Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon: Sara Matsumoto, Mikako Komatsu, and Azusa Tadokoro - The voice actors for the "Three Princesses"; daughters of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, with a focus on genetics

Translated by: Harley Acres

January 16, 2021 8:05
Mantan Web Editorial Department

The TV anime series Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon (Yomiuri TV/Nippon TV, Saturdays at 5:30 PM, excluding some regions) features the daughters of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha from Rumiko Takahashi-san's popular manga Inuyasha. The thrilling story of the three princesses, Sesshomaru's twin daughters Towa and Setsuna, and Inuyasha and Kagome Higurashi's daughter Moroha, rampaging through modern times and the Sengoku period, as well as the mysterious developments in which the secrets of the three princesses' origins are gradually revealed, all of which has been generating a lot of buzz. Sara Matsumoto who plays Towa, Mikako Komatsu, who plays Setsuna and Azusa Tadokoro who plays Moroha are all from the generation that was captivated by the world of Inuyasha at a young age. Each of them was conscious of inheriting their parental traits when playing the daughters of Sesshomaru and Inuyasha. We spoke to the three about their impressions of each other's acting and their thoughts on the series.

◇ The Three Princesses Inherit Their Charms, Including Their Cuteness as 14-Year-Old Girls

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon is a story featuring three girls of mixed demon and human descent. Sesshōmaru's daughters, Towa and Setsuna, and Kagome and Inuyasha's daughter, Moroha, travel freely through time, from the present day to the Sengoku period. Rumiko Takahashi-san is in charge of main character design, Teruo Sato-san, assistant director of Inuyasha: The Final Act, is director, and Katsuyuki Sumizawa-san is in charge of series composition. Like Inuyasha and Inuyasha: The Final Act, Sunrise is producing the series.

What did you think when you heard that a new story in the Inuyasha world, Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, was being produced?

Matsumoto-san: It was quite a shock. The idea of ​​portraying the children of characters I'd grown up with...first of all, I wondered how that came about (laughs). I wondered how various things were passed down.

Tadokoro-san: I was really surprised. Inuyasha is such a beautifully concluded work, so I never imagined there would be a sequel, and a new story. ^[1] I loved the work, so I was very happy to see Inuyasha's story being passed down. More than anything, I heard that Sesshomaru had a child, and I wondered who it could be... (laughs). I devoured the character designs intently.

Komatsu-san: I was also very surprised to learn that it is a story about Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's daughters. As someone who has read the Inuyasha manga and watched the anime, I felt a sense of nostalgia, as well as the joy and excitement of being able to experience the Inuyasha world from the beginning again.

What do you keep in mind when playing Inuyasha and Sesshomaru's daughters?

Matsumoto: Regarding Towa, during the audition, sound director Yasushi Nagura told me not to be conscious of her father, Sesshomaru, and to "not make her too boyish," and at that point my plans fell apart and I thought, "This is bad..." ^[2] So, the Towa we have today is the result of fighting with nothing but the bare minimum. Towa gradually becomes accustomed to the Sengoku period, so I was conscious of not being too cool or too determined from the start. No matter what experiences she has, she is still a 14-year-old middle school girl, so there will be times when her girlish side shows, and I try not to forget that those are at her core.

Do you ever think about the presence of Towa's parents?

Matsumoto-san: As the story progressed, I began to realize that this was an extremely difficult part. I think Inuyasha fans would be pleased if there were some nuances that suggested a parental connection, but since Towa doesn't know her father or mother, I wasn't trying to force that nuance. I would be happy if people thought that she resembled Sesshomaru or her mother. Unlike Moroha and Setsuna, Towa was the only one who grew up in the modern era, so Setsuna and Moroha, who grew up in the Sengoku period, tell her, "You're too weak" and "You're too flexible, you're no good," and she tries to accept their advice. She's soft-hearted, and I feel like she has her mother's blood in her veins, so I think that's why people say, "She's really just like her."

What do you think of Komatsu-san, who plays Setsuna?

Komatsu-san: During the audition, I was told what the underlying character of Setsuna is I should occasionally show her 14-year-old girl side. Also, being with Towa and Moroha makes Setsuna gradually become more affectionate, so I was asked to show that cute side as well. At the audition stage, I had no idea how Setsuna would act, so I struggled. Once we actually started recording, around the second episode, Nagura-san said, "Remember Nariken (Ken Narita, who plays Sesshomaru)"...

Tadokoro-san: That's a difficult one...

Komatsu-san: Setsuna also knows almost nothing about Sesshomaru and has lost her memories, so I think that in that situation she inherited something from her blood. I think the Setsuna of today is a reflection of the calm and collected nature she inherited from her lineage, the acquired composure she gained from the environment she grew up in, and the resolve she has for living that she has put into her behavior. However, she is still only 14, so I think she's a girl who shows true-to-life emotional turmoil. There are many scenes in which Setsuna falls silent after witnessing Towa's way of life, but I try to act with the idea that she is thinking about it and appreciating it in her own way.

