From The Animate Times (Jun 06, 2018)

Interview by Kazuyuki Nagai

Photos by Kohei Toriyabe

The popular anime Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS depicts the struggles of protagonists Yusaku Fujiki / Playmaker and Ai as they engage in passionate VR Duels and unravel the mysteries of the Lost Incident. Now in its second year, the story enters a new arc!

We sat down with Shoya Ishige (voice of Yusaku Fujiki / Playmaker) and Takahiro Sakurai (voice of Ai), as well as new cast members Yuki Kaji (voice of Takeru Homura / Soulburner) and Taku Yashiro (voice of Flame), to engage in a heated discussion about the series. So, how did this roundtable turn out?

You could really feel Yusaku’s humanity and the bond between Yusaku/Playmaker and Ai in Season 1.

It’s been over a year since VRAINS premiered. What changed about your impression of the show or the characters as you were acting?

Shoya Ishige (Yusaku/Playmaker): At first, I thought Yusaku was a character without a shred of humanity inside him. But after a year’s worth of Duels in virtual reality and conversations in the real world, I realize that he does have some humanity. He’s just someone who hides his true feelings.

Takahiro Sakurai (Ai): A lot has happened between us this past year…

Yuki Kaji (Takeru/Soulburner): What do you mean…?

Taku Yashiro (Flame): What happened?

Everyone: [Bursts out laughing]

Sakurai: Despite being paired up with Yusaku, it was hard to call him my “partner” right off the bat. But after overcoming all sorts of hardships, a genuine bond was formed between us. Listening to the banter between Yusaku and Ai during the Season 1 finale, in the decisive battle against Revolver atop the Tower of Hanoi, all I could think was: “Wow, we’ve gotten close enough to argue like this.”

In the beginning, there was no trust between the two of you, so it felt like both parties were acting only out of self-interest. However, you two became quite a nice duo through your battles in the Tower of Hanoi.

Ishige: In the beginning, whenever Ai spoke up, Yusaku would tell him to “shut up.” Didn’t that happen like three times in just the first half of episode 1? [laughs]

Sakurai: You don’t really say that anymore, huh.

Ishige: Yusaku changed after learning in the battle against Revolver that Ai is the accumulation of his data from back when he was kidnapped in the Lost Incident. Now, I only tell Ai to shut up if he says something absurd.

Sakurai: It’s not like they’re overdependent on one another, though. What’s interesting is that they maintain a cool adult-like distance between themselves.

Shoya Ishige (27) comes from a theater background, having starred in the Japanese Lion King musical as Simba prior to being cast as Yusaku, his first major anime role, in 2017.

The impressive farewell scene between Yusaku and Ai at the end of Season 1.

Please share with us the most memorable episode or scene you’ve worked on so far.

Ishige: There weren’t many scenes in which I smiled this past year, so the moment during the battle against Revolver, when I smiled in the face of overwhelming odds, stood out to me. Even though Ai commented, “Your smile is creeping me out, please stop”…

Kaji: Come on, Ai. [laughs]

Yashiro: That’s harsh. [laughs]

Sakurai: Y’all dissing me? [laughs]

Ishige: Well, that was the first thing that came to mind. And then there’s the scene where Yusaku releases Ai from his Duel Disk. It wasn’t that emotional, nor were any parting words exchanged, but it left an impression nonetheless.

Sakurai: I also liked that farewell scene. It was impressive to hear those two business partners finally kind of address each other as friends. The battle against Spectre in the Tower of Hanoi was pretty intense, too.

Ishige: Oh, that guy was strong. Not only at Dueling, but also at psychological warfare. Despite being a victim of the Lost Incident like Yusaku, Spectre didn’t have any relatives or friends, so when I heard that he got locked back up in an orphanage [after being rescued], it broke my heart.

Sakurai: As the story progressed, I thought he’d be just another mini-boss on the path to the last boss Revolver. Turns out he was almost as strong as Revolver. I mean, he even beat Blue Angel.

Even after defeating the Knights of Hanoi led by Revolver, preventing the Tower of Hanoi from being completed, and saving the Network World from danger, it’s not over yet. What more lies in store?

Ishige: I admit, that would’ve been a thrilling conclusion to the series. I loved the triumphant look on Revolver’s face when he activated Mirror Force and declared, “Drown in unfathomable despair!”

What were the unexpected thoughts of Kaji-san, who played Yu-Gi-Oh! as a kid, and Yashiro-san, who appeared in the previous series?

Starting this Spring, Kaji-san and Yashiro-san have joined the cast of VRAINS as new characters. What are your thoughts on being in the show so far?

Kaji: I’m so delighted to be a part of this Yu-Gi-Oh! series that I have to keep my emotions in check when I’m acting. The manga and card game came out when I was in elementary or middle school.

