Fena: Pirate Princess follows a young woman named Fena who is on a journey to fulfill her father's last wish to find a place called Eden, along with her friends known as the Samurai Seven. Ever since he lost her 10 years ago, Yukimaru, Fena's childhood friend, has been fiercely protective of her and was even willing to turn his back on the rest of the Samurai Seven to save her. On the outside, Yukimaru appears to be cool, calm and collected, but when he's with Fena, he gets flustered and awkward. Aside from the adventuring aspect of Fena, watching the pair's relationship grow is one of the series' highlights.
In an exclusive interview with CBR, Yukimaru's voice actor Ryota Suzuki speaks about his experience working on an anime that has a blend of Japanese and Western elements, the careful considerations he took when voicing a character like Yukimaru, and the side of Yukimaru that's so rarely seen.
CBR: What was it like to voice a character in a show like Fena, which has both Japanese and Western influences?
Ryota Suzuki: I felt that the grand scale of the world-building, setting out on an adventure to solve a mystery in a submersible ship, was wonderful. And, in the midst of all of that, to play one of the samurai who had served the Houtman family since long ago...that had me excited every time I went to record.
What is something about Yukimaru that you found surprising when voicing him?
Yukimaru is calm and composed and he doesn't show his emotions very much, but when it comes to Fena, he gets so passionate that he can't see what's going on around him. That contrast in his personality is unexpected and I think it's sweet. I also like the innocent purity that makes his ears turn bright red with a simple touch on his hand.
Yukimaru seems to be a very lonely person. There are instances where we see him trying to keep his distance and there are times where he seems a little lost. What was that experience like in voicing a character like this in his moments of vulnerability?
The need to restrain the scope of my voice and expression did make things more difficult sometimes, but I paid careful attention to things like the ring of his voice that comes from his physicality and a convincing weight that befits a hero.
What has been your favorite scene or line of Fena so far?
The scene where Shitan keeps Yukimaru from chasing after Fena and he opens up about his thoughts and feelings has stayed with me. It's the first scene where you're able to see inside Yukimaru's heart. The moment when I realized that for 10 long years he'd been regretting not being able to protect her, that he'd thought about her all that time, made me very emotional.
