Petals of Reincarnation Cast and Producer Discuss the Anime at Anime Boston
The interview captures early production details and character insights directly from the talent, at a moment when the anime is still rolling out its first arc.
Reporting from 1 sources: Anime Herald.
Voice actress Wakana Maruoka and producer Takanori Matsuoka appeared at Anime Boston to talk about the Petals of Reincarnation anime. Maruoka said she read past the required audition portion of the original manga because the world setting grabbed her. Matsuoka was drawn to the premise of characters using the powers of historical figures and to the battle scenes. Maruoka described her character Haito as someone who accepted a dark adolescence without becoming moody, remaining lighthearted but vulnerable. She also noted the first story arc is very dark and that protagonist Touya Senji endures a lot before the story shifts. Matsuoka recalled that the director and story editor had passionate discussions about compressing the source material to fit the episode run time, reworking it repeatedly. He previously trained as a professional soccer midfielder before joining PONY CANYON in a sales role and later moving into anime production. Maruoka attended seiyuu school, where she learned to visualize who she was speaking to during recording sessions. Both guests were at their first overseas convention.
The Petals of Reincarnation manga is written by Mikihisa Konishi and published by MAG Garden. The anime production committee includes both entities. Matsuoka said he had initial discussions with Konishi before the adaptation work began.
When Maruoka was asked which historical figure's power she would want, she answered A. Einstein's, "so I could get to Boston instantly." She noted the flight from Tokyo to Boston is very long. She also said she would want everyone's powers if she could have them.
Matsuoka's favorite manga growing up were Captain Tsubasa and Slam Dunk. Maruoka's was Naruto. She described herself as an otaku who has liked anime since childhood. She decided to enter the industry after attending seiyuu school and realizing how anime is recorded.
Matsuoka described the adaptation process. The director and story editor had "passionate and spirited discussions about how to compress the source material to fit into the episode run time." He said they redid the work repeatedly, and the intensity of those sessions stuck with him because everyone on the project was deeply invested.
Maruoka was looking forward to visiting the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and did so the day before the interview. She also planned to drink sake after finishing her convention events.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.