Ishige: How nostalgic!

Kaji: I couldn’t buy that many cards with my limited allowance, so I played using rules I made up to help myself win. [laughs] That’s why I get emotional thinking about how I’ve finally become a real Duelist as an adult, by voicing this character. I was so happy to say, “It’s my turn! DRAW!”

Yashiro: I also played the Yu-Gi-Oh! Card Game before being cast in ARC-V as a character called the Battle Beast. He didn’t actually speak for three episodes or so and just groaned the whole time instead. [laughs]

Kaji: What an amazing character!

Yashiro: My thoughts exactly. When I suddenly had to speak for real starting with a certain episode, I was worried about how I ought to sound. [laughs] And now, I’ve joined this series as yet another non-human character.

Everyone: [Bursts out laughing]

Yashiro: Regardless, I’m truly happy to be a part of this.

Taku Yashiro (25) debuted as a voice actor in 2014, but mostly played background characters until 2016, when he was cast as the titular character in Tiger Mask W .

It’s hard for Yusaku to keep his cool among a cast of quirky characters?!

What do you bear in mind when playing your particular character?

Ishige: More characters have joined the series in its second year, but they’re so shady, aren’t they? Like the WIND Ignis. When I’m playing Yusaku, I have to stay vigilant and not be ensnared by their words.

Kaji: Even if I want to show emotion, I can’t do it unless I’ve built up enough frustration.

Ishige: Basically, at the pace we’ve been going, I’ve been able to gain a wide breadth of experience. That experience can be detrimental, however.

For example, even if I’m personally hyped up by what’s going on around me, I can’t let it show through Yusaku. I have to be careful to keep my cool when conversing with all the other characters. Even if I have a line like “What!?” that’s supposed to indicate surprise, I have to act indifferent and not get caught up in the excitement.

Sakurai: I’m always whispering “Just do it,” into characters’ ears. “Don’t waver in your beliefs.”

Yashiro: That’s evil.

Kaji: Sounds like Ai. [laughs]

Ai hasn’t changed, his motto is still “make it big, make it fun.”

Speaking of Ai, how is he doing?

Sakurai: I haven’t changed. My motto is still “make it big, make it fun.”

Everyone: [Bursts out laughing]

Kaji: I guess you can do everything Yusaku can’t.

Sakurai: The only thing that’s changed is that Ai is no longer the only Ignis around. Flame and the others are here, and there’s a big difference between each Ignis’s personality. That’s something I need to keep in mind.

Takahiro Sakurai (44) is known for playing Meme Oshino ( Monogatari series), Cloud ( Final Fantasy VII ), Shogo Makishima ( Psycho-Pass ), and Reigen Arataka ( Mob Psycho 100 ) , among countless others.

Since Flame has joined the fray, Ai’s role as the tsukkomi (straight man) is now clearer than ever, huh.

Sakurai: We’re always messing around.

Yashiro: It’s so unfair. Whenever I talk to Ai, Sakurai-san changes his lines by ad-libbing, which makes them even funnier if I can successfully snap back with a retort. But if I can’t come up with a nice ad-lib of my own during the exchange, the whole thing falls apart. Being an Ignis is hard.

Everyone: [Bursts out laughing]

Ishige: When Yusaku can’t deal with Ai anymore, he just tells him to “shut up”…

Kaji: Yusaku has more freedom to say what he wants because of how close he is to his Ignis.

Yashiro: Sounds about right… [laughs]

Flame is more of a weird uncle than a hot-blooded samurai?!

Kaji: Flame would just be a burden to Soulburner if he didn’t act as a foil to Ai. The Flame-Ai rivalry serves as a proxy war between Playmaker and Soulburner. [laughs]

Yashiro: Wow, I’m so important…

Ishige: There are 4 other Ignis, though.

Sakurai: The WIND Ignis also showed up.

Kaji: We’re all in this together, guys~!

Yashiro: Is it still a proxy war if we’re just making fart jokes?

Sakurai: Yup.

Kaji: I feel like I saw a whole new side of Flame. I thought he was a samurai-like guy who was above such low-brow humor, but as Yashiro-kun said, he’s surprisingly capable of going with the flow. [laughs]

Yashiro: True, in the beginning, Flame did remind me of a samurai. He gave off the impression of a hot-blooded man’s man who could joke around with Soulburner. Like a close relative, or an uncle. [laughs]

Kaji: He maintains the same level of playfulness whether he’s talking to Soulburner or Takeru. Which can get cringey.

Yashiro: Don’t worry about that. I believe the more I argue back-and-forth as Flame, the more sides of him I can show to the audience.

Takeru and Soulburner appear to be very different, but they share the same core values of strength and kindness.

