The fourth season of the anime "Welcome to Demon School! Iruma-kun," based on the manga by Osamu Nishi serialized in "Weekly Shonen Champion" (Akita Shoten), is currently airing on NHK E-tele every Saturday at 6:25 PM. This school fantasy follows Suzuki Iruma, a boy sold to demons by his selfish parents, who enrolls in a school in the demon world and lives his school life while hiding the fact that he is human. The fourth season is the first new series in about three years since the third season, which aired from October 2022 to March 2023, and sees Iruma and his class of problem children (abnormals) taking on a music festival. We spoke with Ayumu Murase, who plays Suzuki Iruma, Ryohei Kimura, who plays Asmodeus Alice, and Ayaka Asai, who plays Valac Clara, about behind-the-scenes stories from the recording, their thoughts on the fourth season, and the highlights.
◇Unexpected expressions emerge during voice acting: The seasoned veterans have grown stronger.
--This is the first new series in about three years since the third series. What are your honest feelings about the start of the fourth series?
It's already been three years, Murase-san . I vividly remember the excitement and anticipation of everyone at the 2024 event when the production of the fourth series was announced. That enthusiasm, along with the energy I received there, made me want to work even harder. In the original manga, the music festival is dramatically depicted through Nishi-sensei's illustrations, but you can't really get a feel for the sound just by reading the manga. So, I think the anime is made in a way that will be very enjoyable both visually and aurally, even for people who have read the original manga.
It's amazing that Mr. Kimura has been able to continue, so I'm very grateful and I think it's something special, but now that it's the fourth series, it's become a big project in his life. I feel happy that I can think, "I get to play Iruma-kun again." As for the music festival, I was looking forward to it as many people have told me on social media and in letters that they were looking forward to it.
Asai-san , actually, this was the first time we'd all been able to record together since the first series. For the second and third series, we often recorded separately due to the pandemic, but I heard that we might be able to record together again for the first time in a while for this series, so I was personally very excited. For this series, I thought that the sense of unity that comes from recording together would be even more important, and I think that comes across nicely in the animation. I felt that the joy of recording together and the teamwork that is characteristic of the Abnormal Class came through in our voices.
--Were you all able to record all the scenes this time?
Asai-san, during test recordings, we all do it together in a chaotic way, and sometimes we end up recording separately for the actual take, but there's a definite advantage to being able to record together as a group. It's like, "They're doing it this way, so I'll just go along with that." When we were recording separately, we had to constantly check how the other people were doing it. I've come to realize again how wonderful it is to be able to record without that kind of manual work, just based on the atmosphere.
Murase-san , you're right, Asai-chan said there's definitely a sense of the atmosphere of the moment. Since it's been going on for four seasons now, except for the new characters, we all have a sense of how each character speaks, and that comes naturally when we read the script. But when something different comes out during the voice recording, it's exciting for us too, and it's fun to go along with it. That fresh feeling of being there is really fun as an actor. "Iruma-kun" has drama, it's serious at times, and it has strong comedic elements, so it's a work that shows many different sides, and I really feel the benefits of recording together.
Kimura-san , recording for the first series in six years, I felt that this season is really interesting. The young cast members playing the problem children (abnormals) were, of course, talented to begin with, but six years ago they were incredibly young and just doing their best in the moment. Six years later, when we started recording for "Iruma-kun" again, they've grown to the point where we thought, "Should we call these people for this role?" It's really interesting to watch each of them fully demonstrate the experience and confidence they've gained in various places over the past six years, as if to say, "I am here."
Mr. Murase, you're right.
Kimura-san is like, "Let's do this!" I don't know if they themselves think, "We're on a roll right now," but it's fun to see that kind of energy clashing on set. I'm sure that's having a good influence on the work. It might be tough for the sound director, Hozumi-san, though (laughs).
◇Is Iruma-kun like an older brother who moved to Tokyo? The fourth series is on fire!
--Ms. Kimura and Ms. Asai have both played Asmodeus and Clara, characters who have close ties to Iruma. How do you perceive the character and appeal of Iruma, as portrayed by Mr. Murase?
Asai- san, I think the Iruma trio has a stronger bond than the relationships within the problem child (abnormal) class. Clara loves Iruma very much, and it's an intense love, but from Clara's perspective, she doesn't feel that strongly about romantic love yet. It's more like she's possessive. It's complicated.
Murase-san, Clara is quite a mystery, isn't she? (laughs)
Kimura is like a mascot character to us. She insists she's the heroine, but the real heroine is us (Asmodeus).
Murase-san, that's right. Ameri-san (Azazel Ameri) and Az-kun are the ones who are the most heroines.
Asai-san , oh dear... I'd like to confirm that with Professor Nishi (laughs). Clara is a cute character, but Iruma often grows up when they're not together, so he's kind of like an older brother who's moved to Tokyo.
Murase-san is like an older brother who's been influenced by city life without even realizing it (laughs).
I don't think Asai-san is that far off (laughs). Clara senses that there are parts of Iruma she doesn't know, but she still feels a sense of security when she's with the other two, and I think her feelings of loving Iruma haven't changed.
--What is your impression of Iruma, Kimura-san?
