Tomoyo Kurosawa is a young voice actress who has already landed several prominent anime voice roles. She’s been acting in commercials, dramas, and stage plays since the age of 3, she also plays the voice of Sylphy in Amagi Brilliant Park, Itsuki in Yuki Yuna is a Hero, Miria in Idolmaster Cinderella Girls, and the lead role of Kumiko in Kyoto Animation’s Sound! Euphonium.
This interview was conducted by Raymond Hu and Michael Huang, and is edited for clarity.
How do you like US-style breakfasts?
I like it! My coordinator/interpreter took me here and I ate muffins and cupcakes, and I enjoy it.
I’m glad the food tastes good. But personally I think Japanese food tastes better.
I like them both!
What are the differences between voice acting and other types of acting?
When I was acting in person, it was more natural. But when I started voice acting, I had to train myself physically and pay attention to breathing and use of space.
Who is your favorite seiyuu, and why?
Miki Shinichiro, famous for Kojiro in Pokemon. He’s very passionate and I learned so much about voice acting from him.
How often do you watch anime and play games?
I don’t have much chance to watch anime, other than my own shows, but Katanagatari made a strong impression on me.
(SPOILERS FOR YUKI YUNA) When you were in Yuuki Yuna is a Hero, you voiced a character, Itsuki, who later lost her voice. How do you voice a character like that?
Up to episode 5, I did have lines, but after that my character couldn’t talk. In episode 9 there was a flashback scene, but there were three weeks total with no lines. Still, the character I played affected the other characters and encouraged them. I treated the role as I would with any other usually.
What do you think about the Japanese cultural phenomenon that encourages very intimate relationships between girls from middle school to junior college?*
Sound Euphonium features good friendships between girls, but it’s not about romantic relationships. But it shows girls’ complicated emotions and frustrations that they can’t really express in middle school. It’s characteristic of puberty. It looks like romance, but it’s not really about that. It just symbolizes adolescent life.
Did you ever have any similar experiences like that in Euphonium?
I understand the feeling of being best friends, sympathizing and crying with them.
[Michael] How about with music? Did you ever play music and play in high school band?
I played the guitar in high school.
[Michael] Do you still play?
I practice euphonium now for the anime event!
[Michael] Did you ever have to go through an audition that is as hard as the ones shown in Sound: Euphonium?
For voice acting auditions, they listened to a recording to decide, but I’ve been to theater auditions where I had to be in a studio for four days and a workshop for one month.
What’s your earlier memory of acting? We know you started at three years old…what were you doing at the time?
I played a granddaughter of Tsugawa Masahiko on an NHK drama when I was three. I saw sugar candy and I started eating it!
*Note: In reference to some of the relationships depicted in Sound!: Euphonium; see this article on Gar Gar Stegosaurus for further analysis (SPOILER ALERT)
