Also contains a translation of the news post on TV-Asahi website.

Part 1 published on 3/16/2012 [Before Digimon Xros Wars II, episode 24 (78)]
Source: www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/digimon_xw/special_04.html

• The Digimon Xros Wars series has gone on for about a year and a half. As we reach the climax on March 18th and March 25 (last episode), main characters from previous series appear altogether!
• Minami Takayama-san who voiced “Taiki Kudou” the main character for Digimon Xros Wars, and Riku Sanjou-san in charge of series composition, along with Producer Sakurada, talk about their current feelings before the last episode airs.
• ※ Names have been listed without honorifics.
• ※ Thank you to all who have gathered!

■■ The next episode will be the last episode. How do you feel right now?

■ From the broadcast on March 18th, the main characters of all previous series will show up!!

Producer Sakurada (Below, Sakurada): Digimon Xros Wars which began broadcast on July 2010 will soon reach the last episode of its third season “Boy Hunters Who Leap Through Time” on March 25, 2012. What are you thoughts about it?

Minami Takayama (Below, Takayama): It still hasn’t hit me that it will be over soon. I guess it’s like the feeling when a new script just isn’t coming and I ask my manager to go get it for me quick.

Sakurada: How about you, Sanjou-san?

Riku Sanjou (Below, Sanjou): Just as the subtitle “Boy Hunters Who Leap Through Time” implies, “Hunters” is the special characteristic of the third season. A request I received from Director Kaizawa as we reached the climax was that he wanted to know the answer to “Why do we need Hunters?” That answer will be established in episode 78. Also, on top of that, it has been decided that the heroes of previous series will be showing up for the climax.

Sakurada: I also wished to make it into a showy ending that was as exciting as a festival, so I wanted the past series’ main characters to show up one day too.

 

■ Performing alongside main characters of the previous series

■ What actions will Digimon Adventure’s Taichi Yagami and Agumon take?!

Sakurada: How was it acting alongside the main characters of the previous series?

Takayama: It was one surprise after another. They were all characters who I was seeing for the first time, and all of them had their own characteristics. It was very fun.

Sakurada: It was great to see all of the characters up to episode 78, including Zenjirou and Akari, gather up again.

Sanjou: Not all of them talk, but the guest characters of the third season all show up too.

Sakurada: I think the unique thing about the scripts that Sanjou-san writes is that characters gradually receive influence from their actors. Unexpected things happen in a good way (lol).

Takayama: All of the actors were really amazing. They have many “drawers” inside of them. I think that Digimon Xros Wars in particular was filled with many good actors.

 

 

 

■ All main characters of the previous series appear

■ The Digimon who left an impression on Takayama-san, Apollomon. One of the Death Generals.

Sakurada: How was it writing the script for when all main characters of previous series were to appear?

Sanjou: Speaking strictly in terms of writing, I was worried about whether or not we would be able to get all of the past series’ cast together, so I wondered if it was really okay to write them in.
With that in the back of my mind, the first two (Taichi and Masaru) came and I put them in here and there with a sort of wait-and-see attitude.
As a result, it ended with everyone making an appearance, with the very people who made up the cast long ago showing up on top of that. I feel that it was extremely worthwhile to have been able to do this with full specs.

Sakurada: By the way, who is the enemy that left an impression on you, Takayama-san?

Takayama: There are so many that it’s hard for me to choose. Rather than my personal view, I’d say in Taiki’s case it was Apollomon who made Taiki’s feelings waver and made him think about many things. He couldn’t turn his back on someone being controlled by his split personality. Although he kept believing in him to the end. (lol)

 

■ The last episode is stuffed with love for Digimon!

Sakurada: Please give a message to the fans looking forward to the last episode.

Takayama: There are so many things I want to tell you! But all I can say for now is that things will still get tough from here on. As Taiki, things will be a bit hard for him unless everyone watches for his sake… in any case, please watch and support us!

Sanjou: I’d like for everyone to enjoy themselves. The love of Digimon coming from everyone involved is overflowing, and it gives off a festive feeling more than you can imagine. The enjoyment of not being able to go this far under normal circumstances adds to it, so please look forward to it!

Takayama: The whole of Digimon itself really is filled with much love.

Sanjou: There is a festive part to it where the characters of previous series appear, but please also keep your eyes on the conclusion to the Xros Wars Hunter series itself.

Takayama: The mysteries will finally be solved, so don’t miss it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part 2 published on 3/25/2012 [On the day of Digimon Xros Wars II final episode 25 (79)]

• The Digimon Xros Wars series has gone on for about a year and a half. As we reach the climax on March 18th and March 25 (last episode), main characters from previous series appear altogether!
• Minami Takayama-san who voiced “Taiki Kudou” the main character for Digimon Xros Wars, and Riku Sanjou-san in charge of series composition, along with Producer Sakurada, look back on the Digimon Xros Wars series now that it has ended.

■ A recording studio thick with excitement

Producer Sakurada (Below, Sakurada): When you heard that the “Digimon Xros Wars” TV anime series would begin airing as the new Digimon, what did you think? And by the way, Taiki was conceived as a character who lead an army.

Minami Takayama (Below, Takayama): I love it when a story has comradeship involved. I really love it when they tackle something together as a team, so he [Taiki] was a character who brought me a lot of happiness.
When my role as Taiki was decided and I was told who else would be performing as my colleagues, I thought that this was going to be way too much fun.
I thought that, along with being inspired, I wanted to make this series last as long as possible. Even the story made me excited, wondering “What will happen next?” every week. It was really a lot of fun.

Sakurada: At the Hunters arc, our group of members changed completely. New members joined us and our average age went down to a younger age range.

Takayama: The scent inside the studio changed too. During the Death General arc, it was “the inside of an athletics clubroom during summertime”. But during the Hunters arc, it was “a field of flowers.” We had a larger number of girls, so it changed into a good smell. (lol) The balance among our members was great too, so the atmosphere of the studio became very bright, just like the story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

■ If there was a new series?

Sakurada: If Digimon had a new series, what sort of character would you want or what story would you want it to be?

Takayama: Humans fuse together to become Digimon.

Riku Sanjou (Below, Sanjou): If it’s two humans together, where does the Digimon element come from? (lol)

Takayama: The Digiegg goes inside the human. It gets absorbed and responds to its human and becomes their buddy. But the egg can’t hatch on the power of just one person. So when two people combine their strengths, it gives it power, what do you think? (lol)

Sakurada: Sounds interesting. (lol)

Takayama: I can come up with more ideas just thinking about them. Since I’ve acted as both human and Digimon, I think it would be interesting if I were able to become a character who can act both. For instance, like if there were all sorts of eggs and whichever one you absorb makes you transform into that Digimon. As an actor, it’s like enjoying two flavors at once (lol). But I think having tons of friends in a big group will definitely make things fun.
With friends, the world expands. Although it would probably be difficult when it involves an army (lol).

Sanjou : That was what I found unique for this one. Even if I were asked what sort of Digimon I’d like to do if I were to make a new one, I think that I would have to think in fresh terms at that particular time. I found it rather difficult whenever I was finishing up a script (lol).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

■ Last of all, a message to the fans!

Sakurada: Now, in closing please leave a message for the fans.

Takayama: Thank you for your support during the total of 79 episodes!
It still doesn’t feel as though it’s over, but I’m confident that it has made the fans enjoy themselves.
I believe we’ll see each other again somewhere, but until then please wait for a little bit.
Taiki says thank you too. (lol)

Sanjou : Thank you for your encouragement during this past year and a half.
We were able to broadcast the longest running Digimon series at 79 episodes. The final battle will be a huge uproar filled with high spirits.
I did my best with the belief that a day will come when we will meet Digimon again.
Please wait for that day to come as well, everyone. Please continue to keep supporting us!

Sakurada: Thank you for your support this past year and a half!
This year commemorates Digimon’s 15th year. Let’s move on while continuing to be charged up!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[interview] taiki’s voice minami takayama-san x scriptwriter riku sanjou-san’s digimon xros talk!! ~they talk about their memories & scenes to watch in the climax!~

タイキ役・高山みなみさん×脚本・三条陸さん　デジモンクロストーク!!
～思い出＆クライマックスの見どころを語ります！～

News post published on 3/16/2012 on TV-Asahi website.
Source: http://www.tv-asahi.co.jp/digimon/news/120316/index.html

The series “Digimon Xros Wars” which began on July 2010 is reaching its last episode at last on March 25.
For this, we have had the boy who pulled along Xros Heart Taiki Kudou voiced by Minami Takayama-san and the man in charge of scriptwriting this series Riku Sanjou-san talk about their memories of the past year and a half (the longest run of all Digimon series!). Of course, we’ll also bring you highlights of the last two episodes!

The source of their power is meat?! The one-and-a-half year fought alongside friends…

Takayama　The first season was done with a fun atmosphere, while the second season with the Death General arc was very hardboiled and dark. All of our energy would be so drained that none of us could reach home after post-recording without eating meat first (lol). But after all he’d experienced out of that, Taiki’s gained an overhead viewpoint for the third season.
Sanjou　The three main characters for the Death General arc were very complete as warriors, so I thought about making the main character for the next (Boy Hunters Who Leap Through Time) series a problem child. The main protagonists of previous Digimon series have names that begin with “Ta” or “Da”, so I came up with “Tagiru” from the sharp image it gives.
Takayama　Yes, the compatibility between Tagiru and Gumdramon was really good. You could tell that their bond got stronger with each episode. Also the senpai-kouhai relationship between Shoutmon and Gumdramon (Chika Sakamoto-san, Kumiko Watanabe-san) was kept the same as real life (lol). The percentage of females in third season’s cast got larger, so the studio became glamorous.

Even Taiki & Shoutmon can’t help but scream out?! Which enemy left the biggest impression?

Takayama　There are a lot, but in terms of who moved Taiki, I’d say Apollomon. It made him think of many things and become indecisive.
Sanjou　　At the last of the Seven Death Generals arc, I wanted to make it a story where Taiki stumbled, got spiritually lost, but managed to overcome that in the end.
Takayama　At the latter half, I would cry with Taiki for every episode. Taiki was a boy with a wide amplitude of emotion, so it was fun doing it.
Sanjou　For me, I’d have to say Dorbickmon. I thought that among the seven Death Generals, I should bring out first the guy who looked strongest (!)
Takayama　Dorbickmon! Chika-nee (Sakamoto) who voices Shoutmon and I screamed together “OMG we can’t win!!!!!” (lol) Well, we… did that every time a Death General showed up though (lol).
Sanjou　In episode 78, (Chika) Sakamoto-san’s first series Agumon will also appear in it and it’s very cute. This is obvious to everyone, but he’s very different from Shoutmon. I’d say this is one of the highlights of the last episode.

The secret behind the birth of a character’s unique traits is revealed here!

Sanjou　Some characters were made due to the influence of their voice actor, making the story sometimes land in an unexpected direction. For instance, with Zenjirou it’s because Daisuke Kishio-san would suddenly say “chimi” where he’s supposed to say “kimi” (you)… (lol)!
Takayama　Come to think of it, Kiriha’s tongue-clicking is because (Takeshi) Kusao-san liked the “Tch!” that was in one of his lines and kept doing it over and over, so it ended up getting written into the script. Even Kiriha’s tsundere character seems to have been made after he was joking around with it during rehearsal (lol).
Sanjou　Whenever a skilled actor applies their voice, you can hear the character’s individualism in it. So, to make that individualism look better, there were times during the Death Gene-arc when overlapping roles (※) would fight against each other (lol).
Takayama　It was really a wonderful team filled with good actors who all had many “drawers” inside of them.
(※ Overlapping roles… When the same person voices several characters)

Last of all, what scene we should look out for in the climax!

Takayama　When I saw Taiki’s character at audition, I fell for him at first sight and said “I want this character!” What’s more, as the rest of the cast was filled with prominent members, I put in a lot of energy into my role thinking “This is way too fun!” I like stories where the character has many friends and fights his opponents with a team, so this year and a half was filled with happiness for me. The youth where I’d lived as Taiki sparkles very brightly.
Also, also, a lot will happen in the last two episodes. I’m sorry that’s all I can say for now, but in any case, please support us everyone!
Sanjou　Yes. The last episodes will be like a great feast filled with tons of fanservice! It is “a festival” filled with the love of Digimon from people who took part in Digimon. I’d like if it remained in everyone’s hearts as beautiful fireworks and make them feel like wanting to watch Digimon again.
I have faith that there will be a day when we will meet again!