Kimura's Iruma was originally a shy and reserved character, and it was Asmodeus and Clara who found his good points within that. But gradually he's gained confidence, he's able to communicate with those around him, and he's become more proactive. And my impression is that Murase himself is really getting into the role. His personal changes and the character's growth have combined, and I feel that his intuition for "how far I can go with the other person" is really coming through in his acting this season. Probably, the Iruma from the beginning would never have been able to say that much, and he's developed the capacity as a character to accept lines that he probably wouldn't have anticipated. That's why it's been so fun to listen to this season, and I'm like, "Iruma, you can go that far...!"
--Is that something that Mr. Murase himself is aware of?
When I read the script, Murase- san as Iruma says things that are quite startling at times, so there are times when I wonder, "Why is he saying that?" I myself like to rely on my seniors, so I might say things that are startling to others (laughs), and I can see why, so hearing what he just said made me a little startled (laughs). I especially tend to rely on Kimura-san.
◇Clara's earnestness is what allows her to express herself. Asmodeus said, "I thought he was a handsome character, but..."
--Clara loves Iruma very much, so please tell us about the charms of Asmodeus as well.
Regarding Murase's portrayal of Clara, I've always thought that Asai Ayaka is truly amazing. Clara is chubby and mascot-like, but she has a past trauma and can say surprisingly insightful things, so I think she's an amazing character with many different facets, and Asai Ayaka plays Clara, including her family, so I think she's incredibly skillful.
Kimura's portrayal of Clara is incredibly strong in terms of character. It's almost unfair how essential Clara is to "Iruma-kun"—it just wouldn't work without her. When Clara is around, it's fun, and when she shows her serious side, the atmosphere changes dramatically. I think it's a difficult role to play, but Asai's Clara is truly exceptional. Also, although Clara is a wild character, I think she's a more interesting character when played by a serious actor.
I totally get it, Murase- san! Unlike Clara, she's very serious when reading the script, and she pays close attention to even the smallest details that others might overlook, which is probably why she's able to fully express Clara's charm.
-- We've heard that even in scenes where Clara doesn't have any lines during recording, if she's on screen, Ms. Asai will suggest, "Do we not need Clara's voice here?"
Asai-san , that's right. Ever since the first series, there's been this trend of me adding a voice whenever I'm on screen, and if I'm on screen and don't add a voice, I feel uneasy about it. However, in serious scenes, my serious side comes out, and I find myself wondering, "Will I be getting in the way?", but then I also think, "No, Clara would definitely add a voice," and there's this internal struggle.
--So, please tell us about the appeal of Asmodeus.
Murase-san really did betray us, didn't he? From the moment he first appeared, I thought, "This guy is definitely going to be a rival," but...
I can no longer remember Asai-san's early Asmodeus.
Murase-san, that's right. I can't imagine Az-kun any other way now. Even now, when someone like Reed (Shax Reed) gets cocky, he still has this cool, dismissive look on his face, like "You bastard...", but his interactions with Iruma have had an impact on him, and that's how he is now. But from there, the interesting aspects of Az-kun, like "Az-kun has this side to him too," have started to emerge. In the original work, he's a really interesting character because of his betrayal, but he's not just that, he's also reliable.
Kimura is strange, isn't he? He auditioned for Asmodeus thinking he was a handsome character.
Murase is a handsome guy. A handsome heroine.
That's true , Kimura-san . So, every time I look at the pictures, I think they're cool, but when I'm acting, I realize I don't use my handsome guy side at all. It doesn't come out at all, so I wonder if it's okay (laughs).
Murase-san is more of an otaku type, wouldn't you say?
Kimura- san is like that. He's acting like an otaku, and completely out of control.
It feels like I'm actively supporting Murase-san .
Asai-san loves Iruma so much, and when the three of them are together, the difference between how Az acts towards Iruma and how she acts towards Clara is hilarious. It makes me chuckle at the way they interact. Also, I feel like Asmodeus is being increasingly taken over by Clara, and he's starting to seem a little silly (laughs). Do you feel that way too?
Kimura-san , yeah, I can feel it.
There are times when Asai-san joins in and acts silly with me, and I personally enjoy seeing this unexpected side of Azuazu.
Murase-san, you're right. They're a great trio.
--What are the highlights of the fourth series?
Kimura-san , what I find amazing about "Iruma-kun" is that it's always funny. You could say it has an unchanging level of humor, but after actually doing the music festival, I think it's "even more awakened." Even after doing it for so long, there's still more awakened humor coming out. As for this season, I want everyone to hear what the production team has to say somewhere. They're really putting a lot of effort into making it, and they're exploring approaches to make it funny. Look forward to it.
We've received so many comments from Asai-san's fans saying they've been looking forward to it, and I'm so happy that we can deliver the fourth series. As Kimura-san said, the dedication of everyone involved in the production is truly amazing. You can feel the love for "Iruma-kun" in the animation; "You couldn't portray it this way unless you really loved it." Above all, the stage that will conclude the music festival is truly wonderful, so I hope you'll look forward to it.
As someone who has read the original manga, I'm really looking forward to seeing Murase-san's music festival in the fourth series after a three-year hiatus. This time, the members of the Abnormal class will finally be together, and I'm sure many people have been eagerly awaiting this. It's a fantastic episode that's so exciting you won't even notice the three-year gap, so I hope you'll enjoy watching it.
(Shiroinu/MANTANWEB)
