Hello everyone, sometimes two is just better than one. I truly believe that to be the case. That’s why I like these interviews with both Nao Touyama and Ikumi Hasegawa talking about Star Detective Precure!
This interview series is from crank-in and they published this in two parts. One after Cure Eclair became a thing and one after Cure Arcana became a thing! Though the magic of Magical Stage’s editing, these two interviews have been combined!
Let’s get reading then shall we
Translation by “nui”, Editing by me. Nao Touyama x Ikumi Hasegawa Behind the Scenes of “Who is Cure Eclair!?” and the Future Chosen by the “Miracle Duo” was originally published on crank-in in August 2026.
Original Links:
Part 1: https://www.crank-in.net/interview/188613/1
Part 2: https://www.crank-in.net/interview/188624/1
Part 1 – Star Detective Precure: Ikumi Hasegawa x Nao Toyama, Behind the Scenes of “Who is Cure Eclair!?”
The true identity of the long-mysterious Cure Eclair has finally been revealed in the TV anime Star Detective Precure! as the kind-hearted patissier, Kurea Howa. The guessing game of “Who is Cure Eclair!?” spread widely, reaching everyone from children to fellow voice actors. Meanwhile, voice actress Ikumi Hasegawa, who plays the role, had to continuously protect this secret despite knowing the answer. In this first half of the interview, Hasegawa sits down with Nao Toyama, who plays Cure Arcana Shadow / Luluka Moria, a character with a special connection to Kurea. They discuss the massive response leading up to the reveal, the acting required to transition from a “truly kind girl” to a dignified Precure, the unexpected difficulties of performing her first transformation speech, and the increasing charm of their characters and companion fairies the more they play them.
From Children to Voice Actor Peers: The Spreading Response and “Cure Eclair Predictions”
Interviewer: It has been about half a year since the broadcast began. What kind of reactions have you received from people around you regarding the show and your characters?
Nao Toyama: When I go to see the Precure live stage shows, the children come dressed as their favorite Precure. They dress up in “Pretumes” (Precure Costumes) or T-shirts from Shimamura. Seeing them enjoy the show in their own outfits makes me realize our work is reaching them, and it warms my heart. I am looking forward to seeing more children dressed as Cure Eclair in the future. I also frequently hear stories of children mimicking Cure Arcana Shadow’s whisper voice, saying, “Now, let’s invite you to the labyrinth”. Friends sometimes send me videos of their kids doing it, and I just agonize over how cute it is.
Ikumi Hasegawa: Before it was officially announced that I was playing Cure Eclair, the guessing game of “Who among the four is it?” was really heating up, and I received many messages from friends. One friend, who is a mother, kept asking, “Is Eclair you, Hasegawa?”. I couldn’t answer, so I just said, “No, I can’t say,” to which she replied, “Well, I believe it’s you, Hasegawa” (laughs). Right after Episode 23 aired, that same friend sent me a passionate message saying “I am convinced!” along with a screenshot of the subtitle for the line, “I followed my sparkle”. Even then, I just replied, “No, you never know” (laughs). I received reactions from a wide variety of people, starting with mothers watching with their children.
Hasegawa: Even within the industry, I was frequently asked by fellow voice actors and staff members, “Are you a Precure?”. Every time, I gave a vague answer like, “Well, I wonder about that…” (laughs). Senior Precure voice actors also asked me. Minami Takahashi came right next to me at a different workplace and asked, “Are you a Precure?”. Rumi Ookubo asked as well, but I kept hiding it, just saying “Well…”. I was happy for the attention, but keeping the secret was truly difficult because the response was so massive. I wanted to tell everyone, too! (laughs). My heart pounded every time I deflected the question, but it made me realize how much attention the show gets from people in the industry.
Interviewer: I heard that this highly anticipated identity was kept a secret even from the cast, other than Hasegawa-san and Toyama-san.
Touyama: That is correct. During all of that, Satoshi Hino-san, who plays Usonoir, kept wanting to become Cure Eclair the entire time (laughs).
