TOKYO - (JCN Newswire) - Anime Tokyo Station, an exhibition center for Japanese anime operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Association of Japanese Animations, has welcomed many visitors from Japan and overseas as a facility that promotes the appeal of Japanese anime to the world under the motto, "Making ANIME more interesting, Bringing ANIME far into the future."On Monday, June 1, the official Anime Tokyo Station YouTube channel hosted the public recording event "Anime Tokyo Station Early Summer Festival." A total of 52 visitors selected by lottery attended the event.
The event was held in two parts, with Miina Tominaga serving as the host. When guest Tomokazu Seki made an appearance after being introduced by Tominaga, the audience welcomed him with thunderous applause. Seki said in surprise, "Amazing! It feels like there are 1,000 people here."
In the first part, the participants conversed while using "Anime TAIZEN," a comprehensive database of Japanese anime at Anime Tokyo Station, to search for works in which Seki has appeared. When "PSYCHO-PASS" was brought up, Seki, who played the protagonist Shinya Kogami in the series, performed some of his lines on the spot. As he read out, "We have our own way of doing things" and "But the one who bears that responsibility is you, the Inspector," a huge round of applause erupted from the audience. Tominaga commented about Seki, "I've always thought he has this ability to completely erase his own presence. Watching as a viewer, it's almost as if the role takes over... and he appears in so many works. Even on stage, he seems to take the main role and maintain it until the very moment he's left the stage." Surprised but delighted, Seki responded, "It makes me incredibly happy to hear someone I respect so much, Miina, say that about me." Tominaga replied with humor, "So that's how I should respond when being complimented. I'm learning so much." Seki playfully answered, "Come on, I mean it." Their perfectly timed exchange drew laughter from the audience.
The two also discussed how, in recent years, they have appeared in more works that continue over many years, such as Seki's role as Panda in "Jujutsu Kaisen." Tominaga brought up the difficulty of working on a single series over a long period of time, noting that as voice actors grow and change, it can become difficult to maintain the same voice and energy in their performances. Seki agreed, saying, "Yes, that really is true." He continued, "For my role as Sanemi Shinazugawa in "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba," there is a long gap between the first recording and the next time the character appears, so it's difficult to keep that same feeling going until the next recording." Tominaga nodded, saying, "I understand that as someone in the same profession. Sometimes it feels like I'm imitating my past self." The two shared valuable stories spanning past and present, along with perfectly timed banter, creating a one-of-a-kind exchange that drew loud applause and laughter from the audience multiple times and generated excitement from start to finish.
Press release: https://www.acnnewswire.com/docs/files/20260617.pdf