To support this site:

Part 1 published on 2/8/2012 [After Digimon Xros Wars II, episode 18 (72)]
Source: http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/digimon_xw/special_03.html

• ※ Names have been listed without honorifics.
• ※ Thank you to all of the voice actors who have gathered!

■ Character name and introduction

■ Performs as Astamon as well
as the interviewer once again, Takahiro Sakurai-san

Takahiro Sakurai (Below, Sakurai): We’ve gathered today’s members for the “Digimon Xros Talk Round Three, The Lone Female (?) Team”. Now, introduce yourself and your character name, please, starting with Oki-san.

Kanae Oki (Below, Oki): Okay! I’m Kanae Oki who voices Yuu Amano.

Masami Kikuchi (Below, Kikuchi): Masami Kikuchi who voices Damemon.

Megumi Han (Below, Han): I’m Megumi Han who voices Airu Suzaki.

Ryouko Shiraishi (Below, Shiraishi): I’m Ryouko Shiraishi who voices Opposumon.

 

 

 

 

 

■ About the new series

■ Members gathered up for “The Lone Female (?) Team”!

Sakurai: Who here has joined us for the new series?

Han: Me! (Raises hand)

Sakurai: Han-san, is it? The other three are continuing performance from the previous series. We also have someone acting a new character.

Shiraishi: Yes, that would be me. I’m glad to be able to perform in the new series as well!

Sakurai: Now then, about the new series. Quite some time passed before Damemon made his appearance, hasn’t it?

Kikuchi: Yes! By the time he finally showed up, I was thinking ‘Finally!’ I kept being told that he’s coming, he’s coming, but since he wasn’t doing it in a hurry I was getting worried.

Sakurai: It’s like they were setting you up for fraud. (lol) [Note: Sakurai describes it as “deru deru sagi” (fraud that something is coming) which is a pun on “ore ore sagi” (fraud that involves someone calling and pretending to be someone you know to donate them money)]

Kikuchi: In fact, I didn’t think I would be participating in the new series. When he died in the previous series’ climax, I thought, “So this is the end of Damemon.”

Sakurai: It was a really sad parting.

Kikuchi: I didn’t think he would be reborn from that, so I was very happy to hear he was coming back!

Sakurai: Damemon’s flashback scenes would play once in awhile as we were post-recording, so whenever we saw that, we’d all talk about when he’d be showing up again. By the way, what are your thoughts on the post-recording of his reunion?

Kikuchi: There were many new members there along with Han-chan, so I found it to be a good studio filled with fresh feeling.

Sakurai: The atmosphere [of the story] made a roundabout change.

Oki: Also, I think the amount of snacks has grown!

Sakurai: Yeah, I think you’re right. Our snack pile keeps growing every time.

Oki: With everyone bringing these delicious snacks, it unintentionally ends up being piled on.

Sakurai: You can see how good our teamwork is in that sense too. Even today, Kumiko Watanabe-san (Gumdramon’s voice) has added to the snack box. (lol)

Shiraishi: Kusao-san would always be the first to crack open the snacks during breaktime. Since Kusao-san was here every week for the previous series, there would always be snack boxes open. But now, since we don’t have many that come in the individual packs but instead the big bag kinds like potato chips… you need courage to open them… (lol)

Kikuchi: It’s harder to lay a hand on them when they’re not already opened. (lol)

■ What impression do you have of your character?

■ Yuu Amano’s voice, Kanae Oki-san

Sakurai: What are your thoughts, Oki-san? Since the new series has begun, Yuu seems to be the character who has grown and changed the most in obvious ways.

Oki: Well, since he endured a very harsh fate as an elementary school student… (lol)

Sakurai: I—Indeed. (lol)

Oki: I think that in the new series, he has a very “senior” type of view. Kind of looking down at Tagiru from above and seeing his past self, taking a bit of a philosophical outlook.

Sakurai: So a different point of view from Taiki’s… Taiki sure is regarded between them as “the older brother”.

Oki: Right. Also, Yuu has gotten more straight man lines. (lol)

Sakurai: So he plays the straight man in a double act?

Oki: I’m basically the comedic one, myself.

Sakurai: You’re a comic, Oki-san?

Oki: I get told that I am often. That’s why I’m currently practicing how to be the straight man.

---

Sakurai: What are your thoughts on Damemon’s return?

Oki: I was waiting so, so long for him! It made me really happy!

Kikuchi: It’s great they got to meet again. (lol)

Oki: It was a touching reunion.

Sakurai: The relationship between Damemon and Yuu is something of a symbol of the previous series. Having that come back sure does fire things up.

Oki: I was waiting for it so anxiously.

Kikuchi: Thank goodness. (lol)

■ Opposumon’s voice, Ryouko Shiraishi-san

Sakurai: Next up is Opposumon!

Shiraishi: Okay. I’m Ryouko Shiraishi who voices Opposumon, a new character in the current series!

Sakurai: The number of roles you play has grown again.

Shiraishi: In fact, when the series began, I was told “Shiraishi-san, we want you to be voicing Opposumon” and from that I heard “Shiraishi-san will have to challenge herself AGAIN for us”.

Akari in the previous series is a high tension character that I’ve hardly had much experience with before, so it was a challenge for me every time. But Opposumon has a… I guess you would say, a small animal-like tension…

Sakurai: The amount of tension she has is far higher than Akari’s. (lol)

Shiraishi: Right… She also thinks very highly about her cute appearance. (lol)

Sakurai: When Opposumon super-evolves, it’s even more amazing.

Shiraishi: She turns into Cho-Hakkaimon.

Sakurai: It’s a very big turn. (lol)

Shiraishi: Indeed. (lol) That in itself was pretty difficult, but she’s a character who makes it worth challenging myself for!

Sakurai: She also has the immense support of the cast members.

Shiraishi: Gumdramon’s voice Kumiko Watanabe-san kept saying “Wow, she’s so funny, Cho-Hakkaimon is so funny” and praising her tremendously as an enemy character, which made me really happy!

Sakurai: So she approves of her?

Shiraishi: But she said that she doesn’t want to fight [Cho-Hakkaimon] because she’ll end up laughing her guts out. (lol)

“I want her to come out! But I don’t want to fight her!!” she said. (lol)

Sakurai: [Cho-Hakkaimon] is a character who wears a cartoony costume and there’s something about her that makes it a little hard to dislike her.

Shiraishi: She’s like a regular human wearing a costume. Her background was written in such detail that I thought she was a human moe character.

Han: She wears a school-regulated swimsuit underneath, doesn’t she?

Shiraishi: Right, right, right!

Sakurai: Oh, that’s right! The school-regulated swimsuit!

Kikuchi: It’s hard not to get an eyeful of that~

Sakurai: The more additional [Digimon] characters you voice, the greater the chances that your Digimon who’s appeared in the past will show up.

Shiraishi: They pop out in all sorts of places.

Sakurai: Can’t keep your guard down. (lol)

Shiraishi: You can’t keep your guard down and you have to be careful at making them sound different!

Sakurai: Since it’s come to this, there’s also the possibility that the characters you’ve voiced will all show up at the same time.

Shiraishi: All of the roles so far by Kusao-san, Kishio-san, and Kuwashima-san, that’s quite a lot!

Oki: It sure is!!

Shiraishi: That’s why I also kind of don’t want that to happen…

Sakurai: [The staff] is going to think that you’re baiting them!

Shiraishi: I’m making sure to not look in the direction of where the producer is standing! (lol)

■ Airu Suzaki’s voice, Megumi Han-san

Sakurai: Now, moving on to Han-san who’s newly joined us for this series. What are your thoughts on post-recording?

Han: Yes, well! I get nervous every time, so much that I scrunch my shoulders together, but even so I do my best!

At the studio Takayama-san would sit next to me and say “Okay, that’s good, that’s good~”, calming me down… While I feel nervous every time being amongst my big-name seniors, I do my best!

The truth is, my personality is more like Tagiru’s rather than Airu-chan’s, so I have a hard time thinking about how to bring out the cute Airu-chan. (lol)

When I saw her key visual, she appeared to be a very adorable, cute little devil type, but looking at her personality description I saw “Selfish, proud, steals from others without a second thought,” and there wasn’t a single good thing written about her. But I suppose that’s why her cuteness allows her to get away with it. That’s how I feel.

Sakurai: Han-san, are you usually very energetic?

Han: I’m just bursting with energy! I’m Bursto!

Sakurai: Bursto, huh? (lol) I thought you were the opposite. You project a very girl-like image.

Han: Not at all!! Not at all!! I do stuff like Comaneci! [Note: A gesture that was made famous by Beat Takeshi, a Japanese TV host and comedian among other accomplishments. He came up with the gag based on Nadia Comaneci, a famous Olympic gymnast, and her tight leotard. You can view more about Comaneci and Beat Takeshi here.]

Sakurai: You’re totally opening yourself to me asking you to do it, but will that be alright with your bosses? (lol)

Han: Comaneci! (She performs right in front of the camera!)

Sakurai: It’s no wonder that even Takayama-san “can’t turn her back” on you! (lol)

Kikuchi: Can’t turn our backs in a lot of ways. (lol)

Shiraishi: Actually, ever since we first met she’s shown me a lot of strange faces and set herself free, which is what made me think, “Oh, I’m going to follow her!” She is my master and all. (lol)

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Sakurai: Do you have similarities with Airu-chan?

Han: I guess what we have in common is that she and I have very expressive faces. Her expressions change on the spot: her cute face, her scheming face, her face when she’s really happy and pleased, and also the charming “young girl in love” face she has whenever she thinks of Yuu.

Oki: Except what she’s doing in the meantime can be pretty scary. (lol)

Han: Yeah, she was sticking a Yuu doll with needles one time. (lol)

Oki: Right, right. (lol)

Sakurai: That was quite a provocative scene. Your thoughts?

Han: She’s a very invigorating character.

Sakurai: One where you may uncover discoveries about yourself?

Han: I’ll challenge myself, uncover those discoveries, and hunt, hunt every day!

Sakurai: As Airu’s partner, Opposumon, what are your thoughts on the character, Shiraishi-san?

Shiraishi: Opposumon calls herself “atachi”.

Sakurai: Was that an ad-lib?

Shiraishi: No, the katakana “atachi” was written in the script. Since that bit of novelty was given to me, I thought that I would like to make her an even stranger character inside myself. But when I tried half-heartedly to add character to her, it didn’t go well and I ended up doing it normally. That time, Minami Takayama-san gave me much advice, saying things like “I know what you’re trying to do, Ryouko” and “It’ll be better if you shook yourself free from it more!”

Sakurai: Oh my. But I got the feeling that you’re plenty freed up from it as is right now.

Shiraishi: In a way, I might have freed myself up by becoming Cho-Hakkaimon.

Sakurai: She looks even more flashy after evolving, so on the flip side things may be better that way.

Shiraishi: Oh, I see! If I free myself up too much as Opposumon, I might not know what to do when I super-evolve into Cho-Hakkaimon. (lol)

Sakurai: Airu might tell you you’re not cute. (lol)

Shiraishi: Opposumon thinks that she’s the cutest in the world, which isn’t a character that’s in me, so I do my best with all my might.

Sakurai: Then how about saying “atachi” in your daily life as an act of effort? (lol)

Shiraishi: So it’s better for me to say (in Opposumon’s voice) “atachi”?

Sakurai: Except people around you will be asking “Shiraishi-san, are you okay? Lately you’ve been…” (lol)

Shiraishi: Then I’ll just say “atachi” in Digimon post-recording sessions. (lol)

Sakurai: For real then. (lol)

Shiraishi: Eh?! I-I will when I feel like it…

Sakurai: Ha ha ha (lol). I look forward to it!

Sakurai: Yuu has grown remarkably, but what do you think? Are you enjoying his change?

Oki: Ah well, as I thought, every week is rough.

Sakurai: You mean because of the straight man act you mentioned earlier?

Oki: There’s that, but also because I was surrounded by many senior actors around me. I performed Yuu while being very nervous alongside him. Luckily my position as both character and actor has reached a good point, so I’m both enjoying myself while suffering, a very “What is this! This itching!” feeling.

Sakurai: Was that itching a pleasant feeling?

Oki: It’s getting there.

Sakurai: That’s the best position to be in.

Oki: I would like to move on a little further ahead though!

Sakurai: Yuu’s position is quite interesting in the new series.