Speaking of Takeru and Soulburner, how are they doing?

Kaji: He’s Takeru in the real world and Soulburner in LINK VRAINS, but at first glance, they’re completely different people. When I initially received information about them, I didn’t understand their personalities or know how they spoke, so I couldn’t believe they were the same guy.

I thought I was going to play two characters. Then I remembered, Yusaku and Playmaker come together to form one character even though they look different. I approached my debut episode thinking that it’d be difficult to treat Takeru and Soulburner the same way. But for a while, I only had to talk as Soulburner. [laughs]

Ishige: That was the case, wasn’t it?

Kaji: Taking his appearance and name into account, I thought he’d be someone who enjoys heated Duels. But then they told me to “pull a total 180” while playing Takeru. So I gave him a different personality when delivering his lines in a school setting.

After watching the episode about his past, I realized that Soulburner is an essential part of Takeru’s being, but so are the psychological scars and complicated emotions that the Lost Incident left him with. That experience changed him, just not into a completely different person; his core values of strength and kindness remained intact. Even so, I felt the need to display a bit of his dark side.

You may recognize Yuki Kaji (32) as Eren Yeager ( Attack on Titan ), Meliodas ( The Seven Deadly Sins ), Shoto Todoroki ( My Hero Academia ), and Sonic ( One Punch Man ).

We hope you enjoy all the upcoming mysterious incidents, new characters, and evolved Duels.

At the end of the first year, Revolver shocked everyone by summoning five monsters to form an Extra Link. Will anything surpass that?

Ishige: Well, Yusaku already extended that play to form a Zero Extra Link. And in the new arc, I was shocked to learn that there are Spell Cards with Link Arrows. They’ve opened the door to new strategies, so I’m looking forward to the all the Duels we’ll have from now on.

Sakurai: The first season culminated in the decisive battle between Playmaker and Revolver, after we watched Yusaku and co. grow through their personal struggles. The second season features such an expansive cast that I can’t predict where the story will go.

Keep your eyes peeled for unexpected developments involving existing characters in Season 2!

It is true that Go Onizuka, who fought alongside Playmaker in the first season, now stands with the enemy as a bounty hunter?

Sakurai: Yup, that’s right. I openly voiced my disappointment. [laughs] Existing characters will shift their loyalties. That goes for the Ignis, the mastermind behind the various incidents, and even some characters who have yet to make an appearance. I don’t know exactly what will happen, so I’m eagerly awaiting new developments myself.

Yashiro: I hope everyone pays attention to Soulburner and Flame, who will play an active role in the second season. The WIND Ignis will also make an appearance, so be on the lookout for the rest of the Ignis. They’ll each have their own past and thoughts.

Although the virtual reality Speed Duels have been cool and fast, I’m hoping that we’ll get a wider variety of Duel Formats. Finally, the anime will feature new Skills like Burning Draw, which means you can expect Soulburner to be involved in some super hot Duels.

Kaji: Seeing how Takeru looked in the past through the OP and flashbacks makes me wonder if there was ever a time when he embraced the dark side. What obstacles did he face and how did he overcome them are questions that run through my mind as I’m acting. I look forward to the day when they’re answered in the anime. Besides that, I think you should pay attention to the relationship and bonds between Playmaker and Ai, and Soulburner and Flame.

Playmaker rarely shows emotion, but he asks Takeru to call him “Yusaku” without honorifics at school, so I think he’s starting to open up. If Takeru takes this opportunity to unlock a whole new side of Yusaku, then we’ll really have a show worth watching.

Meanwhile, the Duels are truly “a blessing for voice actors.” After all, this is a series from which a lot of famous card game-related terms and lines originated. I’ll gladly shout “Burning Draw!” if it means I can give the kids of today the same experience I had when I was a kid. It would make me so happy to see children shout “Burning Draw!” while Dueling.

Please let everyone know why they should watch Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS and what they can look forward to in the future.

Ishige: In the first year, as we pursued the truth of the Lost Incident, we were able to reach a conclusion. However, the second year opens with Kusanagi-san’s younger brother Jin, who was starting to recover from the trauma of the Incident, having his consciousness stolen. Moreover, the Cyberse World where Ai and his friends used to live has been destroyed by an unknown figure.

Since the number of people affected by Yusaku and Playmaker’s actions has increased, more and more mysteries will arise, and there’ll be fascinating plot points that will make your heart thump with excitement. In terms of Duels, the first season focused primarily on Link Summoning, but we’ll have Fusion Summoning, Ritual Summoning, and plenty of new monsters moving forward. I’ll be making some upgrades to my Deck, so you should look forward to that too.

Catch new episodes of Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS every Wednesday on Crunchyroll !