New Magic Knight Rayearth's Rie Takahashi and Saori Hayami Share the World of Cefiro
The anime industry has returned to its shōjo roots lately, tapping into fans' nostalgia and introducing a brand-new audience to classic series. In just the last year, we've seen adaptations of Red River, Hana-Kimi, and The Ribbon Hero, and upcoming projects centering on classic magical girl Minky Momo and Kyouko Hikawa's From Far Away manga.
This October, TMS Entertainment is inviting fans new and old to return to the world of Cefiro in a brand-new Magic Knight Rayearth anime series. The new version plans to follow the manga's original story with a new cast taking on the role of the magic knights and the denizens of Cefiro. Middle school girls Hikaru, Umi, and Fū are suddenly transported to Cefiro during a field trip at Tokyo Tower. Once there, they are tasked with rescuing the world's princess from her kidnapper, Zagato.
We caught up with voice actors Rie Takahashi and Saori Hayami to discuss their roles as the Magic Knight Fū and Princess Emeraude from CLAMP's beloved series.
How did you each familiarize yourself with your characters for the role? Did you read the manga originally or watch the first anime? And could you also introduce your character a little bit?
Rie Takahashi: Hi, my name is Rie Takahashi, and I'm playing the role of Fū. When I auditioned, I started reading the original manga to prepare for the role. I know that the Heisei version of the anime was also based on the original manga, so I started reading it thinking both the anime adaptations were based on the story. That's how I went into preparing my role.
Fū's a very observant girl; she sees the world in her own way and can assess it and decide on her own. That's the kind of character I intend to play.
Saori Hayami: So my name is Saori Hayami, and I play the role of Princess Emeraude. And more than anything, I based my role on the original manga. I also drew from the Heisei version of the anime. The whole team has so much respect, and we want to honor the original manga. So, each episode, when we were dubbing and recording, we had so much respect and care in doing it.
The role I play is the Princess of Cefiro. She continues to pray for the world, so the power of her prayer and her wishes are so strong. How does that affect the story and the narrative? That's what you should be excited to find out.
Of the Magic Knights, Fū is recognized as intelligent and maybe a little bit more reserved. How do you relate to Fū and what do you consider her best points as a character?
TAKAHASHI: So I don't really consider myself similar to Fū as a character or a personality, but sometimes she says something that is kind of out of the box that people don't expect. And I think I do that sometimes as well. But from my perspective, how serious, honest, and smart she is really embodies who she is as a character.
Emeraude's role in the story is very mysterious. Without any spoilers for first-time viewers of the series, how would you describe your character and how did you adapt your voice to suit her?
HAYAMI: The role of Prince Emeraude, from the beginning to the climax of the story, has a lot of inner conflict and struggle. So she tends to suppress her own feelings and what she thinks. How much should she express what she's feeling and what she's thinking to herself? How much of that should she let out? Each episode was different, so I took care to make sure that the balance is correct.
Magic Knight Rayearth originally debuted in the 1990s. What do you think makes this new version appealing to modern audiences and fans who grew up with the original?
TAKAHASHI: So I heard that the original development of the older version from the 1990s is really interesting. I hope that fans continue to enjoy that version of the universe as well. While making this new version, the original manga was already completed, and we got to kind of start fresh.
HAYAMI: The high-quality animation and the dynamic, action-packed battle scenes are definitely among the highlights of the new series. I believe these are elements that audiences will thoroughly enjoy. So I hope that older, existing fans get to enjoy the new take on this series, and of course new fans can start this great story fresh.
I'm looking forward to the premiere later. Fū's special power centers on wind. What do you think? How do her character and her element complement each other?
TAKAHASHI: Her wanting to help and be helpful to the Magic Knights—that quality of hers, and how the wind can envelop and embrace everything, is very similar to her character and magic.
What do you think makes a character a "princess"?
HAYAMI: What are the traits of a princess? So, especially in the beginning of the story, it's the love that Emeraude has for the world. She cares about those around her and the world overall, so she has this love for the world as a Pillar, and she also has a responsibility to it. That comes across, and we, the people around her, can see and tell that, "Oh, that's why she is a princess." Another thing that fans can look forward to is that for her to be a princess and to love the world so much, that really takes a toll on her. How does that affect her, and what struggle is she feeling?
That's something that you can look forward to in this story.
Were you and your co-stars, Ayana Sakura-san and Rumi Ōkubo-san already acquainted before the cast recordings, and were you able to do anything together to help build camaraderie?
TAKAHASHI: Yes, we co-starred with others in different series. But that said, we haven't really played characters where we are all a team, going for the same goal. So our relationship, the bond, became much stronger.
HAYAMI: We all knew each other before we started the series. I felt relaxed in the recording booth. At the same time, there was a lot of pressure and high expectations for the series, so we all kind of felt that as well.
When it came time to perform Fū's special attacks and magic spells, which were the most fun to say?
TAKAHASHI: "Winds of Healing!" would be my favorite. It's a special attack, but at the same time, it heals. So with my voice, I need to be loud and impactful, but at the same time, it needs to have this great sense of healing, gentleness, and comfort. It should deliver comfort. So that was the balance I thought of as I performed.
One of Fū's special interests is playing RPG games. And the early story of Magic Knight Rayearth also kind of resembles an RPG game. Have you had time to play any RPGs lately? Or do you have a favorite?
TAKAHASHI: How about mobile games? In that case, all the games that I have voices in, like Fate/Grand Order.
I also wanted to ask you both, if you found yourself the guardian of Mokona, what would you do with him?
TAKAHASHI: Give him a squeeze!
HAYAMI: Take a nap with him.
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