Newisekaiadaptations pop up almost every anime season without fail, butReborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship!might manage to set itself apart with one key twist: its setting. The story follows Hiro, a young man in his mid-to-late twenties who is suddenly transported into his favorite space-combat video game, where he must navigate his new life with a crew of space mercenaries. Based on the light novel series, the anime will show a mix of sci-fi action with some laid-back, slice-of-life moments. At Anime Expo 2026, Anime Trending caught up withMakoto Furukawa, the voice of Hiro, to gather his thoughts on the upcoming series.
Space isekai are kind of rare in anime! Are you a fan of the sci-fi genre, and what stands out the most to you about this series?
Makoto Furukawa:Yes, I do like science fiction. I am a fan ofGundam, for example, and that was kind of the biggest introduction I had to anime. So I would say that sci-fi is definitely part of my roots. This is space-based science fiction, but they’re fighting using spaceships. The battle scenes and combat scenes aren’t between robots; they’re actually between spaceships, and I think that’s a sensational part of this. Honestly, in my opinion, the CG of those battle scenes between spaceships is probably one of the things I think stands out the most. I think that’s fantastic; I love that about it.
Did you come into this role already knowing the story, or was the script your first real encounter withReborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship!?
Makoto Furukawa:Actually, I learned about this for the first time at my audition.
What was your first impression of Hiro? What kind of hero is Hiro?
Makoto Furukawa:On the surface, he’s just a young man. However, in terms of what kind of hero or character he is, he has this really cool side to him, really admirable, but he also has this messy side to him. In that sense, I feel like he’s a well-balanced, human-like character, and I think that’s great about him. I think that makes him identifiable.
Do you have anything in common with Hiro? Or what’s the biggest difference between you and him?
How did you approach building Hiro’s voice and personality?
Makoto Furukawa:He’s probably in his late 20s — maybe around 26 or 27. So he’s definitely not a boy — he’s a young man. I wanted to take that kind of superficialness, that typical young-man identity, and kind of just let that stand without trying to do too much character-building myself above what you’d typically think.
He has that unconventional, bohemian style to him. In his gameplaying, he’s calm, and he has these incredible skills he’s using, but it’s like he doesn’t want to flaunt all the experience he’s acquired. But suddenly, when he scores or wins, he just does it in the coolest way ever. So I think he’s a very well-balanced character in that sense — he’s not trying to be too cool, but when he really wins, it’s like, “Wow, that was really cool.”
How would you describe Hiro’s relationships with his fellow space mercenaries?
Makoto Furukawa:Family. There are different nuances behind the word family. You could say there are families that share blood, and then there’s something like the mafia, which could also be considered kind of like a crime family? It’s a family that has a shared value system. That’s closer to what this is. Not a blood family, but that kind of family.
On your spaceship, what do you think would be the most important room? What room would you spend the most time in?
Makoto Furukawa:If I’m talking about a realistic spaceship, I’m sure it would be the engine room. In this case, the Krishna, the fictitious spaceship, has a living room. I thought, “Oh, does a spaceship have a living room in it? Wow, that’s really amazing technology to have a living room on a spaceship.” Honestly, I would like to just sit on the sofa and read manga. That’s what I would like to do.
As the release approaches, what do you hope viewers will take away from the show?
Makoto Furukawa:This is anisekai, so it’s about traveling to a completely different world. Within that, he’s fighting, battling, trying to win — and part of him thinks, “Well, if I had better equipment or better weapons, I’d get better.” But honestly, I think it’s the fact that he can cut his losses and move on — that’s something I’d like people to take away. If there’s a job you don’t like, or a situation that just doesn’t work for you, you can use your skills and start over. There’s no limit to how far you can go, no limit to what you can overcome. I’d like people to take that away from this. You can start over and go as far as you can go, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
Reborn as a Space Mercenary: I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship!will premiere in October 2026.
