Exploring the inner thoughts of VAs Takehiro Urao & Sae Hiratsuka and the mysterious, "little devil" younger sister heroine, Runako! [You Can't Be In a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! Interview]

The TV anime No Love Comedy with My Childhood Friend, which depicts episodes that look like they'll turn into a rom-com with four childhood friend heroines but never quite do, is currently airing. While the lighthearted yet emotional approaches of heroines Shio Minamo and Akari Hiodoshi toward the protagonist Yonosuke Sakai (Eiyū) have been shown, from Episode 4, the "little devil" younger sister character Runa Tsukimi (Runako) has also officially entered the story.

A hallmark of You Can't Be In a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! is how it portrays not just the interactions between each heroine and Eiyū, but also the interactions between the heroines themselves—who are both childhood friends and rivals in love.

In this article, we bring you an interview with Takehiro Urao (voice of Eiyū) and Sae Hiratsuka (voice of Runako), where we asked about the relationship between the highly mysterious Runako and the other heroines.

—Since all the heroines are childhood friends, their close bond is a major feature of this series. Shio and Akari have a good rivalry, you could say.

Hiratsuka: Exactly!

—On the other hand, Runako has a mysterious side, so it’s a bit of a puzzle what she truly thinks of the others deep down.

Hiratsuka: I also thought that because she likes Eiyū, she might feel jealous or competitive toward the other childhood friends. However, after getting direction during the recording session, I interpreted it as her wanting everyone to have fun together because she loves them all, rather than feeling competitive.

—I see. Eiyū is her precious "Onii-chan," but she also loves Shio and Akari as "Onee-chans."

Hiratsuka: In Episode 4, Runako visited Eiyū after her bath, and Shio-chan and Akari-chan showed up too. They ended up drying her hair for her (to keep her from making a move on Eiyū).

At that moment, Runako wasn't thinking she’d rather have been alone with him; instead, she was happy, saying, "Runako is so popular!" She’s the type of girl who can enjoy everything without harboring negative feelings.