Tomokazu Seki and Reiji Kawashima Share Stories of Their Days in Poverty! They Also Take on a Challenge to “Learn the Value of Money Through Experience”

On ABEMA’s “Anime LIVE Channel,” “Say You To Yo Asobi Friday [Tomokazu Seki × Reiji Kawashima] #9” was broadcast on Friday, June 27, 2025, at 10:00 p.m. This episode featured a special segment themed around Reiji Kawashima’s sense of money, as he had previously confessed, “Even when my bank balance is running low, I can’t help but buy my favorite clothes.” Titled “We’re Worried About Reiji’s Sense of Money! Let’s Think About the Importance of Money,” the show included candid talks about money, game challenges, and various activities that allowed them to experience the importance of money from different perspectives.

■Tomokazu Seki & Reiji Kawashima Talk About Their Humble Beginnings

At the start of the episode themed “We’re Worried About Reiji’s Sense of Money! Let’s Think About the Importance of Money,” the hosts spoke about their early days struggling with money and their first paychecks. Kawashima revealed, “My electricity, gas, and water would often get shut off,” to which Seki empathized, saying, “That happened to me, too.” Seki also shared, “My electricity was cut off for as long as six months,” which elicited gasps of surprise in the studio.

Seki then recounted, “One summer, I was just lazing around when the electricity suddenly got cut off. But since I didn’t have any money, I just stayed like that, and before I knew it, it was winter. In the summer, I managed by taking off my clothes, but I couldn’t do anything about the winter cold. Since my room got sunlight, I would move around to wherever the sun hit.” Kawashima, visibly shocked, responded, “You went through summer and then winter!? That’s what cats do!” Seki also talked about how he would receive nearly-expired food from convenience stores, recalling how he teared up eating a steamed bun because of people’s kindness. Viewers commented things like, “Six months without electricity is crazy lol,” “Even Seki-san had days like that!?” “That’s so extreme.”

The two also discussed their first payments as voice actors. Seki recalled that back then, payments were given in envelopes, and he felt happy seeing the thickness of the envelope gradually increase. Kawashima, on the other hand, revealed that his first pay was not cash but “a crepe.” He explained that during a studio tour, he was asked to try out a role since no one had been cast yet and received a crepe as thanks—the memory of which remains precious to him. He shared his joy at getting something as a job, saying, “Even now, I still remember that time,” and talked about the importance of remembering where he started.