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Vol.41 of spoon.2Di features another Levi illustration and interviews of Tetsuya Kinoshita(Producer) & Yui Ishikawa(Mikasa) & Shiori Mikami(Christa/Historia)



Translations of Spoon.2Di Volume 41 (Scans Above)

Interview with Seiyuu Ishikawa Yui (Mikasa)

All translations by @suniuz & @fuku-shuu of @snknews​

(Please credit if used)

- Even though the Survey Corps isn’t fighting Titans in the 3rd season, Mikasa nonetheless brandishes her weapons against humans in order to rescue Eren. When voicing this type of Mikasa, do you pay any specific attention to elements in the story?

Ishikawa: Logically speaking, the Mikasa in Season 2 will accomplish her goals as long as she commits her heart. However, she was unable to stop Reiner and the others. I feel like that was because the Mikasa back then hadn’t prepared herself for potentially killing her comrades. However, she recognizes that her mistakes back then caused Eren to fall into danger, so this time around, she bears a mindset of wanting to stop opponents no matter what. For this season’s story, I put my efforts into presenting how she focuses on saving Eren - so much so that she wouldn’t be swayed by human adversaries. At the same time, she still has to remain as collected as possible.

- Regarding Eren, you have previously said. “To Mikasa, Eren’s existence is like that of air.” Now that season 3 has begun its broadcast, who is Eren to Mikasa now? Do you have any new thoughts? Also, when working alongside Kaji Yuuki-san in the recording studio, what is his existence like to you?

Ishikawa: One could say that Eren’s existence is the reason Mikasa lives, like that of air that one cannot survive without. This point, whether it was in the past or the present, has not changed at all. I would rather say that for Mikasa, the Eren that gradually grows distant from her as he moves onward will motivate her even more intensely. The Kaji-san who portrays Eren, whether it’s his personality or looks are pretty identical to him (Laughs)! I often witness him basically abusing his vocal chords through screaming - in a way, it’s as if he’s rushing to his own death. He will also try his best to elevate the energy of the whole studio - he’s always concerned about everyone else!

- From the episodes that have already been broadcast, please let us know the Mikasa moments that have left the strongest impressions on you. How about moments featuring other characters?

Ishikawa: In terms of Mikasa, I have a deep impression of her conversation with Levi on top of the roof in episode 38. Even though she was inquiring about the condition of his leg, she still held regrets about her mistake back then. Thus, the production team instructed me to “Speak more bluntly” to him. In the end, I used longer pauses in my performance. I believe that she acknowledges Levi, but even so, she is unable to be frank towards him. Outside of Mikasa’s performance, the exchanges between Kenny and Levi at the beginning of episode 39 made me go, “So incredible…” Although this season doesn’t have Titan battles yet, the conversations between humans are quite interesting as well!

- In Episode 43, the shared trait of Mikasa, Levi, and Kenny all “having powers ‘awakening’ at some point in their lives” was revealed. From Ishikawa-san’s point of view, what are the appeals of Levi and Kenny, both of whom are very active this season?

Ishikawa: Levi is very handsome this season. If I say this Eren might get upset, but whenever I watch the anime broadcast I keep thinking “Attractive man!” (Laughs). Even though my impression of him is that of a cold neat freak, in reality he can draw you to follow him as a loyal comrade. Kenny in season 3 is someone who suddenly appears yet creates great disturbances in the story. Whenever I hear Yamaji-san’s voice, I recognize that his performance of Kenny is way more seasoned than what I imagined when I initially read the script. I feel like Kenny is a character with unbelievable appeal.

- Season 3’s story is constantly under pressure, with suspenseful moments all over. Could you please describe the atmosphere between seiyuu in studio, or any other stories that deserve to be shared?

Ishikawa: For me personally, I feel like there hasn’t been any changes. The responsibility of the main cast - what parts are important, what we need to do - we’ve been told and retold them many times already, so they’re unforgettable at this point. When we are in studio, it’s like a switch has been flipped automatically for us. One difference between season 3 and previous ones is that Eren (Kaji-san) does not appear in some episodes at all, and Mikasa sometimes has no lines…however, we’re always in good spirits even as we rest together. I feel like our teamwork has improved even more!

