The new issue of Da Vinci magazine includes interviews with 12 members of the Twst voice cast: all five members of Heartslabyul plus the VAs for Leona, Azul, Kalim, Vil, Idia, Malleus and Yuuken!
Not a full translation (it is 11 pages 💦) just a summary and short excerpts!
Riddle’s VA Hanae Natsuki (🌹), on the subject of Trey and Cater:
“The two of them are like a pressure release for (Riddle). He is always angry to the point it is like he might suffocate, and the way that the two of them defuse situations at just the right time really helps him.”
🌹 talks about Riddle’s strictness coming from how he was raised and how he fears making mistakes.
“But in the sense that they absolutely will not bend their convictions, Riddle Rosehearts and Enma Yuuken are the same. Even though they seem like complete opposites, their cores are actually similar, and from their clashes, emotions were born that felt different from when I acted in the game. There’s a lot of shouting, and it’s a physically demanding role, but portraying the process of his heart gradually being shaken and the quality of his anger changing little by little was something uniquely rewarding about the animation.”
🌹 talks about starting a family and wanting to work harder as a result and how he thinks Riddle is the same, as he feels the responsibility to do his best for his dorm mates as their housewarden: “But no one can live alone, and we’re all being helped in ways we don’t even realize. Noticing that and growing from it is I think a highlight of Season 1.”
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Trey’s VA Suzuki Ryouta (♣️), on Trey:
“In truth, he has a strong personality just like the other characters. He comes from a family that runs a cake shop, he’s caring, and seems like the most ‘normal,’ but that’s not actually true. I have slowly come to understand his charm over the past five years, so I was nervous when I had to deliver his first line in the anime while hiding that depth.”
♣️ talks about how Trey can’t stand too strongly against Riddle because he knows the reason behind Riddle’s emotional instability. He knows he needs to do something but also finds himself wanting to protect Riddle from those who do not know what he knows.
“These days I’m happily focusing on my work, but there have been times when I have been elated and depressed over audition results, when I cried about not being good enough. I was only able to push through it all by shouting alone at a riverside. But it's exactly because we sometimes have emotions that we bite back and suppress that we’re able to grow. Becoming an adult doesn’t mean we stop feeling frustrated, but maybe it means figuring out how to live without letting those frustrations control us. This series shows us that process. Maybe that’s why so many people are able to overlap their own emotions with those of the characters, and come to love the work so deeply."
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Cater’s VA Kobayashi Tatsuyuki (🔸) on Cater:
“At first I played him as someone who interacts with everyone equally without discrimination, but sometimes he looks at everyone with a cold gaze, and even when he’s cheerfully livening up the atmosphere it is probably because he just doesn’t want things to get troublesome. As for the Housewarden, as he looks to be becoming a bit dangerous, it’s not that he isn’t worried, but since smoothing out problems is his priority he doesn’t go so far as to try to actually fix things.”
“The problems we hold deep in our hearts, even if we think we've resolved them, they can come back and attack us again. Just a small failure can trigger a flood of memories of past regrets or painful things, and it keeps you awake at night. I used to be the type to overthink everything but then a senpai told me, ‘don’t think about unnecessary things,’ and now I strictly follow that rule. What’s done can’t be undone, so I try to wake up with the morning sun and think positively about what’s ahead. That kind of lightness is maybe an influence of Cater Diamond, too (laughs).”
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The section with Ace’s VA Yamashita Seiichirou (❤️) and Deuce’s VA Kobayashi Chiaki (♠️) is a conversation between them where they talk about having to remember that their characters are villains, how ❤️ feels like his personality is closer to Deuce than to Ace, and how Ace underestimates Deuce.
♠️ talks about how Deuce feels inferior due to his past and is jealous of Ace, who has everything he doesn’t have.
They praise 🌹 and 🦐 for their performances in the anime. ❤️ says he sympathizes with Deuce, and ♠️ says he sympathizes with Floyd.
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Leona’s VA Umehara Yuuichirou (🦁) on Leona:
“I think his cold attitude is, in his own way, both a defense mechanism and a way of getting by in life. When I first read the script I was surprised at how carefully the characters' backgrounds were portrayed and how rich the story was. Each character was depicted in great detail and felt very human. I realized that Leona Kingscholar wasn't just arrogant, but also a realist and a romantic. A person full of complexity.”
“There are moments when he gets excited in his own way, and I want to make sure to clearly show those differences. Especially the lines where he smirks and says something to tease someone. Those are really fun to perform.”
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Azul’s VA Tamaru Atsushi (🐙) on Azul:
“He's really exceptional. But I think his charm lies in the fact that he's not a natural-born genius. He overcame painful experiences in the past through extraordinary effort. And now, having broken free from being an ordinary person, he undoubtedly possesses remarkable talent, but precisely because of that he has a complex about people who are true geniuses.”
“I deliberately use a unique verbal tic where my tone undulates up and down…but it is really difficult. If the intonation is too strong it sounds cheap, and if it's too restrained the individuality gets watered down. When I want to show his miserly side I go stronger, and in serious scenes I tone it down, so it changes scene by scene. As the story progresses even more unexpected sides of him start to peek through, and sometimes he goes so full-on comedic that it makes me think, ‘Are we really going to go this far!?’ It’s fun how the range within the performance keeps expanding, but choosing the tone that perfectly matches each scene is becoming more and more difficult.”