Oki: He understands Tagiru and knows Digimon battles like Taiki-san, although in a different way. Come to think of it, he’s been saying Taiki-san’s catchphrase “I can’t turn my back on them!” lately. (lol)

Sakurai: Is Taiki’s influence on him showing strongly?

Oki: It sure is! I also think Tagiru is starting to influence him. Yuu may be the character who’s easily influenced by those around him.

Sakurai: Since it’s a story about growth, he may be on the road to becoming a “completed” character right now.

Oki: I think it’s great that he got to meet a wonderful older brother like Taiki-san at the end of the previous series.

Sakurai: It’s a very manly plot type, this downward slope to “meeting the big bro” (lol).

Oki: That it is indeed. It wouldn’t have been any good if he’d followed a different person.

Sakurai: That may be true. There are many unique characters with one or two peculiar features, but among them Taiki is in a class of his own. He’s a really imposing protagonist.

Oki: Right. When they played basketball together, the atmosphere between them hasn’t changed that much. It was a bit like Taiki was allowing time to play with Yuu. He’s a wonderful guy.

Sakurai: The relationships between Taiki, Tagiru, and Yuu have a very good balance.

Oki: Right. It has a real “school” feeling to it, so it’s fun.

Sakurai: There are a lot of scenes where Tagiru acts as backup.

Oki: At first, since Damemon wasn’t around… In times like that, Tagiru would cheer him up. In that sense they’re close friends, and in a real way they provide backup for each other. It feels that they’re forming a very important bond between them!

Sakurai: Indeed, the strength of their bonds isn’t something to laugh about!

■ Damemon’s voice, Masami Kikuchi-san

Sakurai: And now, the Damemon that everyone’s been waiting for! “Even though he shows up in the poster!” I thought. (lol)

Kikuchi: Yeah, well (lol), that’s right. It’s just, he was a bad Digimon until now, right?

Sakurai: He was. The moment he changed sides was when his teamwork with Yuu began.

Kikuchi: Right. So, he was a very sarcastic guy, purposefully insulting others and saying “no good, no good!”. Ever since the new series began though, he hasn’t been saying “no good, no good” as much, so he got kind of hard for me to act.

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: He also has “no good” [Note: ‘dame’] in his name. (lol) You can’t help wanting to say it!

Kikuchi: What’s more, his first words were “I’m back, Yuu.” Since all of the lines he’d said before then were insults, those words were very hard for me to say from within. So the first time I said it, it came out a little too cute and I was told to do it over. (lol)

Sakurai: He’s a bully who’s always about “no good, no good!” And when he super-evolves to Tsuwamon, his character becomes the complete opposite and he’s very cool!

Kikuchi: Yeah! That difference is pretty amazing. (lol)

Sakurai: It’s gap moe. (lol) [Note: Gap moe is slang for when a character does something contradictory to their personality or usual course of action, which is meant to make them attractive.] To think that such a cool guy would come out from that form that’s hard to put into words… I can’t explain it very well… (lol)

(All laugh)

Kikuchi: At first I thought “Huh? This character… his shape is…?” (lol)

Sakurai: We got to wondering about what color he was too. (lol)

Kikuchi: Yes, I remember. (lol)

Sakurai: There was a point where we were wondering if it was okay to say it out loud, but when he evolved into Tsuwamon, we thought “Oh, thank goodness!” (lol)

Kikuchi: Yes. I also think that I was saved by that.

Sakurai: I really love this poster (Pointing at the official poster tacked onto the wall). You could say that it’s never happened before, finding within the main characters (Pointing at Damemon) someone with this… how would you say… this very unique shape (lol).

All: (LOL)

(End of Part 1)

Part 2 published on 2/15/2012 [After Digimon Xros Wars II, episode 19 (73)]

■ The impression you have about your character’s partner

Sakurai: What image do you have of your partner?

Han: Since Airu uses traps to hunt, I’m sure she needs Opposumon’s help to do it. Maybe those balloons or other items are necessary for the job. But personally I want to bring out Cho-Hakkaimon again!

Sakurai: You’d like a Cho-Hakkaimon that’s always a “cho hakkai mon” [Note: ‘super destructive one’] (lol)?

Han: I want to keep watching that forever. Keep her at a point where she just makes it within gross-cute. (lol)

Shiraishi: I don’t get the feeling she often calls Opposumon cute though.

Han: For Airu, it feels like she’s not so hung up about it. Kind of like “Yeah, you’re cute, you’re cute! But that one’s also cute! Cutemon is cute!!”

Shiraishi: At the moment, I don’t have many memories of her doting on [Opposumon].

Sakurai: She [Airu] may be the type who doesn’t feed her pets once she’s got them. (lol)

Shiraishi: That’s why I think she’s very good at manipulating. I’m the one who ends up saying “Airuuu!” and running after her. I think she’s a very charismatic master who’s able to charm Digimon into following her.

Sakurai: A bit like a little devil, you think?

Shiraishi: Indeed like a little devil!

Han: You think so?!

Shiraishi: So she probably won’t treat her [Opposumon] coldly until they reach a point where she thinks “Enough!” At any good point, she’d keep saying “Cute!”

Sakurai: So that fine line is what appeals to her. Airu has exquisite taste!

Han: I’m sure she plans out her moves. She’s definitely a girl who can make bargains with the heart.

Shiraishi: Well, when she faces Yuu, she slips in naturally right next to him and acts very sexy (lol).

Han: She was sexy! She was practically twirling (lol).

Shiraishi: Even her voice sounds sexy. It made me think, “Huh? How old are you again, Airu-chan?” (lol)

Han: But I think she’s the type who bullies the person she likes. She frequently uses her traps to bully him hardcore.

Oki: She does indeed… She’s something of a sadist, isn’t she. Not that Yuu is particularly a masochist or anything.

Sakurai: The bond between Yuu and Damemon is very strong.

Kikuchi: I think that the both of them view the other as having changed in a good way, a change that both feel from each other.

Oki: I want to fight alongside Damemon as soon as possible and brag about him, now that he’s finally back.

Kikuchi: Even if he is a Digimon with this shape. (lol) (Points at the poster)

Oki: T-Tsuwamon is cool! I want to show off to the others that he’s actually an amazing guy!

Sakurai: In terms of strength, he’s pretty strong!

Oki: Right. He’s pretty active in battle.

Kikuchi: Well, since he is a ninja, he uses a lot of ninja techniques.

Sakurai: Boys can’t get enough of ninjas and ninja arts! He gets high points for that alone!

Kikuchi: Right, right. I loved that sort of thing too when I was young.

Sakurai: So do I. It’s so cool when special attacks are all in kanji.

Oki: That’s true!! (lol)

Sakurai: It makes it seem like he’s strong unconditionally. Also his sickle and chain weapon are so analogue that I love it. (lol)

Kikuchi: Right, right. (lol)

■ The arrival of the question box & A question for Megumi Han-san!

Sakurai: We’ve had much discussion about our characters, but from here on comes our Digimon xros talk’s ultimate weapon, “Golden X Loader, Digimon Xros Talk Full Customize Version!”

All: (Applause)

Sakurai: In here are questions that the Digimon Xros Wars staff has hunted beforehand. Everyone here will “Reload” a question inside and answer it, like a question corner that you may or may not have seen on a TV variety show somewhere! Now, we’ll start immediately. Anyone want to go first? Should we do rock-scissors-paper?

Han: Meeee! (Raises hand)

All: Oooh!

Sakurai: Which question will you pull out? Ah, please say “Reload” when you do.

Han: Ah, okay. Reload!

Sakurai: Now, what’s the question?

Han: “How would you describe Damemon in one word?” (lol)

Sakurai: Ah, you took out a good question (lol)! So, in one word. (lol)

Kikuchi: But make sure not to say that word! (lol)

Oki: This is a bit scary! (lol)

Sakurai: Now, in one word??

Han: …(After thinking for a while) C-uhh-ap!

All: (LOL)

Kikuchi: Ahh! If you say that it’s “no good, no good”!! (lol)

Sakurai: He finally said it! (lol)

Han: But! Since he has a more metallic color than Sukamon, he seems a lot stronger!

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: Well, color-wise he looks like an ice cream swirl, so let’s say he’s ice cream!

Oki: That. Let’s go with that!

Han: Please go with that…

■ A question for Ryouko Shiraishi-san!

Sakurai: This is a good flow we have going. Next, Opposumon’s Shiraishi-san, please.

Shiraishi: Okay! Reload! …”Which character would you want as a friend?”

Sakurai: There are a lot of characters, but we’ll limit it to humans only. Who would you want as a friend?

Shiraishi: Hmm… Let me see… Taiki!

Sakurai: And your reason for choosing Taiki?

Shiraishi: Because he’s a very reliable character, of course.

Sakurai: So Ryouko Shiraishi likes a man who can be depended on.

Shiraishi: He seems like the kind who you can act spoiled with. When we hang out together, he seems like he’ll let you take him wherever you want and sometimes even show the kiddy side of him.

Sakurai: That sort of thing must tickle the maternal instincts. But yes, Taiki definitely is the type that everyone likes.

All: (Nod)

Shiraishi: Right. Each of my characters have their own individualism, but I think it also may be because I know him the best?

Sakurai: You were Akari in the previous series. I see, that’s true.

 

 

 

 

■ A question for Kanae Oki-san!

Sakurai: Next, Oki-san!

Oki: Then I’ll go ahead of our senior member Kikuchi-san! Reload! …Ahh…

Sakurai: What is it?

Oki: “What line left the biggest impression on you?”

Sakurai: Or a scene, if you like.

If you can remember a specific line, you can just answer the original question.

Oki: I’ll go with scene. When Damemon disappeared and said “You’ll have to fight by yourself from now on,” “No good, no good…” that scene when he died was very memorable to me. When I saw that scene, I felt that I couldn’t afford to lose to everyone else, that I have to do my best alone. It teared me up a little… (And Oki-san casts her eyes down) Whenever I remember it, I feel close to crying. As you’d expect, I think farewell scenes were the best turning point for me, or rather, for Yuu.

Sakurai: And after accepting that, he’s reborn for the current series. Were you happy?

Oki: I sure was.

Sakurai: The first thing he said to you was “I’m back”.

Oki: Yes…

Sakurai: That’s great!

Oki: Yes…!

■ A question for Masami Kikuchi-san!

Sakurai: Now, what will your partner Kikuchi-san pick for his question?

Kikuchi: Okay, Reload! Let’s see… “Your thoughts when you first received your character?”… (lol)

All: (ROFL)

Sakurai: You picked the best one! As expected!

Kikuchi: Well, actually, I also… (lol)

Sakurai: It’s okay to speak your honest mind here!

Kikuchi: Okay then, well, what Han-chan said is exactly what came to my mind… (lol)

Sakurai: That’s how it is, huh? (lol)

Kikuchi: I also thought that this character wasn’t going to live for very long (lol).

All: (ROFL)

Kikuchi: Yeah. (lol) I’m happy that he’s managed to stick around though.

Sakurai: Right. This is a strange way to put it, but Damemon has climbed up the hierarchical ladder on a super-evolution level and now he’s a main character.

Kikuchi: At the beginning the characters didn’t have color, so I thought he was probably going to be that color… (lol)

Sakurai: It sure stirs the imagination. (lol)

■ Another round of questions from the question box! A question for Kanae Oki-san!

Sakurai: Then let’s go for another round!

Oki: Okay! Reload! …(Bursts out laughing) Um, “What would you like to say to the producers?”

Sakurai: Go at it in high spirits!! Since it’s an original series, what you say could influence what will happen!

Oki: Okay then! I want to try voicing an extra! I want to challenge myself with a girl character.

Producer: The other day, Kakihara-san said the same thing so we requested him of it today. [Note: Could be referring to episode 10 where Kakihara first voices an extra as Nene’s manager]

Sakurai: In that case, if the rest of you have something to say, go ahead!

Kikuchi: All I want is more showtime. (lol)

All: (LOL)

Shiraishi: Okay then! I want ChibiKamemon to super-evolve!

Sakurai: Then what about you, Han-san?

Han: I want Airu and Cho-Hakkaimon to have more showtime!

■ A question for Ryouko Shiraishi-san!

Sakurai: Then Shiraishi-san, pull!

Shiraishi: Reload! This is… “Which character’s clothes would you want to wear?”

Sakurai: I think you have the character sheets at hand, but which set of clothes would you like?

Airu wears cute clothes and everyone else has very cool fashion sense!

