“Blue Rock the Movie” Is Nagi and Reio fun to perform as a manzai?Subaru Kimura & Seiya official interview released

The animated movie “Blue Rock the Movie -EPISODE Nagi-” was released on the 19th. To commemorate this, an official interview with voice actors Subaru Kimura and Shimofuri Myojo Seiya has been released.

“Blue Rock” is based on the manga of the same name currently being serialized in Weekly Shonen Magazine, and is about Japan’s national team aiming to create a forward player with overwhelming egoism who is lacking in the Japanese national team that lost in the World Cup. A soccer work that starts the high school player development project mentioned above. The story depicts the birth of a striker who will revolutionize Japanese soccer, sacrificing the lives of 299 people, all 300 high school students and all forwards, to bring about a revolution in Japanese soccer. The comics have sold over 30 million copies.

The TV anime will be broadcast from October 2022, and the production of the second season has also been decided, and the movie version will be based on “Blue Rock – EPISODE Nagi -” currently being serialized in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine, and will be based on the story of the genius Seishiro Nagi. Reconstructing the battle at “Blue Rock (Blue Prison)” from a viewpoint and drawing a new story.

■Kimura Subaru interview
-Did you know about “Blue Rock” before the offer?
I originally knew the title, and although I hadn’t read the manga or watched the anime, I was aware of its existence because it was a popular anime and many of my fellow voice actors were involved. It wasn’t until I was given the role that I read the manga properly for the first time.

―What do you think is the reason for the popularity of “Blue Rock”?
I’m sure there are a lot of soccer anime out there, but I think one of the things that makes it so interesting is that it’s “filled with tension” and “elements that aren’t just about soccer.” It’s interesting to read about the soccer games that take place in a place called “Blue Rock” while keeping you in suspense!

―What was your first impression of Ryo Numeoka, played by Mr. Kimura?
Let the dog bite! “There is a movie version of “Blue Rock” coming up. I would love for Mr. Kimura to play the character Ryo Numeoka, who is an original character in the movie version.” I looked it up and thought, “It’s hot! I’m really looking forward to it!” There is a page that summarizes things about Ryo Nnameoka, and when I look at it, the first line says “bite dog.” Even before I read the manga, I knew that “Oh, he’s going to disappear soon”, and he was the only one who dropped out in the first half and couldn’t move on to the first selection.

On the summary page, it was written like “poor captain,” and I thought a lot, “Oh, I see…how should I play him?”

That’s my first impression. That left a strong impression on me (lol)

However, I went into the studio feeling like I was going to lose, and I was thinking about how I was going to make it all spectacular, but the first thing the director said to me was, “I don’t want to draw it because I think it’s a dog that’s going to bite you. I want to portray him as an extremely strong boss-like character who stands in front of the king, so please try not to make him look like a biting dog.”

I thought, “I made a mistake in preparing everything for the role.What should I do?” “I got it all wrong.

Yes, a strong one. I’m sure I’m saying it myself. It’s like, “I’m the strongest, and I’m strong.” ”, I played the role of a very confident captain who had no intention of losing.

-What is the charm of Namuoka?
I guess that’s why he’s good at soccer. I’m also looking for the rest, but I guess I’ll just cut it! I really like cropping. I think it grows faster if it’s cut, so I think it’s healthy because I think it’s hard to maintain.

You can’t help but imagine, “Oh, she probably shaves constantly. But if she was in Blue Rock, she probably wouldn’t have time to go to the hair salon, so she probably shaves herself.” It’s beautifully cut.

-What did you keep in mind when acting?
I played him thinking he was a strong guy. Like a boss standing in your way. I played it as if I was one of the bosses in the movie version.

Even now, I still don’t think I’ve lost. We won’t know until it’s released!

-The players of “Blue Rock” aim to become the best strikers in the world, and I believe Mr. Kimura has appeared in many famous works, but what do you do without fail in order to aim for the top and heights? Please let me know if there is anything that is important to you.
I don’t want to tell you (laughs). I never want to say that. It’s embarassing! If I had to say, if I have a goal or dream, I’ll tell people about it. I don’t do things secretly or keep things to myself, so I say things like, “I’ll definitely do this,” or “This is how it will turn out, so please,” or “By what year will I do this?” or what I want to do. Instead, I say it right away, like, “I’m going to do it, so please watch.”