On the twins:
“Floyd Leech, who physically strangles anyone he doesn't like. Jade Leech, who seems gentlemanly at a glance, but is impossible to read. Working in tandem with their Housewarden, who calmly corners others with logic, they steadily go after their prey...or so it seems, but they’re both so willful that they absolutely won’t do anything they don’t want to, and before you know it everything falls apart. That’s what makes them interesting. The twins especially are unpredictable and free-spirited. Suddenly getting bored and switching off without warning, or pretending to be refined while actually being the one who stirs things up the most. The Housewarden is the one who gets dragged around the most, unable to carry out his plans as intended. The unclear, ambiguous bond between the three, whether they’re actually united or not, is reflected in the very nature of Octavinelle Dorm itself. They are coordinated yet unstable, and I think that dangerous, uncertain balance is part of their charm.”
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Kalim’s VA Furuta Kazuki (🦦) on Kalim:
“As an actor you tend to want to add a bit of theatrical flair to lines or make them feel like they have hidden meaning, but in the case of Kalim Al-Asim, that’s the number one thing you must not do. He’s a character whose words are almost entirely his true feelings, someone with no hidden intentions, so I focus on using a cheerful, light, and bouncy voice."
On Kalim and Jamil:
“Because the two of them might never have interacted if they weren’t master and servant, I think that’s exactly why it’s so difficult for them to find a place to settle in their positions and relationship. Through that trial and error not only do they face their inner complexes and conflicts, but their human relationships gradually begin to change, and that’s where the overwhelming appeal of the story lies. I think it’s rare for a series to overturn the first impressions you had from character’s introduction this much. The scenario in the game has progressed quite far, but it’s still fun to imagine that they both probably still has things they’re hiding.”
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Vil’s VA Aiba Hiroki (👑) on Vil:
“His is not beauty from birth, but from discipline. He doesn’t just seek results, but values the process. Because he carries sensitivity and pain beneath his strong impression, he can be sincere both to others and to himself. That is who Vil Schoenheit is. His strictness isn’t coldness, but a belief in the potential of his comrades. He knows that the accumulation of effort will save people. He infuses his sense of beauty into his posture, movements, and even the nuances of his speech, arranging his daily life as if it were a stage. Rather than pretending to be something he’s not, he raises his perspective by steadily building his efforts. He teaches that even flaws can become strengths when people polish each other.”
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Idia’s VA Uchiyama Kouki (💀) on Idia:
“When it was decided that I would voice Idia in the game, I didn’t know what had happened between the brothers. But for Idia Shroud, who has difficulty talking to people face-to-face, I’m sure his younger brother is one of the few people he can truly open his heart to, and I think they acknowledge and rely on each other.”
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Malleus’ VA Kato Kazuki (🐉) on Malleus:
“From his appearance and demeanor he gives off a cool and composed impression, but I think deep down he is a lonely child. Even when he is trying to play around people become overwhelmed and terrified by his immense power and stay away from him. The more I portrayed him, the more I could feel his loneliness and suffering. That said, there’s definitely something fundamentally different about him from humans. In interactions with other characters I try to avoid reactions or tones that would be typical of ordinary people. I want to portray him as a somewhat detached presence, not easily swayed by emotions.”
On Lilia:
"Even without blood ties, even if they’re of different species, they are bound by a strong bond. That’s the appeal of Diasomnia Dorm. I felt something sacred in the relationship between Malleus Draconia and Lilia Vanrouge, connected as they are by a bond stronger than that of a parent and child. There is something that eventually happens between the two of them, and I couldn’t stop myself from crying. Even though he doesn't need their protection Malleus keeps Sebek Zigvolt and Silver close by, surely because their presence brings him a special sense of peace. There’s also helplessness in how he's unable to express those feelings well."
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Yuuken’s VA Azakami Youhei (🦐) on Yuuken:
"Enma Yuuken does not waver, no matter what happens. He is suddenly thrown into a different world where magic use is the norm and it would be natural to panic, but all he thinks about is returning to his own world to participate in a kendo tournament. Even when he has to live in a rundown dorm full of ghosts, he is curious when he should be frightened. He’s a hardliner but full of humor, and because someone like him with both strength and gentleness is at the center, I think the individuality of the students’ with their strong personalities shines even more. Being able to immerse together with everyone watching in the world of ‘Twst’ through his eyes has been incredibly fun for me."
"I am the same age as 🌹-kun who plays Riddle, and we have been acting for the same amount of time. Since we’re close friends outside of our jobs it was refreshing to be his co-star in a role like this where he spreads an unreasonable amount of fear, and it was impressive how energetic he was during recordings. In contrast to Riddle Rosehearts, Enma Yuuken has a strong sense of justice that is not bound by rules and he absolutely will not yield to things he cannot accept.”
"I think jealousy toward someone who is better than you and has what you want is something that can happen to anyone. To the point that my voice actor friends and I have promised each other that if any one of us becomes famous and starts to get arrogant, we will properly tell them off. People can suddenly turn to good or evil from small triggers, and because I fear that I am no exception I need to make an effort and listen to the voices around me. I think this series deeply conveys what it looks like to overcome such weaknesses."