Shiraishi: It’s gotta be Cho-Hakkaimon for this one!

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: It’s pretty much a school swimsuit, are you okay with that?

Shiraishi: The other characters’ costumes are pretty much just regular clothing… If I am to wear something, I’d rather it be something like full-body tights with the school swimsuit on top.

Sakurai: Full-body tights?!

Shiraishi: I wore it once at an event.

Sakurai: You sure do a lot of different things for your job… Her costume is pretty “cho hakkai mon” [Note: ‘super destructive’], you know, that Cho-Hakkaimon.

Shiraishi: It explodes outward…

Sakurai: I think for the fans, though, getting a glimpse of her swimsuit outfit is satisfying for them. (lol)

Shiraishi: She says “oink oink”. (lol)

Sakurai: I think that’s good in its own way. It’s necessary!

Shiraishi: Oink oink. (lol)

■ A question for Masami Kikuchi-san!

Kikuchi: Then here I go! Reload!! “A word to your partner.”

Sakurai: We touched upon this earlier, but please, give us something.

Kikuchi: Please mature into a fine, upstanding man!

Oki: Thank you!

Kikuchi: I feel that he’s still a touch neurotic as always. But I think it’s a very good thing that he’s popular with the girls. (lol)

Sakurai: He’s super popular!

Oki: I was surprised by that. (lol)

Sakurai: He even has his own fan club. (lol)

Oki: There was even a time when he said outright to Airu-chan, “Are you another of my fans?” (lol)

■ A question for Megumi Han-san!

Sakurai: Last but not least, Airu-chan!

Han: Reload!! “I can fight if it’s with this guy! If you were a Hunter, what Digimon would you want for a partner?”

Sakurai: Think about it in terms of “If Megumi Han was a Hunter”.

Han: Beelzebumon!

Sakurai: Ooh, and why is that? Because he’s cool?

Han: He’s very cool! He has a dark side, and I personally wouldn’t be able to “turn my back” on him.

Like, I want to fight alongside him and support him! Except he has Mervamon…

I’ve gotta say though, it’s also a hard choice with Cho-Hakkaimon! (lol) Her oink-oinks are so cute!

Shiraishi: I-I’ll do my best!

Sakurai: And I’ll continue to look forward to seeing a sharper Cho-Hakkaimon in the future. (lol)

■ A message to the viewers!

To support this site:

Part 1 published on 10/14/2011 [After Digimon Xros Wars II, episode 2 (56)]
Source: http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/digimon_xw/special_01.html

• ※ Names have been listed without honorifics.
• ※ Thank you to all of the voice actors who have gathered!

■ Character name and introduction

Takahiro Sakurai (Below, Sakurai): This is a Digimon xros talk.

Minami Takayama (Below, Takayama): Oh, nice one! As expected!

Sakurai: I just came up with it now!

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: For the first interview, we’ve gathered everyone on the protagonist team. Now, please introduce yourself along with your character’s name!

Marina Inoue (Below, Inoue): I’m Marina Inoue, who voices the new character Tagiru Akashi. It’s a pleasure to be here!　And this is my partner.

Kumiko Watanabe (Below, Watanabe): On the left, I’m also a new character!

Takayama: You mean the right.

Watanabe: Ah, the right? Huh?

Chika Sakamoto (Below, Sakamoto): I’m also on the right~

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: Well, now that we’re all charged up… (lol)

Watanabe: We’ve barely even started and I’m worried about what lies ahead. I’m Kumiko Watanabe who voices Gumdramon.

Takayama: Carrying on from the previous series, everyone, and thank you for your support. I’m Minami Takayama who voices Taiki Kudou. And this is my aibou!

Sakamoto: Yes. Ehm, I’ve become the Digimon world’s king.

Takayama/Inoue/Watanabe: Yo, king! Your Majesty~!

Sakamoto: Um… what was his name again…? Ah, Shoutmon!

Takayama: Oy, oy. (lol)

Sakamoto: I’m Chika Sakamoto who voices Shoutmon. Pleasure to be here.

■ Impression of your character

■ Gumdramon’s voice, Kumiko Watanabe-san

Sakurai: First, let’s hear more about your characters. What impression do you have of the character you’re voicing?

Inoue: Tagiru Akashi is a simple-minded and straightforward… idiot… No, I mean that in a good way!

Sakamoto: We’re all idiots. (points at everyone)

All: (LOL)

Inoue: But I think from Tagiru’s point of view, Taiki-san is much like an older brother.

Takayama: He may be your senior now, but originally he was just like you guys.

Sakamoto: Now we’re the role models guiding them on the road of idiocy.

Inoue: So you think the two of us will become like Taiki-san and Shoutmon as we mature?

Sakamoto: You’ll grow up learning by watching the backs of idiots and become new-type idiots.

Watanabe: So cool!

Inoue: I get the feeling that [Tagiru] is a different type of idiot from Taiki-san already though.

Sakurai: Yes, they would be different. But even if you broke them up into four separate categories, they’ll probably still be placed in the same area. (lol) What about Gumdramon?

Watanabe: It’s not that I’m complaining now, but…

Takayama: So suddenly?! (lol)

Watanabe: Before evolving, I made him sound strong and vibrant… but now that I realize I’ll have to make him even stronger-sounding than before…

Sakurai: Because it’s a story about growth.

Sakamoto: Yeah, but when they get that big, you can’t help but think “Ehhhhhh~?!” (lol)

Sakurai: They do change drastically when they super-evolve.

■ Taiki Kudou’s voice, Minami Takayama-san

Sakamoto: Also, there were tons [of characters] added on that weren’t really a big help in battle. It was enough to make me think “Just bring out the strong guys already~”

Takayama: The more the weaker people combine together, the stronger they become, or something like that.

Sakurai: But seriously, the Death Generals were all wearisome.

Takayama/Sakamoto: They were!

Takayama: Getting over something as tough as that is what leads to growth.

Sakamoto: You can get stronger, stronger!

Inoue: We haven’t reached our stage of evolution yet.

Takayama: This is just the beginning for you.

Sakurai: Right. For the time being, go at it with a loud voice! Or something like that. (lol)

Sakamoto: You make it sound like we’re an athletics club.

Inoue: [Note: Imitating a coach] Raise those voices!

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: Taiki’s position has changed in the new series, hasn’t it?

Takayama: Yes. He’s more like a hot-blooded advisor now. Of course, his instincts of “not turning his back on others” and the basic parts of him haven’t changed… Since he went through some hard experiences in the Digital World, maybe he’s going at it with some detachment now.

Sakurai: He probably feels that he’s looking at his past self.

Takayama: Yes, that’s possible too. Watching either Tagiru or Gumdramon reminds him of someone. Like that guy who said “Don’t!” but jumps into the fray himself, or that guy who said “Stop!” but won’t stop himself. (lol)

Sakurai: He definitely “can’t turn his back” on them.

Takayama: Nope, he can’t.

Sakurai: But well, then again, his partner is a king.

Takayama: Yep, a king! He’s sure gotten big~ (lol)

■ Shoutmon’s voice, Chika Sakamoto-san

Sakurai: How does it feel, being a king?

Sakamoto: He’s gotten to be such a big man. Just the other day, I was all “Ah~” (makes motion with her hand as if waving a fan at herself), just very, I suppose you can call it Shinbashi-ish?

Sakurai/Takayama: Shinbashi?

Sakamoto: I’d feel Shinbashi-ish or period drama-ish, except in a more dignified way as I could.

Takayama: But you do have a presence about you, you’d agree?

Sakurai: Even your appearance!

Sakamoto: So much presence… (And grabs her belly fat)

Sakurai: Wait, wait, wait! (lol)

Takayama: We’re not talking about you, Chika-nee, we’re talking about Shoutmon!

Sakamoto: Well, he’s definitely gotten more mature. He reminds me of the time when I was younger myself, so I cheer him on thinking “Do your best!” Probably everyone feels like that though.

Takayama: The rate of time is different between the Digital World and the human world, so even if a long length of time has passed for him, it would only be the equivalent of a few minutes in the human world… That’s how dense a time it was.

Sakurai: More and more members kept joining us, and things went from X3 to X4, and at the very end, X7. Whenever we Xrosed, we’d all (turn to Chikamoto-san and) say, “Go for it!” Sorry that was so much fun. (lol)

Takayama: Whenever we Xrosed, things would turn into “Take care of the rest, Shoutmon!” after all. (lol) I guess the easy part about this new series is that the world or lives don’t hang in the balance.

Sakurai: The previous series made a rather real, severe illustration about that.

Takayama: This time it isn’t a story where someone would say “Earth is doomed!”

Sakamoto: There’s a sense of distance involved. Like “Kinjo no Miyo-chan” (lol)

Takayama: Right, right, right.

Watanabe: That’s why when I auditioned, I tried two different attitudes besides cute. But in the end, I forgot to ask which style to go with.

Inoue: Um, we’re already well into a couple of episodes! (lol)

Watanabe: It’s just, the storyline and the expressions used in it, as I watch Chika-san’s back, are quite the romantic yakuza cliche. [Note: They use the word ‘ninkyou’ to describe the series, which literally indicates the Japanese mafia (yakuza) and is the equivalent to the spirit of Robin Hood; fighting the strong and helping the weak. I translated this as “chivalrous” at times throughout this interview, but this is the connotation behind the word.]

Sakamoto: I’m so sorry.

All: (LOL)

Watanabe: It isn’t just cute and cool, but has a bit of impertinence to it…

Sakamoto: There was a middle schooler who said “I wanna scarper”. [Note: Episode 2, “tonzura shitai” which is an old slang]

Takayama: Indeed.

Sakurai: “Scarper”… It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that word.

Sakamoto: There are old expressions scattered throughout that we’ve heard long ago, like in some taishuu engeki.

Sakurai: They are very cool masculine words.

■ About the addition of new members

■ Astamon’s voice, Takahiro Sakurai-san

Sakurai: Our next question is about what you think of the new members, which I’d like to ask first to Chika-san and Minami-san.

Takayama: The previous series was like a training camp during summertime, but now it’s like an all-girls school so it’s really fresh! The studio has such a nice smell.

Sakamoto: A really good smell!

Watanabe: What smell did you have before? (lol)

Takayama: Like I said, a training camp during summertime… like the thick air you get at the gym…

Sakurai: She means it smelled of sweat. (lol)

Sakamoto: Also, with all the old men… you know, the strong enemies we were fighting…

Takayama: Yeah, there were more guys than girls. But this time the number of girls is higher so the studio is like a field of flowers!

Watanabe: So the previous series was a lot more about the chivalrous spirit…

Takayama: The minute the guest character came in and said “Good morning,” I’d think “We can’t win this one!” (lol)

Sakurai: Well, they were Death Generals.

Inoue: “Death General” is such a nice name.

Watanabe: Death General!

Takayama: It’s hard to say too. (lol)

Sakurai: At the end, all seven came out and it developed into a “Wanna fuse?” sort of plotline.

Takayama: Why fuse?! (lol)

Sakurai: I didn’t question it, but I did think ‘This is how much they change’.

Takayama: It’s amazing how different the atmosphere [of the story] is.

Sakamoto: It changed like a snap of the fingers.

Sakurai: There is the possibility that the number of people who join us will grow in the coming future…

Takayama: It’ll turn back into a shouting contest. (lol)

Sakurai: It does feel like you have to bring out a louder voice than the person before you. (lol)

Sakamoto: Everyone put in so much effort in the first episode, it was enough to make me think “You’ll even go this far?!” or “You’re so energetic~”

Takayama: The first episode sure was amazing~ (lol)

Sakurai: I’m sure that the kids watching love that sort of thing.

Sakamoto: It’s enough to wake them up!

Sakurai: Yes, early in the morning they shoot right up from bed! (lol)

Takayama: And wake up all refreshed-like.

Sakamoto: Through manual labor.

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: Just as Kuu-san (Watanabe-san) has said, there will probably be a lot [of various Digimon] showing up in this series as well?

Inoue: You mean someone with an even louder voice?!

Sakurai: Strong guys that you’d want to hunt.

Sakamoto: I bet there will be. Loads and loads.

Watanabe: Hunting all of them was how you became king after all.

Takayama/Sakamoto: Ours wasn’t about hunting!

Sakurai: It was more like a brawl.

Takayama: The sort of war where soldiers would fling themselves at the enemy.

Watanabe: In the first episode, there was a scene where you stood up and said “It’s gotta be this tough to be interesting!”, remember? I really wanted to do a something like that that was a little violent, so personally I was crazy excited.

