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

——You can really feel Kyōko's humanity. By the way, Ms. Nagase, what is your personal impression of Hikaru?

Nagase: ...Personally, his looks are totally my type, and I love him!

Everyone: (lol)

Nagase: Up until now, the characters I've fallen for in anime and manga have mostly been boys with short, spiky hair. But for the first time, seeing a glasses-wearing guy with slightly center-parted hair like Hikaru-kun made me go, "Oh, I might actually like him!" (lol).

Hikaru-kun has a bit of a complex around women and flusters around them, but even so, you can see his sincere heart wanting to face people earnestly as a human being, which I think is wonderful. After seeing that side of him, I started thinking his looks are cool too... I just love his looks!

——Despite that, Hikaru shows a lot of his clumsy sides while job-hunting for a marriage partner. Looking at it as a cautionary tale from a male perspective, what are some parts you think he should definitely fix?

Nagase: I thought it wasn't great that he brought up money out of nowhere during their first meeting (lol), but I really want him to stop thinking that everyone he meets is "the one"! When he met Kyōko, and even after they became friends, when he heard about the next request from Mei, he was like, "That would be cheating!" But they're just friends for now, so don't jump to conclusions! (lol)

——By the way, starting with Kyōko, Hikaru gets involved with other matchmaking partners like Shiori Ureshino and Kimie Arashiyama. Do you feel any sense of growth in him?

Nagase: In a good way, while Hikaru-kun's inherent kindness remains unchanged, I think the impression he gives off has shifted quite a bit. For instance, being comfortable around him, his positive traits keep multiplying. Though he probably faced a lot of confusion, I think he is becoming much more convincing.

——Finally, do you have a message for the viewers?

Nagase: It's fun to watch the dynamic between Mei and Hikaru-kun shift from a marriage advisor and advisee into a relationship where they constantly help each other. Plus, there are so many eccentric characters! Even the characters with just a single line are hilarious, making it feel like pure entertainment from top to bottom. It's a refreshing and easy-going show to enjoy, so I'd be delighted if you kept an eye on it.

Along with the episodes featuring Kyōko and Hikaru, please look forward to how Hikaru interacts with his future matchmaking partners, enjoying both the matchmaking and the action elements together.

Interview, Photography, Text by kato
(C)静脈・依田瑞稀／集英社・マリッジトキシン製作委員会

List of images for this article