Masumi Interview: Assassin’s Creed Shadows
We catch up with the super talented Masumi, the actor behind one of the playable protagonists in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Fujibayashi Naoe – a young ninja warrior!
A new creed rises…
Live the intertwined stories of Naoe, an adept shinobi Assassin from Iga Province, and Yasuke, the powerful African samurai of historical legend. Against the backdrop of the turbulent late Sengoku period, this remarkable duo will discover their common destiny as they usher in a new era for Japan.
Welcome to Impulse Gamer, Masumi! So firstly, tell us a little about the story of Fujibayashi Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
This is difficult to answer because I see it in so many different ways. It’s a story about what it means to truly have power and leave a mark on the world.
What drew you to the character of Naoe?
I think it’s the complexity of her personality and what she goes through. The narrative is so layered, as Naoe is not just a tough girl or a really great assassin. She goes through so many emotional turmoils along her journey that mature her. It also poses these gigantic questions about life and death, which is what is so beautiful about this story.
What was it like moving from traditional acting into the virtual realm and using technologies such as MOCAP?
It was different in many ways. One of the biggest things that surprised me at first was that I had multiple directors for the cinematic shoot, and I’m very used to having one director and talking about the project with one person. For Shadows, I had directors from all different angles, such as writing, cinematic, and animation, all experts in their own field. That was really interesting to me because they all had different opinions on what works and what doesn’t in making this game. I had to incorporate this new approach, as I had never worked in a video game before.
As the creation process was so different, how did you bring that raw emotion to Naoe?
As an actor, I always want to make sure that I connect with the character’s pain. For Naoe, what is she suffering from? What motivates her to do all these things? You need to sit with those feelings and not run from them because it’s the background of the story. You need to immerse yourself in the character to embody all the feelings, even though they are coming from an imagined state, so they are tangible for the people who play the game.
It seems that many actors give part of themselves to the characters they play. What did you give Naoe?
I think I delivered a vulnerability to a person who is very strong but dealing with a lot of emotions. Although Naoe is strong, I really wanted to make sure her vulnerabilities were portrayed, and I was able to play through those layers. She is a formidable assassin, but she’s also a teenager who is going through a lot. It’s also about finding her identity, the people who are most important to her, and also losing things. For her, the idea of home, relationships, and family is completely destroyed. So, to your question again, I would say I brought that complexity and vulnerability to her.
What are some of the challenges for Naoe and you?
It’s her journey—she’s starting as a young teenager and is thrown into this world that is a constant war, where she becomes an assassin. Naoe goes from feeling small to finding her confidence to become an assassin, but even then, what does this mean? How do you make those choices when you take a life? When is it okay to take one, and what are the consequences? She goes through all that as she matures, and for me, it was tapping into those raw emotions every step of the way.
Do you have a favorite piece of dialogue from Shadows?
Oh my gosh, there are so many favorites. However, I think the closest to my heart would be the conversations Naoe had with her father. Peter Shinkoda played her father so beautifully, and you could see that special father-daughter relationship in the dialogue. I don’t want to spoil anything, but some of those conversations were very emotional.
From a visual narrative, what was it like seeing Feudal Japan brought to life in an interactive format?
As this was my first time being involved in a video game, I didn’t know how beautiful a video game could be. The different seasons were beautiful, and it felt like I was watching photos from back in that time. Also, I only got to see snippets throughout the two years that I’ve been in the project, so I’m really excited to be able to play it soon.
How much crossover did you get with your other co-stars in making the game, such as Tongayi Chirisa?
I would say at least half the cinematic scenes, and I wish I could say more, but sometimes our schedules didn’t match, so I would have to do a scene without him. I wish there were more scenes, but it was a joy to play with him. The rest of the scenes were voiceovers that didn’t require us to be in the same room.
You did some stunt work in Yakuza Princess. Did you do any stunts in Shadows?
I did a little bit, and I wanted more. I’m also trained in Japanese sword fighting, so I was able to bring that knowledge on set, which was cool.
That’s so cool! What weapons do you train with?
I train with a wooden sword, the Bokken, and also a dull katana, so you can’t cut anyone.
Were you able to use your sword fighting skills with Shadows?
Some of the knowledge, however, Naoe uses a shorter blade (ninjatō), and ninjas move very differently than samurai. So, I had the basic knowledge to understand her moves, but as I was not trained as a ninja, there was more back and forth of ideas with the creative team.
For those fans craving an Assassin’s Creed set in Feudal Japan, how do you think they are going to react to this new installment?
I don’t know, we’ll have to see—I’m really excited for everybody to see the game!
Has Ubisoft Quebec asked you back for more projects for Shadows?
I really can’t say, but I worked really hard on Shadows, and I’m really proud of it.
Besides Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Masumi, what have you got planned for the rest of 2025?
I have a few things coming out. I got to be a part of a new Apple TV Sci-Fi show that is coming out later this year, but I can’t say the project name. It was so much fun because it also has this fantasy story. It’s a new character, a new world, and it’s really exciting. I also have a thriller coming out called The Weight of Darkness that has a heavy story. I got to work with Jamie King and all these amazing actors that inspired me, like Doug Jones, who also worked on a lot of video games. So, I’m really excited for these to come out.
Lastly, Masumi, would you be interested in working on another video game again?
Absolutely. I think this experience has helped me to become a better actor, and if it’s exciting, new, and interesting, then I would love to try.
Thanks for your time, Masumi, and I know we’re all excited for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. All the best for the game and your new films.
Thanks so much, and take care, Andrew.
About Masumi
Masumi Tsunoda, performing as MASUMI, is an American-Japanese actress. Masumi has provided the voice for Fujibayashi Naoe, the female protagonist of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. Masumi Tsunoda, born in Los Angeles, moved between Tokyo, New York, Washington, D.C., and Dallas, where she began her singer-songwriter career. After the 2011 earthquake in Tokyo, she refocused on her music and returned to the US. She graduated from Los Angeles County Museum of Art, released her single “Run Baby, Run,” and transitioned to acting. In 2019, she starred in the action thriller Yakuza Princess, where she performed her own stunts. The film achieved international acclaim and featured on the Global Netflix Top 10 List. She also guest-starred on a 2023 episode of NCIS: Hawaiʻi. On 15 May 2024, Tsunoda announced that she was cast as the voice of Fujibayashi Naoe, the deuteragonist of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, who would be accompanied by Yasuke, voiced by the Zimbabwean actor Tongayi Chirisa.
Assassin’s Creed: Shadows will be released on March 20th on PlayStation®5 & Xbox Series X|S, Ubisoft+, Amazon Luna, Macs with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store, as well as Windows PC through the Ubisoft Store, Steam, and the Epic Games Store.
About the Author
Andrew Bistak When he's not trying to save the world, Andrew enjoys travel (although loathes turbulence), going to the movies, reading and being a dad to his two dogs (and now twins) with his wife.
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