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The Magnificent Kotobuki Voice Actors Look Back on Anime's Best Moments
posted on by Kim Morrissy
The Magnificent KOTOBUKI held a screening event for the final two episodes of the anime on March 30. Voice actors Sayumi Suzushiro (who plays Kylie), Eri Yukimura (Emma), Sayaka Nakaya (Kate), Asami Seto (Reona), Hibiku Yamamura (Zara), and Miyu Tomita (Chika) greeted the audience, along with surprise guest ZAQ, who sings the OP theme song "Sora no ne".
The voice actors first appeared after episode 11 screened to prepare the audience for the final episode, which had not been broadcast on television yet. They told viewers to pay attention not just to the climactic battle but to the scenes where the characters exchange conversations as well.
Finally, episode 12 played, and the voice actors came back on stage to share their thoughts. They described episode 12 as “cinematic.” It was especially gripping to watch the planes zigzag through tight spaces. Watching the six girls think together and move accordingly was also satisfying, as was their moments of catharsis.
The actors then looked back on the series overall and picked out the standout moments for their characters. The anime's military supervisor Shigeyuki Ninomiya and aerobatics supervisor Masahiro Utsumi provided context for these moments. Their words were read out by producer Ryōya Arisawa.
Tomita chose the scene in episode 2 where Chika and Kylie team up to defeat an enemy. This was especially impactful after they bickered the entire episode. According to a staff's explanation, it's not common for planes to fly so close, which is how Chika and Kylie are able to misdirect the enemy. Even a modern radar would be fooled.
Yamamura chose the scene where Zara infiltrates an air pirate base and manages to maneuver her way out by making an extremely sharp turn upward. According to the aforementioned staff, this would not be possible without unless a plane had an extremely high amount of horsepower like the Raiden. Other scenes that the voice actors brought up were Reona's continuous shoot-downs of the hostile aircrafts in episode 5, Kate and Kylie's teamwork in episode 7, Kylie and Isao's confrontation in episode 11, and Emma's maneuvers in episode 12.
ZAQ also showed up to talk about the making of the anime's theme song. She said that the director Tsutomu Mizushima told her to write a song with the feeling of a “wasteland” and a “Spaghetti Western.” She also helped create the character song mini-album and praised the voice actors for their singing ability.
Although the anime has ended, The Magnificent KOTOBUKI will continue with the mobile game, the manga adaptation in Shonen Jump+, and other products. The voice actors hope that the audience enjoyed the anime and that they'll stick with the series for a long time to come.
More English information on The Magnificent KOTOBUKI is posted on the Bandai Namco Arts Official English Facebook page.
