Interview with Kawaguchi Rina, who plays Wakatsuki Nico in “Witch Watch”! “I want to express a straight and innocent Nico.”

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“Megami’s Voice” is an interview project with the magazine “Megami Magazine” where readers will be able to talk about their work and roles with promising voice actors. The May 2025 issue will feature the spring anime series “Witch WatchFrom “, she plays Wakatsuki NicoKawaguchi RinaWe bring you an interview with. In this article, we will be bringing you a long interview, including the parts that were not available in this magazine.

I want to express a straight and innocent Nico

–Please tell us your initial impression of the Witch Watch film.

The charm of this is that it is so appealing that it is hard to talk about! I think so. The characters are unique and unique to the story, including battles that are centered around comedy and the love story of everyone, as well as the battles that are drawn at key points. I think it’s great that it also adds the element of magic and allows for a wide range of stories to be unfolded.

–What kind of character is Nico, who you are in charge of?

Nico is an innocent, friendly, and cute witch. He’s a little childish and sometimes makes mistakes, but he’s always trying hard to think about the people around him, so when that happens, everyone around him will help him. In fact, she has incredible magical powers called the Thousand Witches, but she doesn’t put her on her nose, and is such a wonderful girl who makes everyone around her smile with charm!

–What do you particularly like about Nico while playing the role? Do you think it’s so cute?

Looks! My first impression was “cute!”, so the answer is that it’s cute. My expression changes with a smile. It’s so cute that it honestly expresses joy, anger, sorrow, happiness. Also, I look closely at people. Of course, Moi-chan (Morijin), but she also belongs to the Otogi family and her classmates. She looks closely at her surroundings and thinks about whether there’s anything she can do, and I think she’s such a wonderful girl from within. I also love how clumsy he is! –What do you value when playing Nico?

Rather than not being able to understand common sense, Nico has been training far away from the city, so I get the impression that he is a little off the public. However, she is a gentle, pure and innocent girl, so I think Nico is trying to face everything straight, even if she is a little out of the world. So, when playing the role, I try to stay straight and innocent so that she doesn’t look clever.

–Nico tries to act adult in her fantasies, uses magic to make a smug look on her face, and the tone of her voice changes all the way through, but did you notice the change?

Actually, I didn’t think too deeply about it. Nico usually uses his feelings as they are, so I think he naturally draws him in by his words. However, there are many monologues that cannot be caught with other characters, so I’ve been a little conscious about playing with the tone of voice to make the sound interesting so that it doesn’t sound flat.

–Are there any expressions you feel are unique to Nico?

When you think of Nico, you probably think, “That’s it.” I think that if you raise the ending of this mouth, it will give you a more mature and a little arrogant, but in Nico’s case, it is lowered with the ending of the words.

–What did you find difficult while playing Nico?

I’m a pretty negative type, so I get anxious about new things before I can enjoy them. So, for example, it was difficult to think about the new semester as a natural way of thinking, “Youth begins!”, and sometimes I almost fell into a chore. But as I spoke out her words loudly, I think I gradually began to be drawn to Nico’s way of thinking. Recently, I’ve come to think that it’s not just about being pulled, but when you feel anxious, it’s okay to think about it like this.

–What have you left an impression on you about the directions from the staff?

I often get directions saying, “It’s even cuter!” (laughs). I usually keep in mind that Nico’s cuteness doesn’t sound cunning, but sometimes Nico on the screen is succumbed to the cuteness that she lets out, so from the time she dubbed the rough-conte dubbing, I became even more conscious of imagining the finished picture.

–Is there anything you can relate to Nico?

His personality is actually the opposite, and there are many aspects that make him want to be a fan of Nico. Nico is positive, let’s try everything first! I think I’m the type of person who can act like this, but I often think about too much of the anxiety that comes up with the future and can’t take action. I would like to be able to think a little more relaxed, like regretting doing it rather than regretting not doing it.

–Please tell us your impressions of Morihito, where Nico is excited.

Moi-chan can do anything on her own, and each of them is high-quality, so I think she’s really hardworking and impressive. However, I think that she looks perfect, but has a pretty stubborn personality and is completely obsessed with what she likes, and is so cute that she looks like a life-size high school student. Moi-chan is a little clumsy, but is willing to sacrifice herself and acts for others, and although she can’t see her expression, she is actually full of love. like.

–Aside from Nico and Morihito, which character are you interested in right now?

I’m not sure why everyone is so attractive, but I think (Magami) Keigo has been interested recently. He is usually ridiculed as a “subculture bastard,” but his roots are very warm.

–Have you ever noticed any memorable events at the dubbing scene?

I think there are many different situations, such as when there is a friendly atmosphere and when everyone is quiet. I use a lot of calories during the dubbing (it’s so funny that I can’t help but laugh), so I think everyone is probably saving energy during the break! (laughs) Sometimes during recording, someone laughs and stops, but in those times, everyone is usually able to hold back, so I really like the moment when that person and everyone on the scene start laughing. I think it’s a happy place.

–Please tell us about the highlights at the beginning of the story and what Nico is doing.

As the number of episodes progresses, new characters with strong quirks appear one after another, so I hope you will enjoy the daily lives of Nico and Moi to the fullest at the beginning. And be sure to catch a cold because of the hilarious episodes that arise as the number of people gradually increases and become more lively, and the gap between the serious battles. Nico shows us all different expressions and makes us smile as we watch. We would be happy if you could watch over Nico’s growth as she is currently undergoing highly praise.

Questions to Megami

Q. My charm points
A. Long hair
My hair has long hair for a long time and I often get praised by those around me, so if I had to force it, I think it would be hair.

Q. My nickname
A.
When I was a student, there were a lot of “Rinas” around me, and children with their names were often called by their surnames. I didn’t like being called by my surname, so when I turned Rina over and told others that it was a problem, it naturally became more and more established.

Q. Characteristics of your own voice
A. Surprisingly wide
Thankfully, I’m very happy that so many people say that. I believe that one of the fun things about working as a voice actor is to be able to voice the lives of a wide variety of characters depending on the work, so I would like to continue to increase my range and hone my acting skills.

Q. My personality
A. Roller Coaster
He has quite a low self-esteem, but he has a high desire for approval, and is definitely a negative thing. I’m not shy, but I’m scared to talk to people without turning it on, and I get excited or depressed by the people around me. My emotions go up and down as much as a roller coaster, so I want to be more stable and flat.

Q. What are you currently addicted to?
A. Horror novels
I’ve always loved horror content, and since I was a child I’ve been watching horror movies all the time, so recently I’ve been seeing fewer movies that make me scared of. At times like that, when I read a horror novel that was a hot topic on social media, it’s a lot of fun because I can inflate my imagination as much as I can.

Q.What magic would you like to try?
A. Flying in the sky with a broom
This is what you would call a witch after all. Flying Magic almost always appears in works based on magic, so you’re also very keen to be a fan of it.

Q.Who would you like to be familiar with?
A. Black cat that can speak human language
This is also a sure thing! When you think of familiars, cats are the ones. I’m sure he’s definitely more solid than me.

Q. Catchphrases for this work
A. Theme Park
One of the attractions of “Witch Watch” is that it is packed with many elements into one work, so I thought it was like an amusement park attraction. If the cast members are the unique characters, then perhaps the viewers are guests. Please enjoy a wonderful experience at a theme park called “Witch Watch.”

(C) Shinohara Kenta/Shueisha, Witch Watch Production Committee, MBS

●Interview and text by Noshita Nao (i-planning)