#INTERVIEW: Akari Kito on Playing the Subtle Traits of an Android in EX-ARM

“#INTERVIEW: Akari Kito on Playing the Subtle Traits of an Android in EX-ARM”

EX-ARM Key Visual

Akari Kito has become one of the most popular voice actors in anime, particularly after her performance as Nezuko Kamado in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba. She's also gone on to perform other notable main characters such as Kotoko Iwanaga in In/Spectre and will be leading the EX-ARM cast as Alma when the series airs in January 2021! After stopping by to attend some panels at Virtual Crunchyroll Expo, Crunchyroll spoke with Kito about her upcoming role, how she's approaching playing the voice of an android, and more!

How do you feel about being cast as Alma?

Alma is an android, but as the story goes on, she starts to become more affected by the people around her and her surroundings, which makes her a very special character. Being able to portray that subtle difference was difficult, but also fun.

What do you like about the character?

The fact that she’s such a beautiful girl and she’s so honest that it’s cute. Also, the fact that she’s super strong!

She doesn’t like to show her emotions – is that a challenge for you as a voiceover actress?

Even though she's android, she doesn’t let her emotions show, but that doesn’t mean she’s cold-hearted. She can be rather cooperative. It was a bit difficult to make sure she didn’t sound too cold while not letting her emotions show.

Alma from EX-ARM

As a character who doesn’t show much emotion, how have you approached voicing Alma compared to other characters?

Alma is someone who is affected by the people around her and her surroundings and gradually becomes more human. And to reflect those changes, I made sure to make her sound more emotional with her lines or during battles the more human she becomes.

Can you tell us more about Alma’s relationship with Minami and its significance in the story?

Minami is someone very important to Alma, who considers Alma her friend and she treats her like she’s a human being. From Alma’s eyes, Minami is very much human and even though some of the decisions Minami makes doesn’t make sense to her, they are all meaningful and show Alma just how to be human. They get along so well because they are opposites, and they’re both very important to each other.

What has been the most challenging and most rewarding part of voicing Alma?

There are moments where Alma will let Akira use her body to fight. And in those situations, I had to sound like Akira talking, so that was difficult… I think one of the most worthwhile moments was the fact that I got to play an android that slowly became more human and gained a heart as the story went along.

Be sure to check out our interviews with other EX-ARM cast and staff right here!