Sakamoto: “Facing down the opponent even though you’re all bruised up” kind of thing feels pretty good, doesn’t it!

Takayama: Since I’m sure it’ll be a story where the characters mature, a lot is probably going to happen to you two.

Sakurai: Well, for Tagiru, his name means “boiling”.

Inoue: He is boiling! Since he’s a prepubescent boy, his power’s just boiling over!

Sakurai: He shows promise by keeping up without giving in, but I believe it’s quite a lot of work for you…

Inoue: Right, I’m carrying all sorts of extreme pressure…

Watanabe: Really?

Inoue: Yes, actually, in secret… (lol)

Sakurai: And it’s a well-known series.

Inoue: Honestly, when I was informed that I’d gotten the part, I was all “This is gonna be a battle.”

Sakurai: What was your audition like?

Inoue: For the time being I thought, “Let’s do this boiling over!” Just like his name, I decided to face it down straight-on without thinking of what lay ahead or behind me.

Watanabe: Is this your first time voicing a boy role?

Inoue: No, this isn’t a first for me, but I don’t have many roles that are… how do I put this…

Sakurai: “Idiotic”?

Inoue: “Chivalrous”!

Sakurai: You just wanted to say that, didn’t you. (lol)

Inoue: I didn’t have many opportunities to act roles like that, so I feel pressured about not knocking down the history that my seniors have built up.

Takayama: It’s okay, you don’t have to think that hard about it. (lol)

Inoue: Well, right now, I think that putting in too much energy isn’t a good thing either.

Sakamoto: I think you put in enough energy~ In the first episode, everyone had veins popping out, they were turning bright red, and their shoulders were going in crazy directions, it was pretty amazing! That kept growing and growing and growing and growing until it got to the point where you wanted to cry out “Someone, help turn it down!” (lol)

(End of Part 1)

Part 2 published on 10/20/2011 [After Digimon Xros Wars II, episode 3 (57)]

■ The best parts of the new series

Sakurai: Since the new series has started and the atmosphere’s turned 180 degrees, I’d like to ask you all what points you think the viewers should watch out for.

Inoue: There are three main protagonists, so I think it would be interesting watching each of their personalities, their relationship with their partners, and how each have their own way of doing things.

Sakurai: I see. Yes, their relationships with each other is interesting.

Inoue: There will also be different characters per episode, so I think the variation will keep people from getting bored.

Sakurai: What about you, Kuu-san?

Watanabe: Since the series has just started, I don’t even know yet how the two will act as a pair… but basically, I love characters who are really dumb.

All: (LOL)

Watanabe: Also, I feel good about a character who is needed.

Sakurai: It’s the taste that you wanted to do, Kuu-san.

Watanabe: During my audition my hands shook so badly that the mic picked up noise from my script… after it ended, I didn’t think I would get accepted.
Even my manager told me later on that I shook too much, I was that nervous. (lol)
That was how much I wanted the part.

Sakurai: That feeling is what makes you great, isn’t it?

Takayama: I mean, it fits your character.

Watanabe: Really? Really? I get carried away easily, so words like that only raise my tension?!

Sakamoto: She’s the type who gets confident whenever she’s complimented. She even made my General go buy her milk, after all!

Watanabe: No, no! That time I was offered anpan [Note: Red bean paste filled bread], and when I said “Anpan sure goes well with milk!” not meaning anything behind it, Minami-san came up to me and said, “Here, I bought you milk”… Do you know how much pressure from that I felt when I went into the first episode post-recording? (lol)

Takayama: I only wanted you to drink it and cheer up~ (lol)

Sakamoto: And there was a ton of different milk types she had to choose from too! Close to ten!

Takayama: There were three types, three.

All: (LOL)

Watanabe: When I said then “I’ve gotta do my best!” Chika-san said, “No, you gotta do better”…

Sakamoto: “After you drink this, you know what you gotta do?” like.

Watanabe: So totally yakuza.

Sakamoto: But first we had to feed you.

Inoue: I like how the menu turned out to be anpan and milk, too. (lol)

Sakurai: Very sports-oriented. Like “You know what you gotta do once you’ve eaten, right?” sort of thing. (lol)

Watanabe: Like pressing the official stamp on a club registration form, pash!

Sakurai: Your teamwork is already perfect, and you’ve produced many wonderful episodes, but…
What do you think, Chika-san, Minami-san? We’re close to 55 episodes now since you began…

Takayama: It’s fun, right?

Sakamoto: Yeah, it’s fun.

Takayama: A lot of new characters show up, not just Tagiru and Gumdramon. I think with many more things coming up, it’ll get even more fun.

Sakamoto: Those human children (Ryouma and team) are still a mystery, aren’t they? There’s that feeling where you think “Who are they?” “What are they going to do?”

Takayama: Also, what’s different from the previous series is that it was a team battle before but now it’s one-on-one. The Digimon partner and human will have to raise their own power by themselves, I take it? The differences in the rules also make it interesting.

Sakurai: There are gonna be moments “when Tagiru and Gumdramon rush ahead, Taiki and Shoutmon will back them up”. Seeing the flow and variation as it moves on from the previous series makes it extremely interesting.

Takayama: Yeah, yeah!

Sakurai: Whether or not they’ll keep this relationship as it is, or change even bigger from this point on… There are all sorts of possibilities.

■ What Digimon would you like as a partner?

Sakurai: A lot of different Digimon show up, right? Among them, is there a Digimon whom you would want as a partner?

Inoue: I can’t choose that. (lol)

Sakurai: Then how about your favorite character or a Digimon you’d like to hunt?

Inoue: That’d be Gumdramon, of course!

Watanabe: I didn’t know what I was going to do if you answered differently. (lol)

Inoue: He grows cuter by the minute, like a little puppy. As he got more and more attached [to Tagiru], I thought “Oh, he’s so easy to win over~”

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: What about you, Kuu-san?

Watanabe: Gumdramon does what he wants to do, and I really like that, so it’s gotta be Gumdramon for me~ I’m not that smart myself, so an idiot x idiot team combination would be interesting in itself.

Sakamoto: You two also haven’t played a part in the previous series [so you don’t know many options].

Watanabe: It’s possible I might just get along with a Death General!

Takayama: The Death Generals are pretty amazing~ There’s even one who’s really smart. There were also a lot of other awesome Digimon!

Sakamoto: There were even a lot of good guys. Also that weirdo who kept saying “Boom, boom”.

Sakurai: That would be Yanada-san’s character.

Takayama: That’s AncientVolcamon. (lol)

Sakurai: What about you, Minami-san?

Takayama: Just as you’d guess… Shoutmon would have to be my first choice.

Sakamoto: Nothing less from my General!

Sakurai: That’s how it usually ends up in a partner sense. Do you have another Digimon you like?

Takayama: I love all of the Digimon in my X Loader! They’re all friends who fought along with me up to now, so I keep thinking, When are they gonna come out, when are they gonna come out?

Sakamoto: Even if we’re a whole group of idiots, as long as we have Shou Hayami-san’s Wisemon, we’re okay!

Sakurai: He’s the brains of the outfit.

Takayama: I hope Dorulumon comes out soon too.

Sakurai: Dorulumon will be coming out every once in awhile. Also Cutemon.

Sakamoto: I suppose it’s Cutemon for me.

Takayama: You want Cutemon?

Sakamoto: Yeah, if I’m hurt somewhere whenever, he’ll heal it for me.

Sakurai: He’s very useful, that Cutemon.

Sakamoto: One in every house would be nice~

Watanabe: Right~

Takayama: But if he gets in a little bad mood, he’s a handful.

Sakamoto: He might be a little too much trouble. (lol)

Sakurai: Once he starts singing, he destroys everything around him.

Inoue: But it’s Houko-san, right?

Sakurai: Right. Houko Kuwashima!

Inoue: Then that’s all right.

Takayama: You forgive everything just for that?!

■ What Hunter are you?

Sakurai: For this series the keyword “Digimon Hunt,” which involves capturing Digimon in DigiQuartz, acts as a large focus. Our next question moves away from Digimon but, in your everyday lifestyles, do you have an item that you’re obsessed over or collect regularly? For instance, what sort of Hunter would you call yourself?

Takayama: I don’t have the instinct of a Hunter… I don’t get attached to anything, really.

Sakamoto: But we buy a lot of stuff that come in boxes.

Takayama: Like energy drinks or that sort?

Sakamoto: We do a lot of online ordering.

Takayama: Whenever we order online, we just end up doing it all in a single go, don’t we. (lol)

Sakurai: Do you have any preferences in terms of “appetite”?

Takayama: I suppose food, if it comes to my number one preference.

Sakurai: You often talk about how you go out to eat, right? Sometimes a little far-off.

Takayama: Yes, I do travel out of the city sometimes to eat. But I could live my entire life off of cup ramen.

Watanabe/Inoue: Ehhhhhh?!

Takayama: It’s totally fine! I could eat it forever.

Sakamoto: But on the basic level, it’s about “meat” isn’t it?

Takayama: Yeah. But cup ramen has meat in it too. (lol)

Sakurai: And you, Chika-san?

Sakamoto: I like shoes.

Sakurai: You’re wearing a very adorable pair today!

Sakamoto: Yep, I really like shoes.

Sakurai: Even sneakers and such?

Sakamoto: I even have straw sandals and a ton of other shoes at home. It’s enough to make someone say, “Oh, do you have friends over today?”…

Takayama: Oh, so you line them up outside, not stash them somewhere?

Sakamoto: People are always telling me to tidy them up.

Sakurai: By the way, how many do you own?

Sakamoto: …Um, not that much.

Sakurai: That sounds like you have quite a lot~

Inoue: Maybe enough to fill an entire room?

Sakamoto: …I really like shoes!

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: What about you, Marina?

Inoue: …

Takayama: She’s having a hard time. (lol)

Inoue: I don’t get attached to anything either. Gathering collections and such just seem like more trouble than they’re worth.

Sakurai: Very straightforward.

Sakamoto: A very rational way of thinking.

Inoue: But, going with the flow of this conversation, I guess I’d have to say clothes. Except that I don’t really keep them around.

Sakamoto: Aw, you throw them out?

Inoue: I either throw them out or give them to someone as a present.

Inoue: Sakurai-san, you seem like the type to hold on to yours forever though.

Sakurai: You make it sound like “I bet the likes of you keep what you can get,” like you’re looking down on me. (lol)

Watanabe: He got dragged into the fire. (lol)

Sakurai: I normally give them away to people. Like my mother.

Takayama: I see.

Sakamoto: But that’s kind of a happy thing, knowing that your mother wears the clothes you give her.

Sakurai: I give them away to my aunt too.

Takayama: It’s nice to have a lot of people who’d take them.

Sakurai: They often ask me “How do I wear this?” (lol) Also stuff like “Your sense of style sucks.” (lol)

Watanabe: Would your aunt wear this big dotted shirt you have on too?

Sakurai: She normally wears stuff like camo fleece without even blinking.

Takayama: Wow!

Sakurai: Life is all about survival…

Takayama: Sakurai is like the fashion leader in Xros Heart.

Sakurai: No, no, not at all. (Sweats)

Inoue: I want that handbag.

Sakurai: …Eh?

Takayama: You should all say what you want now while you can!

Watanabe: Give me a present!

Sakamoto: Something, anything!

Inoue: I want that blue handbag!

Sakurai: You keep saying you want my blue handbag.

Takayama: Just write “Reserved” on a piece of paper and stick it on. (lol)

Sakurai: Do you have any collections, Kuu-san?

Watanabe: I actually don’t have an attachment to things like that either…

Sakurai: No one here really does, I see.

Watanabe: It’s not an object but I really love combat sports, so there were a ton of mobile sites that I’d registered to… I’ve had to cut down on some lately.

Sakurai: Ooooh~

Watanabe: I recently switched to a smartphone, but sometimes the service that I really want to watch can only be seen on the regular mobile, so I own both.

Sakurai: That’s amazing!

Watanabe: The sites are all about combat sports. I get buried in things like *** Pro Wrestling or Pro Wrestling *** or Martial Arts ***.

Watanabe: I went over 15, so I cut down since I was pushing it.

Takayama: Don’t you also collect [wrestling] masks and stuff?

Watanabe: I don’t collect them, but I do wear them when I go to bars.

Inoue: Ehhhh?!

Takayama: You should wear one next time!! When we go out for drinks!

