FANTASTICS World x Shinjo Mayu “2D must not lose to 3D” “Ignoring theory” fiction and reality in “BATTLE OF TOKYO”

“BATTLE OF TOKYO'' (hereinafter referred to as BOT) is an entertainment project that involves artists belonging to LDH JAPAN and crosses over music, novels, anime, etc. The exhibition “BATTLE OF TOKYO “Super Tokyo Expansion Exhibition,'' featuring characters appearing in this project drawn by popular manga artists and illustrators, has been held at SHIBUYA TSUTAYA in Tokyo since May 15th.

Sekai (FANTASTICS from EXILE TRIBE), who has the deepest knowledge of manga and anime, and Mayu Shinjo, a manga artist who participated as a creator in the exhibition, will freely explore the possibilities and prospects of the world view that “BOT” transmits. We talked to each other.

–Thank you for your time today. First of all, I was surprised to learn that Sekai-san and Shinjo-sensei have been friends for some time.

[World]We get on LINE every time something happens, so we get along pretty easily.

[Shinjo]First up is Nippon Cultural Broadcasting Super! I met him through Mr. Wada, who appears on A&G+'s “Masayuki Wada and Yuka Ozaki and World WADAX Radio''.

――In what ways did you both hit it off?

[Shinjo]It was kind of interesting.

It's fun every time.

[World]No, this is the line. But we also had a lot of serious conversations. He's really easy to talk to about various things, and he's a wonderful person. There are times when we look at each other like friends, and other times when things change completely and I feel like I have gained a lot of experience in life.

[Shinjo]Surprisingly, you don't talk about anime at all, right?

[World]About talking about “Gundam SEED” (lol)?

–That's surprising (lol).

First of all, please tell us about “BOT” and this special exhibition. Can you please explain to Sekai what kind of project “BOT” is and the overall picture?

[World]It is a project that is a mix of media, with the main focus on animation. The original novel has been published up to volume 5, and at the same time, a real live performance that incorporates the worldview of the novel is also being held. Set in a fictional city called “Super Tokyo,” each member of EXILE TRIBE and Jr.EXILE has a character setting that includes a background. We, as characters, will unfold various stories set in that fictional city.

Normally I wouldn't have thought of it, but the fact that all the characters appear together from the beginning is a familiar LDH feeling similar to “HiGH & LOW''… (lol).

–It's the kind of thing where everyone suddenly comes out and throws it all together.

[World]Yes. It's interesting to see LDH's sense of scale, where everyone seems to fall over at the first party. While thinking about what would happen if this were made into an anime, I hope people can see that there might be a world line like this. “Multi-universe” may be the closest way of thinking. As the story progresses, the art and characters become clearer, and I'm thinking of holding an exhibition on it…it hasn't been made into an anime yet (lol).

Normally, I do what I would like to do if it were made into an anime before making it into an anime.

–The sense of ignoring theory in that area is also really fun.

[World]I'm already ignoring all theories. On top of that, I would be happy if people could enjoy this kind of LDH-like festival feeling.

–thank you. I would also like to ask you about this special exhibition. Mr. Shinjo's depiction of Hokuto Yoshino is a masterpiece.

What was your motivation for this offer?

[Shinjo]I've always loved EXILE TRIBE, so I was familiar with “BOT” as well. So, the moment I got the offer, I was excited and said, “I'll draw it!'' (laughs). However, when I opened the lid, I found that there were more illustrators than manga artists, and all of them were extremely famous. I was shocked when the materials were sent to me… I felt like refusing right away.

–It's surprising that even someone as good as your teacher was horrified.

Previously, in another conversation, you said, “I want to have Hokuto Yoshino's face.'' What did you have in mind and what did you focus on when actually drawing it?

[Shinjo]I really like drawing good-looking men, but for this one, the face is the lifeblood, but the request was to show as much of the whole body as possible, so I had to draw the face extremely small. Ta. So, I try to express his handsomeness through his poses.

――Sekai-san, how do you compare the illustrations of the actual Mr. Yoshino and the teacher?

[World]No, both are cool. When it comes to “Yoshino Hokujin drawn by Mayu Shinjo,'' I really feel that the good parts of his face are even more pronounced. Not only the face, but also the pose. It's probably a pose that northerners don't usually do. However, when I tried it, I realized that it suited me in a new way.

–The way you capture it from the angle from below is also cool.

[Shinjo]After all, your legs look longer. Also, I was thinking of doing “The Handsome Pose”. I thought someone else would do the twisted poses.

――As for the illustrations this time, in that they are linked to music genres, they remind me of Shinjo-sensei's “Pleasure ▽ Phrases'' (▽=Heart), but they are particularly particular about the depiction of handsome men by music artists. Is there anything that you cherish?

[Shinjo]After all, it's a costume. “BOT'' also has an original costume, but before I drew it this time, I asked, “Can I change the costume?'' Then I got the OK, so I completely changed my costume. When it comes to good-looking guys, especially young artists, I want them to wear clothes that show off their body lines as much as possible. Your body is at its most beautiful in your 20s, so you want to show off your body lines as much as possible.

–By the way, did the idea of ​​combining a wine red shirt and bikers come to you right away? Are you worried?

No, I'm not too worried. For example, if you wear a jacket, your body lines won't show, but if you wear a T-shirt, your character will look a little different. That's why I chose a shirt, but I actually wanted this shirt to look just like this, but… (laughs)

–I heard that Shinjo-sensei has always loved “BOT'', but what is the appeal of “BOT'' from a fan's perspective?

