Hello everyone, we all love Ojamajo Doremi here don’t we? If you clicked this article and you don’t like it, maybe reading on might change your mind a bit because we have five voice actresses who to this day are still just as passionate about the series as they were 25 years ago!
To celebrate the upcoming release of the Motto Ojamajo Doremi Blu-ray boxset, animeanime sat down with the MAHO-DOU gang to talk about their memories of the third season of Doremi, and I couldn’t sit idle and not share this interview with you all so here it is!
Translation by “nui”, Editing by me. “Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi” Blu-ray BOX Release Celebration Cast Roundtable was originally published on animeanime.jp in August 2026. Original Link: https://animeanime.jp/article/2026/08/21/102241.html
Celebrating the 25th anniversary of its TV anime broadcast, “Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi” is back. A digitally remastered Blu-ray BOX will be released on December 2, 2026.
The cast members who call it “a show we want you to watch again in this day and age” are Chiemi Chiba (Doremi Harukaze), Tomoko Akiya (Hazuki Fujiwara), Yuki Matsuoka (Aiko Senoo), Rumi Shishido (Onpu Segawa), and Nami Miyahara (Momoko Asuka). We sat down with them to hear their memories from the recording sessions and the charm of the show they’ve rediscovered today.
Fans saying “We’ve been waiting!” made us happy: Thoughts on the Blu-ray BOX project
Interviewer: To mark the 25th anniversary of Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi, a Blu-ray BOX project was held where the release was only confirmed if pre-orders topped 500 copies. How did you feel when you heard about the project and when it hit that goal?
Chiemi Chiba: I was surprised, like, “Wait, a Blu-ray BOX hadn’t been released yet?” When the project was announced, I was happy to see so many people on social media saying “We’ve been waiting!” I figured that if that many people were waiting, we would hit the goal.
Yuki Matsuoka: Blu-rays look beautiful, and they’re compact since you can fit more episodes on a single disc. I really wanted everyone to have a copy. If this project for “Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi” succeeded, it might have paved the way for the next one, “Ojamajo Doremi Dokkaan!” So I felt, “We have to hype this up!” and put effort into announcing it on X (formerly Twitter). Working toward a goal with everyone felt exciting, kind of like clearing a quest in a video game.
Nami Miyahara: I was so happy when we met the goal. Chiemi and I do events together all the time, so we get to talk to Ojamajo Doremi fans often. It makes me happy that this show is loved across generations and that people are still watching it. Some people found the show just last year, and we’ve even had fans from overseas. I hope the Blu-ray BOX release helps the Ojamajo Doremi series stay connected to people.
Tomoko Akiya: There are lots of people around me who watch the Ojamajo Doremi series too. They tell me how nostalgic it feels to watch it again now, so while I really wanted us to hit the goal, I also found myself hoping we’d get another project after this one.
Rumi Shishido: When I heard about the Blu-ray BOX, my thought was just, “I want one too!” That’s why I promoted it on X (Twitter), hoping we could make the goal. I’ll keep promoting it until the release date.
Interviewer: Did the five of you get together often even after recording for the Ojamajo Doremi series wrapped up?
Chiba: We actually got together a lot, one way or another. We had plenty of recording sessions and events related to Ojamajo Doremi, so even when we meet up, it doesn’t feel like a reunion at all.
Miyahara: Even after recording the 20th anniversary movie Looking for Magical Doremi, the producer, Hiromi Seki, took us out for yakiniku, just like she did during the TV series. All the cast members were chatting and having a great time, and the atmosphere hasn’t changed a bit in 25 years.
Matsuoka: I still haven’t fully realized that 25 years have passed since Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi (laughs).
Memories from the recording booth: Which classmates left an impression?
Interviewer: The Ojamajo Doremi series is known for episodes that spotlight each classmate. Which classmates left a lasting impression on you?
Matsuoka: The only person Aiko acknowledged as a best friend outside of the MAHO-Dou members was Nobuko Yokogawa. The episodes she appeared in were always my spotlight episodes, so she is the one presence I was really curious about. But you know, when they first met, they had a huge fight. The episode title was even “A Liar’s First Friendship” (Ojamajo Doremi Ep.6). She was an important classmate, and they deepened their friendship by fighting and making up.
