Voice actor Kana Ichinose shares a candid and exclusive interview on J:COM STREAM’s anime catch-up site, discussing her roles in Gundam: The Witch from Mercury and The Children of the Shiunji Family.

Kana Ichinose, who grew up loving anime and once believed she could enter that world, has realized that dream through voice acting. Her notable roles include Suletta Mercury in Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, Kotono Shiunji in The Children of the Shiunji Family, Fern in Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Yuzuriha Ogawa in Dr. STONE, and Ichigo in DARLING in the FRANXX. She is known for infusing each character with vivid, emotionally resonant performances.

In this interview, she reflects on her approach to acting, the complexities of her characters, and her emotional connection to the roles.

In 2022, you played the lead role of Suletta Mercury in Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury (hereafter referred to as The Witch from Mercury). Given the legacy of the Gundam franchise — and the fact that this was the first TV series to feature a female protagonist — did you feel a lot of pressure?

Ichinose:
I felt tremendous pressure in the beginning. When my manager told me, “You got the role!”, I was overjoyed — it felt like a dream — but at the same time, I was extremely nervous (laughs).

That kind of tension isn’t something you usually get with other anime roles, right?

Ichinose:
Exactly (laughs). It was such a major role that I also felt a lot of anxiety. But I also thought, “I probably won’t be able to handle this if I stay in that mindset.” So I forced myself to shift gears and focus on enjoying the role of Suletta as much as possible. Once I did that, I felt much more relaxed and was able to approach the recording sessions with joy.

What did you keep in mind when performing Suletta?

Ichinose:
During the audition, I was told, “You can make a clear distinction between her usual self and her tone while piloting the Gundam — make her sound cool when she’s in the cockpit.” As for Ericht, the direction was “natural and childlike.”

So I approached each role based on those instructions. That said, even after recording started, I didn’t know what direction the story would take or what would happen to Suletta or Ericht. I had to figure things out script by script. In fact, when we recorded episode 1, I didn’t even know whether Suletta and Ericht were the same person or different people (laughs).

How do you personally view the character of Suletta?

Ichinose:
She grew up on Mercury, where there weren’t many kids her age, and I think that shaped her personality. Personally, I experienced something similar — I moved to Tokyo from Hokkaido and found myself becoming shy. So when Suletta struggles to connect with her classmates after entering the academy, I really understood what she was going through. I performed those scenes while thinking, “I know exactly how that feels!”

Hearing that makes Suletta’s cheerful demeanor feel even more nuanced. What do you think of her growth throughout the story?

Ichinose:
She came from a narrow world, Mercury, where she believed in her mother without question. Her mother’s words held absolute weight in her life. But then she enters the academy and meets peers with entirely different values. I think Season 1 showed her starting to realize that not everyone sees the world the same way her mother does.

The turning point was at the end of Season 1 — that shocking scene...

The one where she kills someone for the first time in order to save Miorine using the Gundam, right?

Ichinose:
Yes, that scene clearly shows the difference between Suletta’s sense of justice — shaped by her mother — and Miorine’s sense of justice. And justice that involves life and death is on a completely different scale than day-to-day misunderstandings.

That incident triggered something in Suletta. She begins to question the foundation of her beliefs — her mother’s words. She starts stepping away from that absolute authority and begins thinking for herself. I believe she truly begins facing herself in Season 2.

What do you think makes The Witch from Mercury such a compelling series?

Ichinose:
There’s drama in every scene and every character, so the show is full of appeal — I don’t think it’s even possible to explain everything. One thing that stood out to me was how it portrayed human relationships. It showed that there are all kinds of relationships, and that every form of connection is valid.

From Suletta and Miorine’s bond, to parent-child dynamics like Suletta and Prospera, or Miorine and her father, to sibling-like or adoptive ties in the Jeturk and Zenelli families — the show explored many different forms of connection, often with complex issues underneath.

Even if a relationship looks good on the surface, it might have problems. And even if it seems strained, there could be deep bonds. I think viewers can see parts of themselves reflected in these relationships. That’s why I believe the show leaves something meaningful in everyone’s heart.

Source : ORICON NEWS