――How did you feel after first reading the script?
I've always loved movies and novels about AI, so I was really excited about this story. Archive is a pretty important character in the story, but I didn't receive the script for future episodes (hopefully that was intentional), so when we started working on this project, I didn't have a full understanding of the overall arc of the story. But because I didn’t know what was going to happen next, it kept me on my toes, which was nice.
――Please describe your first impression of your character, Archive. What was it like actually playing this character?
I've done voice over work for computer speech and public announcements, so when I went to the recording session for the first episode, I initially thought that my role in this project would be something similar, where I would be a kind of narrator that would be giving additional explanations about the story. But before the recording session, the staff told me, “You're actually the final boss in the story.” I was like, “What!?” That was something I never imagined, so I remember being really surprised at the studio. (Laughs)
――Was there anything you were especially conscious of when you were voicing Archive, or were there any challenges?
After I found out that Vivy would be confronting Archive at the end, I had to be careful to not put any unnecessary emotion into Archive's voice, making sure that my lines were as clear and flat as possible, and maintaining a neutral tone. But Archive didn’t appear in some of the episodes during the middle of the series, so every week, I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Vivy and her friends! So in that sense, I was also watching over half of the show as a viewer and fan, just like everyone else!
――Can you tell us about anything memorable that happened during the recording?
Archive's intentions finally become clear in Episode 12, and there is a scene where it starts speaking from two different perspectives, using the words “I” and “we.” The staff told me to take a slightly different approach for the tone and emotions for these two voices. We talked about recording these lines in separate takes, but I wanted to keep the momentum of Archive coldly and unrelentingly confronting Vivy, so I decided to record these two voices in one take. I'll never forget how nervous I was when I recorded those lines.
――What is your impression from watching the show? Tell us about your favorite scenes and if you found any lines particularly memorable.
There were so many! Every episode was full of heartache and anguish, love and conflict, and watching the show made me cry each time. I have countless favorite scenes, but the scene in Episode 12 where Matsumoto admonishes Vivy for being despondent and blaming herself for everything that happened was very memorable. Vivy was searching for what it meant to put her heart into something, but Matsumoto tells her, “I can't tell you what a ‘heart’ is, it's too intangible!”. He then goes on to ask her, “How would you define ‘heart’?”, and she tries to answer with tears in her eyes. I'm sure that it wasn't just me who could feel their hearts coming through in that scene.
――What should we keep an eye on in Vivy -Fluorite Eye's Song-, and what are the highlights we can look forward to in the upcoming episodes?
At the time of this interview, the only episode we have left to watch is the final one, so the only thing I can say is...don't miss a moment of the show! When I started watching the series, I didn't think much of the sequence using the dominoes at the end of each show, but after watching more episodes, you start to understand the meaning behind why they change colors as they fall. Now when I watch the ending of each episode, I start remembering everything that Vivy has experienced, and it makes me want to cry. (Laughs)
――Finally, how about a message for our viewers?
Thank you so much for supporting Vivy all this time! Vivy as a character has made me think about the meaning of life, what it means to care for someone, the uncertainty of the heart, and the contradictions and ignorance that humans have. I really love this series, because you can really feel all the passion and love that the staff poured into creating this show. The staff and cast really put their all into making the final episode, and I hope that Vivy's love of life touches everyone's hearts.