Chiba: A memorable one during recording for me was Reika Tamaki. We recorded the Ojamajo Doremi series starting at 10:00 AM, and I really respected Ai Nagano for doing Tamaki’s haughty, loud laugh right from the morning, thinking “Wow, she’s amazing.” Later on, I played a character with a similar laugh in a different show, and I finally understood how good it feels to act like that. I realized later, “Oh, Tamaki was just having a great time laughing every time!” (laughs).
Miyahara: Tamaki didn’t change at all when we recorded Looking for Magical Doremi either!
Chiba: Honestly, including Tamaki, nobody has changed!
Akiya: For me, Masaru Yada left a strong impression. He’s someone you can’t separate from Hazuki. There were quite a few scenes between them that make you blush, and I always acted them out feeling a little shy myself. In Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi, Nobuaki Yamauchi’s episode (Ep.29, “Terror! The Curse of the Water Well Ghost”) also stuck with me. Up until then, whenever ghost stories came up, Hazuki would be scared all by herself. But once Momo-chan showed up, they could be scared together, which really powered up the experience.
Matsuoka: The faces those two made when they were scared were wild (laughs).
Akiya: It was fun to act out!
Miyahara: It’s a great stress reliever, right? Like Tamaki’s loud laughing, there was this sense of accomplishment like, “I nailed it!”
Shishido: The classmates I noticed were Kayoko Nagato and Kaori Shimakura. The “Ojamajo Doremi” series brought in cast members from all sorts of fields, including comedians and singers. Everyone gave performances I hadn’t heard before, which was so much fun. Fuko Misaki, who played Kayoko, had a background as an actress, and I absolutely loved her acting. That’s why I also really loved Kayoko’s story. Kaori Shimakura was a lively mood maker. Personally, I always thought she might be modeled after Mikako Kouda, the character I played in Gokinjo Monogatari, so she stuck in my memory.
Miyahara: I also remember the voice of Kinoko Yamada, who played Kaori Shimakura, so well. Even now, if I think about it, I can hear her voice. The ones who left an impression on me were the SOS Trio (Yuji Sagawa, Yutaka Ota, and Toyokazu Sugiyama). They were always dropping silly gags. They had this mysterious, comforting vibe where they were trying hard but it just kind of deflated the tension, which was really memorable.
Patissier outfits, sweets: Talking about the charm of “Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi”
Interviewer: In “Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi,” the reversible witch apprentice outfits that turn into patissier uniforms are popular. What do you love about those outfits?
Shishido: The ribbon at the neck of the patissier outfit is so cute! I’ve even met people who became patissiers after watching this show, so it really is a dream uniform.
Matsuoka: Even among all the past witch apprentice outfits, this one is especially cute. When they released the costumes for kids while the show was airing, they actually recreated the reversible feature perfectly, and I thought, “That’s amazing!” If you got to wear that as a kid, you’d be so happy.
Miyahara: Momoko communicated through a headset in the beginning, so I have a lot of emotional attachment to the patissier outfit. The white base is cute, and having everyone’s image color on the trim and the soles of their shoes is a great touch.
Akiya: Whenever someone asks, “Which outfit from the series is your favorite?”, I always answer with the patissier uniform from Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi. When I was in elementary school, I wore clothes with frills and big ribbons, so it’s packed with everything I loved. If I were little, I definitely would have begged my parents for this outfit.
Chiba: It really is cute. Come to think of it, how did they decide on the costume designs for the Ojamajo Doremi series?
Interviewer: According to producer Hiromi Seki, they decided on the concept with the idea of making outfits that would be universally recognized. In Ojamajo Doremi, ballet tutus were the motif for the witch apprentice outfits.
Matsuoka: Tutus were the motif?! When I was a kid and told my mom I wanted to be a ballerina, she took me to a traditional Japanese dance class instead.
Chiba: Well then, your dream came true since you got to wear a tutu for your role!
Matsuoka: I guess so (laughs)? But I haven’t worn pointe shoes yet (laughs)!
Interviewer: The sight of you all making sweets in your patissier outfits was memorable. Were there any sweets in the show that stood out to you?
Matsuoka: Everyone remembers “Ai-shi no Tourbillon” (Love Tourbillon), right?
