- Interview Location: New York Comic Con 2026
- Interview Format: In-Person, One-on-One
Anime Herald: What do you do to mentally get into character to play Maomao?
Aoi Yūki: When I play Maomao, when I am in the recording studio, I think of myself as the percussion. I am the downbeat. I want to set the rhythm for the show so everybody can shine when playing their characters.
Anime Herald: What do you do to mentally get into character to play Jinshi?
Takeo Otsuka: I don’t have any particular prep. When recording in Japan, it is very much a team effort. I play off of other characters, and let other characters affect me. I try to listen very well to my scene partners. I try to hold space for my emotions to get affected by others.
Anime Herald: If Yuki-san is the downbeat, are you the upbeat?
Takeo Otsuka: Not Really (Laughs)
Anime Herald: You have describedThe Apothecary Diariesas a more lenient production. What did you and the rest of the cast do to earn the director’s trust?
Aoi Yūki: There are a lot of actors in this production. When I look at them, and I look at their characters, I feel like their souls are very close with their characters. The colors of their souls are so right, it’s so well cast in that way. There are a lot of new characters, having great places to shine in season three. When you look at the actor, you know which character they are playing. My guess is that the director knew that well enough to cast them in the right spots. That’s how they trust us. On my end, all I can do is work really hard to answer the call with the freedom they have given me.
Anime Herald: Jinshi’s humility hides just how high ranking he is. How do you manage to communicate the nuances of his character to the viewers?
Takeo Otsuka: When the director says that this is the place where you communicate what Jinshi is going through, or make it clear to the audience, I’ll do that. The great thing about this show is that it is very realistic. The characters’ reactions and actions are not so extravagant. I think that is why fans have an easy time connecting to the story and immersing themselves in this fantasy world.
As an actor, I would like to always listen to the director. Not to push it too much, or try to make this happen, but rather immerse myself in the environment and the plot that they are in to play and portray him as Maomao’s partner.
Anime Herald: “Originally, Jinshi was supposed to die. We figured if we killed him off, everyone would get mad so we decided to let him live. The original plan was to have Gaoshun kill him by throwing something at him. It would have been a very different story.” -Hyūganatsu
Why do you think Jinshi became so popular that he gained “plot armor?”
Aoi Yūki: From my point of view, when I look at Jinshi, I think about how too much of anything is a poison. Jinshi is the epitome of that. He is too beautiful. He is too high class. He has everything. That is the definition of “poison” in my mind. From my perspective Jinshi has the hardest time. He has so many struggles. That’s why all the fans, myself included, want him to survive. We are rooting for him because of that..
Takeo Otsuka: We have to check with Hyūganatsu-sensei. I’d be very curious what they would say to answer this question. We all root for Jinshi because he is so honest and direct. He’s a great person. As we move through the seasons and see his struggles, we connect to that and want to support him. That’s why everybody loves him. We’d have to ask Hyūganatsu-sensei how he got here. I think that is why he survived.
Anime Herald: Maomao is a natural born detective. Do you have a similar interest in deduction?
Aoi Yūki: Are you familiar with escape rooms?
Anime Herald: Yes.
Aoi Yūki: Escape rooms are very popular in Japan. I go, but I can never deduct and solve the clues. I end up doing different things to support the group. Someday, I would love to use my mystery solving skills to save my teammates.
Anime Herald: What does Yuki-san do to create a welcoming recording atmosphere?
Takeo Otsuka: She’s wonderful at creating a lively environment in the recording studio. All of the actors have been working together for quite some time now. We know each other very well and get along. We always talk about how we love the story and get inspired by it.
Sometimes, Yuki-san will talk about, “What is your favorite kind of car or truck? What type of construction vehicles do you like?” We’ll go with the flow and talk about stuff like that.
Anime Herald: What wisdom would you like to pass on to the next generation of seiyuu?
Aoi Yūki: Is this for American voice actors?
Anime Herald: Worldwide.
Aoi Yūki: I’ve worked on this show for three seasons. The one thing I think about daily is, there is this word “Tatedokoro” in Japanese. It asks, “Which word within the sentence is most important, what is the core?” I am always looking for the core word in every sentence.
If I can deliver that word, it will reach the audience’s ears very effectively. If I focus on that, the characters will become three-dimensional. The relationships, the relay of the information, will stand up. You can create three-dimensional scenes, if I am really focused on the core. Day to day, I am always thinking about “what is the emphasis, what is the core of each line?”
Anime Herald: That is a very good answer. Thank you.
Takeo Otsuka: Health. We need to stay healthy.
My voice is my instrument. I cannot be nasal. I cannot be hoarse. If I am hoarse, it will be a different character. Health is my #1 priority. For that, sleep is what supports it.
Anime Herald: Again, a very good answer. Thank you.
