You and I Are Polar Opposites is one of the cutest shows to come out in a while, showcasing the uniqueness of an adolescent romance with a refreshing contrast of personalities. The series does away with what a lot of other romance or romantic comedy series center themselves on. There is no slow burn or comedy of misunderstandings that takes multiple seasons to resolve. Suzuki and Tani find each other early and explore different dynamics within a relationship rather than struggle toward one in an endless “will they / won’t they.” It’s one of the reasons that I enjoy the show so much and found Season 1 incredibly refreshing.
At this year’s Anime Expo, we had the opportunity to sit down with You and I Are Polar Opposites voice actors Sayumi Suzushiro, the Japanese voice of Suzuki, and Shogo Sakata, the Japanese voice of Tani. We asked them questions about their perspective on the series, how they approached their characters’ distinctive personalities, and a bit about the experience recording for the series.
Portions of this interview have been lightly edited for clarity. This interview was performed with the assistance of an interpreter.
Q: What was both of your original impression of the series and its concept?
Suzushiro-san: Youth and being back in school again — it was almost like I relived that or I went back in time. It was very exciting. I got to live that through through the characters and Suzuki. At first glance, she’s very cheerful and bright. But, as we get to know her, she’s actually very self-aware. And she thinks critically about situations and about herself and those around her. I think the story itself, it conveys the personalities and dynamics of polarities that characters hold in general that you wouldn’t know from looking at them at first glance. And also a deeper look on how they handle certain situations based on the information that they’re given or or who they are in that moment.
Sakata-san: After reading the original works, I really thought that in general, there were no big problems or big situations that arise. But it’s that everyday conversation that you often have in your youth or during school, diving into and shining light on why they’re having those conversations or what those conversations mean to them and the nuance behind the inner conflicts that these characters are having. And the little emotions that you do experience but maybe have forgotten about.
Q: Suzushiro-san, Suzuki is a complete ball of energy, even by anime standards. She also conveys a lot of emotion through that energy. How do you make sure the meaning behind her words isn’t masked by energy or excitement?
Suzushiro-san: Suzuki, she’s full of vibes and high spirits. That’s the the default energy of her character. But the anime and the original work really put weight on words and communication, which are very important between the characters. So, I really wanted to convey each message properly. And although there are times where I want to just put a lot of energy and bring out all the vibes, I wanted to make sure that what I was saying or what I was trying to portray came first, while also balancing the two things at once again. So when digesting the script, I would circle keywords, or I would highlight where I would want to be more high spirited versus maybe mid. I would choose the levels based on what the character was trying to convey. For example, the monologue scenes I wanted to deliver more calmly. So based on the script and what was happening in the situation, I would mark my script to see how I wanted to deliver the lines.
Q: While both of your characters fit into categories like extrovert and introvert, they also bring out the other side in each other. Suzushiro-san, what are Suzuki’s less energetic moments like for you, and Sakata-san, what are Tani’s more energetic moments like for you?
Suzushiro-san: After spending so much time together and feeling more comfortable, gradually, I just became more relaxed. So when playing scenes with more calm moments, not as energetic or as hyped as usual, I think being more comfortable really helped. And naturally I just wanted to bring a more of a natural element to talking — as if it was my own voice. That’s something that I try to channel when playing those certain scenes.
Sakata-san: When I have to play Tani in scenes where he’s a little bit more energetic, it tends to be when he’s trying to express his emotions — strong emotions. Or maybe when he’s a little bit embarrassed. Or he has a strong message that he really wants to convey. Usually he’s very logical, so I think when something goes against his logic or he’s not fully aware of those feelings outside of his usual normal thinking patterns, that’s when he would become a little bit more energetic because he’s trying to get something across.
Q: Both of your characters have some rather intense thinking / internal speaking moments. What was your approach to contrasting those with your spoken lines?
Suzushiro-san: Suzuki had a lot of lines in general, whether they were spoken or monologues, but I really wanted to put an importance in making sure there was a difference between the two early on. When she’s talking to other people, she’s definitely more aware and conscious. She can read the room, so her tone of the voice is a little bit more different versus when she’s speaking to herself in a monologue. It’s more herself. It’s natural, maybe it’s closer to her standard voice.
Sakata-san: So, on the other hand, Tani is more reserved in front of people when he speaks. So, actually, the director told me that during the monologues maybe we can create that difference by being more emotionally forward just a tad. So, probably the opposite of Suzuki.
We’d like to thank Sayumi Suzushiro-san and Shogo Sakata-san for taking the time to speak to us about You and I Are Polar Opposites and thank Crunchyroll for coordinating this and many other interviews during Anime Expo. You and I Are Polar Opposites Season 2 premiered on July 5, 2026. You can watch the series on Crunchyroll.
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