Fujita Saki and Shimoda Asami @ Anime Otapia 2026
This is a loose transcript of Fujita Saki and Shimoda Asami's joint stage panel at Anime Otapia 2026 in Bethesda, MD on January 17th. The panel was led and translated by Hamu. This transcript was drafted live during the panel on my phone based on translations from the interpreter, then edited for comprehension when published here. Everything contained in double quotes was said literally (i.e. English directly).
Q: How did you get into voice acting?
Asami: Everyone always asks me that, but I don't really remember.
Saki: Digimon Adventure was a work that really inspired me. Back at that time, the internet was barely much of a thing, so the exploration and entering into digital worlds really left an impact on me. Please watch it if you haven't!
Q: Asami-san, we heard you're a fan of Hokuto no Ken. What triggered you to watch it?
Asami: When I was working a part time job at a game center, I often had the job of retrieving tokens out of pachinko machines. It was at that time that I saw the number of Hokuto no Ken machines and wanted to watch it.
Asami: Rin is my favorite, of course. Kagamine Rin is the way she is because I liked Rin from Hokuto no Ken so much.
Q: Fujita-san, what was the first game you bought or liked?
Saki: Final Fantasy IV for the Super Famicom. I saved up all my allowance and bought a used copy. Whenever there's a remake or rerelease, I seem to always find myself buying it again.
Q: Fujita-san, do you play the games that you do work for and appear in?
Saki: I try to and I treat it as part of my responsibility for the job. Tales of Innocence was one I played until the very very end.
Q: Asami-san, do you have any especially memorable Idolmaster concerts that you've participated in?
Asami: Idolmaster was my debut work, of course.
[While she's thinking, someone in the crowd holds up streamer tape from what looks like M@STERS OF IDOL WORLD 2025]
Asami: Wow! Thank you for bringing it! I love the M@STERS OF IDOL WORLD concerts, of course.
Q: We heard Asami-san is really good at impressions. Can you do a few for us?
Asami: At home, I tried to impersonate Miku and I wasn't sure if I was doing a very good job. I'll do my best to impersonate her, but sorry if I don't sound like her. Should we have everyone clap if it's any good?
[Cheers and applause]
[Asami sings the chorus for Miku Miku ni Shite Ageru]
[More applause]
Saki: "This is me."
Asami: "I like Len."
[Asami sings the chorus for Melt]
Asami: I think I can probably do that one better.
Asami: All the Rin ribbons I see from the cosplayers in the crowd look like flowers in a field. I want to harvest all of you.
We polled our attendees on their favorite roles from you both, so let's go through the top three.
[#3] For Asami-san, we have Lingyin Huang from Infinite Stratos. For Saki-san, we have Ymir from Attack on Titan.
Asami: Infinite Stratos was 15 years ago... She's a Chinese character [1] and she's friends with a much more popular character, so I'm happy to hear she's being remembered so fondly.
Saki: "Do you like Attack on Titan?"
[Applause]
Saki: We don't even know her name at first and she's one of the characters that reveals a key part of the story. I tend to have a higher voice, so when I was cast as Ymir I was worried if I was going to be able to do it. Every day between S1 and S2, I was thinking about and stressing over performing the role to everyone's expectations. I'm really honored that you still like and remember this character.
[#2] For Asami-san, we have Futami Mami and Futami Ami from Idolmaster. For Saki-san, we have Ritsu from Assassination Classroom.
Asami: I'm very honored to know the twins are one of everyone's favorites and that I've moved forward with them for 20 years. A lot of Idolmaster characters reflect the voice actor personalities, so that's likely why I also feel such a connection with the twins as well.
Saki: When we were recording Assassination Classroom, at some points we had all 30 voice actors in he booth, so at times it really did feel like a classroom. The finale hit us especially hard because we spent so much time together there, mingling at all levels of skill. I hope the movie does eventually come to America, so please watch it when you can.
[#1] For Asami-san, we of course have Kagamine Rin. For Saki-san, we of course have Hatsune Miku.
[Thunderous applause]
Asami: How old are they now... they're currently 18!