Sakurai: It’s gonna turn into “Maskman is here!!” (lol)

Sakamoto: If you fall over drunk, I’ll wake you up at count 2.5.

Watanabe: 2.9! Please do so at count 2.9!

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: Everyone besides Chika-san doesn’t have much of an attachment to material things.

Sakamoto: I’m sorry…

Sakurai: No, no, no! I’m a collection maniac too, so I understand you very well!

Inoue: Ahh, I can kind of see that.

Watanabe: Totally!

Takayama: You look like the type to be very picky about what you own.

Sakurai: I am picky, but I get told that my tastes are hard to understand. You have to see the difference between “this is good, but this isn’t right”…

Watanabe: I bet you have mail order boxes you’ve gotten from online at home, right?

Sakurai: Actually, I don’t use online ordering much. I get afraid that I’ll end up buying loads.

Sakamoto: You don’t buy books or CDs [that way] either?

Sakurai: The box with the smiley face on it comes, right?

Sakamoto: The kind where you rip open the side.

Watanabe: It comes in a pretty big box!

Sakamoto: So we all buy online! (lol)

■ About upcoming developments

Sakurai: Do you have anything you expect to see in the future, or something you wish to happen?

Takayama: Mmm, but it’s still in the early stages.

Sakurai: There’s still a lot we don’t know, but feel free to let your imaginations expand!

Inoue: Since the mystery team also has three people, I’d like to see fights that are 3-3 or them helping us out.

Sakurai: The rival team’s Digimon partners are… rather unique, I should say…

Sakamoto: They have strong peculiarities.

Takayama: And their true natures haven’t been revealed yet.

Sakurai: Dracmon seems like a Digimon that was made exactly for Daisuke Kishio.

Takayama: For his judgments on what tastes good or bad. (lol)

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: What about you, Kuu-san?

Watanabe: Mmm, let’s see. We talked earlier about how the studio changed into a flower field, but for me the previous series…

Takayama: The summer training camp?!

Watanabe: The summer training camp, I would’ve liked to dabble my feet in a little.

Sakurai: If you say that here, you might just influence what happens in the story later~ (lol)

Watanabe: I want to carry the world on my back! Ah, no, the universe!!

Inoue: Carry the universe on our backs as we fight!

Sakurai: Carry the universe on your backs?!

Sakamoto: That’s real manual labor, you know? You can’t carry the universe on your back with a cute voice like that? Your throat is going to get all raw and blistery?

Watanabe: But I really want to try it!

Sakamoto: But you’re always saying “I can’t do anymore…” when you reach a point. You promise, right? You’ll definitely do it, right?

Takayama: This relationship right here, it’s really fun to look at. Seriously, it’s like an exact duplicate of the relationship between King and Gumdramon.

Sakamoto: Really?

Sakurai: Seriously, it’s what I think when I look at you two.

Inoue: (Nods)

Takayama: Whenever Chika-nee says something, you can see Kuu’s shoulders jump with fright.

All: (ROFL)

Sakamoto: That’s not true, right? Kuu-chan? Grin.

Watanabe: N—Not at all, sir! Never, ever, sir! I’ll go get that anpan and milk you want, even if it means traveling through land and sea, sir!!

Sakurai: So, are you hoping for powerful developments to come, Kuu-san?

Watanabe: It’s more like, that’s what I would like to see. This might sound a bit cocky, but you two (Sakamoto-san and Takayama-san) have pride in what you’ve done so far, right? It would be nice if we could do that part too.

Sakamoto: But, see, it’s only just started after all. From this point on, everyone’s going to reach great heights and keep rising up!

Takayama: I’m sure strong guys are going to keep coming in floods.

Sakurai: Right. I’m sure they will.

Takayama: But for that, first Yuu would need his partner, right?

Sakurai: Ah, that’s right!

Takayama: Even though it’s already revealed on the poster.

Sakurai: There aren’t many characters with a form like his that can appear in the main visual so openly!

The reaction is gonna be “What? What the heck is this?”

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: Those who’ve watched the previous series naturally know who he is.

Takayama: I really want him to come back soon…

Sakurai: Yeah. It was a very sad parting.

Watanabe: There were many scenes, including today’s episode, that had a lot of sadness in them.

Takayama: It keeps being shown over and over.

Watanabe: Also you get to hear Kikuchi-san’s Damemon voice! Such sad words!

Sakurai: Yes, indeed. This Damemon character is really…

Watanabe: I mean, even his name is sad. (lol)

Sakurai: Well, he is “Damemon.”

Takayama: Even though he isn’t “no good”. (lol)

Sakurai: What about you, Minami-san?

Takayama: Well, let me see. First, I want everyone’s Digimon partners to be together! That way, we can have team battles. Also, I’d like to hunt a big Digimon!

Sakamoto: Going back a bit to what we first set out to do.

Sakurai: What about you Chika-san? You’re already in the high position as king.

Sakamoto: Right~

Sakurai: It feels like you may sit back and say “Young masses, go and do your thing!” (lol)

Sakamoto: No, no, that’s not going to happen. They’ve gotta work their way up!

Sakurai: So you like being at the scene of action?

Sakamoto: Yes indeed.

Inoue: Even though he’s King, he does often come to the scene.

Sakamoto: I can’t leave it all to you young ‘uns just yet~ (lol)

Sakurai: “Being there ahead of anyone else!” is Shoutmon, after all. It would be interesting to see him taking part in the circumstances.

Takayama: No matter how many times he gets beaten and bashed up, he stands back up again. I’d like to see that again.

Sakamoto: Except a lot less of the bashing up this time. (lol)

■ A message to the viewers

Sakurai: In closing, please give a message to the viewers.

Inoue: While I feel pressure by participating in Digimon Xros Wars, I’m also full of excitement and nervousness! I think the story itself is loaded with excitement and nervousness, so I’ll do my best to give everyone plenty of dreams! Please watch over me with care.

Watanabe: Ehh, Tagiru said something really good, so I’ll just go straight to my main intentions… By receiving a world view and role that I really wanted to take part in, I want to race together with Tagiru into it while chasing after the backs of my seniors, so please enjoy.

Takayama: I’m performing in the new series with all the force of my soul, so I think the atmosphere in the studio will reach everyone unfiltered.
(Turns to face Inoue-san and Watanabe-san) It’s okay! We’ll pick up your remains later, so do whatever you want!

Watanabe/Inoue: Thank you!!

Sakamoto: Everyone is doing their best with all they have.
But, um…. even though I’ve become king, I’m not planning on just sitting around and fanning myself. I’m hoping from now on to get into tons more messes with all sorts of Digimon and make it a fun story. Even as someone watching, that’s how I think.

Sakurai: We’ve had many questions, how do you feel everyone? All of the cast and staff are energized for it, so please be sure to wake up a little early at 6 every Sunday morning and watch “Digimon Xros Wars The Boy Hunters Who Leap Through Time”! Thank you for today, everyone.

All: Thank you!

 

 

 

 

 

To support this site:

Part 1 published on 01/24/2012 [After Digimon Xros Wars II, episode 16 (70)]
Source: http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/digimon_xw/special_02.html

• ※ Names have been listed without honorifics.
• ※ Thank you to all of the voice actors who have gathered!

■ Character name and introduction

■ Performs as Astamon as well
as the interviewer once again, Takahiro Sakurai-san

Takahiro Sakurai (Below, Sakurai): First, let’s start with introductions.

Tetsuya Kakihara (Below, Kakihara): I’m Tetsuya Kakihara who voices Ryouma Mogami!

Sakurai: Next!

Houko Kuwashima (Below, Kuwashima): T-Then… I’m Houko Kuwashima who voices Ren Tobari!

Sakurai: And!

Daisuke Kishio (Below, Kishio): Daisuke Kishio who voices Dracmon.

Sakurai: And I’m Takahiro Sakurai who voices Astamon. It’s good to be here.

 

 

 

 

■ Your impression after post-recording?

■ Ryouma Mogami’s voice, Tetsuya Kakihara-san

Sakurai: How did you feel about the post-recording? I’d like to hear first from Kakihara-kun, as he’s joined us for the new series.

Kakihara: I auditioned as a rival character, and I enjoyed my experience for the first recording since this is my first time acting as the bad guy. All of my previous roles were heroes of justice or hot-blooded characters. Back when Digimon was being broadcast, I knew about the show even though I wasn’t in Japan at the time, so being able to have the opportunity to audition for it alone was amazing to me. I thought, by being accepted as Minami Takayama-san’s rival role, it’ll greatly up my skills. Also, being in a show for children is one of the dreams I had on becoming an actor, so I’m happy to take part.

Sakurai: I see. What about you two? With our new member Kakihara-kun having joined us, did you feel a change in the studio atmosphere?

Kishio: Uh, well, it’s the same as usual. (lol)

Kakihara: We see each other all the time at other studios anyway. (lol)

Kishio: But I had absolutely no idea that Kakihara-kun felt that way, or even sense a smidge of that enthusiasm from him. (lol)

All: (LOL)

Kakihara: No way! That can’t be true!! (lol)

Sakurai: It’s because he’s the type to hold in everything inside. Seeing that quiet attitude of his in the studio, perhaps you can tell that he takes his role as Ryouma very seriously?

Kakihara: (nods vigorously)

Sakurai: …and we’ll just leave it at that.

All: (LOL)

■ Dracmon’s voice, Daisuke Kishio-san

Sakurai: How about you, Kishio-san? We’ve got a lot of other new members who’ve joined us.

Kakihara: Yes, how is it??

Kishio: What changed the most is the feel of the place, really. After all, the number of women has grown!

Sakurai: Everyone in the first round interview said that too. About how the place stank of sweat before but now things smell pretty.

Kakihara: So it got a better scent? (lol)

Kakihara: I get the image that the previous series had a lot of veteran voice actors, though.

Sakurai: Well, even though it’s a new series, what hasn’t changed is how the people who voice guest characters are all high-grade. The middle arc in the previous series was especially like that. The casting for the Death Generals was enough to make us wonder “Can we really beat these guys?!”

---

Sakurai: Well, Kishio-san. Here’s my personal opinion, but it seems to me that Dracmon was a character made especially just for Daisuke Kishio…

Kishio: Hey, hey, you can’t be so sure. But I did have to redo, or more like retake, my scenes. For a character who has no lines, I had to do a lot of retakes for a different reason altogether. (lol)

Sakurai: There was a lot of bargaining with the staff and arguing involved. (lol)

Kishio: It was a case of the actor wanting to do this, but the director wanting to go in another direction. This happened in the previous series too; I’d have to voice a variety of different roles, and there were many times when I’d say too much that was unnecessary and get scolded at by the director. (lol)

Sakurai: Fundamentally, neither of our roles have many lines to say. (lol)

Kishio: We’re more about reactions and special attacks and using laughing voices.

■ Ren Tobari’s voice, Houko Kuwashima-san

Sakurai: Now, Houko Kuwashima. What are your thoughts on the post-recording for the new series?

Kuwashima: With the number of cast growing, I feel a sense of security at being able to blend in with the large group. (lol)

Sakurai: A sense of security at blending in. (lol)

Kuwashima: Until now, I had the weight of so many roles leaning on me. I’ve had to act them up to this point while not having the luxury of letting myself relax, but now this, this is the relief of letting that responsibility go. (lol)

Sakurai: When the show started, we were told that “for the time being, one person will be acting various roles” after all… How many do you think you’ve done?

Kishio: For me, my main role didn’t show up until around episode 3, so until then I was always playing the bad guy.

Sakurai: And then, almost all of them disappeared. (lol)

Kishio: Wait, wait, since they’ve been hunted I’m sure they’ll show up again at some timing or other?

■ What impression do you have of your character?

Sakurai: This is only based on information of his current condition, but what impression do you have of Ryouma?

Kakihara: He still hasn’t had many lines yet. Since the story is told by the protagonists’ point of view, I think the rival team itself is pretty mysterious. But despite that, knowing that he’s the leader of the rival team makes my impression of him “The Rival,” I suppose…?

Sakurai: Your role position is still vague, isn’t it?

Kakihara: Their objective hasn’t been uncovered yet, after all. When his goal is revealed, I think the events on what made him go after such a goal will lend a big influence to the story in the coming future.

Sakurai: You mean to turn this into “your” story? (lol)

Kakihara: …W—Well, more like “our” story. (lol)

 

Sakurai: What image or impression do you have of Ren?

