“ATRI -My Dear Moments-” Serialization Part 8: Yoko Hikasa (Catherine) | Catherine also changes as she watches Natsuo’s emotional fluctuationsThe TV anime adaptation of “ATRI-My Dear Moments-“, the first title of Aniplex’s novel game brand “ANIPLEX.EXE”, has been airing since July 2024!

Animate Times conducted interviews with the main cast members in conjunction with the broadcast. Our eighth interview continues from last time with Yoko Hikasa, who plays Catherine!

As the story is now at its halfway point, we asked him to talk about the highlights of the story so far and the changes in Catherine. Please read on to build up your anticipation for the final chapter of the series.

–7 episodes have aired so far. Looking back, what was the most memorable scene?

Hikasa: I think it’s finally becoming clear whether Atoli has feelings or not. Catherine isn’t the main character of the story, but rather she’s there for Natsuo, who is struggling with his relationship with Atoli, and she finds him amusing. I also remember her playing the role of an explainer and support.

–What do you consider when playing a character who takes a step back from the main characters and has a more mature stance?

Hikasa: This goes beyond just this production, but rather than taking the acting in my own direction, I try to predict the direction that this cast will take, and then I try to go along with it so that it doesn’t feel out of place. I think of myself as someone who provides a solid foundation for the leading actors.

Of course, there are times when I make it different on purpose, but I try to keep the roots similar. In this work, Ono-san is an actor with a natural style, and Takahashi-san’s Mizuna Moe and Hosoya-san’s Nojima Ryuji are also natural actors, so I try to make it closer to a conversation between natural people.

–Does the genre classification change depending on the work and the cast?

Hikasa: For example, in comedy productions, I often think that the cast members are people who don’t care about the pictures and just do unexpected things. Also, when I do this job, I sometimes feel that there is a direction for acting that is required by each generation and era.

ちゃんと言葉を立てたり、アクセントを付けてくる喋りの人たちが多い時はそちらにあわせ、『ATRI』の場合は、あまりワードを立てずに少し流す方向に寄せようと考えます。もちろん完璧にできている時できていない時はありますが、自分の意識としてはそのように分けています。

――声優さんたちも世代によってお芝居に特徴があったりするのでしょうか。

日笠：日常系の作品と、異世界でバキバキに戦う作品とでは、テンション感がそもそも違いますよね。一時的にリアルなお芝居が求められる劇場作品が多くなった時期も過去あって、それを見て育った人たちはそういう作品をインプットしてきている。だからアウトプットもそういう作品が増えているときもあると思います。

変な分析で恐縮ではあるのですが、きっと時代はまた回ると思います。最近でも90年代のロボットアニメの雰囲気を纏った作品もあって面白かったですし、逆に新しく感じましたしね（笑）。