God of High School's Ayaka Ohashi, Tatsumaru Tachibana, & Kentarō Kumagai
by Lynzee Loveridge,The webtoon God of High School has captivated viewers with its thrilling choreography and and no-holds-barred fight sequences. The anime, helmed by MAPPA director Sunghoo Park, stars three martial artists vying for the top spot in the 'The God of High School' tournament with the promise of granting their biggest wish. Those characters are the fiery Jin Mori (played by Tatsumaru Tachibana), Han Daewi (played by Kentarō Kumagai), and Yoo Mira (played by Ayaka Ōhashi).
The three voice actors sat down with Anime News Network to discuss their impressions of the characters and what their greatest wish would be.
As a theatre performer, are there any similarities between voice acting and performing on stage?
Tatsumaru Tachibana:I have wanted to be a voice actor since I was a kid. I started doing voice acting when I joined my current agency. I also have a very loud voice, so I learned to move away from the microphone a little bit during the fight scenes and move closer to it depending on the scene. There are some things I realized because I became a voice actor: a play is a play no matter where I go.
When Jin Mori is first introduced, he seems like a simple guy that loves to fight but there's more to him than that. What do you think it is about Jin that will get audiences to root for him?
I love the strength of his heart and the way he lives his life, which is straightforward without two faces.
Jin uses multiple fighting styles in the Korean webcomic, and I read that you have some experience with sword-fighting. Can you talk about your personal training and experience in sword-fighting and/or martial arts?
I'm not a real swordsman, I am a performer. The only sword-fighting I've done was during a performance. I am way too weak to do it in real life.
Han Daewi's motivation for entering the tournament is to afford medical treatment for his best friend. You can really respect a best friend like that! Do you have any memories of friendship like Daewi and Seungtae?
Kentarō Kumagai: I have memories of talking with [Kohei] Amasaki-san who plays Seungtae until morning.
How would you describe the characters' relationships with one another?
The three of us become close friends, and the battles will become even more intense. The show will be amazing every week, so don't miss it.
I have the impression that they are close friends who respect each other.
One of Yoo Mira's missions is to find the perfect partner to further her family lineage. What do you think would make Jin Mori and Han Daewi good partners for Yoo Mira?
Ayaka Ōhashi: I'm not sure if he can be her partner, but I feel Mori has a similar vibe with Mira, especially in gag scenes. (laugh)
What do you think makes God of High School appealing?
I think it's a stylish and cool battle series with diversified and fascinating characters.
Characters with a lot of personalities, I think. They all have strong wills and wishes for The God of High School tournament, and the story gets more and more supernatural, so [fans will enjoy] every episode which will give them a fresh reaction to enjoy!
Of Daewi's super powers, are there any you think would be useful in your life?
I think his super powers will be very useful in case of injury.
You have a lot of experience singing in other anime series. If Yoo Mira were to sing one karaoke song, what would it be?
Mira hasn't been keeping up with current trends because she's been practicing swordsmanship. She would probably sing something stiff or old, but I'd like her to sing a sparkly KPOP song (laughs).
Yoo Mira shows that appearances can be deceiving. She looks like a bookish girl but is really a fearsome fighter. Is there anything about yourself that fans might be surprised to know?
I'm rather cheerful on the outside, but in reality, I'm very gloomy. My policy as an artist is to bring energy to everyone, but I'm truly gloomy.
If you won The God of High School tournament, what would you wish for?
I want to erase the malice from the world.
I'd wish for a full and healthy life.
I want to lose weight!! And grow to 168cm tall (about 5'6") with long arms and legs and make my face smaller!!
Thank you to Crunchyroll for the interview opportunity.