- Please let us know who you think should be characters we pay more attention to later in the story.

Ishikawa: The most deserving of attention is probably Historia. She disguised her true name and personality, and only revealed them for Ymir’s sake in season 2. This made me like her even more. In this season, we discover that her bloodline, the “Reiss family,” is actually the true lineage of the king. What is worth watching is how she will live on from here, as well as what she is determined to do. On the other hand, the 104th are also realizing the need to fight humans, and they all grow stronger as a result. There will also be new Titans. We’ll bear witness to a very different type of inner struggle from Eren. There are a lot of worthwhile moments to watch!

Interview with Seiyuu Mikami Shiori (Historia)

All translations by @suniuz & @fuku-shuu of @snknews​

(Please credit if used)



- In season 3, Historia is no longer living as “Survey Corps 104th squad’s soldier, Christa Lenz.” Rather, she inherits the royal bloodline’s important responsibilities as Historia Reiss. Mikami-san, after watching the anime, what is the appeal of this “resurrected” Historia?

Mikami: Initially, I treated Historia as someone who was merely cute and not much else, but as I understood more and more about how Historia became who she is today, I feel like she has come alive, and my love for her has grown so much. I can empathize with how she lives her life without much worldly wisdom - as Eren says, she has a “stupid integrity.” I feel like all those are her appeals.

- On the one hand, she has a rather tragic yet beautifully innocent childhood; On the other hand, she goes through a period of acting as “good girl Christa” during her cadet years; After that, she commits to being Historia, living on as her authentic self. The Historia whose emotions and stance shift as she is close to discovering the truth - tell us what parts of this Historia you have been especially attentive towards.

Mikami: As Historia rides this rollercoaster of a storyline, she is always caught in the momentum of it. Her own heart has been affected many times as a result, so she is doing her best to not be left behind (Laughs). I feel that for Historia, her circumstances are the reasons for her to live. Thus, once she finally finds familiar ground, she is no longer simply being taken for a ride. Her strong self-determination and resolute attitudes are what I have paid attention to.

- I heard that you implemented many different voice acting methods to perform the episode 40 scene where Historia explains her past. Not limited to episode 40, what part of your performances left the strongest impression on you or were the most demanding?

Mikami: For that scene in episode 40, I already felt impacted by it when I originally read the manga. When the day finally came for me to perform it, I infused some personal feelings into the role because of my own sympathy towards Historia. I also accepted the instruction [from the production team]. In the end, because Historia’s past was actually a rather “normal” experience to her, I felt especially pained.

- Please introduce the episodes 38-43 of season 3 to us. What are some unique impressions that Historia or other characters left on you, and why?

Mikami: For the episodes that have been broadcast up to this interview, what impacted me the most are still episode 40’s flashbacks. As a child, Historia was thrown aside by her mother, but she actually felt thrilled because that was the first time her mother even acknowledged her. I felt so saddened by this response. Other than Historia, probably Armin in episode 39. His personal torture for having killed a person also made me reflect what is truly “good” or “evil.”

- Season 3’s story is constantly under pressure, with suspenseful moments all over. Could you please describe the atmosphere between seiyuu in studio, or any other stories that deserve to be shared?

Mikami: Even though everyone is always very nervous during official recording, and the set is very high in energy, we are still very much in harmony during breaks. I really enjoy the extreme differences between the two. After recording we all rush to eat barbequed meat together, or have intense discussions about the original work (SnK). This is the atmosphere that can only result from people who have worked together for this long!

- In episode 44, which will be broadcast this week, the Reiss family secret is about to be unveiled. I’m guessing that this is a key episode in the first cour. Please let us know what you think will be important to watch?

Mikami: I feel like episode 44 is Historia’s turning point, and I hope everyone takes notice of how her old experiences as Christa have changed her. Even I was greatly impacted when I recorded those scenes. Please continue to enjoy this series!

[STILL TO COME: Translation of Nakatake Tetsuya’s Interview]