I started reading, I found the illustrations and story to be well-organized and easy to understand, and I was able to become completely absorbed in the story. The protagonist's way of being is also quite logical, and the manga has a lot of monologues, so I think it was a Jump work that I read with a new feeling."
Fiona, played by Sakura, is an intelligence agent who belongs to the Westalis Intelligence Bureau's East Division, WISE, just like Lloyd Forger, played by Twilight. She is shunned by those around her because she doesn't show her emotions, but she has feelings for her senior, Twilight, and views his wife, Yol Forger, as a rival.
Sakura feels that one of Fiona's charms lies in the "gap between her lines and monologues." Fiona is a character who appeared midway through Season 1. "I personally am not very good with new characters who appear midway through a story, and as a reader, I have a habit of getting on guard when I think a new character is about to appear," she says. "Among them, Fiona is a cool and strong woman, but there's a gap between that and her personality. Like Yuri, the more you get to know SPY×FAMILY, the more you love its characters, and of those, Fiona was by far the most interesting new character when I read the original."
◇The gap is "too far and merciless" and sticks to "what I like"
Fiona often has a blank expression, but deep down she harbors a burning love for Twilight. Even when she speaks calmly, there are scenes in her monologues where she repeatedly says "I love you." When asked what she is conscious of when acting, including the intense contrast, she gave a somewhat surprising answer: "But even when we're working seriously in life, there are times when we're thinking about silly things. Fiona is always serious, though."
"I work seriously, but I think everyone has times like that in their lives, so I wondered what it would be like if I dug up those memories of mine, interpreted them to the fullest, and put them out there. I don't often speak monologues in my daily life, but I think being able to put them out there is what makes being an actor so interesting, so when I do, I go all out and act mercilessly."
Regarding the word "I love you" that is repeated repeatedly in the monologue, he says he is conscious of various variations.
"There are quite a few times when I reflexively say 'I like you' in response to Lloyd's words and actions, and when I do, I look at Lloyd in that scene and think about and feel what emotions Fiona might be feeling as I act. There are also different variations when I remember Lloyd and feel 'I like you', so I try to cherish the 'I like you' that comes out of the moment and that I feel."
When asked about the similarities between herself and the crazy and charming Fiona, Sakura said, "Well, if we were similar it would be crazy (laughs)," but added, "If I had met Fiona when I was little, I think I would probably have liked her the most."
"I really like Fiona's design. She's sleek and sophisticated, and her white? silver? hair is really beautiful. I admired cool women, so I might have tried to imitate her. In the past, I admired quiet women like Rei Ayanami (from the Evangelion series), and there was a time when I tried to play a quiet character, but there was so much I wanted to say that I just couldn't do it. I tried many times, but I couldn't last even 30 minutes (laughs)," she said, sharing the story.
◇ "Wheeler" Witnessing Fiona's resolve makes me sad and sorry
In "Wheeler," undercover agent Wheeler appears, and Lloyd pursues him as "Twilight" and Fiona as "Night Veil." Fiona's spy side is strongly portrayed, and there are scenes where she is conscious of death in order to complete her mission.
"Until then, Fiona had always been calm and collected at work, but in this episode we see her lose her composure for the first time, and it's also the story of how her incredible abilities as a spy are awakened in a different way. I really liked how it became clear that her feelings for Lloyd are actually based on an incredibly solid foundation. It was a feeling worth risking her life for, and it made me feel a little sad. There was a scene in the past where Fiona was being taught by Lloyd how to live as a spy, and this episode really embodied that, so when I acted out the character again, I realized that she lives a very unique life. When I was acting closely with her, I was only focusing on her humanity and thinking, 'What an interesting person,' and 'This is fun to act with,' but I was suddenly brought back to reality, and I felt a kind of sadness about Fiona's way of being, and it made me think about a lot of things."
He said that his awareness while acting has changed from before.
"Until now, I've thought that the more serious she is in comedy scenes, the funnier they are. She doesn't live that way to make people laugh, so I thought the more seriously I played her, the more interesting the contrast would be. But she loves Lloyd so much that I feel guilty even thinking that objectively, and I could see her resolve in it, so I thought it was an amazing scene."
Sakura approached the recording of the "Wheeler" episode with many thoughts in mind. Before the broadcast, she said, "I'm looking forward to it airing, including wondering what kind of impression I'll have when I watch it as a viewer."
"Many of the viewers of 'SPY×FAMILY' are children, and even people who don't usually watch anime enjoy it, so I'm curious to see how those people will feel when they see this story. They might find it difficult, scary, interesting, or a little sad, and I'm looking forward to seeing the reactions."
In stark contrast to the "Bus Hijacking" arc, in which Anya Forger and other children played an active role, the "Wheeler" arc is an episode in which the adults take on their own missions. Both adults and children will surely find something new in seeing Fiona in a different light than before.
