AWanderingSorcererJun 17, 2023

#SeiyuuSaturday

This is going to be a regular thing of mine where I'll talk about #seiyuu, or #anime voice actors, that I particularly enjoy, along with some roles of theirs.

To start things off, I'm discussing the lovely and exuberant #KaedeHondo (b. 1996), who's been voice acting since 2015.

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The earliest role of hers I'll be discussing is the genki vampire Hikari from #InterviewsWithMonsterGirls, a fantasy slice-of-life anime from 2017. Part of the wave of monster girl series in the 2010s, Hikari was the most prominent demihuman in the series, someone who reflected both the easy charm of the series as well as its interest in social assimilation and metaphorical examinations of disability and acceptance. Even at an early point in her career, Hondo was able to show that she could play such a upbeat character who also played her serious moments well.
Jun 17, 2023 at 8:14pmWeb
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In 2018's #ComicGirls, about a group of female #manga artists, Hondo voiced Koyume, a shoujo mangaka who struggles with her own efforts alongside her growing crush on a fellow mangaka. This continues the trend of Hondo voicing the genki girl in #sliceoflife anime, but Koyume's depth comes through her artistic struggles (similar to the other characters) and her romantic desire for someone who is, let's say, not the most emotionally open.
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Also in 2018 was Hondo's first unambiguous lead role in this thread, Sakura Minamoto in #ZombielandSaga. A former idol hopeful who found herself reincarnated in a madcap effort to revitalize a dying prefecture in Japan, Sakura often found herself playing the straight man to the rest of Franchouchou's wild characters. While her arc towards the end of Season 1 wasn't a particular favorite of mine, Hondo showed new depths in playing a character struggling to keep the energy of herself and others up while also struggling with depression.
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2020 may have been a shit year, but it at least gave us one shining light with the cutest war criminal you ever saw, Maple from #Bofuri. She may not want to get hurt, but with her increasing focus on defense, she's a tougher cookie than you'd expect. Hondo (who almost shares Maple's real name, Kaede Honjou) brings the manic energy within her roles to another level as she blasts through her enemies with the same glee she gets from hanging out with her best (girl)friend.
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Continuing the fantasy trend, we have the dragon Laika from 2021's #SlimeTaoshite. This is quite a different role from what we've seen of Hondo so far, with Laika being a high-class lady that is full of pride and can easily snark towards those she looks down upon, particularly her rival dragon Flatorte. Hondo was more than up for it, though, giving Laika the requisite amount of a strength for a dragon while showing her weaknesses when Laika lets herself open up.
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Moving to a softer character, 2022 started with Hondo voicing Nawashiro in #akebichannosailorfuku. One of the classmates of the titular Akebi, Nawashiro is a soft, gentle presence in the classroom, often seen alongside her roommate and companion Washio, providing a gentler approach to her friend. While not given as much to do compared to other characters in the season, Hondo still demonstrated her prowess by giving her voice a mature air that her roles typically don't have.
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Finally, also in 2022, we have the maid Lotte from #parallelworldpharmacy. A companion to the protagonist Pharma, Lotte eventually becomes an important part of the titular pharmacy, even if she doesn't have a great role in the plot itself. Hondo doesn't do too much different from her previous roles, but she really does a great job in making Lotte sound moe, making you want to protect her from anything that could come after her.

#isekaiyakkyoku

Show threadAWanderingSorcererJun 17, 2023
I know this isn't every role that Kaede Hondo has done but #SeiyuuSaturday will only list roles from anime that I have finished. If I watch a significant amount of anime that features seiyuu already presented, I may do new editions of them.