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Voice Actors Nobunaga Shimazaki, Rie Kugimiya Play Kumamoto Tour Guide Siblings
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
Prolific voice actors Nobunaga Shimazaki (Free! - Iwatobi Swim Club's Haruka Nanase, Silver Spoon's Shinnosuke Aikawa) and Rie Kugimiya (Gintama's Kagura, Fullmetal Alchemist's Alphonse Elric) are voicing siblings Akira and Hibari Kusunoki, respectively, for a new Kumamoto Prefecture tourism promotion. The pair are lending their voices to the "Koe to Tabisuru: Seiyū Onsei Guide" (Take a Trip With Voices: Voice Actor Sound Guide) campaign as audio guides. The role is particularly appropriate for Kugimiya, who is from Kumamoto.
For the campaign, signs featuring Akira and Hibari will appear in the cities of Kōshi and Minamata, as well as the towns of Takamori and Yunomae in Kumamoto. The character panels will appear in four sightseeing locations in each municipality. When tourists use their smartphones or other devices to scan the QR codes on the signs, they will be able to hear information about the area from Akira and Hibari. Users will be able to select which sibling they want to provide the audio guide.
Kumamoto Media Contents Commission's official web page for the promotion provides full profiles for both characters. Hibari is a 20-year-old tour guide who is in her first year in the field. She has a cheerful and honest personality, and her hobbies include traveling, trying various restaurants, and karaoke. She became a tour guide due to her brother's influence. Akira is 27 years old, and he is in his 10th year working as a tour guide. He has a calming demeanor, and his hobbies include traveling, walking, and visiting historical landmarks. He became a tour guide after becoming interested in the field when his family took trips when he was a child.
In the past two years, various anime, manga, and games have come together in support of Kumamoto Prefecture after earthquakes caused heavy damage in 2016. Because One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda is from Kumamoto, the franchise has also participated in many collaborations to promote and support the prefecture, especially after the earthquakes.
[Via Nijimen]
