Every year, a large number of newcomers emerge in the Japanese voice actor industry, and for this reason, the Japanese media specially produced a program called "New Voice Actor Illustrated Guide". The show interviews and reports on some of the most promising rookie voice actors, to understand the behind-the-scenes stories of their entry into the industry, and their prospects for the future. In this issue of the "Rookie Voice Actor Guide", we will introduce Yurika Endo, who has performed well in works such as "Z/XIGNITION" (Mikage Lana), "Sakura Trick" (Sakai Rina Service), and "Shukai Witch Lulu Moe" (Whale Well Tanai).

Q: Ms. Endo debuted as a voice actor group in the spring of last year (2013).

Endo: Yes. TSUGUÒ PARTICIPATED IN THE "2ND PORI KANE VOICE YUMI AUDITION" EVENT, AND I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MY DEBUT BY FORMING "YURI*KARI" WITH KAHASHI, HANABAYASHI-CHAN, WHO WON THE FIRST EDITION.

Q: What did you go through before the group was formed?

Endo: At the audition, I was called to what looked like a conference room, and Hanayashi-chan was sitting there. At that time, the person in charge said to me, "You are also the winner of this time, so you two can form a group and sing." "Those who won this event were able to make their debut through the ending song of "The Sin Scissors of Judgment and Separation". But I don't really feel the truth about it. At that time, it was the first time to experience photography interviews and singing songs. And Hua Lin sauce is the same as me, we are still the same year, so I feel helped. Because of the storage of Hualin sauce, my tension and stress have been halved, and I can still share happiness together. I'm happy to be able to do an event with two people.

Q: AFTER THAT, YOU STARTED YOUR VOICE ACTOR ACTIVITY AND PLAYED THE LEAD ROLE IN "Z/XIGNITION", WHICH AIRED IN JANUARY THIS YEAR. So what kind of character is Mikage Lana-chan?

Endo: She's a high school student about my age, and she's very pure and charming. ALTHOUGH Z/XIGNITION IS A BATTLE SERIES, RANA-CHAN DID NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE BATTLE. She's an ordinary girl, but what's interesting is that she's closely connected to the main storyline. She had always hated monsters, and she wasn't a powerful person, so she had to keep this hatred in her heart. However, Tong Guò met a powerful girl, and she also showed some weaknesses...... Speaking of which, she likes one of the protagonists very much, Asuka, and even takes a photo secretly and then uses a smart phone to zoom in on it. That's how positive it is (laughs). In the story, I think she is a character who can directly convey people's feelings.

Q: Did you encounter any difficulties when you first played the leading role?

Endo: Lana-chan has a lot of shouting lines, and I really find it difficult to do that. And most of them shout out of extreme fear, and they rarely shout "ah" in daily life (laughs). While dubbing the me-centered plot, I stood alone in front of the microphone under the gaze of many seniors...... It was a great experience, and I thought to myself, "Lanna-chan is working hard (laughs)", and I tried my best.

Q: So what is the character of Rina Sakai in "Sakura Trick"?

Endo: She is the vice president of the student council, and she is very serious and down-to-earth. And even though they're all girls, she has a good impression of Mitsuki-chan, the student council, and she will become timid in front of Mitsuki-chan. This very girly side is very cute. I think in my heart, Rina-chan is like the wives of those old men in ancient times, smiling and looking at their husbands (laughs). But although she often smiles, there are some things in her heart that people can't see...... I brought this question up in a chat with Ms. Saki Fujita, who voiced Mitsuki-chan. Then I suddenly thought, "Ah~ Indeed." "So maybe it's a character that gets more interesting the more you dig in. Although she doesn't appear a lot in the anime, it's also because she appeared as a college student in the original work.

Q: If only there was a side story!

Endo: I'd like to see it too! (laughs)

Q: Previously, Ms. Endo also starred in the game "Red Strike Team", which was released in April, and I would like to ask you some questions about this. What kind of role did you play in it?

