The album “Hello Kitty 50th Anniversary Presents My Bestie Voice Collection with Sanrio characters,” which includes many of the long-loved Sanrio character songs and other classic songs that have captivated a wide range of generations, as well as heartwarming readings, was released on Wednesday, June 26th.
The voice cast includes Miyu Irino, Wataru Urata, Takeo Otsuka, Kazuki Kato, Ryohei Kimura, Ryota Suzuki, Shinnosuke Tachibana, Toshiyuki Toyonaga, Shugo Nakamura, Shun Horie, Hikaru Makishima, and Shuto Mori (BUDDiiS) (in alphabetical order). The album also includes the songs “KAWAII FESTIVAL” and “Hello Kitty” sung by the entire cast.
In addition, a concert featuring Sanrio characters and the entire cast will be held on Sunday, November 24th!
To celebrate the release of the album, Animate Times will be delivering interviews with the cast for 12 days in a row. This is the 8th installment, and this time we have Toshiyuki Toyonaga, who sings “Minna ni Ichiban” (Pochacco). He talked about his memories with Sanrio characters and his thoughts on this project.
–How did you feel when you heard about doing an album of Sanrio character song covers?
Toyonaga Toshiyuki (hereinafter, Toyonaga): It’s a company with a long history that has been popular since I was a child, so I wondered whether I could do the job. Also, when I heard that the character we would be collaborating with was “Pochacco,” I was curious about what kind of cover song it would be.
–Please tell us about your memories of Sanrio characters.
Toyonaga: I often go to Sanrio Puroland with my daughter. It was the first time I rode the boat ride at this age, and I was so moved that I cried. When I visited as an adult, I felt that the greatest attraction was being able to relive the memories and excitement of playing as a child. My daughter loved the “Gudetama” image near the entrance, and she wouldn’t leave the spot (laughs).
–Are there any characters other than your own that you’re interested in?
Toyonaga: I’ve liked “Bad Badtz-Maru” since I was a child. As a child, I was a very shy boy who was too embarrassed to honestly tell a girl I liked “You’re cute” (laughs). Also, I grew to like “Bad Badtz-Maru” because his eyes were similar to mine during puberty.
–What do you think are similar to the characters you play?
Toyonaga: I’m the type who will try anything I’m interested in right away, so we have similar inquisitive personalities. I also have a tendency to be a bit nosy, and I speak up immediately if something bothers me, so I have to be careful.
I didn’t think we were similar in the sense that we were both “clumsy,” but as I get older, I’ve become more natural. When I think about it, we have a lot in common. It’s a bit presumptuous to say that I’m similar to “Pochacco” (laughs).
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