UlasanAnime.com – It can be challenging to pinpoint a concise description for the specific types of characters Reina Ueda excels at portraying. Perhaps it’s more about how to discuss the lead of Bakuon without resorting to offensive language concerning individuals with disabilities. This piece is intended as a brief commentary on Harmony and Bakuon, so let’s steer clear of those sensitive areas.
The idea struck me while rewatching Harmony recently. Harmony is considered the finest novel by Project Itoh and also his most critically acclaimed. Given Itoh’s penchant for detailed “Tom Clancy-style” storytelling, his richly developed books often translate well to the screen. This adaptation certainly lived up to expectations.
Going into the film, I had no strong preconceptions about the voice cast, only recognizing Miyuki Sawashiro as the lead. Her distinctive husky voice might evoke comparisons to another prominent gun-wielding science fiction anime heroine currently in the spotlight. While this is an understandable comparison, particularly for a Western audience, Tuan is a more complex character, and I believe Miyukichi made a commendable effort to convey that nuance. After all, she needed to embody enough emotional depth to lead up to the story’s climax.
Similar to Empire of Corpses, Harmony features certain unconventional same-sex relationships. However, these elements don’t significantly detract from the narrative; in fact, they help to explain the plot device behind Kirie’s fixation on Miach. The character who truly elevated the story was Miach. In a way, Kirie served as a blunt instrument, perhaps even more fitting as a male character given her role in the situation. Nevertheless, by being female, her relationship with Miach introduces a tension that allows the focus to remain on Kirie’s internal struggles with her feelings for Miach, without the complication of heterosexual romance. Internally, though, I’m uncertain if Kirie’s character was fully convincing. While conflicted, it wasn’t entirely clear to the audience how much they were meant to infer about her inner desires. Miach, to a large extent, acted as the catalyst for the audience’s understanding, particularly in her final scene.
And I must highlight how exceptional Ueda Reina was in her role as a psychotic harbinger of world destruction. Without revealing too much about the movie, this is precisely why I struggled to categorize Miach alongside Hane from Bakuon (who could be described as little more than a glorified motorcycle enthusiast). As someone who occasionally watches Hacka Channel, it became clear that Ueda is perfectly suited for these kinds of roles that blend high-concept themes with a more accessible, even low-brow, presentation. A glance at her anime CV might offer further insight. If young voice actresses in Japan are indeed typecast, Ueda would likely be placed in the “oujosama” (princess-like) category. In reality, she consistently breaks free from such pigeonholing, having already portrayed a diverse range of character types throughout her relatively short career. One could argue that her role in Harmonie is almost the antithesis of her role in Harmony, couldn’t they?
In the current season, she lends her voice to Hane and Sophie from Kuromukuro, which also serve as excellent contrasting roles. The versatility of this performer, capable of shifting from cool and cute one moment to endearingly aged the next, is inherently captivating. My appreciation for her work hasn’t stemmed from the usual avenues; it has been purely through her acting prowess and her captivating on-screen charm.
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