Yoko Hikasa Playing 4 Roles? Report on 'Overlap Bunko SP'! Talk About 'Okiraku Ryoshu' with Yumi Uchiyama and Others

On ABEMA, the special program 'Overlap Bunko All-Star Grand Assembly SP 2026' Part 1 was broadcast exclusively for free for an hour and a half starting at 7 PM on Sunday, January 11th.

The program featured a major spotlight on the new winter anime 'Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord'. Main cast members including Yumi Uchiyama, M・A・O, Mariya Ise, and Yoko Hikasa appeared live, engaging in behind-the-scenes recording stories and character development talks. Additionally, the latest information on 'Skeleton Knight in Another World II', TV anime adaptation announcements, and even variety show projects collaborating with the works were delivered in a content-packed program.

■"We had girls' gatherings almost every time (lol)" Cast Members Talk About the Recording Studio of 'Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord'!

First, they featured the isekai fantasy 'Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord Seisan-kei Majutsu de Namonaki Mura wo Saikyou no Jousai Toshi ni' (hereinafter 'Easygoing Territory Defense by the Optimistic Lord'), which began broadcasting in January 2026. This work is a carefree territory management fantasy where the young boy Van, reincarnated as the fourth son of a marquis family in another world, gradually develops a nameless frontier village using production-type magic, which is considered "useless", as his weapon. Main cast members including Yumi Uchiyama (Van role), M・A・O (Till role), Mariya Ise (Khamsin role), and Yoko Hikasa (Panamera role) appeared and reflected on the recording of this work.

The four, who have had many co-starring experiences, conducted their talk in a relaxed atmosphere throughout. When Uchiyama revealed that she "gets nervous easily" but added "since they were all people who have been kind to me regularly... we were able to work together in a friendly atmosphere" and "they even took me out to eat after recordings. We had girls' gatherings almost every time (lol)", Ise nodded saying "We went, didn't we~ It was fun!", and Hikasa also agreed, "It really was this group."

Regarding the appeal of the work, Uchiyama stated "Even though it seems to be heading into serious developments, it ends up becoming a very warm atmosphere" and "It's not too serious and can be watched calmly and casually". M・A・O also passionately explained the "carefree" temperature, saying "It becomes this warmth because it's Van-sama. Because Van-sama is wonderful, only good people gather around him, and you can see everyone becoming round and warm together!"

Furthermore, when Ise praised "Yumi-chan's warmth and her consistently sincere approach to the work have been constant, and watching her back naturally made me think 'Van-sama!'", and Hikasa acclaimed "Yumi Uchiyama is really skilled" and "I thought this person is a genius", Uchiyama blushed saying "You're praising me too much... this is crazy! Please stop!" but also expressed gratitude, saying "Thanks to everyone pushing my back, I was able to run through to the end."

■Tenshin Hantaro Also Exclaims "Can We Really Hear This for Free!?" In-depth "Character Development" Talk Too

In the character introduction corner, the four each discussed their commitment to character development. First, Uchiyama touched on the point that she also handles Van's monologues from his past life, as Van has memories of his previous life, confessing "I overthought things in myself to understand the character of Van, wondering what kind of person he was in his past life and how he's thinking about living in the reincarnated world going forward, and I burned out once."

On top of that, she revealed the change in how she approached the role, saying "What was important were the conversations with the characters he faces in the other world" and "Rather than a rigid way of thinking, I became able to perceive Van as an existence that also grows". MC Tenshin Hantaro also showed surprise, exclaiming "Can we really hear this for free!?"

Additionally, M・A・O commented about Till, "To straightforwardly express her feelings of admiration for Van-sama" and "Since she's a character full of charm, I was conscious of 'cuteness' even when she's angry", while adding "I thoroughly enjoyed the comical scenes!" Ise expressed her feelings about the role, describing Khamsin as "Van-sama was the first person who saw her as a human being" and "I perform with the feeling of loving Van-sama and cherishing loyalty."

Furthermore, Hikasa explained the axis of her character development for the Panamera role, saying "Rising from knight to viscount is not something that normally happens much, so I was conscious of how to express that resolve and effort." It became a talk that conveyed each person's feelings toward their characters and their attitude toward recording.

Within the program, collaborative wood carvings by world-renowned wood carving artist Duy, and a special LEGO poster recreating the work's visual with LEGO blocks by LEGO creative circle Todai LEGO Club also appeared in the studio. The cast members got excited about these truly "production-type magic" level works, exclaiming "Too amazing!", "Incredible!", and "So detailed!"

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