Hasegawa: It was really the whole time. Even before her identity was revealed, he would say, “No, there’s still a chance it’s me. It might be me” (laughs).
Touyama: He was saying, “If I take off my mask, Cure Eclair will come out from inside me” (laughs). Even after he found out he wasn’t Eclair, he said, “No, but there is still Shushutan…“. He hadn’t given up at all (laughs).
Following the “Sparkle of the Heart”: Acting the Transition from Kurea to Cure Eclair
Interviewer: Keeping in mind that Kurea eventually becomes Cure Eclair, what have you been particularly careful to cherish in your acting so far?
Hasegawa: I knew from the beginning that Kurea would become Cure Eclair. However, Kurea herself didn’t have those memories; she was just spending her days as a regular patissier. Therefore, until she regained her memories as Eclair, I focused purely on playing her honestly as a “truly kind girl”. Once she awakened as Eclair, I added the resilience and dignity of a Precure. But Kurea’s core essence hasn’t changed. She is a very straightforward girl who lives by following the “sparkle of her heart”. She can properly put her feelings into words and convey them to others. So, rather than overthinking the role, I trusted Kurea’s words and emotions and followed her “sparkle of the heart” alongside her. By doing that, I felt I could naturally become Kurea and, subsequently, Cure Eclair. It was less about struggling with building the character and more about just following her straightforward heart.
Interviewer: You also performed your transformation speech during the transformation scene. What difficulties did you experience when actually doing it?
Hasegawa: I think everyone who does transformation scenes feels this, but I only recently realized how incredibly difficult it is to build up your emotions right before the transformation. Before this, I would carelessly enjoy watching everyone else’s transformations, thinking, “This is fun! I’m glad I get to see this! So cute and cool!” (laughs). Because everyone performed it so naturally, I didn’t notice the difficulty. But when it was my turn, I found the emotional buildup leading to the word “Open!” to be incredibly hard.
The story leading up to the transformation and the emotions the character is feeling change every episode. You have to figure out what level of tension to bring into the “Open!” call based on that flow. At the same time, the animation used for the transformation is the same every time. You have to make sure you don’t deviate too far from the completed visuals, while still properly layering on the emotions built up in that specific episode. The balance required surprised me; I thought, “I didn’t realize so much thought went into a transformation speech”.
For my very first transformation, I was personally very fired up, and for Cure Eclair, it was a moment of finally reviving and hyping herself up to “defeat Usonoir”. Because it was my first time, I put a lot of force into that initial “Open!”. However, the director showed me the actual animation and asked me to adjust my feelings to match the visuals, so I tweaked it little by little. Performing the transformation bank for the first time made me acutely aware of how difficult and deep transformation acting really is. On the other hand, the “Sparkle Time” offers a bit more freedom compared to the transformation. Sometimes it is said with dignity, and other times it is expressed elegantly and gorgeously. I change it slightly every episode, so I would be happy if viewers listened for those differences.
The More You Act, The More Lovable They Become: The True Faces of Kurea and Luluka
Interviewer: As the story has progressed this far, what are the specific moments that make each of you think, “I really like this girl”?
Hasegawa: Even before her true identity was revealed, and setting aside the fact that she is a Precure, Kurea’s charm as a person has been depicted in many ways. Even though I am much older than Kurea, there are times I feel like, “This girl is already so fully formed as a human being” (laughs). Her past experiences and the environment she grew up in surely contributed to that. Even so, I was constantly amazed by how incredible she is.
A moment that left a particular impression on me was in Episode 17, when she offered words of comfort to a depressed Anna. Kurea listened to every single one of her worries, internalized them, and then conveyed her advice by replacing it with her own words as a patissier. By using metaphors like “If this were a cake…”, she chose words that would properly reach Anna’s heart. She didn’t just give advice; she handed it over in a form the other person could easily accept. Being able to communicate one step ahead like that made me realize her greatness, to the point of thinking, “How can she do this? What is up with this girl!”.
