Anime Expo 2026 delivered an unforgettable moment for rhythm game fans as Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage! took center stage, brought to life once again by a new dynamic duo of voice actors: Daisuke Hirose (the charismatic voice of Tsukasa Tenma) and Machico (the energetic voice of Nene Kusanagi). Representing the fan-favorite unit Wonderlands×Showtime, the pair took the stage and answered our burning fan questions.
Fan messages and questions were selected from users on X
During the panel, there were several fan messages and questions that were submitted on X and answered by Daisuke and Machico.
Jes: Hello Daichan and Machico!
I hope you're enjoying your time in California and at Anime Expo. I am a huge fan of your work and love how well you both bring Tsukasa and Nene to life.
I'd like to ask both of you about what were your most memorable experiences when recording for Colorful Stage?
Thank you! :)
Daisuke Hirose: It's not exactly about the recording sessions, but there's an event in Japan called "Kanshasai" (Fan Appreciation Festival). In that event, the voice actors for each unit gather and perform live. Since it's a big event for us that happens once a year, it really stays in my memory.
Machico: I've loved virtual singers since I was in high school. So, after becoming a voice actor, being able to talk with all the virtual singers I love and with the characters, and being able to sing together with them... it's just such a miracle. Every single recording session makes me so happy.
Prezweeb: For both, what was the most difficult part of voicing your respective characters, and what part of their personality do you connect with the most?
Thank you both so much for bringing these characters to life!
M: The character I play, Nene Kusanagi, is low-tension. But I am high-tension. So, grasping her personality and coming to understand her was difficult at first. However, the common point between Nene and me is that we both love singing. Through the story, I gradually came to understand her deep feelings for singing, and I've come to understand that "quiet passion" she possesses. So, I struggled with the personality gap at first.
DH: There are many difficult things, but among them is the wording. His sentence endings like "nano da," or "nani-nani nano da," or "nani-nani nano da kara na." There are many of these endings that are a bit hard to say in Japanese, so I'm really struggling with them.
Verinne: Hello Hirose-san and Machico-san! I love your work as Tsukasa and Nene, and I've really loved your singing in the songs.
My question for both of you is what is it like to sing as Tsukasa and Nene? What are the challenges of it if there are any and what songs did you enjoy singing the most?
Thank you for reading my question, and I hope i get to see more of your voice acting in the future!
DH: Well, for me, since Tsukasa is a very energetic character, I often get requests to sing energetically or cheerfully. But when it comes to songs with Nene or Rui-kun, there are many cool or gentle songs. So, it was difficult to mix "cheerful" and "cool."
M: When I sing as Nene, I'm very conscious of using a calm singing voice. However, my own specialty, Machico's vocal range, tends to be a bright voice quality. So, just like with the acting, I found it difficult to match the singing voice to her level of tension. Also, for fun songs, I'm always thinking about how high her tension would actually get. It's always difficult, but since singing is fun, I put my "I love singing" feelings into it every time. Something I keep in mind when singing as Nene is that I always practice and sing so that the resonance of the voice sounds like a virtual singer.
Sumiki: Welcome to LA, Hirose-san and Machico-san!
I really love the Future Star duo and always enjoy the interactions between Tsukasa and Nene. The dynamic between the two characters is always so entertaining to watch.
Do the two of you as VAs have any fun backstage stories or memorable interactions you'd be willing to share?
M: The four voice actors for Wonderlands x Showtime (Wandasho) are all good friends, so we often go out to eat together. Even outside of work, in our private time, it's fun to talk about the future, like "It would be great if Wandasho grew like this."
DH: When Machico and I were recording together, during a break, we suddenly tried to do impressions of characters other than our own to see how well we could mimic them. But... they didn't sound like them at all. Not at all. We didn't sound like anyone.
You can find out more about more about Hatsune Miku Colorful Stage at the official website: https://www.colorfulstage.com/
Check out the official X page:https://x.com/ColorfulStageEN
Daisuke Hirose X page: https://x.com/da_sukemaru
Machico X page: https://x.com/MachicoOfficial