Please tell us your thoughts about voicing the scene between Jinako and Karna [in the special segment in the Spotlight program], as well as your initial thoughts when you saw that scene in the game.

I was already in tears the when I was playing that scene in the game even before this special voice-over segment happened. Voicing that character wasn't the only reason, but it was because I felt that an ordinary girl like Jinako―who is one of the most human-like characters in this game―manages to accomplish and finish something. Only she could have accomplished such a feat, and from the perspective of just a player playing the game, this scene moved me to tears. The fact that her hikikomori characteristic was considered to be part of her individuality really got to me too. What most people think of as a shortcoming was leveraged as Jinako's greatest asset...that is probably one of the greatest forms of encouragement anyone living in this day and age can receive.

And then there's the true hero, Karna, who comes back after everyone worked their darndest... I was genuinely shocked when Karna dissolves away at the very beginning of Part 2 Chapter 4, and I was so down it was to the point where I didn't think I could keep playing after that. But deep down in my heart, I believed Karna was going to come back to us.

I was determined to play through the game until Karna came back, so I was bawling when he did. I believe a true hero makes others around him into heroes, and so I was chanting “Karna!” in my head the entire time! Karna! Karna! Because I have a strong emotional attachment to the game as a fan, I also felt it was very difficult for me to play the role of Jinako. Whenever I play the game, I like to forget that I am involved in it myself as much as possible, and so when Jinako appears in the story, I try to read her lines as though they belong to just another character in the story. However, when I'm recording her voice, the way I feel about her changes drastically. Typically, I can detach myself emotionally when I'm at work, but because I was intensely moved by the story when I played the game, it's hard for me to distinguish whether the emotion I'm acting out is coming from Jinako herself, or my own personal feelings. But now that I've recorded for this scene, I feel I have an even deeper understanding of the story. I encourage everyone to try acting this scene out on your own too!

What was your reaction when you saw pako's memorial illustration?

When I first saw the illustration, I was struck with majesty that comes from a myth passed down through the ages...and I couldn't help but to put my hands together in prayer. Karna's been acting more casual and cute lately, like wearing a pair of sunglasses and insisting they're normal glasses, or becoming Santa...but he is essentially a hero, a demigod at that, and he lives on a level that we humans can never ever reach. Seeing Karna fight with all his might is so divine.

Considering Karna always downplays himself as a mere human, the way he thinks and the way he is tolerant of things is so godly. As we've seen so much of his empathetic and gentle side, seeing his gallant face as a warrior sends shivers down my spine. He's strong and beautiful...he takes my breath away. I feel like I can even feel the heat from the flames from the illustration, and it's amazing that pako can illustrate something like that.

It's extremely sad knowing that Arjuna is in a world where he needs to abandon who he really is, and so I was really moved to see an illustration of him that looks like he's regaining his humanity. I really think wearing out a diligent person just so he can maintain his righteousness is essentially the same as making him a sacrifice for the cause.

The great thing about Arjuna is that he possesses both the powers of a deity as well as human desires, but I feel he tries really hard to discipline himself to be righteous. I think the key to going through this Lostbelt was to affirm Arjuna's gentler side as a human being, and this illustration brought back all the emotions I felt when I played the game.