As Plunderer enters into episodes full of turning points and twists, the team at WebNewtype sent us an amazing sit-down interview with some of the cast of the series, including voice actors Yoshiki Nakajima (Licht Bach), Rina Honizumi (Hina) and Ari Ozawa (Lynn May)!
RELATED: Plunderer Anime Directors Talk Favorite Characters, Storyboarding and More!
So, get hyped with these three as we talk through the series so far and the revelations that are coming to Plunderer after that Episode 7 reveal. And if you haven’t jumped into Plunderer yet, now’s your chance.
What were your impressions of the Plunderer manga when you read it?
Honizumi: When I read the original manga, it was such a comfortable read that I ripped through all 11 volumes available at the time in one sitting. In this story, a lot of the characters shed tears. These tears all have different meanings, which are revealed later on as you read further. The depth of the subtext was much more than I expected.
Ozawa: The depth of the story is awesome. You first see a character doing gags in the beginning, but then you see lots of things being revealed about them later, and it makes you think, “Whoa, is this a different manga now?” It’s really jam-packed with goodness like that. It really makes you want to read from beginning to end in one sitting.
Nakajima: Whenever I apply for an audition, I try not to read too deeply into the manga before doing the actual audition. However, for this one, I decided to read ahead because one of the lines in the audition was from a later part of the story. So I picked up the book and…I couldn’t put it down, I went through all of the available volumes in one sitting. At that point, I was so attached to the manga, I seriously regretted doing that, because it would have devastated me if I failed the audition.
But really, you can’t stop wanting to know what happens next. This story progresses nonstop, so the situation that’s depicted in the published manga volumes, the anime, and the serialized version on Shounen Ace are all totally different. For all of you watching the anime, I suggest going back to Episode 1 and rewatching that. You’d be surprised how different everything is from back then.
What is your impression of the sequence of events in the plot so far?
Nakajima: Episode 6 is where Hina witnesses Pelmo get sent to the Abyss. I think this is the first time she sees this happen after her mother got sent to the Abyss.
Honizumi: That’s right. It was a bit shocking. As Pelmo gets dragged into the ground, she says, “See ya.” I think, at this point, you don’t understand what she meant by that. But if you circle back after knowing what happens next, you understand that. Since I read the manga first, I was like “Whoa!” here. It’s definitely one scene I’d like people to watch several times in the anime.
Nakajima: Episode 6 had a small cast, and there were lots of back-and-forth.
Honizumi: I know, right? I think there were only five of us?
Nakajima: Aya Endo plays Pelmo. When I saw her name on the cast list, I was rattled. I think all of the great senpais joining us is definitely one of the great parts about the Plunderer anime. Pelmo only appears on Episode 6, but her role is extremely important in revealing the world setting of the story. Interestingly, for some reason, Licht doesn’t sexually harass Pelmo. (Laughs)
Honizumi: Oh, I remember. (Laughs)
Nakajima: Pelmo studies airplanes. In Alcia, flying is banned and is punished very severely. Well, Licht is referred to as an “Ace,” which is a word used mostly in the context of airplanes. Why is that? This episode really accents that question, and makes you think, “What’s going on in this world?”(
Ozawa: You’re such a good explainer! There’s nothing left for us to say!
Nakajima: There you go with that again!
All: (Laughs)
What are your impressions of the Licht Bach character so far?
Honizumi: Licht is a super-awesome hero that saves us when we’re in trouble, but that’s not everything. Sometimes he has a very gentle expression, and sometimes he has these downcast eyes, where he can foresee what is going to happen but still works to support the others. I think that depth is one of the great things about him. He’s often misunderstood, but he’s super-awesome!
Nakajima: He really is often misunderstood. I mean, he often wears a weird costume, and his debut scene was a gag scene. Also, the very first thing he says to Hina when he meets her is, “Please give me some money.” (Laughs) He started low, so he has nowhere to go but up!
Ozawa: Licht is a relentless girl-chaser, but he won’t let girls chase him. He’s very kind and helps us, but he won’t let us get close to him. He makes us think, “What is he really like?” So he has that layer of mystery. I think he’s skilled in the art of being popular.
What are your impressions of Hina up to Episode 7?
Honizumi: Hina, at the beginning, is portrayed first and foremost as being a bit out of touch with the world, easily affected by people around her, and really worrisome to watch. But if you watch Episode 7, you learn that she has very high skills when it comes to surviving in nature, and that she has a very strong core. Episode 7 is an anime-only episode, and it’s full of elements that make Hina attractive.