A: I'm playing a shrine maiden named Takime TEI. This character fits perfectly with the needs of the shrine maiden (laughs). And she is also a girl with glasses, and her figure is very outstanding. She is very gentle with anyone, and she is extremely ethereal when fighting. Since it's a game, I don't have a lot of opportunities to make a sound, but I try to pronounce the names of those skills so that I feel like I'm voicing a character that's "not real" like an anime.

Q: The game's ending song, "Dusk Juvenile", was released on June 4 this year as an original soundtrack CD. So what kind of style of music is this?

Endo: In February of this year, I sang my debut song "モノクロームオーバードライブ", and I sang it with a voice that matched my character's identity. "Dusk Juvenile" is a challenge to use one's own voice and singing skills to give the work charm. The singing voice is very simple, and the other two choruses are also very enjoyable. The lyrics were written by director Imai Akiyoshi himself, so they are very gentle with the world view of the work. The style of the harmonica brings us a kind of fluttering melancholy of dusk. It will be more interesting to find the part of the world view of the work through guò. And I hope that when players listen to songs, they can think of their favorite plots in their minds.

Q: Speaking of which, Ms. Endo has always been a big fan of anime. So what was the trigger for you to start watching anime?

Endo: I've always loved reading books and picture books since I was a child. Picture books, in particular, give an impression of animation when you look at them. When I was in kindergarten, I belonged to the generation that watched "Little Witch DoReMi" and "Crayon Kingdom". I also watched the replay of "Variety Sakura Magic Card". When I entered elementary school, I started to love manga. In an alternate world, characters fight in unimaginable places, using a variety of abilities and magic. This non-everyday worldview is the object of my longing. I've also watched a lot of works.

Q: As an entertainer, did you make the most of your experience in a high school band?

Endo: High school was also a time of happiness for my life. I'm afraid that the era when I got the most in my life was also high school, right?

Q: And now, how do you use what you've learned?

Endo: I wasn't very good at talking to people and being friends with strangers. And Tong Guò joined the band, so that I can have the job of performing in front of others. Maybe people who knew each other before will be shocked: "Lie to people! "When I was in elementary school and junior high school, I was not good at a lot of things, and then I didn't know how to get along with people. Although I was chatting with other people at school, no one called me to go out and play, and I was ACG at home. And it was because of high school that I felt that I was the person I am today. I made lifelong friends in high school, and this is not the route I met in the game. I can say that high school was a fork in my life.

Q: It's great to be able to make good friends for life!

Endo: I started to become interested in anime songs because I was surrounded by friends who liked anime. I've been in a few bands, and one of them is an orchestra that aims to imitate animated songs. Talk to the girls about the anime and discuss which plots are great and which songs are good. It was a source of pure joy for me. That's why I'm interested in anime. If it weren't for that period, I don't have the opportunity to do this interview now.

Q: Very profound...... Great story. Speaking of which, you've been obsessed with animation since you were a student, so will you imitate the abilities of some of your favorite characters and have the phenomenon of secondary illness......?

Endo: I really like Fullmetal Alchemist, and I really want to learn alchemy, so I envy the characters in this work. I also dreamed that I was using alchemy (laughs).

Q: Oh!

Endo: Because I like music, and the style of the theme songs of some of my works is very close to my own junior high school view (laughs), I fall asleep listening to those songs. Seriously, if I listen to these songs, I dream of using alchemy (laughs)! In addition, listening to the theme song and ending song is also an interest in itself. And after listening to Graffitti's "Melissa", I met Edward in a dream (laughs)! Also, of course, it may have been my own passion, but I listened to a lot of EMINEM songs at that time, and one of them was "Mockingbird". It's a very dark piece that I think I can find in it what the Edwards brothers have in common with their father.

Q: Is it lyrics?

