"I think it was truly a luxury" — What if Voice Actor Yuko Sanpei Could Return to Middle School? [TV Anime Kill Blue Interview]

The TV anime adaptation of Kill Blue (published by Shueisha Jump Comics), created by manga artist Tadatoshi Fujimaki—best known for Kuroko's Basketball—is currently airing every Saturday at 23:00 on the TV Tokyo network. Legendary hitman Juzo Ogami, who carries out all manner of missions, was stung by a mysterious bee after a certain assignment. As a result, while his 39-year-old memories remain intact, his body has transformed into that of a 13-year-old.

The new mission assigned to Juzo is to go undercover in a middle school. Despite his confusion, he begins his very first middle school life.

In the first episode, after depicting his hard-boiled side as a professional hitman, we see a scene full of contrast where Juzo, now in his middle school form, is moved to tears by the joy of studying at school. While it is a comical moment, the scene where Juzo—who is actually 39—realizes how interesting learning can be is something many adult viewers can likely empathize with.

Therefore, in our interview with Yuko Sanpei, the voice actor for the middle school version of Juzo, we asked her about the merits of studying and school life that one can only truly appreciate as an adult.

"There are so many things you just don't notice while you're actually in school," Sanpei began before answering the question.

"When you're just attending classes, you tend to simply memorize things like 'this happened, so this is the answer.' As a child, it's quite difficult to think about all the related details, broaden your perspective, or change your way of thinking. You just study because you're told to," she explained.

She continued, "But with various life experiences under your belt, if you were to study again now, you might be learning about things you've actually seen for yourself. Because you know the context surrounding a single fact, you can approach it like enjoying a story. In fact, I feel like you want to study more once you've become an adult. Having the time specifically for 'studying' is a form of happiness, isn't it? (laughs)." Her answer showed deep sympathy for Juzo, who discovered the joy of learning.

Indeed, in a scene from the first episode where Juzo is studying, it is depicted that he feels a closer connection to the material by learning about ancient burial mounds he had actually seen during his missions.