Nakajima: Hina traveled the world all alone for five years, with no clear goals other than her mother’s last words. If you think about that, and rewatch the first episode, you notice that, even though it seems very gullible of her to be so easily tricked by David, you understand that it actually shows how truly devoted she was toward her goal of finding the Ace. When you revisit a character and how they’re depicted after learning about their unspoken past and other details, you start to see different meanings in their actions.
Ozawa: At first, the strongest impression I got from Hina was how cute her behavior was. As the episodes went on, she grows and changes, but I think that softness is part of her core, and I really like that. I also think it’s great that she is a woman who grows stronger by falling in love.
What about Lynn, who is introduced in Episode 3?
Ozawa: Lynn’s charm is…well, you get what you see. (Laughs)
All: (Laughs)
Ozawa: Her charm matches her looks. Her actions and feelings are straightforward and consistent. Even as the story gets extremely turbulent, I’d like to play her in a way that keeps what’s great about her great. The way her subordinate, Pele, makes fun of her can be quite extreme, like, “Really? That much?” but…after you read the manga and learn how he truly feels, everything makes sense.
Nakajima: That really was a surprise. It made me think, “Wow, that’s what was going through your mind when you were bullying her?” (Laughs) If you want to find out more, please, read the manga.
How about Nakajima-san and Honizumi-san? What are your impressions of Lynn?
Nakajima: Thank you for carrying all of the sexy scenes!
Honizumi: She’s so consistent. It makes you wonder what kind of childhood does a person lead to grow into someone so consistent?
Nakajima: I mean, her Count is based on “good deeds.” That’s awesome. I think she’s a really good person. But since Hina is the main heroine, Lynn, the new heroine, is a…a “stalking horse,” to put bluntly.
Ozawa: That’s rough!
Nakajima: But in Plunderer, she doesn’t just end there. That’s what makes this story great!
What is your impression of Episode 7, where the two heroines, Hina and Lynn, go head-to-head in a cooking battle?
Nakajima: Episode 7 was an anime-original episode that wasn’t in the manga. The nature of the episode was to allow the Lynn and Pele storyline merge smoothly with the Hina and Nana storyline, which made it extremely important. It was a great way to complement the manga story, but also it was super fun, since it was a rare 100% comedy episode.
Who did you want to cheer for, Hina or Lynn?
Nakajima: I have to say Lynn.
Ozawa: I know, right!
Honizumi: I really liked Lynn’s budget-conscious home cooking. I think it takes real skill to make good food without spending too much.
Nakajima: But Hina’s cooking is free.
Honizumi: Yes, meaning she get her own food from the wild. Hina’s cooking is a survival technique, so…
Nakajima: It would seem like taste would not be considered. Hina’s cooking is like “suck on the blood of snakes to survive.”
Ozawa: (Laughs) But I do like game meat, so my vote goes to Hina.
Nakajima: I put 100 votes in Lynn. You can’t know if Hina’s game meat cooking tastes good. She butchers with her bare hands. I was wondering how much of that they can actually air. (laughs)
Honizumi: The ending theme song plays over images of Hina in her journeys before the story. If you think about all of the survival techniques she employs between the scenes, it’s pretty awesome.
Interviewer: The results of the cooking battle between Hina and Lynn are presented in Episode 7. If you haven’t watched it, please check it out.
Nakajima: Yes. Oh, how fun this was…up to now. (Laughs)
Honizumi: So true. It was super fun up to this point.
Ozawa: After Episode 8, you really miss the comedy from the first seven episodes.
Nakajima: Yes, the plot gets more and more serious after Episode 8. It’s a turning point, where the worldview presented so far gets overturned. From here on, the story becomes a bit of a reveal of the mysteries presented in the first seven episodes, so if you’ve watched this far, I implore you to watch the rest.
By the way, the next episode preview sequences are really wild. Will they also get serious after Episode 8?
Nakajima: No, that part will remain completely comedic. Um, everyone, please do not take the next episode previews seriously. (Laughs) Episode 8 and onwards can be chokingly tense, so I’d like to make the next episode previews a place for a breath of fresh air.
Honizumi: I’d like the ending to be healing and the previews to be fun, so that you can have good expectations while waiting for the next episode.
Ozawa: It could sometimes get tough to watch, but if you stick with it to the previews, I think it’ll make you feel fun!
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