高塚智人

With a gentle voice, Tomohito Takatsuka said with a smile, “I love both 2D and fashion.” He says that in 2015, he met the role of Minori Watanabe in “The Idolmaster SideM” (hereafter “SideM”), and his life as a voice actor began. His appearance somehow overlapped with the role, and I felt warm even here. The driving force is “because I love you” – bonds with voice actors of the same age.

What made you decide to become a voice actor? Takatsuka: I have always loved games and anime since I was little. When I was in high school, when I was singing at karaoke, imitating the voices of voice actors, one of my friends said to me, “You have a good voice, so why not try becoming a voice actor?” That was the moment when my sense of values towards anime changed from “I like to watch it” to “I want to be the creator.” From that moment on, I thought, “I’m definitely going to become a voice actor!” I made a strong decision and immediately requested materials from various vocational schools. I think that there is a lot of momentum in what you like and what you are interested in (laughs). So, I set the hurdle too high for myself… “

fter graduating from a vocational school, it’s common for people to take a course, enter a training school, and aim for their debut. Takatsuka:  That’s right. But I wanted to pass the training school at a level where I would be exempted from the tuition fee. I had been attending a vocational school since high school, so I wanted to save money as much as possible… But before I graduated, I was invited to an audition by each agency, and I didn’t get a very good offer. At that time, I was contacted by my current office and passed the exam as an affiliate. Now that I think about it, the reason I raised the hurdle so high was because I was ignorant. I am very grateful that you called out to me like that. And in 2015, I got the roles of Minori Watanabe in “SideM”.  Since I joined the agency, I’ve taken various tape auditions where I can send voices, but I couldn’t go as far as the studio audition. “I definitely want to pass!” I had that feeling, so before the audition, I practised a lot, getting objective opinions from my seniors and manages who received the same work as me, and referring to them. As a result, I was able to proceed to the studio audition for the first time. When I got the call that I passed, I cried. I thought, “I can finally stand on the starting line as a voice actor!” There was a lot of pressure, but I was happier and felt that I could do my best as a voice actor. When I reported it to my senior at the office, he said, “I’m sure your life will change greatly from here. Make various preparations.”

There are many voice actors of the same generation. Takatsuka: All the voice actors are on good terms, and we have a relationship where we can go out to eat with anyone. Toshinari Fukamachi and Daiki Kobayashi, I have the opportunity to co-star in other works, so we’re particularly close. I always keep in touch with them, and I often play online games with Fukamachi-san, who wants to invite Shun to a movie that interests him.

What kind of existence do you have for him, who is your peer as a voice actor? Takatsuka: For me, it’s like an asset. Although there are some differences, we are all of the same generation, and the starting line is similar. Along with the feeling of congratulations, I also feel frustrated that I can’t lose myself.  I feel like I’m tightening myself up.

With a gentle voice as a weapon, I can be proud of myself as a voice actor – turning from the role of Minori, in the TV anime “Stand My Heroes Piece of Truth”, he will play the role of Sōsei Arakida, a tough detective. It was performed enthusiastically. I have the impression that you have played a wide range of roles in other works, but is there anything you are conscious of when playing? Takatsuka: Even though I play a variety of roles, what they all have in common is that they have a very kind heart. I have a lot of things to say. Regarding the role of Arakida, the staff said, “There is kindness in his bluntness, and it suits Takatsuka-san. I think it would be nice if I could use it as a strength.

Takatsuka, who has appeared in many romance works, could you tell me what type of woman you like? Takatsuka: It is divided into 2D and 3D (laughs). In 2D, it’s a tsundere character of a young lady type. In 3D, a homely person would be nice. This overlaps with my preferences in 2D, and if there’s a gentle older sister type who can wrap me up in a game, I’ll definitely capture that person (laughs).

What are you passionate about right now? Takatsuka: It’s been my favourite survival game for a long time, but I haven’t been able to do it recently… Right now, I’m most passionate about collecting figures. I’m not of the Kinnikuman generation, but I really like my brother’s friend. It was a work that was close to me for a long time. New works are still being released. However, the manga has a lot of volumes, so I couldn’t get my hands on it. But recently, when I started reading e-books, the “likes” that I had built up exploded, and I even got into figurines (laughs). I’ve liked dressing up since I was little. My father works at a women’s clothing store, and my older brother works at a fashion company. I always check clothes online.

Lastly, please tell us about your future goals. Takatsuka: As a voice actor, I want to play the leading role in an anime. I want to be in this industry for a long time, and I want to become a person who people think, “Takatsuka is good for this kind of role.” My goal in life is to live happily ever after. But I think there will be hard things and walls, but no matter what you do, don’t forget to enjoy yourself and keep growing like this!”

The power to act on what you like, the heart to enjoy at any time, and the voice that hides “kindness”. With these as weapons, Takatsuka will continue to challenge new roles.