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Interview: Cardfight!! Vanguard overDress Voice Actor Shota Aoi

We held an interview with Shōta Aoi, who voices Yu-yu Kondo, the protagonist from Cardfight!! Vanguard overDress anime series. Cardfight!! Vanguard is a multimedia franchise that revolves around the trading card game of the same name. Now that all 12 episodes of the Cardfight!! Vanguard overDress Season 1 are available on the franchise'sYouTube channel, Aoi shared his experience starring in the anime series.

To start off, could you introduce yourself?

Nice to meet you, everyone! I'm Shōta Aoi, voice of Yu-yu Kondo! Thank you for having me here!

What is the relationship between Yu-yu and Danji?

(First, about Yu-yu) This could be said for any of the characters in overDress, but I think Yu-yu himself especially doesn't have the courage to face many things. In the first episode, he was forced by his sisters to cross-dress and thought “Why couldn't I say just one word, 'no!'?”

However, as the story progresses, he meets different people and gradually gets a better sense of himself. He starts to think for himself about what should be done, and becomes able to voice his opinion.

I think the first episode really conveyed how he was too timid to express himself. He resigned himself to eating the food even though he preferred soy sauce over ketchup, and he couldn't say that he is a boy while he cross-dressed because he couldn't interject in the conversation the people around him were having. But I think he started to change from the second episode, through his encounters with the other characters.

He showed his courage in saving Megumi in episode 1, but it didn't bear any fruit due to how everyone saw him as a cute girl. *laughs* However, this can be seen as an instance when his deeply buried desire to change himself managed to surface, and I can relate to that.

While what episode 2 portrayed was Megumi's misunderstanding, Yu-yu does hold a great deal of admiration for Danji. The scenes in episode 1 with cross-dressed Yu-yu may make it seem like it could be the "L-word", but what I think Yu-yu and Danji actually have is a special trust that goes beyond that of ordinary friendship.

Danji and Yu-yu also relate to each other as the leader and newest member of Blackout, of course. Something like a mentor and pupil, perhaps? With Yu-yu on one hand thinking that watching Danji's cardfights lights a fire within him to play as well, and Danji thinking of Yu-yu as having a special something within that he wants to nurture in the other, the pair are connected by such thoughts that are more instinctual than certain beliefs.

I believe their encounter has changed the both of them.

Have you played Cardfight!! Vanguard before?

I'm building my deck right now! I've also had the chance to try out the Start Decks that have been released.

I really love card games, but I'm still studying Cardfight!! Vanguard, so I have Shūta Morishima (voice of Masanori Iseki) as my capable backup to teach me as I build my deck.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to play with others face to face nowadays, but I'm waiting for my debut cardfight. If possible, I want to play with Amane Shindō (voice of Megumi Okura) or Yūki Ono (voice of Danji Momoyama), just like we do in anime!

By the way, I've always had really bad luck in draws, so I need to deepen the trust with the deck before my debut cardfight.

This anime is the newest series in the Cardfight!! Vanguard franchise. What should new viewers expect?

I think this is something that both those who started watching from this series and those who have watched the older series have realized, but I personally think that one of the major themes in this whole new world of Vanguard is how people have different natures of themselves.

I think many people would agree that as we go through life, there is a side of us that we show to others, a side that we only show when we're alone, and maybe even a side that we never knew we had.

Each character in Cardfight!! Vanguard overDress carries these as they go through their cardfights, confronting the sides they'd never seen, the sides they've been showing to others, the side of themselves that is troubled, and possibly learn to accept and love themselves through this. This series is packed with examples of this, and I think that's one of the reasons to watch it.

And for those who have never touched Cardfight!! Vanguard before, I hope you will learn from the cardfights about how interesting it is, and maybe draw out something you never had too.

Is there anything you would like to tell the overseas fans?

For those who have never touched this series and for those who already know this series, I would like to thank all of you for meeting this series. All the characters in this series have their own lovable qualities, and I'm sure you will be able to find something in common with them. I hope this series will become something that can support you at some point in your life.

The fight scenes are really exciting, and there are so many cool card designs, so I would be happy if you would give it a try.

I believe you will see how Yu-yu and the other characters grow as the story progresses, so I hope all of you will watch over their development and enjoy!

Thank you all for your support!


All 12 episodes of the Cardfight!! Vanguard overDress Season 1 are free to watch on CARDIFGHTVanguard Channel. The series is also streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

To find out more about Cardfight!! Vanguard overDress, please check out the official website and the following social media channels.

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