Kuwashima: When I read my character’s background, it was full of negative things written about him. He seemed more to me like a rival character rather than an enemy, so I had a very bigoted opinion of him at first. I acted as him with a lot of restraint. When I did that, he came off as a bit more snobby than Ryouma, as if he was the real leader. (lol)

Kakihara: Eh?!

Kuwashima: The episode director even told me “You can act more like you’re enjoying yourself, that you like to make fun of people around you,” which is where I’m at now. I finally had the chance to talk a lot as him, so I’ve begun to see his character.

 

 

Sakurai: The rival team’s target Digimon is always the same one that the protagonist team is after. In the eyes of Taiki and Tagiru, they’re an interfering bunch.

Kishio: Ryouma is quick at making snap decisions, though. (lol) He’s like “Ahh, this isn’t working! Since nothing good will come out of it, okay, time to retreat!” (lol)

Sakurai: The way he comes to such clean decisions is very mature, or rather cool, of him. (lol)

(End of Part 1)

Part 2 published on 02/1/2012 [After Digimon Xros Wars II, episode 17 (71)]

■ Question box “Golden X Loader, Digimon Xros Talk Full Customize Version” on the scene!

Sakurai: Tada!! This is sudden, but we have here our Digimon xros talk’s ultimate weapon! The arrival of “Golden X Loader, Digimon Xros Talk Full Customize Version”. In this box are questions that the Digimon Xros Wars staff has hunted for us in advance. We’ll have everyone here Reload the questions in it and answer them… Like a question corner that you may or may not have seen on a variety TV show somewhere!

Kishio: I’m not gonna comment on any bit of what you just said! (lol)

Sakurai: …Let’s enjoy ourselves with this! (lol) When you pull out a question, please shout out “Reload!”

Kishio: It won’t get conveyed to the people reading this, so I think that’s pretty meaningless…

Sakurai: It’ll all be written out!

All: (LOL)

Sakurai: Now! Who wants to pick first?!

Kuwashima: I’ll go.

Sakurai: Then, if you will, Kuwashima-san!

Kuwashima: Reload!!

Sakurai: Ooh, you’re a good person!

■ A question for Houko Kuwashima-san!

[ What character do you want as a friend? ]

Sakurai: Let’s restrict it to humans only!

Kuwashima: Um… human, human…

Sakurai: Tagiru, Taiki, Yuu… there’s a lot of them…

Kishio: Would it be okay to add in Zenjirou too??

Kuwashima: Then I’ll go with Zenjirou!

Kakihara: That seemed like a rather guided question. (lol)

Kuwashima: No, no. It’s like, with Zenjirou I feel that I’ll always be laughing. (lol)

 

■ A question for Daisuke Kishio-san!

Sakurai: Okay, next!

Kishio: Then I’ll go.

Kuwashima: Ah! You didn’t say Reload!! (lol)

Kishio: Okay, Reload!!… This rule feels like we’re playing Uno or something, what the heck. (lol) Let’s see… [ What were your thoughts when you were given your character? ]

Sakurai: What was your first impression upon seeing Dracmon?

Kishio: I thought, Oh! At last! I can do the acting that I was kept from doing in the beginning!

Sakurai: Ah… Yes, you did mention that now that I think about it. (lol)

Kuwashima: Eh? What sort of character is he?

Sakurai: You’ll see on air. (lol)

■ A question for Tetsuya Kakihara-san!

Sakurai: Now, next person. Kakki!

Kakihara: Reroad!

Kishio: With a more authentic pronunciation!!

Kakihara: [Note: Written in English in the original interview] Reload!!

Kishio: Is that English? German??

Kakihara: There is no “Reload” in German!!! (lol)

Sakurai: So, what’s the question? Please read it, Kuwashima-san!

Kuwashima: [ What would you like to say to the producers? ]

Sakurai: Now! Your answer!!

Kakihara: Let’s go out for drinks!

All: (LOL)

■ A question for Takahiro Sakurai-san & Another round of questions!

■ Astamon voiced by Takahiro Sakurai-san

Sakurai: So it’s me next. Reload!! [ How would you describe Ren Tobari in one word? ] How should I put this… he appears to be quite the tricky fellow. I feel that he’s going to be avant-garde in the distant future.

Kuwashima: Ehh?! …Oh, but I see your point.

Sakurai: Now then, there’s still a lot of questions in here, so let’s continue! Houko Kuwashima!!

Kuwashima: Reload, kyu!!

Sakurai: Oh! You used Cutemon’s voice!

Kuwashima: [ How would you describe Dracmon in one word? ]… Hmm….

Kishio: If you change just one letter in his name, he turns into a nationwide famous character… [Note: Dracmon is spelled ‘do-ra-ku-mon’ and when you change the ‘ku’ to ‘e’…]

Sakurai: Hey!! (lol)

Kuwashima: Hmmm, Dracmon… seems like he’d be quite the guzzler?

Kishio: I can see that. Also, quite merry.

Since he evolves from absorbing human greed, maybe he’ll evolve even higher than super-evolution if he absorbed an even stronger greed!

Sakurai: Okie dokie. Next!

Kishio: Reload! [ How would you describe Ryouma in one word? ]

Sakurai: Ooh, so what impression do you have of the cool boy Ryouma-kun?

Kishio: Hmm… I suppose in one word… a patriot of the Meiji Restoration era? [Note: Describes an educated warrior who possesses rare knowledge]

All: (LOL)

Kishio: No, but see, that’s how much ability I think he has. Also, he’s quite well-informed. He knew Taiki from the beginning.

Sakurai: That’s true. For something that happened in the Digital World, he’s very informed.

Kishio: So I guess in one word, he’d be “a mystery”?

Sakurai: Now, please give a message to our viewers. We’ll start off with Houko Kuwashima-san!

Kuwashima: It’s an even further evolved Digimon world. I really put everything into my roles each week while also enjoying it. I’d like to keep up this atmosphere as I race towards the finish. From what I’m told, there will be surprising plot turns later on, so it would be great if you’d enjoy watching as they come to you.

Sakurai: Next is Kishio-san.

Kishio: I’m doing my best as I put energy into the series that’s enough to rival the energy I put into the previous series, so it would be great for me if that fierce power reached everyone watching. Also, if you can use it at your workplace or wherever, “Reload”. I’d be happy if you’d use the word while drawing lots or calling forth some convenient subordinate or something, and make it into a trend. The early bird gets the worm, as the proverb goes, so I’d be happy if men and women of all ages, and not just children, watched the show.

Sakurai: And last, Kakki! Go for it.

Kakihara: I believe there are people continuing to watch from the previous series and people who started watching from this series, but I think that Taiki’s protagonist team will be clashing a lot with the new rival team led by Ryouma. Within those developments, I’ll continue to keep doing my best so that it’ll give power to you all, so I’ll be happy if you keep watching!

Sakurai: Thank you all for today, everyone!

All: Thank you!!

(End of Part 2)

 

 

To support this site:

SPECIAL INTERVIEW! with Ken’ichi Suzumura
A special interview that came with the “Digimon Frontier” DVD Box released on August 24, 2007.

Purchase of the DVD Box (Region 2 only) available at: Amazon.JP, CDJapan, YesAsia

The last interview among the cast is the master of darkness who appeared in the latter half of the series, Kouichi, as voiced by Suzumura-san.

[ About the big accident that occurred during his first evolution ]

Your first appearance in the show was as the evil Duskmon. How did you feel about that?

Voice of Kouichi Kimura, Duskmon, Velgmon, Löwemon, and KaiserLeomon.

I got fired up about it. Back then, I rarely got the chance to play the bad guy, but I really love the dark hero^[1] types. Also, he looked cool and he was super strong. He appears out of nowhere and beats up the main characters before leaving again. The other members of the cast told me “You got the best part,” and I really did think that I did. (laughs)

When Kouichi evolved to Löwemon for the first time, he was also pretty strong.

That episode was also very memorable to me. ^[2] Cherubimon tells him to come back to the dark side again, and then there’s a moment when you think that just maybe he will, but instead he says “I won’t lose to the darkness anymore” — that series of developments and the lines said in them were very good. As an aside, what happens afterward is the scene when Kouichi evolves to Löwemon for the first time, and that was when a serious accident happened. I went through a test before the actual performance, where I shouted “Spirit Evolution” for the first time. Just when I got to “Spirit Evo,” I cracked my back. Almost at once, I broke into a cold sweat (laughs). For the next five minutes I fought, but once I sat down, I couldn’t move anymore. Everyone who’d broken out laughing at first^[3] started to look concerned, and someone from the staff borrowed a wheelchair to roll me out to the hospital (laughs). Since I couldn’t record it that day, Kouichi’s first Spirit Evolution was recorded when I was at the studio all by myself the following day (laughs).

Even when he went to the side of justice, the drama that involved Kouichi still had anxious developments.

Alongside the principal main story that focuses on Takeuchi-san’s Takuya, the twins’ story^[4] of me and Kamiya is also being revealed all the while. What’s more, it turns into a sad story where Kouichi was possibly dead. Even I didn’t know whether Kouichi was alive or not until the last episode, so I acted it out while wondering to myself how this was going to end. Everyone around me would often say irresponsible things like, “Oh, he’s definitely dead” (laughs). That’s why I was relieved when I read the screenplay for the last episode. It was a truly wonderful story to the very end. I’m really sorry to say this, but I think it was these two brothers that were the best thing out of this series. Even Takeuchi-san said “Hmph, you guys are so popular” (laughs).

[ About his passion for Frontier ]

You came into the series mid-way, but were you able to fit into the atmosphere right away?

-PROFILE- Main roles in series such as “Ichigo 100%” (as Junpei Manaka), “Kidou Senshi GUNDAM SEED DESTINY” (as Shinn Asuka), etc. His latest role is in “ZOMBIE-LOAN” (as Chika Akatsuki). From Osaka prefecture.

Even though I came in the series in the middle, I was taken under their wing quite easily so I looked forward to post-recording every week. After the recording session was over, all of us would always go out to eat together. This was an idea that we got excited about back then but Neemon would sometimes get caught up in something unbelievable and yet never die, right? So we’d get to talking that Neemon must actually be pretty friggin’ strong. We’d talk stupid about how he must definitely be hiding something huge in those red tights and how he’ll end up being the last boss. (laughs)

For a series that you enjoyed so much, how did you feel when it reached its last episode?

I was very sad about ending the series with these members. The story had full closure, so I knew that having a sequel would be impossible, and while I felt a sense of completeness, I thought that I’d like to keep continuing it a bit longer with these members. Also, it was a really intense year to me personally. It was a time when our generation mingled with our seniors and when I finally got a job. Put into expression, it was a transitional period for me where I was aiming for a higher plane, so it was a year where I used an approach every time that has now become my foundation. I’m sure that this comes out in the role so, even though I know it really isn’t the right thing to do, Kouichi was a character who took in everything about that from me.

In closing, please give a message to those who have bought the DVD Box.

I can say with confidence that it is a series that you will not regret watching. Those of you who bought it have made the right choice (laughs). Not only does it have a big flow like what you’d find in a Taiga drama, but each episode comes with a highlight scene, so it should have you feeling catharsis every time. Even if you just watch one, each episode is made up so that it can hold its own, so I’d like it if you rewatched through a variety of ways and kept finding more discoveries.

FOOTNOTES
N1) Dark hero — Suzumura-san is known to be a huge tokusatsu fan. The character that is especially his favorite is the lonely dark hero Hakaida, who appears in “Jinzou Ningen Kikaida”. Although a member of the evil organization that fights against the protagonist Kikaida, he doesn’t obey orders and often goes after Kikaida of his own accord while acting independently. This establishment is said to be the pioneer of all dark heroes. Suzumura-san apparently loves Duskmon because he was a character that brought Hakaida to mind.
N2) That episode was also very memorable to me — After Cherubimon erases Kouichi’s memories and makes him Duskmon, Kouichi evolves into the true warrior of Darkness Löwemon for the first time and drives off Cherubimon’s clone in episode 33 (“The New Warrior of Darkness! Löwemon & KaiserLeomon”). The insert song that plays during this episode’s A-part, “Oreta Tsubasa de ~With Broken Wings~ Kouichi’s Theme” is also Suzumura-san’s favorite song. “At the time I was recording it, I hadn’t even seen Kouichi’s face yet. But I sang it in pretty high spirits (laughs)”.
N3) Everyone who’d broken out laughing at first — This incident is apparently also a memorable one to the other cast members. When asking Takeuchi-san about her impression of Suzumura-san, the first thing she remembered was this episode and she said, “He couldn’t move at all. It looked like it hurt him pretty bad but it also made him look so pathetic that I couldn’t help laughing (laughs)”. Suzumura-san made a comeback for recording the next week. Since he did not suffer from any after-effects, even to this day Ryuuzaburou Ohtomo-san who voiced Cherubimon would ask him sometimes, “Is your back all right?”
N4) The twins’ story — Even in the year before “Frontier,” Suzumura-san and Kamiya-san acted in roles that faced off one another. Back then, they often had many opportunities to eat out together, and Suzumura-san talked about this strange episode that had occurred at one of those times. “My audition for Kouichi took place some time after the first cour was over. When I told Kamiya that I’d been chosen for Kouichi, he said, ‘I knew it.’ He didn’t know that I’d been trying for the role, but for some vague reason, he had the feeling that I would be Kouichi. That’s interesting, isn’t it?”

