In 2024 Midorikawa participated in a special recording with Malleus’ VA Kato, discussing Book 7 of Twisted Wonderland.
During the recording Midorikawa revealed that none of the cast know where the story of Twst is going:
緑川：「皆、先の話知らないから、誰も。『え？出なくなんの？』俺、別事件で動揺していたからな」
Midorikawa: “No one knows how the story will go. So I was upset for a different reason than everybody else: ‘I’m not going to be in the game anymore?’”緑川：「僕もその後の、リリアの出番的に知らないので…中退しちゃうのか…出番、ぼちぼちなくなるのかな…という、ね」 加藤: 「確かに、先知らないって…不安っすね」 緑川: 「そうそう。知らん。全く…全然知らないからね」
Midorikawa: “I don’t know how things are going to progress, with Lilia’s appearances in the story…dropping out of school…I guess his appearances are going to drop off, then…is what I started thinking.”
Kato: “That’s right, not knowing anything…it’s a little nerve-wracking.”
Midorikawa: “Exactly. I don’t know. At all…I have no idea.”
Midorikawa explains that while he had known that Lilia was based on a bat since the audition he had never been told about Lilia’s history, so the reveal of Lilia’s past in Book 7 was an entirely new perspective on the character that he had not known about.
Midorikawa visited the 5th Anniversary, Blazing Jewel pop-up shop in Tokyo in June of 2025 with his own Lilia plushie. (source)
In August 2026, the official Twisted Wonderland Twitter account published the following comments from Midorikawa on the character song/dorm song soundtrack and karaoke box implementation (source):
>> Memories from Recording
For “What’s This?” we had English coaching, so I went into the recording feeling nervous. I’d mentally prepared myself for it, of course, but it was every bit as difficult as I’d expected. I was grateful that Lilia’s part wasn’t all that long (laughs)
>> What should fans pay attention to in the songs you participated in?
In “Shiitenpen” (恣意天変): Malleus, singing with an overwhelming charisma that no one else can match. Sebek, who adores Malleus, singing in a way that reflects that admiration. Adorable Lilia. And Silver, somewhere in between. Please enjoy that exquisite balance ♪
>> Which song would you like to sing at karaoke?
I want to sing all the parts of my dorm’s song by myself (laughs)
>> A message for the fans, please.
I never thought we’d get a development like this, so I’m really happy about it ♪ If it sells well, maybe there will be even more projects like this in the future? That’s what I’m hoping for, so everyone, I appreciate your support!
Q: How do you feel about Twisted Wonderland reaching its 6th anniversary?
“The story of each dorm unfolded chapter by chapter, so I thought it might come to an end once we’d gone through all of them. I am happy that the series has continued for so long even after that.”
Q: Has your approach to portraying Lilia Vanrouge changed over time?
“When I was first portraying Lilia I hadn’t been told his backstory, so I followed the director’s instructions and repeatedly made fine adjustments until we shaped the character. Now that I know more about Lilia than I did back then I have become able to portray him more naturally.
I have never really been the type to go into a recording session having thought everything through too rigidly. I look at the character and give voice to the impression I get from them, then adjust things from there.
The staff probably deliberately avoided telling me about Lilia’s background, and combined with how unusual Lilia is as a character I feel that, looking back, I struggled a little more than I usually do (laughs).“
Q: What do you pay particular attention to when performing as him?
“I suppose it’s making sure he’s cute! (laughs) After all, he is doing it on purpose. It’s not just trying to look young, he knows exactly what he’s doing and naturally plays up his own cuteness.”
Q: What do you find appealing about Lilia Vanrouge?
“He has lived much longer than the other characters so he has experienced all sorts of things, which gives him a certain depth. He doesn’t usually show that side of himself, but when the moment calls for it you find yourself thinking, ‘Ah, that’s right—that makes sense.’ I think it’s cool when that side of him comes through at key moments.”
Q: What do you like about your dorm and its members?
“Malleus is gradually becoming more aware of his own position, and though he doesn’t cling to Lilia you can still catch glimpses of how much he adores him, which is cute.
Silver is so devoted that he’d even sacrifice himself just to make sure Lilia stays healthy and well. When I think about their future, given the differences in their races it is a little sad, but perhaps that is precisely what makes their relationship so special.
Sebek is remarkably straightforward, even compared with everyone else. At first I thought he was a little annoying (laughs), but there are times when that quality turns out to be important. When you realize he’s not just a character who makes a lot of noise, you can’t help but grow fond of him.”
Q: What part of the story do you particularly like?
“It’s definitely Chapter 7 of the main story, where our long-awaited Diasomnia Dorm finally gets a much bigger role. That chapter really stands apart.
As many of you probably know, this project was planned quite a long time ago. The story is so carefully put together that lines spoken much later on were a part of our auditions.
So it wasn’t a case of years later someone deciding, ‘It’s Diasomnia’s turn, so let’s put together a story that’s extra dramatic!’ Knowing that everything has been planned from the beginning makes me really happy.”
Q: What was your impression of this SSR card illustration?
“Flashy styles really suit Lilia. I’m sure everyone is thinking, ‘Lilia-chan, it suits you so well!’ Since this event is themed around sweets and cars, I’m planning to rewatch the Disney animated film before it begins.
Q: Could you share an anecdote from the voice recording sessions?
“I approached it in much the same way as I do the usual events. We didn’t record the entire story, but I wish we had. I wanted to have a little more dialogue!”
Q: Do you have any memories of Disney works other than Twisted Wonderland?
“One recent work I really liked was the live-action film Maleficent. Since I play a character from Diasomnia I feel particularly invested in it, and I thought it was very well made.
I also tend to watch Sleeping Beauty with a bit of favoritism, and I find myself looking for merchandise, too (laughs). I even bought a body mist from Maleficent.
While a Lucasfilm production rather than a Disney work in the narrower sense, I also recommend Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu. I won’t be forcing anyone to watch anything, of course, but I really want fans of Diasomnia Dorm to see it!”
Q: Could you tell us about the dorm song “恣意天変”?
“The song had a very solemn feel to it, so I asked the staff how I should sing it a they told me, ‘Just sing as the usual cute Lilia-chan.’ I thought, ‘F-for this song!?’ (laughs) But I figured it would probably create a good balance once my singing was combined with everyone else’s, so I didn’t worry about it too much and just sang as I normally would.”
Q: Could you share an anecdote about recording “What’s This?”
“Honestly, I was glad I didn’t have many parts to sing (laughs). I’d heard from the previous year’s cast members that singing in English was difficult, so…
Even though I didn’t have many parts, I still worked through them with advice from someone who helped us with English pronunciation, re-recording my lines several times along the way. If I’d had more parts, we might never have finished (laughs).”
Q: What do you keep in mind when singing as a character?
“Ultimately it is about making sure everyone is satisfied with the result. Whether it’s acting or singing, if the director tells us, ‘We’d like a little more of this,’ it’s our job to understand what they’re looking for and deliver it.”
Q: Do you have a message for the fans?
“Thank you, as always, for supporting Disney Twisted-Wonderland. And to everyone who purchased the Disney Twisted-Wonderland Character Song Collection, thank you very much. If the collection is well received, I think that could lead to further projects in the future, so I’d be happy if you’d look forward to what’s coming next as well.”