Because of all that buildup, the slightly ditzy side of her that we see after she becomes Cure Eclair adds a really nice flavor. I thought, “That’s not fair!” (laughs). To be so put-together but still have that kind of side to her. That made me love her even more.
Touyama: Luluka is truly mysterious and doesn’t talk much, but that is exactly why she is someone who always makes you think, “I want to know more about her” and “What is she thinking right now?”. I also find her interactions with Mashutan very heartwarming. Mashutan is the responsible one and sometimes acts like an older sister to Luluka, but she can also be a bit clumsy occasionally (laughs). When that happens, Luluka gently chides her with a “Mashutan…”. I think their relationship is truly one-of-a-kind.
You can tell from various scenes that they deeply care for each other. Mashutan believes in Luluka and silently follows her decisions. I can only imagine how reassuring that trust must be for Luluka. At the same time, you can feel Mashutan’s determination to “protect Luluka,” who is always so tense. Every time I witness the warmth between them, I see the kindness hidden beneath Luluka’s mysterious exterior, and it makes me like her even more.
Interviewer: What kind of charm do you feel from Kurea’s companion fairy, Shushutan?
Hasegawa: Shushutan is also adorable. She is truly just a baby (laughs). Even though she looks like a baby, she is incredibly smart. That combination really makes her feel like Kurea’s companion fairy. Even though she is so small and speaks with “Deshu, deshu,” she teaches us a lot of information. And she does it so triumphantly, like, “I know about this, deshu!”. Every time I see that, I think, “You’re so smart, you’re so cute” (laughs). Her combination of baby-like adorableness and intelligence is very charming.
Touyama: This is a bit of a tangent, but Karin Isobe-chan, who plays Shushutan, sang the opening theme song for Go! Princess Precure. Hino-san also played an enemy in that same series, and I appeared in it playing a fairy. Eleven years ago, I never imagined a future like this was waiting for us. Isobe-chan, who sang the theme song back then, is now in the same recording booth as a fellow cast member. It makes me somewhat happy that we can work together again like this after 11 years.
Part 2 – Star Detective Precure: Ikumi Hasegawa x Nao Touyama, The Future Chosen by the “Miracle Duo”
Kurea Howa, who awakened as Cure Eclair, and Luluka Moria, who bore the mission all alone to protect her smile. The more they cared for each other, the more they missed each other. The story of these two carrying such pain reaches a major turning point in Episode 31. Through the pitch-black Eclipse Shadow, the “true answer” Luluka arrived at was an earnest wish to be with with Kurea. In the second half of the interview, Ikumi Hasegawa and Nao Toyama reveal the joy and pain that intersected during Cure Eclair’s awakening, and the behind-the-scenes stories of the recording when she was reborn as the pure white Cure Arcana. Furthermore, they talked about the bond of the “Miracle Duo” that cannot be described by just one word like family, sisters, friends, or rivals, and the future of the now four-member Precure.
The joy and pain intersecting at Cure Eclair’s awakening. The “true answer” Ruruka arrived at.
Interviewer: When you first saw Cure Eclair’s transformation, what kind of thoughts welled up inside you, Toyama-san? Also, how did Luluka process that moment?
Touyama: When I first saw it, it was definitely complicated. For me personally, I had this excitement of, “Cure Eclair is finally born!” Hase-chan’s truly beautiful voice perfectly expressed Cure Eclair’s pure and clean atmosphere.
Even though it was my first time seeing the transformation scene, I had this really pleasant feeling of naturally accepting it, like, “Yes, exactly, this is it.”
On the other hand, as Luluka, she had this feeling of, “I didn’t want it to come to this.” She wanted to shatter the Makoto Jewel before Cure Eclair awakened, preventing her memories from returning and stopping her from becoming the Great King, just so she could live peacefully as a normal girl. She had been acting solely on that desire. Because of that, there was this frustration and helplessness of “it ended up like this,” and a lot of different emotions were mixed up inside me too.
