Azusa Tadokoro's thoughts on the world of Inuyasha that she longs for:
"I felt a very strange feeling" after reading the script for the first episode

Translated by: Harley Acres

January 9, 2021 8:00

Text and interview by Toriko Tomo, photos by Takashi Ikemura

Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, which depicts the next era after the TV anime Inuyasha, originally created by Rumiko Takahashi, is currently airing every Saturday from 5:30 PM on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV.

The series' protagonists are Towa, Setsuna, and Moroha, three half-demons of mixed demon and human heritage. Towa and Setsuna are the twin daughters of Sesshomaru, while Moroha is the daughter of Inuyasha and Kagome, but they grew up without knowing their parents' faces. What happened in the supposedly peaceful world of the Sengoku era after the Shikon Jewel disappeared? Little by little, the mystery is being unravelled, and the story is becoming more and more exciting.

Real Sound Movie Club interviewed Azusa Tadokoro, the voice actress who plays Moroha. [Video commentary is included at the end of the interview]

When the role was decided, "I felt like I was in heaven"

Tadokoro-san, you play Moroha, Inuyasha and Kagome's child. It was Inuyasha that first got you interested in voice acting, right?

Tadokoro Azusa (hereinafter, Tadokoro): That's right. I loved the show, so when I heard about the audition, my hands were shaking. First of all, I was surprised to learn that there were new developments regarding Inuyasha, and also that Inuyasha and Kagome had a child.

How did you feel about the audition?

Tadokoro: I thought I'd given it everything I had, but because I was so determined to get the role, I became anxious afterwards. So when I got it, I couldn't believe it. I felt like I was in heaven.

I heard that you once jumped into a well, thinking that you might be able to travel to the Sengoku period.

Tadokoro: Luckily the well was already filled in, so I didn't get hurt, but I jumped in with all my might (laughs).

As Moroha, was there any scene that you felt particularly emotional about while acting?

Tadokoro: It was definitely the first episode. Back then, I'd only ever watched the finished anime, so I was thrilled to be able to read the script with the lines the characters from Inuyasha were going to be saying. I watched it live from home, and hearing Inuyasha and the others' voices on TV reminded me of my youth, and then later, I started hearing my own voice. It was truly a strange feeling.

I heard that Sesshomaru was your favorite character. What's Sesshomaru's appeal?

Tadokoro: First of all, Sesshomaru-sama is overwhelmingly handsome (laughs). At first, he seems cold-hearted and hates humans, but after he meets Rin-chan, we gradually see glimpses of his kindness. Because he doesn't say much, it lets my imagination run wild, wondering what he might have thought. But sometimes he clearly says things like, "I have nothing to gain in exchange for Rin's life," and that's what's so great about him.

You also said that you decided to become a voice actor because you admired Akiko Yajima-san, who voiced Kohaku in Inuyasha. Please tell us why you were drawn to Yajima-san's character Kohaku.

Tadokoro: Because Kohaku experienced a lot of hardship, I have the image of him as someone who tends to sacrifice himself and do reckless things. With Yajima-san playing that kind of Kohaku, it feels like he takes on an even more melancholic quality. It's the kind of voice that makes you want to do something to help!

Have you been influenced by Yajima-san in any way?

Tadokoro: The main reason I was drawn to Yajima-san's voice and acting is that even in ordinary everyday conversations, you can sense the kind of life the character has lived. I wanted to be a voice actor like that, so when I met Yajima-san once, I asked her, "How do you deal with characters whose thoughts you can't understand?"

What was her answer?

Tadokoro: She said, "I don't understand it either." It's precisely because I don't understand it that I keep thinking about the feelings of the character I'm playing from the story, and try to act in the same way. Apparently, Yajima-san actually stayed in an expensive hotel for about a week when playing a child who grew up in a wealthy family (laughs). I was moved by the way she admitted she didn't always understand things, but still tried to get closer to the character; it made me persevere and try to understand the feelings of the character I was playing.

Otaku talk during the recording

Moroha, who you play, Tadokoro-san, is very expressive and cute. Please tell us if there is anything you pay attention to when playing Moroha.

Tadokoro: Thank you! She hasn't had an easy upbringing, which is precisely why she's so wild, so I'm conscious of giving her a sense of dynamism, as if she's always about to take action. However, we weren't actually told how the story would unfold, so that was a challenge. Also, Moroha's emotions change all the time, so it's hard for me to keep up (laughs). She's interested in so many different things, so I stay busy.

But Moroha also acts as something of a bridge between Towa and Setsuna.

