‘Dandadan’ Ayane Sakura, who plays Aira, looks back on the dubbing of the ‘Akusara episode’ and says, ‘It would be a lie if there was no reaction to this episode’

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An exclusive interview with voice actress Sakura Ayane, known for her roles as Shiratori Aira in ” Dandadan ” and Uraraka Ochaco in “My Hero Academia”, is now available on the J: COM video streaming service “J: CCOM STREAM” special anime missed episode website. What is the source of Sakura’s acting ability that attracts so many fans? The interview will delve into her thoughts on character creation and her approach to the craft.

Sakura Ayane is a voice actress who has played major characters in many popular works, including Shiratori Aira in “Dandadan”, Uraraka Ochaco in “My Hero Academia”, Lu Shaotan in “SAKAMOTO DAYS”, Nakano Yotsuba in “The Quintessential Quintuplets”, and Fiona Frost in “SPY×FAMILY”. Her acting skills, born from her deep insight into humanity, and her expressiveness in conveying the feelings and emotions of her characters directly are sure to impress even those who are not anime fans. She also started a regular program on TBS Radio in April 2025. She is also a talented radio personality, with a rich vocabulary and witty, sarcastic talk, and is further expanding her field of activity.

This interview delves into her thoughts on radio, her journey so far, and her perspectives on acting, while also offering a glimpse into her personality. In addition, “J: COM STREAM” is currently streaming all-you-can-watch anime starring Sakura, including “Dandadan,” in which she plays the role of Shiratori Aira, a popular beautiful girl at school, and “SAKAMOTO DAYS,” in which she plays the role of Lu Shaoto, a tai chi practitioner, with new episodes starting in July 2025.

The following is a part of the interview with Sakura Ayane – In “Dandadan”, you play the role of Shiratori Aira (hereinafter referred to as Aira), a beautiful girl who attends the same high school as Momo and Okarun and awakens to the ability of acrobatic sarrasara.

What were you conscious of when acting? When you read manga or novels, you often hear someone’s voice in your mind, right? However, when I read the original “Dandadan” manga, I couldn’t listen to any voice of the characters at all, and I was overwhelmed by Ryu Yukinobu-sensei’s drawing power. It was like “there is no room for voices to enter”.

The same was true for Aira, and I had no idea what kind of voice she should use to speak. I felt like I didn’t want her to say. The highly anticipated second season is set to begin in July 2025. Looking back on the first season, I would like to ask you about Sakura’s notable scene, the acrobatic sarrasara episode. (laughs).

I was already crying when I first read the script for that episode, and it was a hot topic in the cast’s group LINE, with comments like “Did you read the script? It makes me cry” and “I cried too” flying around even before the dubbing started. Once we began the dubbing, I also cried when I saw the footage…or rather, everyone was crying on set. It was an impressive episode among the production staff and crew. That’s right. I had an interview, so I watched the finished video before it aired. However, it was so profoundly moving that I didn’t fully understand what was going on when I watched it at home.

The atmosphere was completely different from the previous stories, and I thought, “The staff is starting to steer in a great direction.” I thought, “It would be a lie if there were no reaction to this episode,” and I was so shocked by it. It was aired, and I received a proper reaction, which I was very relieved about. –Do you have any memories of the dubbing site at that time? Although I was crying on the set, I had to act as Isla with Akusara inside her in the scene afterwards, so I had to observe the acting of Kikuko Inoue, who plays Isla.

I was thinking of making a strategy of “how should I act this character when she is inside Isla” after watching Kikuko’s acting, but when I saw Kikuko, I thought “huh?” There was not much difference between the acting I did at the tape audition and Kikuko’s acting. I was shocked to believe that “the acting of Isla that I had imagined is reproduced exactly as it is in Kikuko’s acting of Isla!” I didn’t know that was possible…! Many actors have a slightly unusual perspective, so there are many times when I see other people’s acting and think, “I never thought of that!” In the midst of all this, I was thrilled that Kikuko’s acting and my acting happened to be in the same direction.

Thanks to that, I feel that I was able to approach Isla’s acting without hesitation after containing Akusara. Indeed, I think that we, the viewers, were able to accept the idea that “Akusara is inside Aira” without any sense of incongruity. Could you tell us about the appeal of “Dandadan” from your perspective, Sakura-san? When I first read the original work, I was a little worried, thinking, “It must be difficult to turn this into an anime.” It’s a work that Ryu-sensei has drawn with all his heart, and there’s a dynamism that only his drawings can possess, and as a reader, I felt shaken by it. I think that manga is the most comprehensive art form in all forms of entertainment. Usually, there are various divisions of labor when creating a work, but in manga, one person is responsible for the director, scriptwriter, art, and acting.

The fact that one person is drawing such a work is a phenomenon that is almost like the occult (laughs). Indeed! You have great expressiveness (laughs). I was wondering how the work would be divided and how it would be reinterpreted and reconstructed in the anime… Science SARU was a gathering of amazing people. “Dandadan” in particular has outstanding expressive power in its visuals and other aspects, and I think it’s a work that many people should see as a method of media mix.

“Outstanding expressive power” is a very apt description (laughs). It’s great that the director’s ideas are firmly embedded in the work, and it’s not just a faithful visualization of the original work. Of course, there are many cases where recreating the original work is essential, and this approach is more mainstream and better these days. However, “Dandadan” is quite bold, and there are parts where the original work has been reconstructed, so I think it presents a challenge and an adventure. It’s an anime adaptation that goes beyond what you would typically see (laughs). “Dandadan” (C) Tatsu Yukinobu/Shueisha, Dandadan Production Committee “SAKAMOTO DAYS” (C) Suzuki Yuto/Shueisha/SAKAMOTO DAYS Production Committee

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