"I thought he should probably hold back a bit!" What did voice actress Asaki Yuikawa call out the protagonist for?! [TV Anime "MARRIAGETOXIN" Interview]

The TV anime "MARRIAGETOXIN," in which the protagonist Hikaru Gero, an ultra-first-class assassin, teams up with Mei Kinosaki, a master marriage swindler, to tackle marriage hunting, is currently broadcasting from April on the Kantele and Fuji TV national network every Tuesday at 11:00 PM in the "Hi-Anibar!!" slot.

Following Mei's advice that helping people is the best way for Gero to shine in his marriage hunting, he rescues Kyōko Himekawa, a thief specializing in art pieces. For his next mission, he takes on the role of bodyguard for Shiori Ureshino, a university student who is the next president of a major corporation. Shiori, who is timid and struggles to communicate well with others, is voiced by up-and-coming voice actress Asaki Yuikawa.

In this article, we bring you her candid opinions on how she played Shiori, Gero's second potential marriage partner in the series, as well as her impressions of Gero as he takes on marriage hunting.

——Shiori is extremely timid, but what did you keep in mind when playing her?

Yuikawa: Shiori is a girl who is striving single-mindedly with the desire to change, even while bearing immense pressure and carrying various heavy burdens on her shoulders. I placed great importance on building my performance so that everyone would want to cheer her on.

——There are many scenes where she gets flustered and can't find the right words, aren't there?

Yuikawa: When playing those scenes, she is certainly getting flustered, but I was very mindful of finding the right balance so that her words would still come across smoothly to the audience to some extent.

Before the dubbing sessions, I also consulted with Director Motonobu Hori and the staff about Shiori's character image. Instead of directly flaunting her cuteness, we thought it would be best if her natural, hardworking cuteness shone through naturally. Therefore, rather than using a forced high-pitched voice, I kept my voice straight as it is, while consciously performing with a bit of hesitation or trembling in the acting.

——Gero becomes Shiori's bodyguard as part of his marriage hunting, but how do you view the relationship between the two?

Yuikawa: Shiori is a character who has more determination than anyone to try new things, yet she gets bewildered due to her lack of experience. On the other hand, Gero-kun is in a state where he doesn't yet know how to interact with women or how to form deep friendships with people. Although their directions are a bit different, both of them are taking on challenges together in a similar way.

I feel that this aspect defines their relationship, making it different from his relationships with the other heroines. They support each other and acknowledge each other's will to grow, so to speak. A relationship where it’s like, "I'm working hard, so you should work hard too," is very wonderful.