堀江 瞬

Voice actor Shun Horie, also known as Horiel. His serialization in this magazine’s popular corner “Horiel, Cinemaru” was also very well received, and in just five years since his debut he has played a wide range of characters and made his debut as a voice actor artist. And his unique word choice and character are loved not only by many viewers but also by those involved. In issue of Seiyuu MEN, we will thoroughly dissect the secret that he is loved by many people on the cover and the opening feature, and 100 questions that touch the real face, approaching Horiel’s charm.

Debuted as a voice actor in 2015 and experienced the main cast the following year. In 2017, in addition to his first starring role in a TV anime, he started working as a member of a music unit. Looking at Shun Horie’s career, all of them are brilliant, and the words “smooth sailing” suits him. However, when I interviewed him, I found that he was surprisingly cautious, humble, and harboured an unbearable amount of anxiety. And more than that, I felt the strength and tenacity of his enthusiasm for his voice work. In this long interview, we look back on the past two years and the anime he appeared in.

Since this is a long interview, I would like to ask about Horie-san’s life before his debut. Horie-san was born in Osaka Prefecture. What kind of child were you? Horie: When I’m cleaning at my parents’ house, I often find myself looking at old photos and not making progress, but each time I think about how my face was like that of an angel until I was about four years old (laughs). If I had grown up like that, I would have been very popular in the future, and I thought I would be popular in the future. It seems there were times when I suddenly starting singing “Etcetra” and “Anpanman Taisou” and asked for their impressions. My mother told me while saying, “You were cute back then.”  But I don’t remember it at all.

Since this is a long interview, I would like to ask about Horie-san’s life before his debut. Horie-san was born in Osaka Prefecture. What kind of child were you? Horie: When I’m cleaning at my parents’ house, I often find myself looking at old photos and not making progress, but each time I think about how my face was like that of an angel until I was about four years old (laughs). If I had grown up like that, I would have been very popular in the future, and I thought I would be popular in the future. It seems there were times when I suddenly starting singing “Etcetra” and “Anpanman Taisou” and asked for their impressions. My mother told me while saying, “You were cute back then.”  But I don’t remember it at all.

It seems that you cried on the first day of entering the kindergarten, but you were so charming that you performed songs to people you didn’t know. Horie: According to my mother, I was basically a cheerful child. Even after I entered elementary school, I was a cheerful child who had many friends. My first transfer was when I was in the 5^th grade of elementary school, and although I was only there for a year, I was suddenly placed in a new environment, and my classmates and I changed. A year passed with me being unable to figure out how to keep my distance from others and how to make friends. It was a time when a lot of things happened at home, so now I think I’ve become more withdrawn.

Did you transfer to a new school in Osaka Prefecture for the first time? Horie: Yes. I moved from Osaka to Ehime when I transferred to my second school.

Do you keep in touch with the friends from the school you went to until fourth grade? Horie: No, absolutely not. There is no one, although we were good friends. Yes, but when I was looking at the impressions of a certain work on Twitter, and I found the account of my classmate.

We were talking about the existence called “Shun Horie”. Horie: He also watched the anime I appeared in (laughs).

Then, what is your hometown, Horie-san? Horie: I lived in Ehime from 6^th grade to 3^rd year high school, but I didn’t make many friends. I had a classmate who I ate with because I didn’t want to be seen as someone who ate meals alone. I don’t think I have any faint happy memories of Osaka or Ehime.

That’s the difficult part. Horie: Besides, it is well known in my hometown that I’m a voice actor. Sometimes, when I go home and go to the local supermarket, an old lady I don’t know will say to me, “You seem to be doing your best!” It doesn’t matter what I’m doing, but what’s going on in the countryside is immediately known. I felt like I was going to be pissed off, so I hid (laughs).

Maybe it’s stuffier than Tokyo? Horie: Maybe (laughs). I don’t really feel like I’ve decorated Nishiki in my hometown. Even looking back now, I don’t think I was leading a proper student life.

