“When I first saw Kalim, my reaction was, ‘Cool!’―I liked his combination of ‘cool’ and ‘cute.’ But as I read the script, I learned more about his position in life and his backbone, and my image of him had to be redefined: there is more to him than being cheerful and looking cool.
Having been born into a wealthy family and carefully protected his whole life by Jamil and other attendants, he is generous, has no concept of inconvenience and suspects no one of ill-intentions. He welcomes every person he meets with open arms, with no concern for the ‘wealth’ of others―he is always happy to give gifts.
In reality, though, he is in constant danger and has been since he was a small child. He has a poison tester present at his every meal, is well-guarded and actually―I think―lonely. Maybe that is why he is so quick to throw banquets, and always encouraging people to enjoy themselves?
I get the feeling that he always wants to enjoy himself in the moment, because there is always the chance that he might die the next day.
The instructions I received were to ‘portray someone who is a good person’ while also including the dark shadow that exists behind his smile. I tried to capture the ‘shadowy’ part of his character without putting that darkness in the forefront.
I always had to build up Kalim up in my mind before going in for recording. Kalim is always excited and is constantly releasing energy, so portraying the character burns a lot of calories. I was always eating rice balls and snacks during recordings to keep my energy up.
The most difficult part was the fourth book of the main story, ‘Schemer of the Scalding Sands.’ There were parts where I put so much into a scene that it felt like my throat would bleed!
It was hard to say lines like, ‘We only have about a hundred servants,’ without sounding sarcastic. That was also part of the basis of my portrayal of Kalim.
For example, that dormitory uniform. It’s so cool! It’s my favorite outfit in the game.
This is just my personal interpretation, but I like to imagine that that outfit was inspired by high-brand, European fashion, and Kalim wearing such expensive clothes as if they were street fashion, not thinking twice about it―that’s my image of him. He is in such a high position in society, and here I am, an ordinary person (laughs) imagining these things and doing his dialogue. It’s so difficult!”
-Twisted Wonderland Fanbook vol.1 (2020)
“As an actor you tend to want to add a bit of theatrical flair to lines or make them feel like they have hidden meaning, but in the case of Kalim Al-Asim, that’s the number one thing you must not do.
He’s a character whose words are almost entirely his true feelings, someone with no hidden intentions, so I focus on using a cheerful, light, and bouncy voice.
Because (Jamil and Kalim) might never have interacted if they weren’t master and servant, I think that’s exactly why it’s so difficult for them to find a place to settle in their positions and relationship.
Through that trial and error not only do they face their inner complexes and conflicts, but their human relationships gradually begin to change, and that’s where the overwhelming appeal of the story lies. I think it’s rare for a series to overturn the first impressions you had from character’s introduction this much. The scenario in the game has progressed quite far, but it’s still fun to imagine that they both probably still has things they’re hiding.”
– Furuta Kazuki, DaVinci magazine (2025)
In August 2026, the official Twisted Wonderland Twitter account published the following comments from Furuta on the character song/dorm song soundtrack and karaoke box implementation (source):
>> Memories from Recording
I wanted to convey the meaning of the lyrics in a three-dimensional way, being conscious of the sense of distance and emotional temperature of what I’m singing and deliver it with a real sense of experiencing it, so while proposing various ideas and working things out together, we built it up into the final result!
For example: “The scorching sun that pierces bit by bit” is something that is far away, so I sing it as if I’m throwing my voice into the distance, while “the hot sand brushing against my skin” is something I’m experiencing with my own body, so I sing it with an image of it welling up from beneath my feet. Like that!>>What should fans pay attention to in the songs you participated in?
I think Kalim’s singing voice has very little breathiness and is vibrant, with a lot of vocal pressure. In comparison, Jamil has a more breathy, lustrous singing voice, so I’d like fans to pay attention to the marriage of these two polar-opposite voices!
>> Which song would you like to sing at karaoke?
I think Jamil’s solo song is something that only someone who is as incredibly talented a singer as Kaname-kun can really pull off, and I think it demands a tremendous amount of technique, but it would be really cool if I were able to sing it well, so I’d love to give it a try!!
>> A message for the fans, please.
Since each dorm song has its own distinct atmosphere and color, I hope you’ll listen to them all as much as you like depending on your mood at the time! I’m personally very fond of these songs as well, so I’m really happy that they’ve taken physical form as a CD and are now reaching all of you! Please enjoy them to your heart’s content.
Twisted Wonderland Reference Note 