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. In Season 3's "Wheeler Arc," popular character Yuri Briar plays a different role than ever before. We spoke to Kensho Ono, who plays Yuri, about his thoughts on "SPY×FAMILY" and what goes on behind the scenes at the recording studio.
◇ Anya is cute from an uncle's perspective
"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 from each other and live together as the Forger family.
The comic series has sold over 38 million copies in total. Season 1 of the TV anime series began in 2022, and it has become a popular series that has continued for over three years.
"It has many elements, such as the thrilling feeling that you'd expect from a boys' manga, but I think the biggest appeal is that it's a story about family. A temporary family becomes like a real family. It's heartwarming. And Anya is adorable. She has a painful past, but when you see her not showing that much and simply having fun, you start to feel like you're a parent. Yuri is in the position of an uncle (laughs), but whatever he's doing, he ends up looking adorable."
Yuri, played by Ono, is Yoru's younger brother, and although he is a diplomat on the surface, his true identity is that of a lieutenant in the National Security Bureau of the Eastern Kingdom (Ostania), a feared organization known as the secret police. He is earnest and dedicated to his work, but when he visits the Forger household, his love for his sister is so strong that he disrupts the situation in a "good way."
"Yuri always puts Yoru first, and everything he does is for her, and that hasn't changed since Season 1. There's a sense of security that his feelings for Yoru haven't changed. Up until now, he often appeared as a breather in serious scenes, and I was thinking about what Yuri's role was. If he appeared every time and had that kind of energy, people might get bored of him. I think the charm of Yuri is that he appears every once in a while and makes a mess. He doesn't appear every time, so it's really fun to appear again after a long time. The three members of the Forger family (Takuya Eguchi, Atsumi Tanezaki, Saori Hayami) were excited when the series started, but by Season 3, I feel like they've spent time together as a family. That kind of atmosphere exists on set, including the other staff members as well."
There are many comical scenes, and Ono says, "I like comedies."
"I also like acting. I generally like having fun, and I'm happy to be able to do comedy as part of my job, so I enjoy it. However, comedy is difficult. I have to think about how to make people laugh, and that's what makes it rewarding."
◇“Me vs. Me” It’s Lloyd in the middle…
In "Wheeler's Story," undercover agent Wheeler appears, and Twilight pursues him. Yuri has often played comedic roles up until now, but he also shows his true identity as a lieutenant in the National Security Agency.
"Up until now, the only time we've seen him as a lieutenant in the National Security Bureau was in the torture scene when he first appeared, but other than that, there have been many scenes where he's only thinking about his sister. Even when he's with the Security Bureau agents, he's only thinking about his sister (laughs). In Season 3, there are many scenes where Yuri plays an active role as a Security Bureau agent, so I think you'll see a difference from his previous roles. In both the Wheeler arc and the bus hijacking arc, you can see him trying to protect the peace."
Yuri is cool in serious scenes. You can tell he's a good worker. That contrast is what makes him so appealing.
"I'm not that conscious of looking cool, but I am conscious of whether I can portray Yuri in a more attractive way by clearly separating my work and private life."
One of the highlights is the scene where Lloyd (Twilight) disguises himself as Yuri and confronts the real Yuri. Ono plays both the real Yuri and the Yuri disguised as Lloyd.
"It wasn't a particularly long scene, but it was very difficult to act alone the whole time... But it was a great pleasure for me as an actor. I don't have much experience, but it was fun because it was like 'me vs. me.' I thought that by playing the role of Yuri, I could express that Lloyd was in perfect disguise. But inside, he is still Lloyd... I was thinking about that as I acted."
In Season 3, you can enjoy the contrast between Yuri's dignity at work and his hectic private life.
"As a reader, there are some scenes that make my heart skip a beat, and the Wheeler arc is an important episode. I enjoyed playing Yuri when he was working, but I personally like Anya, so I'm sad that there isn't much interaction with Anya. Personally, I also liked the episode in the bus hijacking arc with the leader of the group of criminals and his daughter. It depicts the helpless feelings of the terrorists, and it's heartbreaking. Season 3 also has many great episodes, so I hope you enjoy it."
Aside from the "Wheeler Arc," Season 3 seems to have many other exciting moments. Episode 50, "A World Where You Can't Survive," which marks the climax of Season 3's "Wheeler Arc," will be broadcast on TV Tokyo and other networks from 11:00 PM on December 27th. (Anima Mitsuru/MANTANWEB)
