Haraichi's Iwai Passionately Discusses the Appeal of the Summer Anime "Takopi's Original Sin"! Special Guest Kiyono Yasuno Shares Ultra-Rare Childhood Photos for the First Time in Media

Following this, Tomokazu Sugita and Kaori Maeda delivered the "Kapukapu Talk," a conversation only possible here between two people with a 15-year age gap. Regarding how they met, they recalled that it was Maeda's offer to appear on Sugita's YouTube channel. Maeda confessed her surprise at the time, saying, "My eyes just about popped out! Or rather, they really did (laughs)."

About the reason for the offer, Sugita revealed, mimicking those involved, that "the sound director recommended her." He went on to share his impression of Maeda, saying, "Her voice is refined, but there's also a sense of warmth and a little shadow in it." Regarding her inner self, he remarked, "I felt like she sometimes suppresses what she really wants to say, or has moments where she thinks, 'I really want to choose this, but because of my image, I can't.'"

Sugita candidly conveyed his feelings for Maeda at the time, saying, "If she was troubled by those things, I hoped I'd have the chance to tell her, 'It's okay to say these things to the world. There are actually a lot more people out there (harboring darkness) than you might think, so go ahead and say it.'"

Upon hearing this, Maeda replied, "I'm honestly so grateful. What made me especially happy was that, when I had the chance to perform, Sugita-san personally directed me and told me, 'It's okay to put your deepest feelings or the things you want to say but can't into your performance.' Even though it was our first meeting, he understood me so well from my acting. I was amazed and so grateful for that."

Reflecting on their most memorable roles, Sugita cited Maeda's role as the heroine Lilysa Amano in their shared work "2.5 Dimensional Seduction." Based on the premise that "playing an otaku is difficult," he lavished praise, saying Maeda's performance made him respect her as a fan even more.

On the other hand, Maeda picked Sugita's role as Taiju Shiba in "Tokyo Revengers." She explained that his portrayal was so far from the gentle Sugita she knew that she expressed her surprise, saying, "I'm really praising you here, but you were just too scary! Where did you bring that darkness from?"

In response, Sugita revealed that he had won the role through an audition, saying, "I really liked the (Tokyo Revengers) manga and thought I wanted to be in the anime. But then I thought, 'Don't get conceited, Sugita—what role should you audition for?' and 'Is there a role that fits me? None of them felt right,' so I didn't go for the first audition."

Later, when auditions for additional characters were held, Sugita explained the hidden side of the audition process: "People see Taiju Shiba as a 'ruffian,' 'rowdy,' or an 'empty destroyer,' but I thought, 'No, he's just someone whose love for his family goes too far,' 'he's someone who simply lacks emotional brakes.' When I constructed the role that way, I landed it."

He also shared behind-the-scenes stories, such as how the audition for one of his signature roles—Gintoki Sakata in "Gintama"—was originally intended for someone else. This segued into discussions about Maeda's passion for her characters and attitudes toward auditions, resulting in honest and candid talk only possible in this setting.