“Hello Kitty” 50th Anniversary Project – Voice Cast Interview No. 9: Nakamura Shugo, voice of “Pom Pom Purin” | I hope to be a bridge between Sanrio character fans and voice actor fansTo commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sanrio’s “Hello Kitty” in 2024, Sanrio characters and voice cast members will collaborate!

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 consecutive days. This is the ninth installment, and this time we have Nakamura Shugo, who sings “Boku, Purin” (Pom Pom Purin). 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?

Shugo Nakamura (hereinafter, Nakamura): I was really happy to be able to sing the song “Pom Pom Purin”, which I love. I especially love butts, and Sanrio has even released butt-focused goods, so I guess I’m answering the demands of my fans (laughs).

–Please tell us about your memories of Sanrio characters.

Nakamura: I often go to Sanrio Puroland for work, so I’ve met Pom Pom Purin and Kuromi! I especially remember Pom Pom Purin’s movements being very lively on stage (laughs).

–Are there any characters other than your own that you’re interested in?

Nakamura: I was curious because Kero Kero Keroppi’s debut year was the same year I was born.

–What do you think are similar to the characters you play?

Nakamura: We both have the same favorite word, “going out”! I also like taking walks, and I walk to the shooting location, which takes about an hour. The word I hate is “staying at home”. I like staying at home though (laughs).