Kurea had her memories wiped once by Usonoir. And now, she has to shatter the precious memories with her loved one that she finally got back, this time with her own hands. That is truly heartbreaking. But still, she has to do it. I’m sure Luluka’s own emotions were a total mess as well.
Interviewer: How did you interpret the “true answer” that Luluka, who carried the mission to protect the world and prevent Kurea from becoming the Great King, finally reached?
Touyama: Luluka only thought about her mission as a Precure to “protect the world” and to “protect Kurea’s smile by not letting her become the Great King.” So she joined the Phantom Thieves of her own will and fought hard as Cure Arcana Shadow.
But Cure Answer, Cure Mystique, and finally Cure Eclair ask her, “Tell us your true answer.” The real wish of Luluka that comes to light there is that she wants to be with with Kurea.
Because the gap between her mission and her true feelings was so massive, Luluka suffered for a long time, carrying those feelings all by herself. I also suffered alongside Luluka, acting out the role while my heart ached for her.
However, what I felt through her is that even someone as excellent as Luluka, a star detective who can see one or two steps ahead, can sometimes make a mistake in the answer she comes up with. When she thought Kurea might become the Great King, even if it was hard to consult Kurea herself, she could have found allies and looked for a way to solve it together.
Because she took it all on herself, she pushed forward down the single path she chose to an extreme degree. What she really needed was to find the answer together with her friends. I feel like that is exactly what Luluka taught us through her own experiences.
Interviewer: Luluka visited Patisserie ChuChu, where Kurea worked after losing her memories, many times. How did you imagine her inner feelings during those times that weren’t depicted in the main story?
Touyama: Until Kurea gets her memories back, Luluka’s inner thoughts aren’t shown in detail. That’s exactly why I tried to imagine the feelings that must have been behind the scenes and stay close to them.
To Kurea, Luluka was probably just a “regular customer,” and I’m sure Kurea spoke to her kindly. When Luluka saw Kurea remaining kind even after losing her memories, she must have felt happy thinking, “She’s still the Kurea I love so much.” But I think the more happy she felt, the more her chest tightened with a heartbreaking sadness at the same time.
And every time she saw that, she would strengthen her resolve, thinking, “I absolutely have to protect this girl,” visiting the shop over and over, eating ice cream while quietly watching over Kurea.
From pitch black to pure white. The “finish line” etched by Cure Arcana and the start of the four of them
Interviewer: As Cure Arcana Shadow, Luluka stood in the way of Cure Answer and Cure Mystique. Her testing the two as their senior and sometimes playfully brushing them off was very memorable. When she acted as an enemy, how did you grasp the underlying motives and emotions?
Touyama: For example, the “cheek poke” is something I think just simply showed Luluka’s playful side. Maybe the staff had some specific intention, so I don’t know if I’m right, but (laughs).
When playing Cure Arcana Shadow, I checked “why is she deploying this time” one by one for every recording. Actually, her motive changes depending on the episode.
The first time she appeared as Cure Arcana Shadow, she also had the goal of making Hosho-san, who was exhibiting fakes, rethink her actions. There was a sense of justice unique to Luluka there. At the same time, she was trying to gauge how much power the Star Detective Precure she was facing for the first time actually had.
If they could defeat Usonoir in her place, maybe she could get Cure Eclair’s Makoto Jewel back. While appearing with the face of an enemy, there was also a sense of testing them to see if they actually had the potential to defeat Usonoir.
But at that point, she felt they were “still lacking,” so after that, she sometimes showed up to train the two. On the other hand, there were times she deployed with the clear objective of stealing Makoto Jewels.
Originally, as a Precure, Makoto Jewels are something Luluka wants to protect. But as long as Cure Eclair’s Makoto Jewel was being held hostage, she had to trade other Makoto Jewels to get it back. So there were times she had to seriously go steal them and prove, “I am properly obeying Usonoir-sama.”
Even if it looks like she is standing in front of Cure Answer and Cure Mystique in the same way, the underlying motives and emotions are different every time. Is she doing this out of a sense of justice? Is she trying to test the two? Is she desperate to protect Kurea? It didn’t fit into a single mold, and I always secretly asked the staff about Luluka’s feelings each time, like, “Is this the goal this time?” or “Is she thinking this now?” before acting it out.
