"Getting swarmed by middle schoolers (laughs)" — Interview with Yuko Sanpei, Voice Actor for the TV Anime Kill Blue

The TV anime adaptation of the action-comedy manga Kill Blue (published by Shueisha Jump Comics), which was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, is currently airing every Saturday at 23:00 on the TV Tokyo network. The protagonist, Juzo Ogami, a legendary hitman, finds himself in the body of a 13-year-old after being stung by a mysterious bee, leading him to enroll in a middle school for an undercover mission.

While the story features intense battle action to protect his classmate Noren Mitsuoka, it also rhythmically depicts comedy elements through Juzo’s confusion over his first middle school life and the generation gap.

In this article, we interviewed Yuko Sanpei, who plays Juzo Ogami. We asked her how she perceived and performed the character of Juzo—a professional hitman who has suddenly become a middle school student.

— Ms. Sanpei, you have played many boy roles throughout your career, but Juzo is a 39-year-old male hitman who only looks like a middle schooler.

Sanpei: I’ve played various boy roles, but characters with such a palpable "old man" aura are quite rare. It seemed like it would be a lot of fun to play, and my first impression was that I really wanted the role.

— Could you tell us about your approach to creating the character of Juzo?

Sanpei: When I auditioned, I practiced by thinking about how to convey his age through his speaking style. However, during the recording of the first episode, Mr. Takeuchi first performed Juzo as an adult at the beginning, establishing him as a professional hitman and a divorcee.*

*Editor’s Note: Adult Juzo Ogami is voiced by Shunsuke Takeuchi. Takeuchi voices Juzo in his adult form until he is stung by the mysterious bee in Episode 1; from that point on, Sanpei voices him in his middle school form.

Since the dubbing followed the story’s flow—being stung by the bee and turning into a middle schooler—I watched his performance from the back of the booth. Glimpsing Juzo’s life allowed me to capture the core of his professional intensity and pathos. I performed with the goal of making the transition seamless, so the audience could tell he is the same person even after changing from an adult to a middle schooler.

— I see. Did you and Mr. Takeuchi coordinate your performances of Juzo beforehand?

Sanpei: We didn't talk about it directly, but by showing each other what we brought to the table and seeing how Mr. Takeuchi performed, I feel the character gained a very realistic depth.

— I’m curious how you both perceived Juzo’s personality while playing him.

Sanpei: Juzo has always been dedicated to his work as a hitman, but that’s partly because he just happened to be suited for it. Given that his highest level of education is elementary school, we both seemed to feel—even without discussing it—that while he's 39, he’s not necessarily a man with a "broad" range of life experiences.

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