At this year’s Anime Expo, we had the opportunity to interview the BLUE LOCK producer Ryoya Arisawa, manga editor, Megumu Tsuchiya, and Kazuki Ura, the Japanese voice actor for Yoichi Isagi, the series’ protagonist.
Arisawa, Tsuchiya, and Ura made special appearances at Anime Expo 2024 to discuss the TV anime series, its spin-off film EPISODE NAGI, and the upcoming second season coming in October of this year. We sat down and talked with them about working on the manga and anime series, the challenges they faced in creating the work loved by fans worldwide, as well as what to expect from the upcoming season 2.
Q: What aspects of your role have been the most challenging?
Tsuchiya: When BLUE LOCK first started, we received the material for the first and second chapters. The second chapter especially had a lot of content. [In a magazine] It’s usually like 60 pages, 40 pages, and 30 pages for the first, second, and third chapters of a manga. For BLUE LOCK, the first and second chapters already had 80 pages each. This means that we had a lot of content to edit down from the very start. It caused a commotion and we wondered if we could make the deadline. That was the biggest challenge, to edit all the information we already had from the start. Even Nomura-sensei, who draws really quickly, had to push really hard to meet the deadline.
Arisawa: The anime was challenging to create from start to finish. The most difficult part was preserving Nomura-sensei’s cool and recognizable drawings. We paid a lot of attention to the small details that make BLUE LOCK unique, which made it hard to meet the deadlines. We often turned it in right before it aired on TV. Tanabe-san, who did the character design, and the main animators worked extremely hard to capture the expressions and essence of Nomura-sensei’s artwork that fans would expect to see. Allocating enough time for them to draw as much as possible within the tight schedule was very challenging. Despite the time constraints, everyone was dedicated to ensuring the highest quality and staying true to the original work.
Ura: Most of all, the amount of lines overwhelmed me. About 80-90% of the script for the first episode was Isagi’s lines, and similar for other episodes, too. Among them were the lines he actually says out loud and the ones he says in the mind, his inner monologues. They come in one after another without any pause. It was like, while I was exercising, running with all my might, suddenly I would have to say something a calm way. So I was physically out of breath, but I had to force myself to calm down and speak. That was really tough. I wasn’t sure when to catch a breath, and in the middle of it, I saw nothing but white in front of my eyes because it left me breathless. That’s how desperate I was playing.
Q: Have there been any behind-the-scenes moments with other staff?
Arisawa: One of the moments that I thought was a fun experience was when we had scenario meetings. During those meetings, Kaneshiro-sensei [the manga creator] would also be present. When there were parts that we wanted to change or modify from the original work to the anime, we consulted Kaneshiro-sensei on the spot. This is very rare. In normal anime production, saying that you want to change the original work in front of the author is considered NG (no good, taboo). However, we were allowed to do all of this directly, and then Kaneshiro-sensei would say, “If you’re going to change it, why not do it this way?” He would even propose more changes. The scenario meetings are incredibly fun and interesting. Talking and creating with Kaneshiro-sensei, the director, and the screenwriter Kishimoto-san is enjoyable. It’s a rare and unique experience.
Ura: When I was working with Barou’s voice actor, Junichi Suwabe, there was a really memorable line where I had to say “Let’s go, donkey.” As a voice actor, he is a greatly respected senior (senpai) of mine with a lot more experience, but I had to say that line. So, I told him in advance, “Sorry, I’m going to have to say this line to you.” He was just smiling and responded with things like, “This is going to be fun, right?” I felt that I had to do my best to live up to those expectations. I tried hard while dealing with heavy pressures like saying something rude and living up to expectations.
Arisawa: You put emotions into it nicely. (everyone laughing)
*Note: They used the term ‘hetakuso,’ which is used in the Japanese version and is translated as ‘clumsy’ or ‘you suck’ (or even ‘clumsy idiot’). When the translator wondered how it would translate to English, they told her it’s ‘donkey’ and laughed again about how he had to say ‘Let’s go, donkey’ to Barou.
Q: This question is for Ura-san, what do you find the most difficult about voicing Isagi? Are there any scenes you’re especially proud of?
Ura: What I am especially proud of, and it was also the scene that was the most difficult, was in episode 11 when Isagi made his direct shoot. I was very proud of the acting of that scene because I realized it was a turning point for Isagi and also the peak of the series. I knew that this was where I had to grasp the audience’s attention in a way that differed from the previous episodes, almost as if I was acting for the finale. It was that big and it felt like I needed to meet those expectations.
At the same time, it was also very hard because that’s when Isagi levels up to a new level that the audience sees for the first time. So, I had to match the energy and the internal acting and level up myself. I had to immerse myself in Isagi’s voice, how I read each specific line, and the emotional journey we both went on together. It required a lot of attention to my delivery and ensuring that the progression of Isagi’s character was convincing. It was a challenge, but after succeeding, I felt proud of that scene and thought to myself, “I actually did great!”
