"Killuao," the latest work by Tadatoshi Fujimaki, known for the popular manga "Kuroko's Basketball," has been adapted into a TV anime and will air on TV Tokyo and its affiliates from 11 PM on April 11th. The story follows 39-year-old Ookami Juzo, known as the "legendary hitman," who is stung by a mysterious bee one day and transformed into a 13-year-old, attending middle school while taking on various incidents and battling other hitmen... This "re-doing-youth" action comedy was serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump" (Shueisha) from 2023 to 2025. The voice actor for the popular character Kohasame Shin, whose trademark is his pacifier, is Daisuke Sakuma of "Snow Man." We spoke with Sakuma, who was selected for the role through an audition, about his approach to the role and his thoughts on voice acting.
◇A role she really wanted to play: a character who uses a pacifier. "I've never experienced anything like it before, so I'm looking forward to it."
Known as a huge anime fan with the catchphrase "Anime Otaku and Snow Man," Sakuma made his voice acting debut in 2020 in the TV anime "Black Clover," and has since appeared as a voice actor in popular works such as the Japanese dub of the theatrical anime "White Snake: The Legend," "You and Idol Pretty Cure," and "High School! Kimengumi." This time, he will be playing Shin Kohasame, one of the main characters in "Killuao," which is based on a Jump manga.
Regarding "Killuao," he said, "There are scenes where you can see the protagonist Juzo's efforts as he becomes younger and uses the experiences he's had in his life to help the children, and I found the sense of revival within the story, where a 39-year-old man grows up together with the children, to be interesting."
Shin, played by Sakuma, is a hitman sent to a middle school by the Yuigan, the second-largest assassination organization in the industry, to target Mitsuoka Noren. His trademark is the pacifier he always has in his mouth. If he loses his pacifier, he becomes extremely nervous and unable to talk to people properly.
Sakuma recalled, "From the moment I read the original work, I really wanted to play the role of Shin, so I was very happy when I was given the opportunity to participate in the audition," and described Shin's charm as "a bundle of contradictions."
"Even among a cast of unique characters, I really liked how he stood out as a genuinely eccentric kid, and yet he has amazing visuals. That incongruity makes him even more endearing. I thought it was incredibly appealing that he's eccentric but also cool. The idea that he can't speak at all without his pacifier is also a fascinating concept. It's fun to learn about his personal rules, like how he has a lucky charm that activates his assassin switch."
How did he approach playing Shin, a unique character who usually speaks while wearing a pacifier?
"I wasn't wearing a pacifier during the audition, but after I got the part, I got to check it with the sound director at the recording studio. I went into the booth and tried it with and without the pacifier, and when I tried to find out how far I could go with the pacifier, they said, 'It might be more realistic with the pacifier.' I don't know if we'll actually do that at the recording studio, though."
She said she bought her own pacifier in case she needed to use one during recording.
"There are so many different kinds of pacifiers, in terms of size and age, so I bought five or six online to try them out. The sound director brought one for me, but it was a little too hard. So I searched around myself and finally found the softest pacifier, the one for newborns. I'm practicing talking with the pacifier in, but my biggest worry is whether people will be put off when I do it at the voice recording studio. I have to make sure they don't think it's some kind of hobby (laughs). It's a completely new experience, so I'm really looking forward to it. I think everyone is in the same boat at the beginning of anything, so I intend to approach it with sincerity."
◇Challenges as a voice actress: "There's no need to be an idol"
While active as an idol, Sakuma is also expanding his activities as a voice actor. In the voice acting industry, casting is basically done through auditions, regardless of whether the cast is veteran or new, and Sakuma continues to bravely take on the challenge, saying, "I'm a new voice actor. I've auditioned for many roles and been rejected many times." What are his thoughts and feelings as he approaches his voice acting career?
"This is a huge challenge for me too. However, this challenge is only for me personally. I'm participating as a voice actor, and the people I'm working with are professionals. When I'm standing in front of the microphone with these professionals and acting, there's no need for me to be an idol. I feel most strongly that I have to stand there as a voice actor. I value that, so I come to the recording studio with the intention of acting with honest feelings."
As a voice actor, when I approach a character, I prioritize whether I am truly living as that character.
"For example, even with just one line of dialogue, I think a lot about whether it's the right way for this character to say it. I once had the opportunity to talk with voice actor Shinichiro Miki, and he said, 'I'm just lending my vocal cords because the characters can't speak.' I was really impressed by that; it felt like the pinnacle of the voice acting profession, and reaching that point is the best thing to do. That's what I focus on most. First, I take my first impression and the original work as a basis and try to imagine, 'How would this character speak?' and 'How would it sound if my vocal cords were doing it?' I work on refining that at home, and then I get direction on set and sometimes I switch gears. My agency itself has a 'learn on set' kind of attitude, so I trust in how well I can react on set and go into the recording sessions relying on that. That's why sometimes it goes really well, and other times I think, 'Ah, I don't know,' and I just go for it."
Having appeared in various works as a voice actress, she says there have been many times when she has felt frustrated, thinking, "Wow, I'm really bad at this." Even when things don't go well, she says, "All I can do is be dedicated. I think it's important to be able to think flexibly in the moment and incorporate what I've learned. I'm still not very good," showing her sincere approach to each work and character.
Regarding Shin from "Killuao," he said, "I see Shin's most important quality as being cool," and added, "I think fans of 'Killuao' would most like to see the cool Shin. The bigger the gap between that and his other side, the more both will stand out, so first and foremost, I want to portray Shin as a cool assassin. Also, he's a character who talks a lot in his head, so I made sure to portray the intensity of his inner voice. As a killer, he has his own rules and pride as a professional, so I tried to portray him in a way that was both cool and conveyed his best qualities."
Addressing the fans, Sakuma said, "I want to lend my voice with all my heart, trying not to spoil the ideal Shin that you all have in your minds, and at the same time, I hope that you will think, 'I like Shin even more now.' So please look forward to the TV anime." Anticipation is high to see what kind of lively appearance the popular character Shin will show in the anime. (Shiroinu/MANTANWEB)
