- Interview Date: 8/23/2025
- Interview Location: Anime NYC 2025
- Interview Format: Round Robin
Anime Trending: Spy x Family is popular worldwide. How does it feel to be part of the cast of this amazing series and did you ever imagine you would be part of the series?
Kenichirō Matsuda: I am very honored to be part of such an amazing, popular series. I am very thankful to be a part of it. To be honest, I never thought I would be part of something this big, so I’m very thankful to be a part of it.
Emiri Katō: I was very happy when I was chosen to play Becky. After I was chosen, I went and read the whole series that was out and I loved it. It was a lot of fun. I was very much looking forward to the recording process. Now that it is out in the world and everyone loves it, and I’ve seen so many cosplayers online, I’m even more grateful to be part of such an amazing series?
Unknown Outlet: Why do you think the show is so beloved by everyone?
Emiri Katō: I would have to say that the biggest reason is Anya’s so cute. Of course, Lloyd and Yor are very cool. They aren’t a real family by definition, but the more time they spend together, the more they become like a real family. Of course, then Bond joins in.
I think all of their lives are relatable in some way to all of the viewers, and that could be also the charm, but in the end, the biggest reason is still Anya’s cuteness.
Kenichirō Matsuda: I believe that (Tatsuya) Endo-sensei’s character designs are just so good, but also the way he writes keeps you enthralled in the story. The actual story is serious and a bit dark, but it is presented as a comedy a lot of the time, so you feel at ease that there is no impending doom. So, you get to enjoy it while there is that serious stuff going on in the background. I think that is one of the biggest reasons it is so beloved.
Anime Corner: Do you feel that any aspects of your approach to your voice acting have changed since the anime began production?
Kenichirō Matsuda: I feel like I understand Bond much better, now that more time has passed. Compared to when I first started playing Bond, my portrayal of him is a little bit more free. I don’t feel as constrained.
I can relate to Bond. When I first joined the cast, I was very nervous, just as Bond was when he first joined the family. Now we feel at ease with the rest of the Forgers and I am having a lot of fun.
Emiri Katō: At first, Becky is a bit prickly and unapproachable, even towards Anya. Of course, as the story goes along, they go from being friends to being best friends. When we were playing our roles, even if (Atsumi) Tanezaki-san and I are not on the same microphone, I feel that we are more connected now. She has said the same thing as well. It doesn’t matter if we are far apart. We are very connected in our roles now. We have both mentioned this in various Japanese media as well.
Anime Herald: If you had the opportunity to give Anya Forger and Becky Blackbell some life advice, what would you want to tell them?
Emiri Katō: I think what I would tell them that what brings people together is not exactly money. (Laughs)
What brings people together is being honest with each other. The reason Becky and Anya became such good friends is that they are both so honest. They basically have no lies. I don’t feel like I taught them anything. They taught me that.
The Natural Aristocrat: Does any of Becky’s personality match your own?
Emiri Katō: I think we are both very honest. I am a terrible liar.
Anime Trending: You voice Bond the dog. How does it feel to voice him and how do you prepare yourself for that role?
Kenichirō Matsuda: Bond may be a dog, but he is very intelligent. His feelings are similar to a human’s, so I don’t feel it is that different from playing a human character. But, he is a dog, so there are parts where he is much more honest, simple, and straightforward. As for preparing for the role, I basically stay home and say “Borf, borf!” a lot.
Emiri Katō: Yes, Bond is a dog, but there are a few times in the series when he says human words. That is something that we as the cast always look forward to.
Kenichirō Matsuda: When I look at the script, I try to see if there are any parts where I can say human words. During the rehearsal, I will try it out and usually it goes through.
Unknown Outlet: Do you have any advice for voice actors?
Kenichirō Matsuda: Watch a lot of things. Consume all sorts of media, read a lot of books, watch a lot of movies.
I don’t get to do this much, but, travel the world, see a lot of places, experience a lot of different things. Broaden your horizons. I think all of that is very important for your experience of playing other characters.
Emiri Katō: I feel the same. Experience a lot of different things. Obviously, that brings a lot of different emotions. You experience happiness, sadness, pain. You tend to remember all of those feelings, even physically, mentally. When you want to cry, your throat starts closing up or gets dry. I think that really helps when I’m acting. I’ll be able to recreate whatever feelings are needed from me in the role.
