Sakuma Daisuke shouts "Yes!" upon learning of his first lead role in an anime

Sakuma Daisuke didn't hold back his excitement. The Snow Man member shouted "Yes!" in the middle of the group's rehearsal room when he learned he would be the lead in Kaze wo Tsugu Mono, his first main role in a TV anime.

The news came when he was still just starting to audition as a voice actor. "It was a project that came shortly after I began participating in seiyuu auditions. I was at a Snow Man rehearsal when they told me, and I shouted out loud," he said in an interview with Oricon.

The series premieres in January 2027, and its film version, Kaze wo Tsugu Mono -Hajimari-, is already in Japanese theaters for two weeks starting November 13. The project brings together Aniplex, Live2D, and Drive to tell a youth story set in the Shinsengumi era.

A protagonist without memories and an imposing cast

Sakuma plays Tachikawa Jinsuke, a young man who lost his memory. To build the character, he decided not to fill himself with prior information about him. "The most important thing is the sincerity Jinsuke has precisely because he remembers nothing. If I put in too much knowledge, that innocence could disappear," he explained.

Alongside him, Kase Yasuyuki voices Serizawa Kamo, head of the Mibu Roushigumi. Kase admitted he expected to find a distant idol, but Sakuma's attitude disarmed him from the first greeting: "He called me 'Sakkun' from the very first moment. I thought, 'What am I saying?'". He also praised his acting: "It's natural work. If someone like that is the lead, isn't it a little unfair?".

The cast brings together several big names, something both noticed right away. "Is the budget okay?", Kase joked. Sakuma recalled that in every recording session they wondered who would appear the following week, because the script revealed it. Laughing, both agreed it was a studio full of actors with lead-level talent.

Sakuma also confessed what he felt when he heard Kase as Serizawa: "I thought, 'Wow, how cool'. The strength of his lines, his ability to convince, the range of his expression. I want to become like that."

Each one's work philosophy

When asked about their principles, Kase was direct: "I want to have fun every day. I work while enjoying what I do."

Sakuma explained he looks for projects where he can put affection: "I want to do work with love. If I feel I won't be able to love what I do or that it has nothing to do with me, I prefer to turn it down."

Kaze wo Tsugu Mono combines Live2D with traditional animation and is directed by Kawamura Tomohiro, with scripts by Narui Yutaka and music by Kishida Shigeru. The series will air Sundays at 23:30 on the Agaru Anime block on CBC and TBS.