After graduating from high school, you moved to Tokyo to attend university. Horie: That’s right. Actually, I came to Tokyo with the intention of going to university. When I was a high school student, when I confessed to my parents that I wanted to become a voice actor, they were against it. “There’s no way I could be your homeroom teacher, so don’t do it.” So, for the time being, I pretended to understand, studied properly at university, pretended to get a job, and left my hometown. I was actually going to college, but I was saving money to go to a voice actor training school. I paid for my tuition, living expenses, and training school expenses through my part-time job, and started attending the training school at my current office in the fall of my second year of university. I didn’t tell my parents.

The tuition and living expenses alone seem like a lot, but what about the cost of the training school? Horie: It was certainly very difficult, but I managed to pay for my university tuition through a scholarship. Also, even though I moved to Tokyo, the first place I lived in was Saitama, and the rent was not as expensive as Tokyo. I lived in an apartment that cost about 23,000 yen.

Why was it a training school instead of a vocational school? Horie: I wanted to get a job as soon as possible, so I went to a training school directly connected to the office. However, I don’t think it means that it’s not that difficult. Pro-Fit is good at anime, and the cost of the training school was cheap, so I chose it because I thought it was the best. I knew that vocational school was an option, but I learned that many vocational school graduates would go on to training schools from there, and I thought I didn’t have the time or money to do so, so I decided to enrol in a training school from the beginning.

What classes did you take at the training school? Horie: From my knowledge of devoicing, voicing, and nasal dullness, I learned the basics of microphone work, pronunciation of lines, and emotional expressions. There was a part that I couldn’t digest because I wondered if it would change, but recently, I’ve been thinking more and more about what I was taught at the training school back then. For example, I’ve finally become able to discern what the speaker wants to convey the most, and to think about the meaning of the lines. I want to take classes at the training school.

It must have been an unfinished class as far as you remember. Horie: Yes.

Please tell us about your first job. Horie: “Anime Mira” (young animator development project). I participated in a work called “Ongaku Shoujo” for the first time as a male student. The line is “I don’t understand well, but it’s dangerous.”

Were you nervous during your first post-recording job? Horie: I was! I don’t remember how I made it at the site, but I couldn’t make use of what I learned at the training school. In the end, I didn’t know how to use it. Now I finally understand I’m just starting to do it.

That’s how it is at first. Horie: Reflection because I just get nervous. I didn’t understand what they were saying, and I didn’t know how to tell them I didn’t understand. Souma Saitou-san was also there, but I met him again two or three months later at a different site. I was surprised when he told me that we met at “Ongaku Shoujo”. Even though he was extremely popular back then, I was impressed that he remembered this stranger in the middle of nowhere. I want to become a person who can remember the next time I meet someone who has worked hard.

Was the first work that come out to the world also “Ongaku Shoujo?” Horie: The first thing that came out was the “Idolmaster SideM CD. It was also the first time I passed an audition. “Idolmaster SideM St@rting Line 1 Beit” was released on the same day, I told my mother for the first time that I had attended a voice actor training school and that I had become a voice actor. It’s like, “Actually, I do this kind of work.”

What did you mother say? Horie: She said, “Congratulations.” Even if I was told to get a job, she said, “Since this is what happened, I’m going to let you go this way.”

It was good in the end. Horie: Yes, it’s a frivolous way of saying it. However, sometimes in interviews, I am humbled and say, “I am grateful to my parents for being a voice actor,” but it is difficult to answer. Well, I don’t know about everyone else, but in my case, if they hadn’t objected and given me financial support, I might have been spoiled. Now I thank my parents. Then, “Thank you for not spoiling me.”

From here, I would like to look back on Horie-san’s major appearances. Do you remember the first recording of “Idolmaster SideM” announced in 2015? Horie: I remember thinking, “I did the drama part for the CD, which was the reason I confessed to my parents, and the voice recording for the app at the same time. Or rather, that’s the only memory I have. I stayed with a voice actor of the same generation who I’m on good terms with for the post-recording of the drama CD, but at the time it was the first time we met, so we didn’t talk about anything. “Ah… then, I’ll excuse myself here,” and left the studio.

