Haraichi’s Iwai Introduces His Top Picks for Summer Anime! Special Guest RainTree’s Kotori Ayase Talks About Her Love for Anime

The “Gyokai Deep Dive Connection” segment featured the conclusion of the third in-depth special on voice actress Mariya Ise. She chatted with her close friend Yuka Terasaki over delicious samgyeopsal at a popular restaurant. Reflecting on her 20th anniversary as a voice actress in 2024, Ise recalled, “I was so busy with just my own work. I was really selfish, always thinking, ‘I want to be in this kind of work, I want to play this kind of role.’”

On her recent mindset, she said, “With my 20th anniversary in sight, I can’t keep behaving like a rookie forever. I’ve started thinking about what I can contribute to the industry.” She spoke about the changes in her thinking and her desire to give back to the anime industry.

When it came to one of the pivotal works in Ise’s career, “HUNTER×HUNTER,” she confessed to her struggles during the Chimera Ant arc. “Because I overlapped with my role so much, I felt unwell every day for several months," she said, revealing, "It was tough for the full three years that I played Killua.” Terasaki related to this, sharing her own memories of struggling with her role as Vueko in “Made in Abyss” for the first time, and how it lingered with her.

Ise also brought up “Flowers of Evil” as another unforgettable work, and shared an episode about Yoko Hikasa, who played her rival. “We couldn’t talk during recording, but the moment it ended, we were like, ‘Let’s go eat!!’” she recalled, describing how they remain close “comrades.” Ise, who immerses herself deeply into each role, asked Terasaki, “Can you wear a skirt when playing a boy’s role?” Terasaki replied, “I think I’m totally fine with it,” but Ise confessed, “It feels off to me,” revealing her own unique, thorough approach to character creation.

Ise also passionately discussed her dreams, saying, “I want Japanese anime to become more of a global brand,” and “I believe it can become a source of dreams and inspiration for children around the world.” She called talented directors and animators “Japan’s treasures” and expressed her desire to “share them with the world.” Terasaki agreed, saying, “Absolutely!” Ise concluded by expressing her big dream: “Someday, I want to create an anime work that I produce myself.”

In the studio, Ayase, moved by Ise’s words, said, “The Chimera Ant arc of ‘HUNTER×HUNTER’ was so painful to watch, but knowing the struggles behind the scenes... Thank you for enduring all that to play your role!” Nakamura also said, “I really relate!” and shared behind-the-scenes stories unique to voice acting.

On the next episode, airing Friday, August 1, the guest will be Kiyono Yasuno, who is in charge of the show’s ending theme! The “coupling talk” segment will feature voice actors Tomokazu Sugita and Kaori Maeda having a conversation over drinks! Iwai’s “Recommended Summer Anime 2025” segment will also continue to air.

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