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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsMasumi says the chance to play a Japanese character in a game set in Japan drew her to Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The Japanese-American singer-songwriter and actor performed Naoe’s voice and motion capture, and describes a collaborative production shaped by questions about language, behavior and the character’s emotional journey. Her Montreal souvenir of choice? Maple syrup whisky.
Why Masumi wanted to play Naoe
In a March 25, 2025 interview with MobileSyrup, Masumi said the Japanese setting and the opportunity to play a Japanese character attracted her to the role. She recalled feeling that she understood Naoe during her first audition, even though she did not yet know the character was a shinobi. She learned that at the first cast meeting.
Masumi also brought relevant experience to the audition. She said she had trained in Japanese sword fighting with actor Masa Kanome for about a year, and had started training in Katori Shintō-ryū around six months earlier. Those timelines are her recollections in the interview.
What Naoe is like in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Ubisoft describes Naoe as a fictional 17-year-old from Iga at the beginning of the game and the daughter of shinobi Fujibayashi Nagato. Her playstyle emphasizes stealth, parkour and gadgets. Yasuke, the other protagonist, is built around combat and armor, a contrast Ubisoft says was intended to express the game’s distinct shinobi and samurai approaches.
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- Only at Amazon Limited Edition Content includes the base game and Sekiryu Character Pack
- Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
- Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles.
- Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
- Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
Game director Charles Benoit told Xbox Wire that the shinobi’s association with spying and assassination made stealth a natural fit. He also described Naoe as faster and more agile, with shinobi tools and a grappling hook. Those are descriptions of the game’s design intent, not an independent assessment of how it plays.
How Masumi worked with Ubisoft’s team
Masumi said this was her first voiceover and motion-capture role. She described asking the Ubisoft team how someone in Japan might speak or act in particular scenes, and said those questions were discussed together. She also credited the writers, animation staff and cinematics staff with supporting her work.
Rank #2
- ENTER FEUDAL JAPAN - Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
- MASTER COMPLEMENTARY PLAYSTYLES - Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.
- MAKE INFORMATION YOUR WEAPON - Travel the world and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions
- BUILD A PLACE TO CALL HOME - Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s buildings layout, decorations, and accessories.
That account offers a view of collaboration on a performance, not a claim that every line or gesture was settled by a single authenticity test. Masumi’s comments focus on raising scene-specific questions and working through them with the team.
Authenticity and historical fiction
Ubisoft’s statement to the Japanese community is explicit about the distinction: the game is historical fiction, not a factual account of history. The company says consultants, historians, researchers and Ubisoft Japan teams informed creative choices, while final decisions remained with the creative teams. It also acknowledged concern about promotional materials and debate over its depiction of Yasuke as a samurai.
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Rank #3
- Only at Amazon Limited Edition Content includes the base game and Sekiryu Character Pack
- Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
- Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles.
- Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
- Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
“Assassin’s Creed Shadows is first and foremost, designed to be an entertaining video game that tells a compelling, historical fiction set in Feudal Japan.”
— The Assassin’s Creed Shadows Development Team
So the relevant distinction is between research and consultation informing the setting, and fictional characterization or gameplay choices made for the game. Ubisoft says it strives for authenticity, but also says its games are fiction inspired by real historical events and figures. Naoe’s story and her playable abilities belong to that fictional design.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Naoe’s emotional journey and recording out of order
Masumi described Naoe’s arc as a difficult one to track because recording did not follow the story’s chronology. Naoe begins as a young person protected by her father, then faces trauma and turmoil while still forming her identity. Masumi said keeping track of the character’s emotional state and maturity across that nonlinear process was challenging, but playing the journey was rewarding.
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MobileSyrup’s interview also frames Naoe’s connection with Yasuke and a wider found family as part of the return of her warmth. That is the interviewer’s framing of the story; it should not be mistaken for a separate quotation from Masumi about every part of that interpretation.
Masumi’s Montreal souvenir: maple syrup whisky
When asked about her time recording in Montreal, Masumi said she enjoyed the walkable streets and cafes, loved the wine, and later “really got into maple syrup,” particularly maple syrup whisky. She said: “I would buy a small maple syrup whisky every time, and that’s one of my favourite souvenirs from Montreal.” The interview names no producer, bottle or retailer, so the anecdote is about her personal preference rather than a product recommendation.
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