Is the drama part alone? Horie: No, we all did it.

Then, do you think you could have negotiated with everyone, and it wasn’t easy to do? Horie: That’s because it’s only recently that I’ve come to understand the real thrill of dialogue and the good things that come out of it. Also, by receiving someone’s words and passing on your own words is what makes a play. In addition, I was too bad at the time. If you can interact in front of the microphone, you will be pulled by the other person’s play and your own play will naturally improve, but at that time I was so bad that I could not create such a synergy. Of course, I was serious about everything, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t do it anymore. It wasn’t limited to the recording of “Idolmaster SideM”, but I couldn’t do anything during this period. I didn’t have a sense of accomplishment since I started voice acting. It’s still the case now, but at the time it was particularly difficult.

Under such circumstances, what was your impression of Beit cast members Yuichirou Umehara-san and Tomohito Takatsuka at the time? Horie: I knew who Umehara-san was as soon as I saw his name and face! He has active since then, and I thought he was an ikemen. I remember going home with Takatsuka-san on the train for the first time as voice actors. “Thank you from now on.”

Under such circumstances, what was your impression of Beit cast members Yuichirou Umehara-san and Tomohito Takatsuka at the time? Horie: I knew who Umehara-san was as soon as I saw his name and face! He has active since then, and I thought he was an ikemen. I remember going home with Takatsuka-san on the train for the first time as voice actors. “Thank you from now on.”

You have a wide range of activities, including live performances, apps, and anime. Horie: Yes, because it’s not easy to face one character for such a long time.

It’s different from a one-cour anime. Horie: I play the same role all the time. But those who understand it will understand it. Even if it’s simply to maintain the voice, the way of pronouncing has changed, and the same pronunciation method at that time. That’s the difficult part.

It’s not limited to “The Idolmaster SideM”, every additional recording and dubbing of the sequel makes my heart skip a beat. Horie: Yes. I have a strong feeling that we have been walking together for a long time. In addition, Pierre gave me many encounters. If it wasn’t for “The Idolmaster SideM”, I definitely wouldn’t be here, so yeah, I’m glad I met you.

In 2017, you played the role of Satoryu Koshiyama in “Nanamaru Sanbatsu”, for the first time in an anime. Did you feel the pressure of being the lead? Horie: I really felt it. I was really happy when I found out that I had passed “The Idolmaster SideM”, but at this time, rather than being happy, I was more worried about whether I could do it or not. It was further ahead that I felt happy. I was filled with anxiety whether there was a chance that the post-recording would not start, or that the broadcast would not start.

Then, the moment when you felt a sense of accomplishment in the dubbing of the same work. Horie: I felt like I was reflecting all the time, but in this work, I had a rivalry with Kaito Ishikawa-san (who plays Chitomo Mikuya), so I had a lot of conversations. A few days after the recording, I was very happy to hear that they had grown up properly.

It’s a wonderful memory. Horie: I haven’t worked with Ishikawa-san much since “Nanamaru Sanbatsu”, but recently we have had more opportunities to work together. There are many things that can be recorded by people, and it’s a lot of fun. I thought to myself as we talked about it. It wasn’t just that we became good friends, but something like a soul connection sprang up, and I became even more fond of Ishikada-san. I hope that Ishikawa-san will also be able to see my growth up close.

Shiki had a lot of monologues. Horie: At the time, I thought that was the norm, but looking back, I realize that there were a lot of them. “12-sai.: Chicchana Mune no Tokimeki” and “Nanamaru Sanbatsu” are directed by the same person, and “Nanamaru Sanbatsu” and “Rent-A-Girlfriend” are produced by the same person. It is a work that has connected us for a long time.

