"I Want to See It Through to the End": Voice Actor Asami Seto on Her Impressions of Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dear Friend

Following the TV anime Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus, which aired starting in July 2025, Rascal Does Not Dream of a Dear Friend opened on October 16, 2026. It is the final episode of the college arc of the Rascal Does Not Dream series.

In this adolescent fantasy, emotions unique to puberty cause a strange phenomenon known as "Adolescence Syndrome." Throughout the series, the changing relationship between the protagonist, Sakuta Azusagawa, and Mai Sakurajima, who became his girlfriend, has been a major focus.

In this article, we interviewed Asami Seto, the voice of Mai Sakurajima, about the story of the film and her impressions of Sakuta.

—Let's start with your first impression of the film. The prologue alone takes a shocking turn, doesn't it?

Seto: Just when you think the identity of Touko Kirishima is about to be revealed, Mai, the person closest to Sakuta, declares, "I am Touko Kirishima." It opens with this ominous atmosphere (laughs). My first impression was unease at hearing that from Mai, who has always given such absolute reassurance.

From there, the moment comes when Sakuta, who has helped everyone up to now, has to face himself. Watching his emotions waver was painful at times, but it was a story I wanted to see through to the end.

—Since this film concludes the series, the relationship between Sakuta and Mai is also a point of interest, isn't it?

Seto: From Mai's perspective, she started out as someone caught up in Adolescence Syndrome as a bunny girl, and gradually became someone who can support Sakuta just by being by his side. In this film, Mai says a certain line to Sakuta, and it may be something he wanted to realize on his own. Because Mai has always stayed beside him without saying much, I think her words carry real weight when she does put something into words.

—As someone who has played Mai, how did Sakuta appear to you in this film?

Seto: Since the early days of Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, I've thought of Sakuta as someone reliable. But I felt that even Sakuta, who has always been helping everyone, hasn't fully grown up yet.

Maybe I felt that way because he had already overcome the events depicted in Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out and Rascal Does Not Dream of a Knapsack Kid, but I saw a Sakuta who was unstable in a way that was different from those times, too.