Interviewer: In Episode 31, After becoming Eclipse Shadow, Luluka transforms into the pure white Cure Arcana. Compared to Cure Arcana Shadow, what kind of changes did you make to your vocal expressions and your transformation lines?
Touyama: I think it became something vastly different. Eclipse Shadow felt cornered, falling into darkness so deep it could be called pitch black. From there, it just pops into pure white. She released everything she had been carrying alone up to that point, and was finally able to face her true feelings properly. Plus, Kurea reached out her hand to her. She was overflowing with so much euphoria, so I think even the brightness of her voice is completely different.
In dubbing, we do a test run first. During that, I ended up thinking, “I have to go back to those pitch-black feelings for the actual take right after this” (laughs). If I went all out with the brightness then, I felt like I wouldn’t be able to come back, so I held back a little. Of course, even in the test run I had to properly play Cure Arcana, but to make sure I could bring my best acting for the actual take, it was like keeping one foot in the darkness, so to speak.
Then they told me, “It sounds completely different from the Cure Arcana toy voice we recorded beforehand.” I was thinking, “Right? I know, I know!” (laughs), and then for the real take, I firmly cast off all the darkness in a flash.
Just like a possessed spirit had dropped off, letting go of everything she had been carrying. I was able to act with the feeling of, “From here on, everyone is here. Kurea is here. We are going to walk toward the future together. I’ve arrived at my true answer.” Then they told me, “It became properly white,” which was a relief.
Hasegawa: That moment was truly filled with happiness. I was also just glad to finally see her in this form. My feelings were, “Thank you for smiling. I’m so glad you could get your smile back.”
Touyama: Everyone around us was warmly watching over her too, saying, “I can’t believe Arcana would smile like this.” We had also been watching the journey up to Episode 31 all along, so there was this sense of reaching a finish line of “she finally made it here,” and a sense of a new start of “We’re walking as four from here on out.” Episode 31 was where those two feelings overlapped.
Interviewer: In that same Episode 31, the first group attack by the four Precure was also revealed. How was the recording where all four of you layered your voices for the first time?
Touyama: We really didn’t sync up well at first, we struggled with it (laughs). Since Cure Answer and Cure Mystique have synced their voices so many times before this, the expectations of the staff was very high.
Hasegawa: For us listening in the booth, we think, “That last one was perfect!” But even then they tell us, “It can sync up even more.” We kept layering it over and over from there.
Touyama: But Hika-chan, who plays Cure Answer, was great at leading us, so despite struggling, after a few times we were able to get a perfectly synced take. Holding onto the emotions of that moment, I am determined to continue giving my all during upcoming voice recording sessions.
Interviewer: In the Detective Test, even while arriving at the same answer, Kurea and Luluka made different choices. How did the two of you feel about the individuality that showed up there?
Touyama: I think the two of them really have a one-of-a-kind relationship. Ever since they met, Kurea has been kind and full of acceptance.
During the Detective Test, Kurea had actually arrived at the answer too. But she thought, “Is telling the truth really for the other person’s sake?” and purposefully didn’t say it. On the other hand, Luluka believes, “If you’re a star detective, you should tell the facts properly.” They are both excellent, but the things they value as detectives were just a little bit different.
At that time, they both show slightly sad expressions. But I heard from the staff during dubbing that it wasn’t because they were disappointed in each other, but rather an expression of accepting, “We just had different ways of doing things.”
Because they have different ways of thinking, Luluka thought Kurea’s kindness, which she didn’t have herself, was amazing and respected it. Kurea has both the power to become a Detective Precure and had an excellent “sixth sense.” The one who felt that talent closer than anyone else was Luluka.
Even if she became a Star Detective first, she wanted to stay with Kurea forever. That’s why she chose to bring her along as an assistant when coming to Japan. She trusted Kurea that much, and found her talent so dazzling. For Luluka, Kurea was the person she wanted by her side more than anyone else.