[Shinjo]When I went to see the live performance, it was “Star Wars.'' At first, the story just flowed on the screen, but if you think about it normally, it's a production that would only be allowed in the entertainment world for Star Wars. Even in the performance, I thought I was playing Astro9 (a group modeled after FANTASTICS), but then I went back to FANTASTICS… It's interesting that “anything is possible'' feeling. Even in the entertainment and music industries, LDH is the only one that can pull off this kind of feat. I just thought, “That's amazing.”

[World]Even as a creator, I really feel that way. That's why even fans of other groups who have never seen us live are mixed in at the live venue with BOT. There are people who have never read a single volume of the novel or kids who aren't that interested in anime, so it's crazy to think about doing something like this for them, but… I think it's really amazing and I'm grateful that they came.

–“Expansion” is one of the themes of this exhibition. I hope that in the future, “BOT'' will become a place for people who like 2D to go to real live performances, and vice versa, and expand its fan base. What kind of mechanisms do you think would be interesting in the future to create content that can be enjoyed across dimensions?

[Sekai]These two have quite a lot of influence… no, I'm just kidding (laughs). But, when Shinjo-sensei comes to see our live performances, I always ask him for his impressions, and he always gives me both accurate and totally outlandish advice.

I'm also one of the creators of BOT content, so I'm thinking about it, but I'd like to see more of a VS structure in the future. At this stage, (the characters) are each individual, so I'm asking manga artists and illustrators to draw the story so that it feels like someone is fighting against someone else. It sounds like a dream. If we can express that kind of development through illustrations, we can do it live, and I hope we can do something that links creation and reality.

[Shinjo]I believe that 2D must never lose to 3D. No matter how much fans tell me things like “I look different'' or “I wouldn't actually do something like this'', if they don't say “Mayu Shinjo's drawing is cooler,'' then I think it's a loss. 3D is a good rival, and in that respect, I thought of this illustration as a “no respect” in a sense.

For example, it would be great if the creators could see a live show and feel inspired and say, “It's frustrating! Manga is losing out.'' It would be great if we could have a battle like that, or rather, we could improve each other in a “2D vs. 3D'' kind of way. .

Also, I would like to see a group “shuffle”! For example, just collecting vocals. Although the schedule may be difficult (lol)

[World]But if you ask 2D to shuffle first, you'll have no choice but to free up your schedule! That might be the case.

“BATTLE OF TOKYO “Super Tokyo Expansion Exhibition””

This exhibition features illustrations drawn from the perspectives of 45 famous creators active in Japan and abroad, with characters based on 45 people from 5 groups: GENERATIONS, THE RAMPAGE, FANTASTICS, BALLISTIK BOYZ, and PSYCHIC FEVER.

[Participating creators]
Kia Asamiya, Yo Asami, Azusa, Noiji Ito, Baron Ueda, Toroto, Akira Egawa, ERIMO, okojo, Takeshi Kawaguchi, Koji, GODTAIL, Sainosuke, Saotomeageha, Sakusha 2, Sayoichi, Shirabi, Shinjo Mayu, Jiro Suzuki, Tsuta Suzuki, TAa, Toshiaki Takayama, Eri Takeri, Task Owner, Danchao, Teita, Ppako, Mai Hanamura, Haru Task, left, Auri Hirao, Rei Hiroe, Hiroshi Hiroyama, Shōichi Furumi, BerryVerrine, POKImari, Ryoji Minagawa, Shizuki Morii, Kotetsu Yamanaka, Utako Yukihiro, Yomi, lack, Ryota-H, ReDrop, Arco Wada
*Titles omitted/in alphabetical order

[Schedule]2024/5/15 (Wed) – 5/26 (Sun) 10:00 – 22:00
[Venue]SHIBUYA TSUTAYA
[Exhibition contents]Exhibition of collaboration illustrations/“BATTLE OF TOKYO -CODE OF Jr.EXILE-” costume display, etc.
★Costume exhibition schedule
2024/5/15 (Wed) ~ 5/18 (Sat) Astro9
2024/5/19 (Sun) – 5/22 (Wed) JIGGY BOYS
2024/5/23 (Thu) ~ 5/26 (Sun) DUNG BEAT POSSE

[Schedule]2024/6/8 (Sat) – 6/23 (Sun) 10:30 – 22:00
[Venue]TSUTAYA EBISUBASHI
[Exhibition contents]Collaboration illustration exhibition/“BATTLE OF TOKYO -CODE OF Jr.EXILE-” costume display, etc.

★Costume exhibition schedule
2024/6/8 (Sat) – 6/15 (Sat) MAD JESTERS
2024/6/16 (Sun) ~ 6/23 (Sun) ROWDY SHOGUN

[Schedule]2024/5/15 (Wed) – 6/29 (Sat)
[Venue]SHIBUYA TSUTAYA 7F
[Exhibition contents]Collaboration food & drinks / Video broadcast / Exhibition panel / “BATTLE OF TOKYO -CODE OF Jr.EXILE-” costume display

★Costume exhibition schedule
First half: 2024/5/15 (Wednesday) – 6/5 (Wednesday)
・MAD JESTERS/ROWDY SHOGUN
Second period: 2024/6/6 (Thursday) – 6/29 (Saturday)
Astro9/JIGGY BOYS/DUNG BEAT POSSE