Hinatazaka46's Nao Kosaka & Kaho Fujishima Take on Their First Voice Acting Challenge! What Was Completely Opposite During Recording? Interview for 'That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea'

'That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea' will be released in theaters on February 27th. This film is the second theatrical release in the 'That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime' series, whose first TV anime season aired from October 2018, with the fourth season scheduled to air from April 2026.

This film, the first in the series to be set at sea, begins when the protagonist Rimuru Tempest and his companions visit a resort island for vacation and encounter Yura, a priestess from the underwater nation of Kaien. The story is filled with spectacular elements befitting a theatrical release, including powerful battle action scenes set in resort locations and at sea.

Nao Kosaka plays Mio, an original character in this film who serves as a handmaiden to Yura, while Kaho Fujishima plays Yori in a similar role. For both members of Hinatazaka46, this film marks their voice acting debut. In this article, we'll bring you an interview where we asked them about their recording experiences together and how they approached voice acting.

——This was your first voice acting challenge. How was the actual recording experience?

Kosaka: I've always loved anime and was a huge fan of the TenSura series, so when I received this offer, I was so happy I thought it might be a dream. We recorded together, and I was extremely nervous standing in front of the microphone, performing the acting I had prepared, and repeating the process of receiving direction. Having Fujishima there was a great source of emotional support (lol).

Fujishima: This was my first time receiving a voice acting job at all, but I felt reassured knowing I could do it together with my senior, Kosaka-san. In our usual idol activities, we express ourselves through various aspects like singing, dancing, and facial expressions, but in the world of voice actors, everything is expressed through voice alone, and I realized how incredibly difficult that is.

——Expression in a different field from your usual work must have been challenging. Did you discover any new sides of each other?

Kosaka: I've always loved Fujishima's voice, but this was the first time I heard her voice when she was in character. I discovered she has such a wide vocal range, and she's really good at adding inflection to her voice, which inspired me a bit.

Fujishima: Even when I've watched dramas and movies that Kosaka-san has appeared in, I've always thought that each line was delivered in a beautiful voice, just like a voice actor. In this film, there's a scene where Mio (played by Kosaka) speaks to a child, and her voice in that scene is incredibly gentle. Her way of speaking was even more gentle than usual, which was a point that made my heart flutter (lol).