Chiba: It has a spiral look, so it’s got a strong impact.
Shishido: Another memorable one is the coffee-flavored cookie ice cream we made in Episode 23. I liked that there were non-sweet treats too. The episode title “Nagisa no Hamaguri” (“Clam of the Shore”) is also lovely. In Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi, it was fun to complete missions by making sweets each time. The names of the sweets, like “El Dorado sweets,” were very memorable. I also remember making “Pumpkin Pudding” to help overcome Hana-chan’s dislike of vegetables (Ep.31, “I’ll Fix It! Vegetable Distaste”). Since I’m sure people want to recreate them, I wish they would release the official recipes.
build note: It’s really funny this came up because just one week before this article is published on here. doreimani released a video where she makes every dessert from the series. Do go watch it!
Miyahara: I want a “Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi” cooking book!
Matsuoka: We also sang the insert song “Oh! Yasai Samba” in the episode where we made vegetable sweets. That song is actually really hard to sing at events (laughs). But I’d be happy if it helped kids eat the vegetables they didn’t like.
Interviewer: Did you try making any of the sweets yourselves?
Miyahara: I like cooking, but I don’t really bake. I’m bad at measuring ingredients.
Akiya: I used to bake when the TV series was airing. But I eyeball everything, so it didn’t always go well. Even now, when Christmas comes around, I remember Kayoko’s episode (Ep.45, “Merry Christmas, Everyone!”) and want to bake a cake.
Matsuoka: I also used to make handmade Valentine’s chocolates back in high school. Practising for someone I’d give them to someday (laughs).
Chiba: I don’t make sweets; I hate cooking, so I don’t make anything!
Shishido: I’ve never really done baking either.
Interviewer: If you all opened a MAHO-Dou together, nobody would actually be able to bake anything (laughs).
Miyahara: Maybe I could make milk pudding. Just the simple kind where you dissolve gelatin and sugar in milk.
Chiba: Someone who is really bad at cooking would fail at the dissolving gelatin stage, though!
Miyahara: Let’s stop talking about cooking (laughs).
Matsuoka: You realize how hard it is to bake as an adult. But if I had watched Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi when I was little, I might have wanted to become a patissier.
Akiya: I get that. When I was little, I wanted to work at a crepe shop. I secretly wanted to make that dream come true for a long time.
Not magic after all? Discoveries made through the show
Interviewer: Is there anything you gained or felt through your encounter with the Ojamajo Doremi series?
Matsuoka: I’ve heard from fans that they learned life’s most important lessons from Ojamajo Doremi. I really feel that’s true. The show depicted real feelings of elementary school kids, like how to deal with friends at school or what to say to someone. Even the MAHO-Dou members were only good friends with Doremi-chan and Hazuki-chan from the start. They would fight when they met, and eventually become absolute best friends. It was unique to Ojamajo Doremi that it showed different ways to become friends every time.
Chiba: It was also fresh that it was a “witch” show, but they didn’t solve problems with magic. They only used magic for unimportant things like whether to serve steak or not (laughs). It’s an anime, and there was magic, so they could have done anything. But the show consistently insisted that problems can’t be solved unless you face them directly with human strength. Also, there are many daily life stories that everyone has experienced, like at school, so it felt close to home. They didn’t fight weird, useless things. That’s why I could think about how Doremi would face a situation, even in real life where it might be easier to run away. During the TV series, I was just trying to do my best with the voice acting, so I couldn’t think that far ahead. After watching it again calmly, I realized the charm that makes it interesting for both adults and children.
Miyahara: Now that my son is in the first grade of elementary school, I find myself wishing he could make friends like the characters in the Ojamajo Doremi series. They are all so honest. It’s also lovely that Doremi and the others exist because everyone else is there. They acknowledge each other’s individuality, and if someone is in trouble, they cooperate and help each other. I think that kind of friendship is a wonderful thing.
Akiya: I have friends I’ve been close with since I was in elementary and middle school who are just like Doremi-chan and the others. They each have their own personalities and skills, and I can talk to them about anything when I’m in trouble. Sometimes they tell me strict things, and other times they accept everything and give me advice. I feel grateful to have friends I can be myself with.