I would also like to hear about “Juni Taisen”, which aired in the same year as Nanamaru Sanbatsu.” Horie: Certainly, I was often told, “I didn’t think you were Horie-san.” Also, the number of people who came to know about me increased because of this work, and I felt that “Juni Taisen” was also a work that connected us. I really liked “Ishin-sensei’s work, so I was very happy to be involved with it.

The last line, “Please let me forget my wish,” was wonderful. It’s an impressive scene that reminds me of “Juni Taisen.” Horie: At the time, I was very happy to play all the time, I had never met any of them before, so I was able to enjoy myself and feel a sense of accomplishment.

What was difficult about playing Nezumi? Horie: The point is to always endure drowsiness while speaking. Since the element is added, I was very worried about how to express the emotion. Because he gets sleepy every tie. Even if things happen, it’s almost impossible to say, “I’m always sleepy because of my abilities.” How can I be surprised and must fight in that state? (laughs)

It looks like he can be trained. Horie: The role of Linhardt I played in Fire Emblem: Three Houses, which was released last year, was a character who constantly struggled with drowsiness. I feel that the experience of living and sleeping has been useful. When I saw the comment, “When I hear Linhardt’s voice, I can’t help but yawn,” I couldn’t help but smile (laughs). I was happy.

In 2018, you starred as Satou in “Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku”. Horie: This was also a difficult role. The original is a light novel. The protagonist of a light novel talks a lot. It speaks like the final episode of “Nanamaru Sanbatsu” and “Juni Taisen”, which had a lot of monologues. Moreover, there were many lines that explained the current situation, so I felt the difficulty of having to make them work as lines, even though they were in an explanatory tone. Also, you can play the roles of adults and children.

Yes, speaking of Satou in “Death March”, you had to use two-year old and fifteen-year-old voices differently. Horie: Only when it became physically impossible to record at the same time because the voices overlap, we recorded separately, and other than that, we basically recorded 20-year-olds and 15-year-olds all at once. It was demon-like scene (laughs).

Even though there are already a lot of lines, if you say it so far, you must instantly judge that the next age is 20 and have to say it out loud. I think that this is close to impossible from the point of view of an amateur. Horie: I also thought it would be close to impossible (laughs). When I put marks in the script, I changed the colour of the 2-year-old’s lines and the 15-year-old’s lines with different highlighter pens to make them visually easier to understand. I thought it would be impossible if I didn’t do that.

It must have used plenty of concentration. Horie: Although I was communicating with everyone on site, I had less time than usual. The direction, for example, there were quite a few times when I was asked to give reaction lines that would never have been said in real life, such as saying, “Gabbi” in a scene where my leg was being pulled. Also, Ikuhara-san was someone who cherished the key. So far, I’ve only received direction from Ikuhara-san, so I thought it was genuinely interesting. Ikuhara-san is handsome, isn’t he? I’m afraid of handsome guys, so I was nervous about what kind of person he would be, but when I actually met him, he was a very friendly person, and yet he was an innocent person who didn’t forget the excitement of his childhood. It’s one of my favourite memories.

It seems that being able to receive Ikuhara-san’s direction will lead to confidence. Horie: Yes, during the recording of “Sarazanmai”, I once felt like I wasn’t speaking my lines even though I was. Yuki Kaji-san received my words. It was a scene where I felt a sense of accomplishment and real feeling that I was able to properly exchange words, such as “Maybe I was able to receive the worlds of Ayumu Murase-san)”. I feel like I changed more and more as the work progressed.

All things considered. Horie: It’s like saying, “Since the space of this scene is about this size, the volume of the voice should be at this level so that it can reach you.” Since I was given the opportunity to do this, I began to think about what it means to give and receive words. I thought it might be the time when I had to find out what I didn’t know. Perhaps it was precisely because I was able to do that that I felt a sense of accomplishment. Every work in which I appear is the roots of my current self, and it a turning point.

