In this "Rookie Voice Actor Guide", we will introduce you to Yuma Uchida, a rookie voice actor who played the role of Yuma Takasaka in "Gundam Fighter TRY", so let's get closer to this highly anticipated rookie voice actor and hear his story!

――Is today's photography event going smoothly?

Yuma Uchida: How do you say that...... Today, the makeup artist helped me paint a great makeup, and I think I can go to the city and be complacent when I go back next time (laughs).

――Did you choose the clothes you wore today?

Yuma Uchida: I've been struggling with what to wear for the photo shoot since yesterday, but in the end, I decided that it was the most important thing to fit me, so I ended up wearing clothes that were not much different from my usual clothes (laughs). I'm not usually a fashion-conscious person...... When I was taking a photo of the studio, my sister said, "It's better to put on foundation at this time," and that's when I realized that makeup was important. (Note: Uchida's older sister, that is, Marei Uchida, who is also a voice actor)

――Why did you want to become a voice actor?

Yuma Uchida: I made it clear that I wanted to become a voice actor when I was in high school, but I became interested in acting when I was in the fifth or sixth grade of elementary school. At that time, I experienced the fun of acting at the school meeting. But when I watched the TV series later, I found out that the people who could be actors on TV were all tall and handsome guys, so when I was still a primary school student, I realized that "I must not be able to act", so I completely gave up acting for a while. Later, some time before the college entrance examination, I felt that I couldn't just go to a university aimlessly, I wanted to do what I loved! So, I showed my mother the introduction of the voice actor training center, and I said that I would work on my own to earn money and go to school, so my mother finally let me start studying acting in earnest.

――Are you interested in acting with your voice?

Yuma Uchida: I've loved anime and games since I was a child, and I often dreamed that I would be able to fight in games, after all, it's very cool, isn't it? As for when I learned about the voice actor profession, it was when I was a junior high school student and saw the voice actor singing program of "Sakura Wars", which I have always loved. At that time, I thought, "How can they become like them, they sing so well, they use their voices so well?" "Later, my sister started studying at the voice actor training center one step ahead of me, and after listening to her introduction, I realized that voice actor is actually an unstable career. At first, I felt a little like backing down, but then I realized that I was really envious of my sister for choosing the path she liked in life, and I wanted to challenge myself like her. That's how my vision of voice actor turned into my motivation to become a voice actor. In the end, this motivation overcame my fear of quitting, which is why I am here today.

――Do you remember your first job?

Yuma Uchida: Of course, I remember, it's an OVA work called "HolyKnight". When I went to the recording site, I found that there were many seniors who were active and shining on the scene. "This is the place I've always dreamed of, but am I qualified to stay here......?" I thought at the time, "laughs." My line is "Found it!" Despite such a simple sentence, my mind was very messy at the time, and I kept thinking that I must not make a mistake. So to be honest, I don't really remember what happened around me, I just remember standing in a corner of the studio and silently reciting the lines (laughs).

――In addition, you have appeared in many works, what kind of mindset did you use to play the role?

Yuma Uchida: I think there must be some kind of meaning to why this character appeared at this time, and why he said this line. I hope that I can give life to the characters in my work, follow the development of the script, not overemphasize myself, and live in the world as if I had become that character.

――What do you mean by "Interest: JacketPlay" in your bio?

Yuma Uchida: Actually, this refers to the singer Hiromi Go's signature move, which is a dance movement that shows off the clothes by swinging the shoulders through guò. But that's really the case...... When I was in high school, my teacher said that moving my shoulders would help my health, so I started doing shoulder exercises, and then I tried to imitate Hiromi Sato's signature moves, and I really liked them (laughs). However, in the end, it's just a shoulder exercise, and the reason why I wrote "JacketPlay" was because I was playful (laughs).

――Do you like Hiromi Go?

Yuma Uchida: Yes, he is physically strong, and he has been active on the stage as a singer for a long time, so he must have put in unimaginable efforts to achieve such a dazzling achievement. As an actor, I have to learn from him. Start working hard when you are young, and then don't forget to exercise yourself every day, even as you get older, you must continue to be a strict person with yourself.

――I've heard you say so much, and I think you're a person who wants others to be happy.

Uchida: Let's put it this way, I'm a person who likes to attract attention, I like to do interesting things in front of people to attract everyone's interest, and I like to see everyone's smiling faces. Especially when others see my performance and have a good time, I feel like I'm giving them a laugh and a sense that my life is worthwhile. It's strange to say that I'm a stranger, but I'm actually a person who is afraid of loneliness (laughs). Maybe it's because I want to provide laughter to others, but I also secretly hope that others will bring me laughter.

――You can see that you attach great importance to communication.

Uchida: I do think communication is very important. For example, when I had a good conversation with the voice actors and staff who co-performed at the recording site, I was able to understand what kind of interpretation I should give, and whether I could play freely.

――What kind of voice actor do you want to be in the future?

Yuma Uchida: All in all, I want to play more roles. First of all, I wanted to try to play a role that could be played for a long time. I like to express myself, but sometimes it backfires when acting. How do you balance the balance between yourself and your faithful characters? Whether it's simple or complex, I still haven't figured out the answer to this question. But it makes me very happy. It takes a lot of energy to think about it, but it also allows me to release my heart the most, and that's probably the joy of acting.

-- It's been a trial and error journey

Yuma Uchida: It's nothing, and the seniors must have spent a hundred or even two hundred times more energy thinking about this issue than me, so my little bit of entanglement is nothing at all. Now, every time I play a role, I wonder what I can leave behind for this recording scene. I think that only by giving full play to it can I take a difficult step forward.

――Finally, would you like to say a word or two to the readers who are reading this interview?

Yuma Uchida: I'm not mature enough yet, but I want my role to be three-dimensional, and it would be a great honor for me to make you feel the charm of the role! Please continue to support me in the future!

――Thank you for this interview!