Voice actor Atsushi Abe is no stranger to the world of games or anime, with his career spanning across multiple franchises. From 16bit Sensation: Another Layer to Zenless Zone Zero, Abe is known for many roles in the gaming and anime industry. In this interview with Anime Trending from FanimeCon 2025, Abe shared with us his experiences not only as a dedicated voice actor, but also as a curious gamer. Abe also discussed the special connection he feels with fans — especially as IDOLiSH7 celebrates its 10th anniversary — highlighting the experience of seeing fans’ support for his projects.
This interview was conducted through an interpreter and has been edited for clarity. Questions submitted by Gerrymelyn Casupang and Melvyn Tan.
Anime Trending: You voiced Mamoru Rokuta in the 16bit Sensation: Another Layer anime, which came out two years ago. What was your relationship with the visual novel, and how did that influence your performance?
Atsushi Abe: The original story is different from what’s shown in the anime. When they made it into an anime, they made the story into something that could only be done in anime.
[Such as,] the element of time travel was introduced in the anime version, and that was not in the original. I think that the time travel element was combined very well with the passion that people have for games, so that made it into a very special product as a result of that combination, a kind of alchemy of the two coming together.
Correction: 16bit Sensation: Another Layer was inspired by a manga, not a visual novel. We’d originally meant to ask Abe-san about his relationship with the visual novel medium due to the content of the manga and anime, but in our excitement over getting to speak with him, the question ended up taking an unintended form. We apologize for the error.
It’s been almost a year since the launch of Zenless Zone Zero, in which you provide the Japanese voice for the protagonist, Akira/Wise. Looking back, how has your journey with the game and the character been?
Atsushi Abe: The work’s been going on for about two years now. At first, I didn’t really quite understand the game system when I was working on it. It was released about a year ago, and when it was released, I picked the main character — which in Japanese is Akira, but the English version is Wise. I’ve been playing it a lot. I was actually playing it in my room earlier. I’m still working on it, and I’m recording for that at least once a month. I’m looking forward to where the story goes.
You’re in a lot of video games and anime based on games. How do you interact with those things after you’re done recording with them? Do you play the games, or do you watch some of the anime that you star in? How do you connect with those things as a fan rather than just as a seiyuu?
Atsushi Abe: When I’m doing my work as a voice actor, I look at it from the perspective of the character. However, when the product is released and I’m playing it or watching it, I take on the perspective of the viewer or player, which is completely different. I actually make new discoveries when I engage with the product as a fan.
For example, when I’m recording, I might think, “Why doesn’t this person understand this feeling? I don’t understand why it’s not being conveyed.”
But then later on, when I engage with the final product, I might go, “Oh, I can see that now.”
Do you have another specific example in mind? Like a specific character or situation?
Atsushi Abe: As an example, I voice Sogo Osaka in IDOLiSH7. Osaka’s a little bit stubborn sometimes, and so when I’m voicing the character, I might take it from Osaka’s perspective and be like, “Well, I don’t understand why it’s not going well.”
But then, [through] other characters like Tamaki Yotsuba when I’m playing the game or when I’m viewing it, I can see both perspectives. I’m like, “Oh, I can see that [Sogo’s] actions are a little bit rough,” or “Sogo might not be very polite with the way he’s talking,” or something like that.
I think my own character is a little bit awkward sometimes.
We see a lot of stories with seiyuu in the industry where they become the biggest fans of their own games, and we see that pattern over and over again.
Atsushi Abe: Yeah, that’s right!
You share several series with another one of the guests here at Fanime, Tsubasa Yonaga-san, from IDOLiSH7 to Yowamushi Petal and Cardfight!! Vanguard. It’s cool that you keep interacting with him across different years and different franchises. What has it been like to work with him in that time and space?
Atsushi Abe: We’d actually been at the same voice acting school at Ken Production. It’s been over 20 years, which is a long time, that we’ve been familiar with each other and working together. We entered at the same time and were also cast into shonen-type roles. I think that also brought us close together.
It would have been a rare situation for us to both succeed in that sense, especially when you work in the shonen genre. Usually, there are typecast roles, right? There’s the younger kind of character, or the hero character. I’m really glad that we both have actually been able to succeed within that kind of bucket.
It almost feels like over time, there’s a competitive drive between you two trying to succeed together.
Atsushi Abe: It’s an interesting mix. I have this feeling of rivalry toward everybody, but at the same time, it’s like we’ve fought battles together. We have that kind of special camaraderie that you only get from working together like that. Having been together through so many things, we’ve seen each other audition for things, and we’ve been on the side of the person who gets the part and then the other person doesn’t get it, or vice versa.
We’ve seen each other both be like, “Yeah!” or “Aw!” so we understand each other’s feelings.
IDOLiSH7 is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. There have been a lot of announcements, like a new season of the anime series and a compilation movie. How does it feel knowing it’s been a decade and that the series is still loved by so many fans around the world?
Atsushi Abe: I’m very happy that it’s been such a huge success. When I actually got the script originally, I wasn’t sure if it would be such a great success. I was actually a bit worried if it would go well or not. So it’s just been really nice that it has been.
When we started working on it, I could really feel the support of the fans, especially when we prepared for the live performance. I could really feel the passion of the fans, and that was really wonderful.
In addition to what’s been publicly announced, there’s more going on behind the scenes, so I’m also looking forward to what’s going to happen.
In IDOLiSH7, you’ve done the live concert and animated concert. Can you tell us about your experience performing the two? And were there any unique challenges for each format?
Atsushi Abe: When the anime characters are on the screen, they’re professional idols, right? So they’re shining, shimmering, and glowing. For the animated version, the characters are the ones performing on the screen, but the ones singing are the voice actors. It was interesting to have that feeling that the characters are there, but it’s actually us, like the unison or the combination of those.
The difference between when we are performing as ourselves and when the characters are performing is that, for the animated version, the people making the animation have also put a lot of thought and effort into showing the background of why that song is being performed and what’s going on. It’s harder to do that in an in-person performance versus an animated performance.
There are a lot of moving parts in live performances versus animated performances, which seems like it’s character-driven. So, do you have to act in the animated performance?
Atsushi Abe: When I’m preparing for the role, I often only get the boards. It’s not completely finished yet. When we go in to do the actual recording, most of the time, I’m only seeing it for the first time at that moment. Then the music comes on, so it can be very moving for me as well.
You’ll be reprising your role as Kakeru Niimi in the 9-nine- Ruler’s Crown anime. What was it like to record for the character again for the anime instead of the visual novel, and what can fans of the game or newcomers to the franchise look forward to with the anime?
Atsushi Abe: One big difference between the game and animation voice acting is that for games, they take each voice separately and then they combine it later. For animation, we all work together. That’s something that’s different and something that I think comes through in the final product, so I’m hoping that fans can enjoy that.
Also, there are some really mentally tough parts for my character coming up. I also have to be ready for it, and in some sense, I’m also preparing myself for that.