Asami: Crypton Future Media heard my voice in Idolmaster and were drawn to me because of the Futami twins. Rin was the first work I performed for that was tailored to me specifically, and the fact that it has gone beyond Japanese culture to all corners of the world is why I'm very happy that it's continued so long.
Saki: The fact that you know "Hatsune Miku" means you already know one Japanese word. Like Digimon, we are all able to connect through the digital world. Regardless of where we are coming from, we can share music together, and as one of the first forces in this movement I feel influential to that.
Saki: When I say せーの (se-no), please shout your favorite song!
[Everyone shouts]
Saki: I think this is one of the reasons why Miku is the one and only, precisely because so many people have their own favorites from her.
Q: Were your roles decided through auditions?
Saki: Not through an audition. The Vocaloid project already existed by the time I was getting involved, but they specifically wanted to start using seiyuu as voice providers, which is why I got the offer. Crypton began searching through agencies using available voice samples and that's why I was chosen.
Saki: I was still a rookie at this time. They gave me a recording date and said they would give me the lyrics I would read on the day of. I'm a seiyuu and not a singer by training, so I thought I wouldn't be suitable, but I don't know any better and just said "Yes."
Saki: "Do you know Yamaha?"
Saki: Each phoneme is recorded independently, so I spent a lot of time reading individual syllables.
Asami: When I was recording, I asked how long the process would take. It ultimately took 5 hours each for Rin and Len, with additional directions on later days to emphasize different emotions like anger and whispering.
Q: Do you remember your first impression when you heard them sing?
Saki: The first I heard was the demo from Sasaki and I was impressed. I remember how smooth it sounded.
Asami: Rin is my usual voice, so I thought it was nothing special. Because Miku came first and Rin looks more loli, I thought maybe we should give her a cuter voice. She sounded a little more mature than I thought in my head. In the end, it turns out you all liked her.
Asami: Len was one of the first male characters I voiced, so it was a challenge. There are times when Len and Rin harmonize together really well despite their differences.
Q: To you, what are the charms of Vocaloid?
Asami: There are different settings and pairings that can apply to the characters, like couples and siblings, so I think the freedom is a huge part of the charm.
Saki: Who hear listens to the songs? Who makes them themselves? What about the illustrations?
[Hands go up]
Saki: There are so many different pathways to enjoying Vocaloid, which is part of the charm.
We received some art from the fans that we'd like to show you now.
[Slideshow projected on the screen behind them, reactions]
Q: Do you guys look at fan art in your free time?
Asami: We do see it on Instagram and Twitter, for example, during their different anniversaries, and of course any art trends do come through our feeds.
Audience Q&A
Q: [Missed, but something about Miku Symphony specifically]
Saki: With Miku Symphony, you will get what you need to keep on living. Please come to Japan for Miku Symphony.
Q: Any memories from Miku no Kanshasai?
Asami: That was a long time ago at Yokohame Arena. I was really glad I was able to particpate there to meet and talk to fans directly. [2]
Q: What is your favorite Vocaloid song?
Saki: Depending on the day, it changes. Right now, it's Shiroi Yuki no Princess wa. There's a cover from me on YouTube, so please go listen to it.
Asami: I also have many that I really like, but on my agency's YouTube channel there's a cover of Roki that I did, so please go listen to that.
[Nervous questioner freezes up]
Saki: "Okay, relax."
Q: Do you listen to English Vocaloid songs?
Saki: Because we're not really aware of the English side of the fandom, we're not really exposed to it as much. Does anyone have any recommendations?
[Questioner recommends their friend who's a producer, didn't catch the name]
Asami: We'll check them out later!
Closing
Saki: You all have so much energy and I hope you'll continue to support me going forward.
Asami: "Thank you for coming today!" I've been so excited for this day and I appreciate you coming today.
[1]: This was a Chinese organized convention, thus the attendance was pretty overwhelmingly Chinese
[2]: The answer is accurate to Magical Mirai 2013. There was some initial confusion about the event named when the question was asked. The same day as this panel, Miku was back at Yokohama Arena for the LAWSON 50th Anniversary Special LIVE.