It has been announced that Ihara Rikka will be appearing in the TV anime “Fushigi Dagashiya Zenitendo.” She will be taking on the role of a voice actress, something she has always dreamed of since her debut, and will be playing the fresh role of a high school student who has feelings for her senior in the episode airing on December 6th.
The original story of “The Mysterious Candy Shop Zenitendo” is a children’s novel series written by Reiko Hiroshima and illustrated by jyajya. Set in the mysterious candy shop “Zenitendo” that only the lucky candy shop owners of all ages and genders can find, the story follows the adventures of people who buy “mysterious candy” that makes their wishes come true.
Since its publication began in 2013, it has quickly become popular among children, and a new chapter of the series began in April 2024. It has been made into an animated film and a TV anime since 2020, and in 2022 it won first place in the 3rd “Elementary School Students’ Choice! Children’s Book General Election”. In 2023, it will also
be made into a stage play, a Nintendo Switch game, and an attraction at Seibuen Amusement Park, and various media mixes have been making a big impact. It has been translated and published around the world, starting with Asian countries, and the total number of copies published worldwide has exceeded 11 million. A live-action film starring Amami Yuki will be released on December 13th.
It has now been revealed that Ihara Rikka will be appearing as a voice actor in the TV anime. In the live-action film, Ihara plays an original character, magazine editor Aida Yoko, who plays an important role related to the “Oshare Sable” snack, which only appeared in illustrations in the original work, and she delivers a powerful performance. The episode aired on December 6th will see Ihara realize her voice acting role, which she has been dreaming of since her debut.
The story this time centers around 16-year-old high school student Yugemae Minato (voiced by Irino Miyu), who is bored with his monotonous daily life. One day, Minato rescues a golden maneki-neko (beckoning cat) named Kohaku on the street. When Beniko from Zenitendo comes to his house, she gives him a “Dramatic Dorayaki” snack, which, if eaten with your favorite snack, will make your days free of boredom.
After eating it, dramatic things start happening one after another around Minato. He then goes on a date with Kurumi, a junior student played by Ihara, and things get exciting at an amusement park… That’s the plot.
Ihara, who is trying voice acting for the first time, commented with joy, “I was so nervous that my hands were shaking… I’ve always said that I wanted to do voice work since I debuted, so I’m very happy that it’s finally come true.” Regarding the role of a 15-year-old high school student in the anime, she also revealed an episode about how she prepared for the role, saying, “At first, I thought it would be better to play a younger character because the role is about 10 years younger than my real age, but Irino Miyu, who plays Minato-senpai, told me in advance that he thought it would be fine to play him as he is, so I listened to Miyu’s voice and was able to play the role as I was, without trying to look too young!”
Although Ihara said she was nervous when she actually entered the recording booth, she confidently played the role of Kurumi. The staff around her praised her, saying, “I can’t believe it’s your first time!” and her voice sounded just like that of a 15-year-old high school student.
Finally, when asked about her impressions of participating this time, she said with a smile, “I was very happy to be able to take part in this hugely popular series. I was nervous, but it was a fun and exciting process, so I hope everyone will look forward to the anime as well. And as the movie is being made into a live-action version, I think it’s a mysterious fantasy that will excite children, and a story that will also surprise adults, so I hope everyone will come to the theater and enter the world of ‘Zeni-Tendo’,” she said, talking about the appeal of the ‘Zeni-Tendo’ series.
The episode featuring Ihara Rikka from the TV anime “The Mysterious Candy Shop Zeni-Tendo” will be broadcast on NHK E-Tele from 6:40pm on December 6th.
TV anime “The Mysterious Candy Shop Zenitendo”
Broadcast: NHK E-Tele, every Friday at 6:40 p.m.
Rebroadcast: NHK E-Tele, every Saturday at 5:45 p.m.
(C) Reiko Hiroshima, jyajya, Kaiseisha, Zenitendo Production Committee
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