What about you, Tadokoro-san, you play Inuyasha and Kagome's daughter, Moroha.

Tadokoro-san: When I auditioned, I imagined Inuyasha's unique dog-like way of sitting. I was conscious of his light footwork that allows him to move quickly, and his wild movements, as if his body is always in motion. That hasn't changed even now. Moroha has always fought to earn money, and I think she never let herself be looked down upon, so I'm playing her with the image of someone who speaks in a provocative, rough manner, and has lived her life trying to make herself look bigger than she is. When you hear about Moroha's upbringing, she's lived a life that seems unrewarding, yet she's very cheerful and upbeat. I think that kind of inner strength, and not being overly pessimistic, are what make her similar to her parents.

◇ Characters that reflect the personalities of the voice actors

Do you ever get influenced or inspired by each other's acting?

Matsumoto-san: The initial materials I received were just character designs drawn by Rumiko Takahashi-sensei and a simple relationship diagram, so I wondered what it would be like when each character was given a voice and animated, but when recording began and I heard the two of your's voices, and I thought, "Ah, I see!" I tried my best not to cause you any trouble...

Komatsu-san/Tadokoro-san: No, no... we're the ones who should be saying that (laughs).

Matsumoto-san: I get so much from the two of you every episode. For scenes where Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha go their separate ways, I record separately from Tadokoro-san, but I listen to her voice before recording and I get so much out of it. Every time, I think, "If they're acting like this, I'll try to do it a little more like this."

Tadokoro-san: When I auditioned, I was auditioning for the two other roles besides Moroha, but to be honest, I couldn't imagine what Towa and Setsuna's voices would sound like. But when I actually recorded with them, I thought, "This is it! This is it! I've found the answer!" (laughs) Towa is a difficult character who is quite unstable, not fitting in either the modern era or the Sengoku period, and she makes some inappropriate remarks. But Sara-san's honest and straightforward acting makes you feel like Towa must have her own beliefs that lead her to say and do the things she does. I love Sara's straightforward acting, which really brings out her personality.

Komatsu-san: As Koroazu-chan (Tadokoro-san) said, Sara-chan's personality really comes through. ^[3] Towa looks sharp and gives off a boyish impression, but she's also very friendly. I think she could probably live in any era. I think that's thanks to Sara-chan's own friendliness and strong communication skills.

Matsumoto-san: I'm so happy.

Tadokoro: I thought Komatsu-san's portrayal of Setsuna really exudes Sesshomaru. It's amazing! I played Setsuna at the audition, so I know it's incredibly difficult for a woman to emulate Ken Narita-san's (who plays Sesshomaru) acting. Komatsu-san brings out the strength Setsuna inherited from Sesshomaru, while also expressing the cuteness of a 14-year-old, even when she's in a lovey-dovey mood. I think it's Komatsu-san's skill that brings out the full range of Setsuna's potential (laughs).

Komatsu: Moroha also inherits things from Inuyasha and Kagome. I don't think anyone other than Koroazu-chan could do that. Moroha has Inuyasha's rough side and Kagome's inner strength and flexibility, so I thought, "This is Moroha!" The soft and playful parts of Koroazu-chan combined are what makes Moroha so cute. If she only carried over Inuyasha's characteristics, she would end up being just a rough girl, which would be difficult, but she also brings out Kagome's cuteness and strength. Even Setsuna can forgive Moroha's absent-mindedness. This is "Koroazu magic." ^[4]

Matsumoto-san: It's a wonderful magic.

Tadokoro-san: I'm so pleased.

Komatsu-san: Even while acting, I can feel that Setsuna is changing under the influence of the two of them. To Setsuna, both Towa and Moroha are people she can love. In fact, all three of them are relatives (laughs).

The three princesses, played by Matsumoto-san, Komatsu-san, and Tadokoro-san, inherit the blood of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, but they also exude charm as new heroines in the Inuyasha world. The comical banter between the three princesses, their exhilarating battles with yokai, and the gradual revelation of the secret of their births will keep you glued to the screen.

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Footnotes

• [1] Katsuyuki Sumisawa, the writer of Yashahime who was responsible for writing the anime adaptation of Inuyasha said he had a similar reaction when approached by Michihiko Suwa about continuing the series after the conclusion of Inuyasha: The Final Act.
• [2] Yasushi Nagura (名倉靖) was the sound director (voice director) on both seasons of Yashahime and worked as a sound recorder on all of Inuyasha, Inuyasha: The Final Act and all four films.
• [3] "Koroazu" (ころあず) is Azusa Tadakoro's nickname.
• [4] Some sections of this interview are also included in the Animage Plus, Animage Times and Pash! Plus interviews from the same month, as if a pool reporter handled this interview and shared it with a number of outlets that each ran it with small tweaks and edits.

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