Shishido: As the title suggests, this show dug into “mo~tto” (more/various) aspects and depicted the unique worries of children at that age. I was surprised at the time that they covered differences in physical development (Ep.10, “We Don’t Want to Become Adults!”). Plus, Momo-chan’s episode touched on discrimination, showing that everyone is the same even if they grew up in different environments. I realized again how important communication is, and I want people to watch it again precisely in this day and age. Also, I’ve been living with Onpu-chan as my guide. I felt that I needed to be a better person while playing Onpu-chan.
Expectations for the future: “Please, while we’re still healthy!”
Interviewer: Is there anything you hope will happen with the Ojamajo Doremi series in the future?
All: A new anime!
Matsuoka: I want to see an animation of the light novel series like Ojamajo Doremi 16. I actually supervised the Kansai dialect for the novels halfway through, so I’m very attached to them. I’d be happy if we could play the roles with our voices, and I’d be so happy if it were a TV series!
Chiba: Please, do it while we’re still healthy!
Miyahara: I’d also like to see a remake of the TV series like Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi. I wonder what it would look like if the problems kids have today were depicted in the world of Ojamajo Doremi. Because it’s a warm show, I think there are parts they could really dig into.
Shishido: I also want them to revive the events that were cancelled due to the pandemic! Especially the Ojamajo Doremi 20th Anniversary Carnival that was scheduled at the Tokyo International Forum. I’m sure the fans would all gather for that.
Chiba: Let’s get our revenge soon! I was really happy that the audience looked so happy at last year’s event. Little kids who watched the anime at the time have grown up and gathered, or brought their own kids along. That sight was really wonderful.
Matsuoka: I look at them like a parent, thinking “Everyone has grown up so much!” (laughs).
Miyahara: We also get messages from overseas fans saying “I wanted to see/buy/meet more, but it’s difficult.”
Chiba: I want to take new footage and go overseas with everyone!
Interviewer: Finally, a message for the readers.
Shishido: This is such an important show that we still have fun chatting about it together, and I want to meet the other cast members again. I watched it again, and I was so moved by every episode that it actually took a lot of energy. Maybe back when I was recording, I only empathized with some of the characters. But having experienced so much since then, I can understand more of the characters now. I think it’s a show you can enjoy forever, so please continue to spread the word and get as many people to watch it as possible.
Akiya: I think the reason I got this chance to talk to everyone about Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi is thanks to all of you who have loved the show for so long. Whether you’re feeling down or something good has happened, I’d be happy if you watched the Ojamajo Doremi series again and again. The music is also full of songs that get you pumped up, so please watch it whenever you want some energy.
Miyahara: Even 25 years later, I still empathize with Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi. It’s the number one show where I can feel how much the fans watch and love it. You’ll notice different perspectives every time you watch it, so I’d be happy if you enjoyed it again and again.
Matsuoka: I think it’s a show that parents and children can watch together and one that hasn’t faded even after 25 years. I think those of you who have become parents will have different thoughts watching it now, and I hope kids will enjoy it from the same perspective as Doremi and the others. It will be in your hands as a Blu-ray BOX, so please watch it one more time.
Chiba: To those who have watched it since the beginning and those who just discovered it, thank you so much. We are all gathered here again precisely because there are people who say they love this show. The fans have accepted what so many people worked so hard and thought so deeply to create, and it has become a show that doesn’t feel old even after all these years. If you watch it after becoming an adult, your feelings will change, and I think you can enjoy it no matter how many times you watch. I’d be happy if people who haven’t watched it yet become interested. I hope we can deliver the Ojamajo Doremi series in a new form someday!
Miyahara: If it were now, I think I could play the role a little better (laughs).
Chiba: Maybe the desperation of trying your best at something you weren’t used to was part of the charm! If there aren’t voices saying “I want to watch this show again” or “I love it,” it’s hard to deliver it in a new form, so please keep supporting us!
The “Mo~tto! Ojamajo Doremi” Blu-ray BOX is scheduled to be released on December 2, 2026. Pre-orders are being accepted on amazon.co.jp. It comes with plenty of extras, including a special booklet featuring interviews with the cast and staff. Why not enjoy this beloved, multi-generational show at home again and again?