Kazuki and Kuji, the fact that most of the conversations were between the three of them must have been a big part of it. Horie: Yes, Murase-san and Uchiyama-san made me Enta. And in 2020, I appeared as Nato in “Shachou, batoru no jikandesu!” I had a lot of fun with Shachibato. I think I captured the atmosphere of the work the best I’ve ever seen on set.

Is there anything that you were conscious of how you behaved at the scene? Horie: I try to think about how I should behave as chairman, but I can’t (bitter smile). I want to create a good atmosphere, not just for Shachibato, so I communicate with everyone as much as possible. Besides, I don’t think that just because I’m on good terms with someone, my acting will get better. I don’t think it should be difficult to communicate with each other. It’s like I separate the relationship between the cast members from the acting. However, regarding Shachibato, even if I hadn’t thought about it, we were on good terms, and I think it was a place where a good play could be produced.

What was it like playing Minato? Horie: The sound director Takumi Ito-san is someone who sees things from the perspective of the actors. Please take care of your feelings and sense of distance. He was the type of sound director I had never met before.

Then, next is “Akudama Drive.” It’s currently airing and since it’s an original anime, I can’t go into too much detail, but the hacker played by Horie-san has his own quirks, just like the other main characters in this work. Horie: From the beginning of the direction, I was told I had chuunibyou. I felt like I was acting like an adult.

Among the characters Horie-san has played, he falls into a relatively rare category. The hateful type. Horie: It’s an app, but I don’t think it’s much of an anime. To put it bluntly, I made it a little lower.

In the first place, how do you create your own voice? I think the direction is also big. Horie: It’s difficult to explain… I’ve said many things, but actually I don’t think much about it. There are many ways to do it, such as raising it up or leaving a little space between it. So, this voice from the beginning, if you decide, “Let’s go!”, it becomes difficult to respond to directions. “Death March”, which requires a clear division of roles, and non-human roles are different though.

I see. Then, next spring, “Dragon, Ie wo Kau”. Horie: This is a pattern that changed the typical voice (laughs). It’s not human (laughs).

Horie-san is a dragon whose name is Letty. Horie: This type of dragon is the correct answer no matter who you call it, I’m sure. Even a very low voice is correct, and vice versa. Under such circumstances, I was afraid to put out my own Letty, but I was able to do it as hard as I could. One of the works that Kaito-san and I are recording together is this anime, but at the same time we’re also working on other works, so I feel that we were able to properly communicate.

It’s been a while until the broadcast, but I’m looking forward to it. Horie: I always hold my head high 100% and say, “Please take a look.” I can’t say, I put all my effort into post-recording every time. However, I wondered if they would accept me. It just swelled up.

Ultimately, how will the viewers receive it? Horie: I’m 100% proud of this work, and I want you to see it soon, please.

Even just looking back at the main works, there’s really a variety from Horie-san, who meets anime and characters. I’d love to hear how you’ve grown through it all. Horie: It’s only in the last year or two that I’ve come to understand what acting is all about. Moreover, I feel that I may have finally understood 100%. Even when I’m working on a movie where I’m starring, I go into the booth and sit in the seat closest to the door. When the mixer saw it, he said, “No, you’re the main character, so go straight to the centre!” Come to think of it, there was such an exchange yesterday. As soon as I entered the booth, I was told, “You are here!” and sat in the middle (laughs).

It’s really an ongoing story (laughs). Newcomers usually sit near the door, so if Horie-san sits near the door, the newcomers will be in trouble. Horie: That’s really true! It’s not good. It’s not about humility, it’s just not good. But I’ve become able to relax, you know.

You used to be more nervous. Horie: When I wonder if I can do this role, or if the thread between us will be cut here, I get nervous and scared. Even now, people who look at my Twitter tell me, “You look like you’re enjoying your life!”

Because you like acting and are afraid to face it and are worried about it. Horie: Yes, I love acting. I think it would be nice if it could be, and I think it might even be better to destroy it. I feel like I’m in a tunnel.

