by The TV animation of “Megami no Cafe Terrace” (written by Koji Seo), which is currently being serialized in “Weekly Shonen Magazine,” will be broadcast on the “Super Animeism” frame of 28 MBS/TBS affiliated stations nationwide from April 7th.
Fight “Familia,” an old coffee shop by the seaside left by her grandmother, who broke up with her. When Hayabusa Kasukabe returns to his hometown for the first time in three years, he finds five cute girls living there who claim to be “grandmother’s family.” From there, he rebuilds his coffee shop management and begins living together with the girls.
A relay interview with the cast who play the goddesses of the romantic comedy “Megami no Cafe Terrace” where all five are “positive heroines” and talk about the work’s appeal. In the 5th installment, Ruriko Aoki plays Ouka Makuzawa, the fashion leader of “Familia,” a fashion college student who designs cafe uniforms.
Please tell us your impressions after reading the original work.
Aoki: Romantic comedy is a genre I haven’t touched on much, so I was wondering what kind of story it was, but the comedy part was more impressive than the sex appeal element, and I’m doing what I want to do! I thought (laughs). There are parts where I read it like a gag manga, so it’s not just cute.
But it’s not just that kind of fun. Because each character is drawn to have a past like that, my feelings for the characters grow stronger and stronger. So it was interesting to read.
Do you have any memories of the audition?
Aoki: I auditioned for Ami and Akane, but when I heard they passed, I thought, “Oh, you’re Ouka-chan!” I enjoyed playing Sakuraka the most, so I was happy.
It was a surprise.
Aoki: It’s just my image, but I was thinking somewhere that I could receive cherry blossoms now. It’s orthodox. Now you can! Like (laughs).
What do you think is the appeal of cherry blossoms?
Aoki: At first, I thought she was a girl with thorns. She looks cute but hits Hayabusa-kun (CV. Masaaki Mizukami) quite strongly. But as I read through the original work, I realized that I have these feelings and thoughts and that I’m the type of person who robustly outputs things. During the audition and post-recording, I was thinking about acting while thinking correctly. So, when I say charm, the aggressive part comes out strongly, but that’s also the flip side of love, and it’s an elementary school way of dating (laughs).
Was there a direction there?
Aoki, I wonder if it’s because I have too strong thorns alone. I thought, and there was a part that was a little mild. The dialogue is intense, so if you do it like that in the play, is it too much? I think I was unconsciously thinking about it, but around episode 1 or 2, I was told, “You can make it a little more aggressive.” A falcon is a foreign object that came to Onna no Sono, so I’m thinking about getting rid of it as the first to attack it. So let’s go aggressive! That’s what it means.
What was it like to try such an aggressive performance?
Aoki, It was a lot of fun! Like when you were scolding his brother? I have a strong point toward men in my family. I felt like I was hated as a man or a father. At this age, it’s not even a rebellious period, but I could imagine that I would hit my relatives harder. Aggressive, but with a touch of love somewhere? Because we were able to record together, I could output while working out those emotions, so there were times when I got angry in a way that was different from the initial acting plan, but I was able to adapt and have fun.
Were there any memorable events during the post-recording?
Aoki, We were able to record quite a lot together. Up to four people can enter the booth, so I don’t feel like I’m lacking, and I was able to dub with everyone equally. Mr. Mizuki, who plays the role of Hayabusa, also came to us with a sense of ease, so I was looking forward to the post-recording every time.
Everyone has a vague feeling of envy, like, “I want smart people to be a little nasty.” Mr. Mizuki does an excellent job of that, so it’s easy for me to say, “What the hell!?”
You’re a student at the University of Tokyo, so you’re a high-spec. What do you think is the appeal of Hayabusa?
Aoki, It’s a high spec, but you know it yourself. I thought it was modern. I want to do something with it. He treats the girls as if they were his family, but he says things from a managerial point of view, such as if everyone wears cute clothes, it might be a weapon. It’s true, so there’s something I can’t hate.
Also, it’s human. She is in a rebellious period and confronts her grandma, but when she comes back, there are parts where she feels regret, so getting close to her is relatively easy. He was easy to understand rather than a clever, high-flying presence. Also, even though I entered the University of Tokyo, I don’t think I can choose to take a year off from school, so it’s fantastic.
