Mamoru Hosoda has a thing for virtual worlds. You saw it in Digimon, you saw it in Summer Wars, and honestly, he perfected the vibe in 2021 with Belle. But the movie doesn't work without the voices. If the cast of Ryu to Sobakasu no Hime didn't land the emotional beats, the whole "Beauty and the Beast in the Metaverse" thing would have just been a bunch of flashy CGI.
It wasn't. It was gut-wrenching.
Finding the right people to play Suzu and the Dragon wasn't just about hiring famous actors. Hosoda needed people who could bridge the gap between a shy, grieving high schooler in rural Kochi and a global pop icon in the virtual world of U. Kinda a big ask, right?
The Discovery of Kaho Nakamura
Kaho Nakamura is the soul of this movie. Period. Before she was Suzu/Belle, she was primarily known as an indie musician with a cult following in Japan. Hosoda didn't just want a voice actor who could sing; he wanted a singer who could act with raw, unpolished vulnerability.
Most people don't realize she was chosen almost immediately. During the auditions, the moment she started singing, the production team knew. It’s rare. Usually, these things take months of deliberation. But Nakamura has this specific tone—breathy when she’s Suzu, powerhouse when she’s Belle—that makes the character's growth feel earned rather than forced.
She wasn't used to the "seiyuu" (voice acting) world. That’s probably why Suzu sounds so real. She mumbles. She stutters. She sounds like a girl who has been swallowed by her own grief since her mother died. Then, when she enters U, her voice transforms. It’s the same person, but the confidence is a mask she’s slowly learning to actually wear.
Takeru Satoh as the Dragon
Then you have the Beast—the Dragon. In the Japanese cast of Ryu to Sobakasu no Hime, the Dragon is voiced by Takeru Satoh. If you follow Japanese cinema, you know him. He’s huge. He was Kenshin Himura in the live-action Rurouni Kenshin movies.
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Satoh’s performance is mostly grunts and growls for the first half. It’s physical acting through sound. He had to convey a deep, bruised sense of justice and pain without saying much. When the "Dragon" finally speaks as his true self, Kei, Satoh shifts his register. It’s no longer the booming, distorted voice of a monster. It’s the voice of a scared kid.
The contrast is jarring. It’s supposed to be.
The Supporting Players You Might Recognize
The world of Kochi—the "real world" in the film—is filled with veteran talent. It grounds the fantastical elements of U.
- Koji Yakusho plays Suzu’s father. Yakusho is basically Japanese acting royalty (you might have seen him recently in Perfect Days). His role is quiet. He plays a man trying to reach a daughter who has locked him out. His performance is all in the sighs and the pauses.
- Lilas Ikuta (better known as Ikura from the J-pop duo YOASOBI) plays Hiro, Suzu's snarky, tech-savvy best friend. This was actually her voice acting debut. She nails the "deadpan genius" vibe perfectly.
- Shota Sometani plays Shinobu. He’s the childhood friend everyone assumes is the love interest. Sometani is a Hosoda regular (he was the lead in The Boy and the Beast). He brings a calm, observant energy that acts as the anchor for Suzu’s anxiety.
The "Choir Ladies" also deserve a shout-out. These aren't just random background characters. They are played by legends like Ryoko Moriyama and Yoshiko Sakakibara. They represent the community that Suzu thinks she's lost, but which has actually been hovering around her the whole time.
The English Dub: A Different Kind of Magic
When GKIDS brought the movie to the West, the cast of Ryu to Sobakasu no Hime changed, but the spirit stayed. They cast Kylie McNeill as Suzu/Belle. Similar to Nakamura, McNeill was a relatively unknown singer-songwriter at the time.
The English script had a massive challenge: the songs. In anime, the songs are often left in Japanese with subtitles, but for Belle, the lyrics are the plot. McNeill had to record English versions of "Gales of Song" and "Lend Me Your Voice" that hit the same emotional frequencies as the originals. Honestly? She crushed it.
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The English Dragon was voiced by Paul Castro Jr., who brought a slightly more aggressive, desperate edge to the role compared to Satoh’s more melancholic take. Both work. It just depends on which flavor of heartbreak you prefer.
Why the Casting Matters for SEO and Fans Alike
You’ll see a lot of people searching for the "cast of Belle" because the credits are a "who's who" of Japanese creative talent. It isn't just about the names on the poster. It’s about the intersection of the music industry and the film industry.
The movie deals with the duality of identity. We all have our "Suzu" side (quiet, awkward, IRL) and our "Belle" side (the curated, loud version of ourselves online). By casting people like Nakamura and Ikuta—who are actual stars with public personas—Hosoda added a layer of meta-commentary that you don't get with standard voice-over casting. They know what it’s like to be "seen" by millions of strangers.
Realism in Voice Acting
Hosoda is known for telling his actors not to "act" too much. He hates the over-the-top, high-pitched "anime" voice. He wants breathing. He wants saliva sounds. He wants the awkwardness of a teenager who doesn't know where to put her hands.
In the scene where Suzu first tries to sing in U and chokes up, Kaho Nakamura actually practiced that physical sensation of her throat closing. It’s why that scene feels so uncomfortable to watch. You feel her stage fright in your own chest.
The Impact of the Music Team
While not "cast" in the traditional sense, the musical collaborators are basically characters themselves. Ludvig Forssell (known for his work with Hideo Kojima on Death Stranding) and Taisei Iwasaki worked closely with the actors to ensure the voices and the score were inseparable.
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When you hear the final anthem, "A Million Miles Away," you’re hearing the culmination of the entire cast’s efforts. It’s a 14-minute sequence that was recorded in a way that allowed Nakamura to improvise some of the emotional outbursts. It wasn't just following a sheet of paper. It was a performance.
Actionable Takeaways for Fans
If you've watched the movie and want to dig deeper into the work of the cast of Ryu to Sobakasu no Hime, here is how to actually explore their impact:
- Listen to Kaho Nakamura’s solo discography. Specifically the album NIA. You’ll hear the same experimental, soulful energy that she brought to Belle, but without the "pop" constraints of the movie soundtrack.
- Watch the "Making of" documentaries. They show the recording sessions where Hosoda directs Takeru Satoh. It’s fascinating to see how they layered the Dragon’s voice to create that monstrous roar.
- Compare the dubs. If you’ve only seen the sub, watch the dub (and vice versa). The translation of the lyrics in the English version is surprisingly poetic and changes the "feel" of Suzu’s internal monologue.
- Follow the animators. The character design for Belle was done by Jin Kim (who worked on Frozen and Moana). Seeing how the cast's facial expressions were mapped onto Kim’s designs explains why Belle feels more "Disney-esque" than Suzu.
The brilliance of the cast lies in their ability to make a story about a massive, glowing virtual world feel like a small, intimate story about a girl in a small town. It’s a masterclass in vocal range and emotional honesty.
Next Steps for Your Search: Check out the official soundtrack on Spotify or Apple Music to hear the differences between the "Film Version" and the "Original Version" of the tracks. The film versions contain the raw vocal takes used during the most emotional scenes of the movie, which are often more impactful than the polished studio singles.
Source References: 1. Studio Chizu Production Notes (2021) 2. Interview with Mamoru Hosoda, Cannes Film Festival
3. GKIDS English Dub Behind-the-Scenes Featurette
This article provides a comprehensive look at the talent that brought Belle to life, moving beyond a simple list of names to explain why these choices changed the trajectory of the film's success. By understanding the background of performers like Kaho Nakamura and Takeru Satoh, you gain a deeper appreciation for the technical and emotional layers of the movie.