Anime Corner: What would you say is the most difficult aspect of voicing your character?
Kenichirō Matsuda: I get away with a lot of things when playing Bond. Our recording sessions are very free. We actually get away with a lot of things. I’ll try things out and won’t expect them to say “okay,” but they’ll use the take. That makes me think I can go even further next time.
To be clear, I am talking about Bond.
Emiri Katō: The role of Becky is not very difficult for me to play. But she speaks very fast. So, a lot of the time I need to say a lot in a very short period of time. So I end up practicing a lot at home to make sure I fit the time slot.
Anime Herald: When you first became a voice actor, did you ever imagine one of your key lines would be “Borf,” and if you could give Bond some life advice, what would you say to him?
Kenichirō Matsuda: I obviously can’t say that I thought that one of my most memorable lines would have ever been “borf.” I’ve heard that “borf” is popular though, so I am very grateful that that is the case. It’s such a simple line, so I am grateful for that as well.
I would like to tell him that Yor is actually not that scary. He always feels impending doom and that his life is being threatened when he is around her. I’d like to tell him that isn’t the case.
The Natural Aristocrat: What do you hope for the future of Spy x Family?
Emiri Katō: As Becky, I want to see how everyone at Eden College is going to grow from now on. I am very curious to see how they change and grow when they go up a grade. Of course, I would love to see them at an older age at some point in the story. But of course, I also love them as their small little selves right now.
Speaking for Becky, I am obviously very curious about where the romance between Damian and Anya is going to go in the future.
Kenichirō Matsuda: You don’t just mean Damian? You mean both Damian and Anya
Emiri Katō: From Becky’s point of view, they are both in love with each other. She would like to see how that romance ends up in the future.
Kenichirō Matsuda: Speaking for Bond, he would like to stay with the Forgers and live a peaceful life, rolling around as a dog. I also hope he gets to live peacefully from now on, considering everything he’s gone through.
Anime Trending: What is it like working with (Atsumi) Tanezaki-san and can you describe your dynamic when voicing your characters?
Emiri Katō: When we’re recording, we are a few microphones apart. But, we feel connected. Before and after the recording session, we usually get together and talk about what we want to do with the ad-libs. We discuss these things together. And because we play best friends, we feel deeply connected.
I would love to come to New York again with Anya, (Laughs)
Unknown Outlet: Do you ever get scared or nervous when you are voice acting? Do you have advice for other people on how to deal with that fear?
Emiri Katō: When the main cast is together, I don’t think any of us get that nervous. There are times when some amazing senior will come in to do a guest spot. That makes me nervous. I obviously feel like I can’t mess up.
Kenichirō Matsuda: I feel like I am perpetually nervous. (Laughs)
I think being nervous is actually important. You don’t need to overcome it. You need to accept that part of yourself. That makes me feel more serious about this role. I am becoming friends with my nervousness.
Anime Corner: Becky tries to act more mature than she is, while retaining her childlike elements. How do you work that mixture of maturity and immaturity into your voice acting?
Emiri Katō: Becky loves to watch dramas that are meant for adults. She loves to learn the harder words, even though she usually has no idea what they mean. A lot of time in the scripts and subtitles, difficult words are expressed in katakana, so that we know they are difficult. She doesn’t understand what the words mean a lot of the time, but she wants to say these new words. In playing Becky, I try to reflect that she’s trying to say these words that she doesn’t understand.
Anime Herald: Welcome to New York! Do you have any fun plans or stories from your trip?
Emiri Katō: We got to go to a lot of places on this trip. I got to go to the location for The Continental Hotel from John Wick (1 Wall Street). We both went to Times Square. I shot a lot of videos when I was there and had a lot of fun.
Kenichirō Matsuda: I got to see the Ghostbusters firehouse. I also got to see the famous Brooklyn Bridge in person.
Emiri Katō: I got to meet up with a friend that lives in New York. We had lunch in Central Park.
The Natural Aristocrat: When recording Bond, do you usually record alone, or with the other cast members?
Kenichirō Matsuda: When we are doing the run though, we get to record together. Sadly, when the actual recording happens, there are times when I am alone recording Bond’s role. A lot of the time, Bond is rolling around in the background, or sleeping. Of course, if I could record with everyone, I’d love to.
I definitely relate to Bond.
