[INTERVIEW] Kagurabachi Anime First Look With Japanese Cast Taihi Kimura, Voice of Chihiro

“Enough time has passed!” The Kagurabachi anime marked its worldwide debut with these words from Taihi Kimura, the voice of Chihiro, during the KAGURABACHI Anime World Tour at conventions in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and other locations as the series’s April 2027 premiere date draws closer. 

Following the premiere of the first twenty minutes of the Kagurabachi anime, Anime Trending had the honor of interviewing Taihi Kimura. We discussed the world of Kagurabachi and Kimura’s approach to voicing Chihiro, as well as how he balances Chihiro’s emotional weight throughout his journey.

The anime Kagurabachi mixes traditional Japanese swordsmithing with a darker, modern action setting. What stands out to you about the setting?

Taihi Kimura: In their world, Japan is a katana society, and there is a “cool Japan” inside of it. I think it’s quite amazing and a little bit mysterious in that way.

What was your first impression of Chihiro when you read the script, and what do you think defines Chihiro as a shonen protagonist?

Taihi Kimura: My first impression of Chihiro is that he’s very composed, but very lonely at the same time. He is actually suffering from his own heart, so it gives a lonely impression. I think what defines him is having his own sense of justice and strong moral principles so that he never hurts anyone else, and what he carries throughout his life is his justice inside his heart.

How did you approach building Chihiro’s voice, especially balancing his mindset and the emotional weight he carries?

Taihi Kimura: I thought it was important to act like an eighteen-year-old. Chihiro’s not so talkative, but he looks older and is so strong. He has the peculiar experience of losing his father right in front of his eyes, so he has this sadness, anger, and pain inside of him, but when I try to show these expressions outward, it might sound too old for Chihiro’s age. I valued that he was still an eighteen-year-old boy, and while I am still in the process of building up Chihiro’s voice and character, that is one of the main things I think is important when acting as Chihiro.

The series places a strong emphasis on Chihiro’s past and motivations. How did that influence your performance in different scenes of the anime?

Taihi Kimura: Because I recorded the past scenes, the recording experience of acting as a young Chihiro remained inside my own heart as well as the hearts of the viewers. Those memories and experiences help me act as an eighteen-year-old Chihiro nowadays.

When Chihiro was fifteen, tragedy hadn’t struck yet. He was just living with his weird father in a happy home. But he lost his father in front of him and experienced tragedy, and he lost his emotions as well as his father. That’s why he has this complex personality; even if he’s an eighteen-year-old, he has lost so many things and is forced to grow up and try to avenge his father.

The action sequences in the anime Kagurabachi are very intense. What is your process for preparing vocally for those moments?

Taihi Kimura: Because Chihiro’s so strong, he doesn’t shout. He’s quite silent and very sharp, so I don’t have to prepare something specifically for that battle scene. I just use a breath. When more episodes are released and as battles become more intense, that might change. Because Chihiro himself is a quiet, introspective character with his emotions, that could be related.

As audiences see the anime Kagurabachi for the first time, what are you most excited for them to discover about Chihiro and his journey?

Taihi Kimura: The anime Kagurabachi is also a coming-of-age story for Chihiro. He isn’t just a machine that kills people. He has emotions as a human being, and seeing him grow up and gradually experience a wider range of emotions will draw the audience into the story. I was so happy to see the audience’s reactions to the twenty minutes of the first episode. The audience gave me so much energy! 

*The Kagurabachi anime will be available to stream worldwide outside of select Asian territories on Crunchyroll.

You can follow the Kagurabachi anime via the official website, X, TikTok, and Instagram.