"Oh, I Might Actually Like Him!" Which Character Caught Voice Actress Anna Nagase's Eye? [TV Anime "MARRIAGETOXIN" Interview]

The TV anime "MARRIAGETOXIN" has been broadcasting since April on the Kantele/Fuji TV national network every Tuesday at 11:00 PM in the "Hi-Anibar!!" slot. The story follows the protagonist, Hikaru Gero, an elite assassin and member of the "Poison Users" from the Five Great Families, as he takes on matchmaking missions with a master marriage swindler, Mei Kinosaki, serving as his marriage advisor.

Following Mei's suggestion that "helping people is the best way to shine in matchmaking," Hikaru carefully reviews various job requests from the underworld. The request he ultimately chooses is to rescue Kyōko Himekawa, a notorious thief specializing in fine art within the underworld—.

Kyōko, who appears starting from Episode 2, is voiced by Anna Nagase, a rising young voice actress attracting much attention. What did she keep in mind while playing Kyōko, who becomes the first matchmaking partner Hikaru encounters? We also asked for her impressions of Hikaru as he tackles his matchmaking journey, which we will share with you in this article.

——Kyōko is a cheerful woman, but what did you keep in mind when playing her?

Nagase: Before the voice recording, Director (Motonobu) Hori told me that out of all the matchmaking partners, she is the most sensible and normal person, and since she's the first one, he wanted me to play her in a way that gives the audience a sense of security. Considering her strong sense of justice, her hero-like activities of returning art pieces to their rightful owners, and Kyōko's own personality, I made a conscious effort to breathe a bit more deeply while acting.

——To bring out that sense of security from there?

Nagase: Yes. I tried to perform in a way that shows she is firmly grounded. I hoped that Kyōko would serve as a foundation for the matchmaking partners, making the ones who appear next look even more interesting and unique.

——Kyōko becomes Hikaru's first matchmaking partner, but how do you view the relationship between the two?

Nagase: Kyōko is a hero-like figure who tries to help others, but I don't think there was ever a hero for Kyōko herself. That's when Hikaru-kun showed up. Precisely because she thought he was cool, I believe she wants Hikaru-kun to see her as a hero too, wishing to build an equal relationship.

There is a line in Episode 3 where she says, "I want to help you too," and from that, you can really feel her strong will and her desire to stand on equal footing no matter what. It doesn't quite feel like romance yet, but I think we can see a relationship where they share a common aspiration to be heroes for each other.