Will it change when you leave? Horie: I hope so. I can’t see my vision. It’s too dark to say what I should do if I continue to stay in the tunnel like this (laughs). I don’t want anyone to help me, so I want to fight by myself. There’s also the problem that I’m not suited for fighting.

However, one thing that can be said about Horie-san’s life is that he’s never been submerged in lukewarm water. Horie: Yes, I have that.

It seems that there are some people who get cut off at some point, but that doesn’t seem to be the case with Horie-san. Horie: Maybe it just happened that I couldn’t cut it. Maybe it’s because of my original personality. I grew up in a dull environment, so I didn’t see everything negatively and thought, “Them what should I do to avoid the worst?” I have a habit of coming up with “I’m here.”

I see. That’s how you built a solid foundation. Horie: I think I see things riskier than others. I think it’s good that it’s so dark.

Then, is your motivation as a voice actor also because you love acting? Horie: That’s part of it, but it’s not the only one. The sense of accomplishment that I get on rare occasions is great. I can still do it!

I would like to mention the words Ishikawa-san has told me so far, director Ikuhara-san’s direction, and the reaction to “Dragon Ie no Kau.” Horie: Yes, I’m here now because I feel a sense of accomplishment when I feel like I’m too depressed and it’s about time.

Please let me ask you a little about your work other than acting. What kind of existence does SparQlew, a five-member unit on the Kiramune label formed in 2017, become for you? Horie: It’s an existence that gives us various blessings and challenges. Well, I definitely got the courage myself. And now that I’ve gained the courage, I’ve been able to relax and come up with expressions that I hadn’t thought of before, even at the post-recording site. It is now an essential activity for self-improvement.

Looking at the making of the MV, everyone seems to be having a lot of fun. Horie: Yeah, especially the recent MV (2^nd single “Heru Bechika” looks fun (laughs). I thought Yuto Uemura-san was a serious person until I worked with him in a unit. But it’s crazy, that person (laughs) has been with us for three years, so I think the relationship between the five of us is getting deeper.

It’s nice that all 5 of you are getting along so well. Horie: I hear people say that a lot, especially recently. It’s gotten better now.

In addition, Nico Nico Live Broadcasting’s crown program “Shun Horie no Kurabu a nda “Guraundo no koto mo.” What’s the fun part? Horie: Haha, what do you think (laughs)? As I said before, I have a dark background, and since it’s a program that talks freely about the fact that I’m a shadowy character, I’m worried whether people will find it interesting. However, I understand that is a strange program, so much that I receive letter such as, “You’re lost your strength in a good way,” and “I’m surprised by the strangeness,” so I can be optimistic. I look forward to working with you in the future. Also, I didn’t have many friends, so I thought that talking to myself would be suitable.

Even when I read interviews with Horie-san in various media, I feel that you are good at summarizing the story. Horie: Oh, that might be possible (laughs).

Do you want to continue doing it? Not only talking work, also writing work. Horie: I want to do a writing job! I also wrote music, but I feel that it is fun every time. However, speaking… I’d like to be a guest on someone’s program more and more, but it’s a different story if I’m a regular. I’m really clumsy, so if there are too many of them, I think I won’t be able to face them properly. If that happens, the value of each program will diminish, won’t it? Also, it’s the same with me, but if you have a lot of programs, you’ll think, “I’m fine with just the ones that the people who watch me can follow,” and “I’ll neglect other programs.” I don’t think I want to increase it too much.

A voice actor’s work is no longer limited to acting. Horie: Because of that, I must talk, and I have to worry about my appearance. I’ve been doing it for 5 years, and it is not enough to just pursue expressions, and there are more things to think about. However, my capacity is not large.

That’s one of your current challenges. Horie: Whether it is in the world of expression or in other worlds, I want to give meaning and value to every one of them. Don’t just be someone who is in this industry. For everyone to support me, I think I have to work harder and harder at what’s in front of me. For the past five years, I have felt more pain and anxiety, but it has finally started to take on a new colour.