Hasegawa: From Kurea’s perspective too, Luluka has a charm that she lacks. I’m sure it’s mutual. It’s not about which one is right, but because they have different things, they can complement each other. I think that’s where their unique buddy vibe comes from.
This is just my imagination from here on out, but for Kurea when she couldn’t pass the detective test, Luluka’s presence must have been really huge. She stayed beside Kurea who couldn’t become a detective, encouraged her, and gave her perfume. Kurea is a sociable girl who looks like she can do anything, but I wonder just how much Luluka saved her back then.
Even if it’s not visible normally, emotionally I’m sure there are parts where she entrusts her back to Luluka or softly leans on her shoulder.
You could tell that feeling from the scene in Episode 31 where Kurea tearfully says, “You accepted me! How could I ever forget?” For Kurea, Luluka is an indispensable person. I think she’s such an important existence that Kurea wouldn’t be able to walk straight if she wasn’t by her side.
Interviewer: They were also “kids with no one to rely on.” What kind of relationship do Kurea and Luluka look like to the two of you?
Hasegawa: Their upbringings are similar, aren’t they. Luluka especially is introverted and not great at communicating with people, and when she first met Kurea, she was very awkward too. Because she was someone that Luluka could connect with like that, I think their bond became unimaginably deep for other people.
The more you know about that bond, the more painful the upcoming developments feel. Anna and Mikuru are also a “Miracle Duo”, but Kurea and Luluka are absolutely a “Miracle Duo” who were meant to meet.
Luluka’s feeling of “as long as you keep smiling, that’s enough” really brings tears to my eyes. No matter how much she suffers, she wants to save her even if she has to carry it all. I don’t think everyone gets to meet someone they can feel that way about in their life. The more I follow the story, the more I feel that they really are destined to be together.
Touyama: I’ve spent the past six months acting while carrying Luluka’s desire of “wanting to protect Kurea.” But why is she so fixated on Kurea? It’s because Kurea isn’t just a friend, but an existence where Luluka feels, “It has to be you.”
Of course, there is also the grand mission of protecting the world. But before that, as a single human being, she’s wishing, “I want you to live life with a smile.” I’m sure it’s a feeling born from the fact that they’ve harbored a similar loneliness.
When I learned about that background, the weight of it hit me right in the chest. I felt like I really had to face what Luluka was carrying properly as well.
…We must be like family, huh.
Hasegawa: That’s right. They are family, like sisters, and also like friends. But they are slightly rivals too. “She can do this. I am like this.” I think it was a relationship where they were aware of each other’s differences and inspired each other.
Touyama: Family, sisters, friends, rivals. It’s a relationship that can’t be expressed by just one of those, right? Over here as well, they are definitely a “Miracle Duo.”
Interviewer: Kurea and Luluka’s story has reached a milestone, and there are now four Precure. From here on out, please tell us what you’re looking forward to or any mysteries you are curious about.
Hasegawa: I had heard the developments up to this point in advance to some extent, but I really don’t know anything from here on. Kurea and Luluka’s story has, in a way, reached a point of completion.
When that happens, next up, Mikuru smells the most like something is going on (laughs). I bet the viewers are starting to feel it little by little too.
I think it will tie into the mystery of Anna herself in the end, but first, I want to know more about what kind of girl Mikuru is and how she ended up being here right now.
Touyama: I’m curious about Pochitan too. Where on earth are they sending the Makoto Jewel fragments they collect? I’m super curious.
Hasegawa: Emiri Kato-san, who plays Pochitan, is also theorizing about a lot of things with us on set. But she might actually know and just be lying to us (laughs).
Touyama: But she was saying, “I don’t know,” right?
Hasegawa: Well, I also kept saying “I don’t know” about Eclair’s true identity at first (laughs).
Touyama: You did! (laughs)
Hasegawa: We want to enjoy the story moving forward together with all the viewers.
Interview and Text: Kuronosuke Yoshino