I feel like I say a lot to those around me, and I try to do what I say. If you do that, you’ll naturally start doing those moves yourself, and the people around you will naturally turn in that direction. It doesn’t mean that someone will help you. It feels like the world is starting to move in order for me to make that dream come true.

-Is it the power of words?
I guess so! I guess that’s what I mean if I say it in a cool way, but it gives me a sense of responsibility for saying it, and it puts pressure on me to feel like I’m lame if I don’t fulfill it, so it’s better to say it. I think it will make you work harder if you do that, and it would be great if people around you would think, “Oh, I want to see you make your dreams come true.” When you actually make it come true, everyone around you will think, “It turned out just like I said. That’s super cool!” and you’ll think “That’s cool!” too. I think it will be a good cycle. Therefore, the important thing is to “state your goals”.

-Please give a message to the fans who are waiting for the movie to be released.
I didn’t know if Ryo Namuoka would lose yet, so I played with the intention of winning. Watch the movie to see how it turned out! There’s a chance that the director might decide to make some changes to my play. There is also a possibility that it will remain until the second half! Please take a look!

■Interview with Shimofuri Myojo Seiya
-Honestly, first of all, how did you feel after finishing the dubbing?
I wasn’t expecting to be allowed to enter the world of Blue Rock, so I was surprised. I was like, “Huh? Is that okay?” I had a chance to talk with the teacher (original author), and he also watched a video of me eating sushi, so it seemed like we were both watching the work. I never thought that “Blue Rock” would become so close to me. I was surprised because I really liked it and was just watching it.

―From your perspective, what is the appeal of Blue Rock?
It’s crazy in both good and bad ways, so what is this soccer manga like? I think it’s the worldview that really grabs me first, and I think the first episode is the one that grabs you the most in this soccer manga. There are many kinds of soccer manga, but I think they pursue reality, and in terms of the latest trends, they are sprinkled with things that you can understand from the soccer club, and “Blue Rock” is one of those things. It’s not the dimension of a certain point.

It’s like a super aggressive manga that hasn’t been seen before, focusing on the theme of the striker. And it’s clean after all. In the manga, it is stated that there are no strikers in Japan. I don’t know how closely it’s linked to the real world, but it’s interesting too. They say Japan is weak. Wow! What an interesting worldview! I thought.

-Do you have a favorite character among them?
I think it’s a manga that people will love because there are so many characters. I like Gagamaru. At first, I thought he was kind of impersonal (or rather, he was hard to grasp…), but there were scenes where he was quite active in several episodes, and he used his sixth sense to reach places he shouldn’t have. Gamaru stretches his legs and looks cool at first glance, but suddenly he makes a crazy face and hits the post. They work in good places. Gagamaru’s awakening appears quite early on. I think the highlight of “Blue Rock” is the awakening of each character, so I think Gagamaru is interesting and has a pretty important position.

-I heard that you played soccer in junior high and high school. This time, you played a member of the soccer team, so how did you prepare for the role?
Honestly, I think you’ll understand when you hear my voice, but I haven’t done any preparation for the role, and I’m very “Seiya”. But I thought that if I let go of myself from the soccer club, I would never be able to enter the world of Blue Rock, so I didn’t let go of myself (lol).

-Is there a part of you that you think is the most egoistic, such as not being able to lose to anyone, or something that you cannot compromise on?
I like impersonation, and my repertoire is old. Tetsuya Takeda, Toshiyuki Nishida, Master Sakata. Today’s children are becoming less and less of a generation, but they still have this “ego” to continue doing what they do. I’m a Showa-loving “ego” who is passing on this good old impersonation.

―Please tell us about the charms of “Nagi” and “Reio”.
You can’t have one without the other, and it’s the same as a combination. That relationship of trust! Nagi is more selfish, or rather, works at her own pace, but it’s amazing how the two of them really work together. I think they are exactly similar to the duo. That’s why I think it would be interesting if Nagi and Reio did a manzai. I feel like it’s also suitable for manzai!

―This time, you played the role of a teammate of the Seishiro Nagi, but who do you think is a around you?
It’s my partner. It’s a small gift! It’s even more amazing than Nagi! However, if Soshina is a genius, then I am also a genius because I am working with that genius. (lol)

-Finally, this is your first theatrical production of “Blue Rock the Movie -EPISODE Nagi-”, so please give a message to everyone who is looking forward to it.
I’m also looking forward to going to see Blue Rock’s crazy worldview on the big screen in the theater! Let’s enjoy the world of “Blue Rock” together!