"Great Position, Isn't It?!" What Occupations Would Voice Actors Takeo Ōtsuka & Shion Wakayama Want if Reincarnated? [The Exiled Heavy Knight Interview]

The TV anime The Exiled Heavy Knight Knows How to Game the System has been airing since July 2. The protagonist, Elma, is reincarnated into the world of "Magic World," a game he used to play in his previous life. Although he becomes a Heavy Knight—a class he believed to be among the strongest—he is exiled from his earl's household under the pretext that it is a defective class. Thus, he begins adventuring all by himself right from Level 1.

Takeo Ōtsuka plays Elma, who navigates his adventures using his game knowledge in a class treated as unfavorable, while Shion Wakayama plays Luce, a Clown-class character Elma meets during his journey.

In this article, from our interview with Ōtsuka and Wakayama, we bring you their first impressions of the original work, the highlights of the characters they play, and their responses to the question: "What if you were to be reincarnated into the world of 'Magic World'?"

— What were your first impressions when you encountered the original work?

Ōtsuka: Elma is reincarnated into a game world. Since I’ve personally loved games for a long time, I was really excited while reading it. While he utilizes his game knowledge from his past life, the way he actually struggles and grows stronger is thrilling and exhilarating. It really has that feeling of dominating the system just like the title suggests, and I felt it’s a work that people of all generations can enjoy.

Wakayama: There is a sense of exhilaration when Elma-san utilizes his knowledge to turn things around, showing that the Heavy Knight class—which is treated as unfavorable—is actually strong. But that’s not all. There are many times when he struggles a lot in battles, making me wonder, "Can they really overcome this...?" In those situations, he uses his quick wit and game knowledge to overcome obstacles and grow stronger through cooperation with his allies.

Ōtsuka: As Wakayama-san mentioned, there are parts where he struggles in battle, but in a way, that’s rather something Elma himself wants to do, so to speak. He is very sincere, has a passionate side, and his good upbringing shows in his interactions with people. However, in some ways, I feel like he lives with a sensation as if he is playing a game.

He also has a side where he doesn't consider his own safety, which is very typical of a protagonist who can't leave people in trouble alone. When developing his acting, I thought it would be great to bring out that pleasant, straightforward nature without any hidden sides.

— At first, Elma plays solo, but after meeting Luce, they form a party and work together as a duo, don't they?

Wakayama: Luce is a bright, innocent girl. Due to the distribution of her skill tree, she was being treated unfavorably, but Elma-san picks her up, and she becomes a party member. From there, she gradually starts to think that maybe there is something she can do too, and she grows. I think she is a deeply devoted and adorable girl.

— The way the monetary value of dropped items keeps skyrocketing is also exhilarating, isn't it? (lol)

Wakayama: Luce’s sense of money doesn’t change much, and she gets genuinely surprised by the huge amounts, which I also find cute. I like that she's a good girl who can be surprised by her original sense of money without getting complacent about the nominal value (lol).

— She has a slightly cheeky side too, but she's a pure and bright girl, right?

Wakayama: Anyway, pure and bright! Right from the start, I received direction to make her "bright and energetic," so I did my best, always unleashing my maximum energy at full power as much as I could!

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