The protagonist, Inomata Daiki, is a hardworking and straightforward person who admires his senior, Shikano Chinatsu. This work, which delicately depicts the delicate emotions of “falling in love with someone” and the life-sized characters who devote themselves to club activities with their own feelings in their hearts, has captivated many readers since it began serialization.
Prior to the broadcast of this work, Animate Times conducted a roundtable interview with Shoya Chiba, who plays Daiki Inomata, Reina Ueda, who plays Chinatsu Shikano, and Akari Kito, who plays Hina Chono. They talked in detail about the work and the appeal of the characters.
-First of all, please tell us your impressions of the work “Ao no Hako.”
Shoya Chiba (Chiba), who plays Taiki Inomata: When I read the original manga, I thought it was a wonderful piece because it delicately expressed emotions just through the depiction of the gaze and mouth. I was glad that this delicacy was preserved in the animation.
Reina Ueda (hereafter, Ueda), who plays Chinatsu Shikano: I thought it was a worthwhile work because the two elements of sports and love were portrayed without any blurring of each other. I think it’s a fascinating work because all the characters are dedicated to sports, which is why they are able to respect each other, improve each other, and are attracted to each other. Also, all the characters are considerate towards others, and it’s wonderful how their words and actions exquisitely move the story forward.
Akari Kito (voice of Chono Hina) (hereafter, Kito): I think it’s a work that is packed with the youth of school days, working hard at sports, romance, and many other things. It delicately depicts the movements of people’s hearts, and you can see through small gestures that “this character’s feelings must have changed here.” I think it’s a work that makes you feel the warmth of humanity.
–The characters’ expressions and little gestures make this a very charming work! What was the audition like? Is there anything that made an impression on you?
Chiba: It was a coincidence, but the three of us just auditioned together. So I was surprised when I was chosen. I don’t think that happens very often.
–That’s certainly unusual.
Ueda: During the dialogue audition, the two of them were very reliable. They fit the roles perfectly, and it felt like I was hearing Daiki and Hina talking as I imagined them, so I was able to go into the audition with confidence.
でも、そんな二人がいても、自分のことでいっぱいいっぱいになってしまうくらい、私の中で千夏が掴みきれずに終わってしまった印象がありました……。ただ、二人の演技が良すぎたので「二人だけは、絶対に受かってほしい！」と思っていましたね。
千葉：（笑）
鬼頭：オーディションが終わったあとに、（上田さんが）「めちゃくちゃ良かったよ！」「ピッタリだった！」って言いに来てくれたんです（笑）。実は私も、手応えがあったわけではなかったのですが、そう言われて「受かるかも……！」と思いました。
――鬼頭さんは、このかけ合いオーディションに関してどのように感じていましたか？
鬼頭：個人的には共演の多いメンバーかつ、普段から仲が良い方々とのかけ合いオーディションだったので、リラックスして臨むことができました。
千葉：確かに僕も、鬼頭さんに対しては緊張しなかったですね。一方、上田さんは共演歴が少なくて、かけ合いの際は緊張していたのですが……（笑）。
――大喜と雛、大喜と千夏先輩の関係性通りですね！
千葉：逆にそれが良かったのかもしれません（笑）。
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