Endo: That's right. When I listen to music, I always listen to the lyrics. This is probably a similar interest as reading. And when I listen to this song, I think that my dreams at night are related to Fullmetal Alchemist (laughs)...... What a nostalgic topic! But that's what happened now. I thought about dreaming of a handsome battle, and then I would sleep listening to music (laughs). Good, so embarrassing...... (laughs)

Q: Are there any characters in anime that appeal to you?

Endo: I love gender-neutral characters with a beautiful boy style! Hair should be voluminous, white or silver hair is good, and of course black hair should not be abandoned...... No, it's better to have gray hair. Also, I want my hair to be shoulder-length. As long as the above conditions are met, then I basically like it (laughs). There are many types of personalities. Mature characters are attractive, but I also like cute ones. Characters like the Snow Rabbit in "Sakura Magic Cards" are good, but of course, on the other hand, some bad-hearted characters are also my cup of tea.

Q: Do you also buy merchandise?

Endo:I bought it when I was a student! Now because there is no place to put it, there are fewer purchases. I'll go and smoke "Ichiban KUJI" and I'll go shopping on animate. In addition, Akihabara is Ikebukuro. On the way home from school, I would go to the animate in Shibuya.

Q: When I was interviewed by us this time, I felt that Miss Endo has a very cheerful personality and is very fashionable. Did you choose the outfit yourself?

Endo: I finally took a photo, so I chose to dress up like a spring breeze. Of course, I prefer dresses differently than I do now. Because the dress is "comfortable and cute" (laughs). When I appear as a voice actor, I like cute style, and when I act as a singer, I like cool rock. In the latter case, I tend to choose black, handsome-looking outfits. In my mind, I think that voice actors and singers are often perfectly matched, but they can be distinguished by guò costumes.

Q: What do you do during the holidays?

Endo: Nest at home (laughs)! Play games. I'm still a fan of online games, and I'm currently immersed in the world of Red Sputter.

Q: What if you listen to "Juvenile at Dusk" before going to bed...... It seems like you can have sweet dreams!

Endo: I hope to have a dream of becoming a member of the Ghost Strike Team and fighting! By all means (laughs).

Q: Even if a ghost appears in your dream, don't you feel scary?

Endo: The ghosts that appear in this game are not scary ghosts, but are drawn in a style that is close to that of a monster. It can also be seen as an adventure game, so don't worry about the scary ghosts and enjoy it!

Q: Other than that, have you played any games lately?

Endo: I used to be a fan of the "Reversal of the Judges" series, and recently I bought a collection of 1~3 generations. Hope to be able to play again when I have time. It took me about 6 weeks to play these games! In "Reversal of Judgment", it is necessary to present evidence one by one in the trial process, and then find out the contradictions. And find the right moment to shout "Wait a minute!" "Then let the opponent show his flaws. And if the timing is not right and shouting, there will be some interesting NETA. The first time I played, I went on a serious offensive in order to catch up with the plot, and I started looking for easter eggs in the second week. And there are some fixed NETAs, such as "Ladder NETA". My favorite, Gate of the Stone of Destiny, has something like that, so it's fun to play no matter how many times you play. However, I want to play various games, but I don't have ...... time (laughs)

Q: If I play a lot of games at the same time, do I have to clear all of them?

Endo: I'm going to play hard until the end. It's just an RPG game, and it's hard to play until the end. As with adventure games, I want to see the story unfold quickly. RPGs, on the other hand, require a lot of effort to level up.

Q: So, tell us about your future career as a voice actor and singer.

Endo: I'm just starting out as a voice actor, so I'm trying to get fans of the original work to say, "This character is voiced by Yuri-chan Endo." I still have a lot to learn, but I want to show my personality as much as possible! As a voice actor, I mostly play cute characters at the moment, but as a singer, I like cool music. So when I was dubbing, I also wanted to work hard to make people feel like I was up to the cool characters. I admire Maaya Sakamoto for maintaining a good balance between her musical activities and her voice actor work, and I want to work hard to be a source of happiness for everyone, as she did. Thank you for your advice!

Q: Thank you for your time today!