Interviews
To celebrate the release ofGenshin Impact’sSumeru and the first four-star Dendro character Collei.
We sat down with Christina Costello, the talented voice behind Collei, to talk about the character.
:I got an email, and it was an email for an audition I didn’t recognize.
I was told I got cast, but not for what.
I walked into the session, and it was Collei.
Do You Play Genshin Impact?
Because if I really liked it, and I was attached, I’d be in it.
That was just my luck.
So that was my theory.
I avoided the game, but I read about the game.
So yes, I knew about it, but in a really roundabout way.
How Does it Feel to be One of The First Dendro Characters?
It’s a fun playstyle to be able to quickly swap people out.
Collei is a little nugget, so I’m happy to be a Dendro nugget.
:I felt really sad for Collei the entire manga.
It was really relatable to see her frustration and where she was coming from.
Life is not good.
It’s really nice to see her grow into a character that can interact with people.
I think that she’s doing a good job trying to be like Amber.
I hope she gets to be happy because her life is hard.
What Are Some Things You Feel You Have in Common With Collei?
She doesn’t want it to hold her back.
She still wants to be a forest ranger and be involved with things.
I think as someone who has a rare lung disease.
I think that’s something I can really relate to.
I think that’s definitely something I relate to with her.
She was probably more justified than mine she was experimented on.
I just didn’t feel well, and I also changed from that.
How Did You Get Into The Mindset to Play Collei?
:I found it to be easy because I had gone through a lot of medical trauma.
A lot of her character is remembering what happened to her but wanting to move forward.
By default, my personality is very similar to Collei’s.
I don’t know how much acting I did.
It’s a normal human reaction to think about things that are bad.
I am also super socially awkward, and so is Collei.
Who is On Your Team, and Do You Have a Favorite Part of The Story?
:I am super behind, and I am at the end of Liyue right now.
I actually ran to Sumeru to get the mushrooms for Collei and have her on my team.
I have Collei and Klee, because she causes chaos.
Barbara, to negate the chaos that I’m causing.
It’s a super chaotic team.
I really like the burning reaction, I don’t know why.
I think it’s just satisfying.
My team is either built around burning or bloom.
Storywise, I really liked Venti’s character arc.
I think it’s because he was also in the Manga, and I was attached to him.
It was really cool to see what he had been up to.
Would You Like to See a Collei and Amber Reunion?
:I wish their character interactions in the manga are so darn cute.
All I can do is hope.
Is There Any Other Character You Would Have Loved to Voice?
:Collei felt like the perfect match.
I really relate to her and love her in the manga.
It was like a dream come true.
I also probably wouldn’t mind being a character like Klee because she’s so chaotic.
I love the little chaotic fire, baby.
She brings me a lot of joy.
Someone like Bennett would also be really fun.
I love voicing young boys because they’re usually so over-the-top personality-wise.
Bennett is so excited about everything.
I wish I had an ounce of his energy, despite his bad luck.
I would like to be Klee or Bennett, so chaos or chaos, basically.
What Are Some Projects We Should Check Out From You?
She is very small and has a large hammer which brings me a lot of joy.
I was in a couple of indie projects that I think are really cool.
An evil, chaotic unicorn that sounds like Bubbles and Harley Quinn together, arguing at the same time.
It is incredibly chaotic, so if you want chaos, play this game.
I put most of the things that I do on Twitter.
Right now, I have the awkward small girl with a giant hammer or a chaotic unicorn.
That’s my career.
A special thanks to Christina Costello for speaking with us.
For more about Christina, check out herTwitteror herwebsite.
Jessica is a resident otaku and Genshin-obsessed writer.
Jess is an industry veteran who takes pride in working with JRPG and indie developers.