What kind of person do you think Sachiko, Hayabusa’s grandmother, was to the five heroines?
Aoki Everyone calls me “grandma,” right? Simply put, reaching an older person like that is not pervasive, so they were like family. As the story progresses, it shows what kind of person Sachiko is and how she interacts with everyone. She was a grandma, so it was natural for her to call her that. We weren’t related by blood, but she was the kind of person who would treat me kindly.
The uniform for the cafe “Familia” was designed by Ouka. Do you have any favorite points?
Aoki, I like the way it contains black. The frills and ribbons are black, and if it’s just white and light blue, it’s too cute, but with black, even when Momiji-san (CV. Asami Seto) wears it, it doesn’t look too cute and looks tight. It would be nice to have the feeling of being relaxed. I like the black and white uniform, but it has a light blue base, so it has a neat and clean look, and I like the tight balance.
Would you like to wear it?
Aoki Yes, I wear it for work (laughs). I want to see you all wearing it. I also like coffee shops with cute uniforms, so I go there (laughs).
This question is slightly lighter, but who is Aoki-san’s favorite character?
Aoki Everyone has their good points, so I can’t narrow it down, but if you want to be friends or get closer, Momiji would be the one. I am mentally mature. But when I’m not feeling well, I’d like to get along with Shusui (CV. Sayumi Suzushiro) (laughs). When I want to talk, I want to be with Shusui; when I don’t want to talk too much and want to relax, Momiji is better. Momiji-san also makes delicious coffee, so I’m curious about those two.
By the way, Suzuyo-san, who plays the role of Shusui, mentioned Sakuraka as a character she was interested in and said she wanted to open the door to her heart.
Aoki That’s right. Happy! Shusui-chan, who doesn’t think about anything like that, was acting like she didn’t know about anything but thought about that (laughs). I also really like Akisui-chan’s stupidity; she can do it this far when she voices it! I felt that. It’s strange to say something like this to a voice actor, but Suzuyo-san’s voice is loud (laughs). It was an early morning recording, so my throat is often open! I was recording while saying something like that.
I’m the same age as Mizuki-san, but while Mizuki-san cleared her throat and adjusted her throat, Suzuyo-san said, “Wow!!” so I can’t lose! I was doing my best while thinking that (laughs).
Quite a few things can be drawn out by listening to the other person’s voice.
Aoki Yes. It’s fun to do it with everyone because the image I had vaguely thought of in myself has an outline. Everyone probably felt the same way. Even when I’m reading the script at home, I check it while thinking it will be fun, but it’s even more voltage when I do it.
If Aoki-san was a man, who would you choose?
Aoki, It isn’t very easy. I’m really worried, but maybe Shiragiku-san (CV. Azumi Waki). He seems to drink alcohol, and he’s good at cooking. Even if I was a man, I’m the type who wants to do housework and work. I do both, so I want my partner to do both too. Shiragiku-san seems to get along well together. Ohka will probably attack, so in that sense, Shiragiku-san (laughs).
Even Shiragiku-san, who started drinking and undressing?
Aoki That’s it. I’m rather happy (laughs).
This work is set in a cafe. Do you have a favorite cafe or a favorite cafe menu?
Aoki, I like cafes, and I go there a lot. If there are many, there are times when I go to two or three in one day. Mainly to pass the time.
Because the voice actors have free time. What kind of cafe do you like?
Aoki, I like that there aren’t many customers and I can relax. I like coffee, so I often go to shops with excellent or delicious coffee. There are various points, such as the lighting is dark and the sofa is in order, so I enjoy choosing them.
Do you have any memories of the cafe?
Aoki, I also drink black tea, but I didn’t know how to use something like a teapot cover. I thought. It’s something to look around and hang on a pot! I understand. At first, it started from that point, and I felt like I was getting to know the culture of the cafe.
Some people say they can’t go in because they don’t understand the rules of cafes. Are you relaxed at the cafe?
Aoki: Sometimes I’m working. You can also watch videos on the iPad, and it’s easy to do that. A cafe would be good when I think about where to spend my free time.
Finally, please give a message to your fans.
Aoki, We had a lot of fun doing it, so I hope you can feel the atmosphere and enjoy watching everyone having fun. Also, there are some sexy scenes (laughs). Please look forward to it too.