Q: Tsuchiya-san, as BLUE LOCK’s editor, you have plenty of opportunities to work together with Muneyuki Kaneshiro on the story. Considering that the manga and EPISODE NAGI are illustrated by different people, is it challenging to collaborate with two different artists?
Tsuchiya: Kaneshiro-sensei is very easy to work with. He always has the readers in mind. This was always the major point when we were discussing, having our production meetings, and when we bounced ideas off of each other. He incorporated everybody’s ideas, making sure all of them were heard, and that the end goal was to create something great. We are the same age as well, which makes it easy to agree on certain points and discuss certain things further down the series.
As for BLUE LOCK‘s Nomura-san and EPISODE NAGI‘s Sannomiya-san, Sannomiya-san worked under Nomura-san as his assistant while they produced the art together. They knew each other well and had a deep connection from their previous work together. Although they were paired by chance, their collaboration was actually quite smooth because of their strong existing relationship. Sannomiya-san understood what Nomura-san wanted very well, and they respected each other, making for great teamwork. They could easily bounce ideas off each other and communicate effectively. It was a fortunate pairing, and everything went even more smoothly than expected.
Q: Arisawa-san, when was it decided that EPISODE NAGI would be adapted into a movie? Were there any specific details you found challenging while tackling the movie?
Arisawa: Regarding the timing of the decision to make a movie. It was already decided that there was going to be a second season. However, there was going to be a big gap between the two seasons, so around the midpoint of season one, we decided that we were going to add the movie EPISODE NAGI. Because we were in the middle of the first season, we were able to stay in that work mode and play around with the idea to see what it would be like from Nagi’s perspective. This allowed the production of the movie to run parallel with the ongoing series.
When producing a TV series, each episode typically runs for 25 to 30 minutes and often ends on a cliffhanger to keep the audience wondering what will happen next. However, producing a movie, which runs for 90 to 100 minutes, requires telling a complete story from start to finish. In original works, every volume also ends in a cliffhanger, especially for BLUE LOCK. So our challenge was to be able to make one continuous story with a beginning, middle, and end that would run smoothly within the 90 to 100-minute timeframe. The original manga was not exactly caught up yet, so we had to work closely with Kaneshiro-sensei to produce the movie while ensuring it stayed true to the source material.
Q: In the latter half of the series, Isagi formed a 3-man team with Nagi and Bachira. If you were in his position and a part of BLUE LOCK, which characters would you form a 3-man team with?
Tsuchiya: I already know who to pick for my team. For me its Chigiri and Zantetsu. They are both fast.
Ura: That’s fast!
Arisawa: (Laughing) That’s fast! It goes along with the anime, but for me, it’s Nagi and Barou. They are both very talented and strong, but also unpredictable. We won’t know what will happen next, which is both thrilling and exciting.
Ura: I get this question a lot. I would say Naruhaya and Nico. Those two have a strong rivalry with Isagi. They cried a lot of tears of frustration because they don’t want to lose to Isagi. So, I thought they would maybe make a good team together.
Q: What can we expect with BLUE LOCK Season 2? What should fans look forward to?
Tsuchiya: Probably, with the power of Ura-san’s acting and Arisawa-san’s producing, I think it will the best soccer match you’ve ever seen in your life.
Arisawa: After going through TV and theater, I think we have created a more refined and cooler visual presentation, kind of like a culmination. Of course, the content of the matches is important, but I hope everyone also sees the evolution of the direction. As I mentioned before, during the first season we were trying to meet deadlines and try to get it on time for air, but this time we got the hang of it and we are trying to bring something new to the table. With the characters we already love and many more new interesting characters about to appear, I think everyone will find new favorite characters. Please look forward to it. Well, it’s not finished yet, though (laughs).
Ura: When we first started the voice recordings for the second season, we were told by the original creators that they had put everything into drawing the Under-20 match. They said they would be happy if we [the voice actors] approached it the same way when recording for the anime. Hearing those words, I felt that we must respond to their wish and give it everything we have. Of course, BLUE LOCK is very loved by fans worldwide and I believe it will continue for a long time. But even so, I want people to think that there isn’t anything that could possibly be more exciting than this after they watch the second season. I’m planning to put my best performance into the visuals, so I’d be happy if you could receive that passion and the ego that make the original work exciting. I will do my best. I think the viewers who loved BLUE LOCK Season 1 will love BLUE LOCK Season 2 even more. Please look forward to it!
We want to thank Ryoya Arisawa, Meugumu Tsuchiya, and Kazuki Ura for taking the time to speak with us about the series. It was interesting to hear how each of them are working to create the BLUE LOCK series. We also want to thank the staff of 33 USA Inc. and Bandai Namco Filmworks Entertainment for providing us the opportunity to meet with them. We look forward to seeing BLUE LOCK season 2 and the exciting matches that the season will bring.
BLUE LOCK Season 2 will stream on Crunchyroll in October 2024.
Images via Crunchyroll
©Muneyuki Kaneshiro, Yusuke Nomura, Kodansha/”Blue Lock” Production Committee
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