Who Did Chiaki Kobayashi, the Lead Voice Actor of 'The Summer Hikaru Died', Feel a "Perfect Sync" With? [Interview]

'The Summer Hikaru Died' is a coming-of-age horror anime where a young man's missing friend returns, having been replaced by something non-human, causing strange occurrences in their village. The unique world created by up-and-coming manga artist Mokumokuren is brought to life by CygamesPictures, known for their work on ‘APOCALYPSEHOTEL’ and ‘Umamusume: Cinderella Gray’.

In this article, we interviewed Chiaki Kobayashi, the voice actor for the protagonist Yoshiki Tsujinaka, about his impressions of Shuichiro Umeda, who plays the role of Hikaru, and their interactions during the recording sessions.

—— In 'The Summer Hikaru Died', Yoshiki and Hikaru have many scenes together, right? Did you differentiate your performance when talking to Hikaru as a non-human entity versus talking to your friend Hikaru?

Kobayashi: Honestly, I didn’t think too much about differentiating my performance during the preparation phase before the recording. However, I could intuitively feel the difference in Umeda-kun's performance between Hikaru and his friend Hikaru. This naturally influenced my performance in our scenes together, subtly changing my tone, brightness, and pacing.

—— What kind of person is Umeda-san, who plays Hikaru?

Kobayashi: Umeda-kun is very friendly and kind, which makes him perfect for the role of Hikaru’s friend. He’s cheerful, yet very perceptive of the atmosphere around him.

—— Umeda-san plays both Hikaru and his friend, right?

Kobayashi: Yes, while he is perfectly suited for the role of Hikaru’s friend, I couldn’t initially envision Umeda-kun capturing Hikaru's monstrous and enigmatic essence. However, during our scenes, there’s an inexplicable warmth and brightness in Umeda-kun’s aura that somehow lacks human warmth, which fits Hikaru’s character perfectly.

—— So, you feel something unique in your interactions?

Kobayashi: There are many voice actors who might emphasize madness or ferocity to convey a non-human essence. But Umeda-kun's approach is different; he plays Hikaru in a straightforward manner, yet there’s still an underlying eeriness, which is unique to him.