Tadokoro: Yes. But in the end, the two of them are the ones who are lovey-dovey, so sometimes it's lonely for her to be left out (laughs). At first glance, Moroha seems like the type to act blindly, but she's actually very clever and is surprisingly the most skilled in combat out of the three. That contrast is fascinating, and she also has a slightly silly cuteness like Inuyasha and the intelligence of Kagome, so I think she might be the strongest!

Tadokoro-san, please tell us what you think of the character of Towa, played by Sara Matsumoto-san.

Tadokoro: Towa is a half-demon, but she was separated from Setsuna at a young age and has been living in the present day after time-traveling. Now she'll be returning to the Sengoku period with Setsuna and Moroha, so I think she's a complex character whose emotions fluctuate greatly. Sara-san's straightforward sincerity comes through in Towa-chan, and it's adorable how there's no nastiness in what Towa-chan says- it seems like she honestly means everything she says.

What do you think of Setsuna, played by Mikako Komatsu-san?

Tadokoro: The charm of Setsuna played by Komatsu-san is her sharpness. I can definitely sense a faint resemblance to the cool Sesshomaru-sama, but at the same time, she also exudes a cute girlish side. I think it's great that Komatsu-san's performance brings out her cuteness, the side of her that cares about Towa-chan no matter what.

What's the atmosphere like during the dubbing?

Tadokoro: All three of us love Inuyasha, so we get excited talking about all our otaku stuff! Since we don't know what's going to happen, we sometimes make our own assumptions, like, "Maybe it'll be something like this?" (laughs).

With each episode that airs, discussions on social media heat up. For viewers who are curious to know what happens next, please tell us what to look forward to.

Tadokoro: There are some unexpected developments that will make you go, "Oh, I see!", and some that will make Inuyasha fans feel relieved. The mysteries will be unraveled little by little, so I hope you won't miss any episodes.

Among them, what are the points to look out for when it comes to Moroha?

Tadokoro: In one episode, Moroha's upbringing and past will be revealed, and I think this will be an episode that will make you feel even more fond of her.

In addition to Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, you had many other roles in 2020, and I imagine it was a busy year for you, including your artistic activities. What kind of year was it?

Tadokoro: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, where the situation is changing every day, I'm very happy and feel blessed to be able to expand my world in this way. That's why this year has made each and every job feel even more important. I feel a renewed sense of responsibility to connect to the next year, the year after, and even more pressure. I feel like I can't afford to let things fall by the wayside!

The situation around the world has also been greatly shaken.

Tadokoro: That's true... I hope we can start doing joint voice recordings again soon like we used to. ^[1]

Tadokoro-san, you turned 27 on November 10th. What are your goals for the new year?

Tadokoro: My self-produced album Waver will be released on January 27th, but my immediate goal is to be able to put into words what I'm thinking and feeling.

What, for example?

Tadokoro: For example, when I'm watching TV or listening to someone talk in my daily life, I might suddenly wonder if what they're saying is true, or something I've been thinking about. In a sense, the songs on this album are the things going through my mind right now.

Ever since your debut, you've said that you wanted to play a boy's role, and recently you've been playing more and more boys, including the role of Ryoma, the main character in the currently airing The Man Picked Up by the Gods. ^[2] Is there any role you'd like to play again now?

Tadokoro: I love foreign dramas, so I'd also like to try my hand at dubbing characters from foreign films.

I'm sure fans are looking forward to the future developments of Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon and your upcoming activities.

Tadokoro: I hope you'll be excited to wait and see. There's a lot I want to talk about Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon, and it's only going to get more and more exciting from here on, so please look forward to every episode. And as for me, Azusa Tadokoro, I won't be satisfied with the status quo and will continue to push forward. I hope all my fans will continue to support me!

■Broadcast Information
Yashahime: Princess Half-Demon
Airs every Saturday from 5:30 PM on Yomiuri TV and Nippon TV.
*Excluding some regions
Director: Teruo Sato
Series Composition: Katsuyuki Sumizawa
Main Character Design: Rumiko Takahashi
Animation Character Design: Yoshihito Hishinuma
Music: Kaoru Wada
Animation Production: Sunrise
Production: Sunrise, Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV
(c) Rumiko Takahashi / Shogakukan, Yomiuri TV, Sunrise 2020
Official Website: hanyo-yashahime.com
Official Twitter: @hanyo_yashahime

---

Footnotes

• [1] In an interview with Livedoor News Teruo Sato and Toshikazu Naka, the director and producer of Yashahime explained that because of the pandemic, the actors had to record their lines seperately at this point in the show's creation.
• [2] The Man Picked Up by the Gods (神達に拾われた男/Kamitachi ni Hirowareta Otoko) is an adaptation of the light novel series known in English as By the Grace of the Gods.

---