To support this site:

SPECIAL INTERVIEW! with Hiroshi Kamiya
A special interview that came with the “Digimon Frontier” DVD Box released on August 24, 2007.

Purchase of the DVD Box (Region 2 only) available at: Amazon.JP, CDJapan, YesAsia

Kamiya-san reminisces about the year of Frontier while performing as the cool Kouji.

[ About Kouji’s friends and his performance as Kouji ]

Could you tell us what led you to perform the role of Kouji and Wolfmon?

Voice of Kouji Minamoto, Wolfmon, Garmmon, Beowulfmon, and MagnaGarurumon.

When I first received the offer to audition. The role of the fifth grader was an unknown world to me and I thought it would be difficult, but after the audition was over, I thought strongly about how much I wanted this role. It’s part of the time slot that a lot of children watch their shows, and it’s also a story about a boy’s travels — naturally, I’d watched these types of shows when I was in elementary school, so I had a strong admiration for them. That’s why, when I found out that I got the role, I was so happy that I couldn’t help yelling out.^[1]

Kouji has a very cool personality, but how was it like acting as him?

The year before “Frontier,” I was involved in “Chou GALS! Kotobuki Ran,” where I also played a cool role, but there were several times there when I fumbled my way around and thought “Was that okay?”… even though I shouldn’t be doing that really. That’s why I decided to throw an all-body pitch right from the first episode this time. I was pretty nervous about it at first. Playing the cool role is actually pretty embarrassing. Even if the role is cool, me, the person playing him, isn’t (laughs). But it was thanks to this series that I was able to open the drawer inside me to getting a grasp on the cool role. So I’m grateful.

He was a polar opposite to Takuya performed by Takeuchi-san.

[Takeuchi-san] was perfectly Takuya from the very first episode. She acted as Takuya real candidly, and it felt good watching her perform. Takuya and Kouji are good-hearted rivals at first who end up becoming friends who defeat the enemy, but when I saw Takuya in episode 1, I honestly wondered to myself if they really would end up in an equal relationship. Still, it was a very good choice to have Junko Takeuchi as Takuya. I could also say the same for the rest of the members, as it was a studio filled with talented people that made me think as such. That’s why I worked hard, because I wanted everyone else to think the same about me. Although, those feelings did have me spinning around aimlessly (laughs).

Suzumura-san who performed as the older twin brother Kouichi is actually also the same age as you are.

Suzu and I aren’t really about the junior/senior relationship, and rather than close friends, we were more like really good buddies. Oh, and that holds true even now (laughs). That’s why, with him as Kouichi, it felt very natural. Suzu also had a role in “Chou GALS! Kotobuki Ran” that sort of teamed up with mine, so when he was decided for the role of Kouichi, we talked about how this must be some kind of fate.

-PROFILE- Main roles in series such as “Hachimitsu to CLOVER” (as Yuuta Takemoto), “RING ni Kakero” (as Takeshi Kawai), “Shinkyoku Soukai POLYPHONICA” (as Phoron), etc. His latest role is in “Sayonara Zetsubou-sensei” (as Nozomu Itoshiki). From Chiba prefecture.

[ His most memorable episode in Frontier ]

Was there a particular episode or character that left an impression on you?

What left the greatest impression on me was episode 7.^[2] Kouji didn’t have many scenes at the beginning where he talked, but it was in this episode that Kouji and Takuya’s relationship came into strong focus. I was able to get a bit of a hold on his personality. There’s also the episode when Susanoomon evolves for the first time^[3] that’s memorable to me. That was when Junko Takeuchi said to me, “Kamiya-kun, you do Susanoomon’s voice” — since she does most of the [pattern] voices, she said she was all burned out at that point (laughs). I understood how she felt, but since she’s the main character, we managed to convince her otherwise (laughs). As for character, it was the Royal Knights that appeared near the end. Kenta Miyake [as Dynasmon] is younger than me, but when he roars, it’s really scary. I fought with him while thinking to myself that there are people with scary voices like his. I didn’t believe I could win (laughs). There’s also a rare special attack^[4] that Wolfmon uses only once. For those of you who’ve bought the DVD Box, try and look for it. (laughs)

In closing, what does “Frontier” mean to you, Kamiya-san?

After being a voice actor for more than 10 years, the year I was involved in “Frontier” was the best fun I’d ever had. I’d often go out to eat dinner with the whole cast, and as a series it was something that I felt was really worth doing. I did feel frustrated about how there were many things I couldn’t do, but I got an incredible amount of feedback. That’s why this series is my starting point. It’s very important to me, and I will never forget it for the rest of my life. If I ever have children, it’s a show that I would definitely want to show to them. I’d be happy if those who bought the DVD box treasured it always and watched it over and over too. The theme that’s portrayed in it is a normal one, so it should be one that you can enjoy at any age.

FOOTNOTES
N1) So happy that I couldn’t help yelling out — Despite it having happened five years ago, Kamiya-san still remembered this incident in detail. “I got a call from my manager while I was at an otolaryngologist nearby the office [that I’m affiliated with]. After I left the hospital and checked my cell, I found a ton of missed calls and voice messages. Then when I heard that I’d been chosen for Kouji, I remember screaming “YESSSS!” out loud. This happened nearby Gaiemmae station during the day, so it got a lot of salarymen staring at me. (laughs)”
N2) Episode 7 — When Takuya, Kouji, and Tomoki wind up wandering through Toy Town (“The Floating City! ToyAgumon’s Toy Country”). While Takuya treats the younger Tomoki nicely, Kouji insists that they shouldn’t give him special treatment just because of his age. However, when Tomoki is kidnapped, he doesn’t hesitate to go rescue him. It’s an episode that depicts both Kouji’s coolness and his awkward kindness, as well as when Takuya and Kouji, who’d been constantly arguing with each other until then, begin to communicate with each other for the first time to beat the enemy.
N3) The episode when Susanoomon evolves for the first time — Takuya and Kouji first evolve into Susanoomon in episode 48 (“Turn Light and Darkness into One! Kouichi’s Last Wish”). Takeuchi-san also mentioned during her interview, “Takuya worked hard for all the previous patterns and nothing else was coming out anymore, so I kept begging countless times for Kouji to voice Susanoomon (laughs). I also persistently kept telling Kamiya-kun too that since he’s a man he should do it (laughs).” However, with the director’s single voice of authority, Takeuchi-san was decided for Susanoomon’s voice.
N4) Rare special attack — Wolfmon’s attack, Strahl. When Kamiya-san received the script for it and read about its sudden appearance, even he was surprised. “It was written in it that Wolfmon shoots a beam from his eyes. I never saw anything like that before, so I went to post-recording thinking that it must be some mistake. And then he really did shoot a beam from his eyes, so that surprised me. (laughs) Later on, I learned that it was an attack that had been established officially beforehand, but in the actual series, it probably doesn’t come out unless he’s fighting something like a tengu.”

To support this site:

SPECIAL INTERVIEW! with Junko Takeuchi
A special interview that came with the “Digimon Frontier” DVD Box released on August 24, 2007.

Purchase of the DVD Box (Region 2 only) available at: Amazon.JP, CDJapan, YesAsia

Takeuchi-san spoke about her lively performance as the energetic protagonist Takuya.

[ Performing as Takuya Kanbara ]

Did you find anything difficult while acting out Takuya Kanbara?

Voice of Takuya Kanbara, Agnimon, Vritramon, Ardhamon, KaiserGreymon, and Susanoomon.

Takuya is the type of boy who says plainly what’s on his mind, so I acted while thinking that whatever was written [in the screenplay] was exactly what Takuya was feeling. It was actually when he evolved into a Digimon that it got difficult. Takuya is still an elementary schooler in the inside, but outside he looks like a Digimon and he even fights. I was worried over it at first. But — and this is just my interpretation of it — I think that Takuya is a very adaptable person. That’s why, even when he’s a Digimon, he immediately finds fun in it. He clearly won’t worry over it at all, so I realized halfway that I didn’t need to worry either. Also, the scenes involving special attacks and evolution I had to perform with a more and more powered up sense each time. It’s an important part, so even if it was the same technique or evolution form, it gave a different nuance each time^[1], so I never got used to it.

How was the atmosphere like during post-recording?

It was pretty peaceful. I’d play-argue with Kouji’s actor, Kamiya-kun, much like how Takuya and Kouji do. (laughs) I really loved both the scenes where those two argued as well as talking to Kamiya-kun. Of course, talking to the others was fun too. My senior Ku-chan [Kumiko Watanabe-san] performed the youngest child Tomoki, which I found interesting. Even now when I perform female roles in other shows, she’d tease me by calling me “Oniichan” (laughs). My cat teacher^[2], Kazuko Sugiyama-san (voice of Bokomon) and Masami Kikuchi-san (voice of Neemon) also took in a lot of their surroundings. Whenever I got too strung up and starting running around in circles, they’d create an atmosphere that took out the tension in me. I really felt an aura of warmth from those who’d performed the longest at the forefront.

If there was an episode or scene that left an impression on you, please tell us.

The first episode when Takuya immediately went to protect Tomoki even though they still didn’t know each other yet, I thought was interesting. It made me see that he really has the disposition of the older brother. Having to fight into B-part^[3] of the last episode was also memorable. I was expecting to at least take it easy in the last episode (laughs).

In episode 16, the role of Gomamon that you performed in previous series appeared.

-PROFILE- In the Digimon series “Adventure” and “02,” she performed as Gomamon. Her latest roles include “NARUTO -Shippuuden-” (as Naruto), “Yes! Precure 5” (as Rin Natsuki), etc. From Saitama prefecture.

I think it was a delicate decision made by the staff, but I’m very close friends with Kaida-san^[4] who performed Gomamon for that episode. When I heard Gomamon was going to appear, I thought that I’d like to do it, but having someone I adore act as Gomamon made me very happy. I really looked forward to the recording for that day.

[ Looking back on the year of Frontier ]

What did the year spent as Takuya Kanbara mean to you?

The more I performed him, the more I saw the various things that I was lacking, so it was a year in which I received a lot of homework. That sounds vague when I put it into words, but it made me think that I had to make “Junko Takeuchi” a lot bigger. For instance, even if I acted as Takuya, if I’m a small, distrustful, and narrow-minded human being, that would make Takuya restricted. Even though the real Takuya is more big-hearted and free, he’d appear not to have those qualities because of me. To this day, I think about making myself a more open and deeper person, and in this way, “Frontier” was a series that gave me homework I’d never forget.

Please give a closing message to those who bought the DVD Box.

Members with very different personalities become the truest friends you could ever meet. That isn’t something you can see unless you watch the whole year’s worth, so I’d like you to enjoy yourself as you watch from beginning to end. Also, with the character variety, I think your sense of the show will change as you watch from each of their perspectives. For instance, Takuya’s point of view would be completely different from Kouji’s. I’m sure you’ll find it a lot of fun to rewatch again and again through different eyes.

FOOTNOTES
N1) Different nuance each time — Takeuchi-san performs many transformation/battle scenes in other shows, and revealed a personal stance in them. “For instance, when Takuya uses a new technique for the first time, he’d definitely be wondering to himself what its name is. Even if the words come naturally to him, he wouldn’t know what it means. But the more he uses it, the more he comes to understand. That’s why I felt that I had to be on the same level of emotion as him. If the same performance was good each time, then it could just be reused after all. (laughs)”
N2) Cat teacher — Takeuchi-san uploads pictures of her beloved cats almost every time in her personal blog, “Shin- Take no ko seikatsu,” and it was Kazuko Sugiyama-san (voice of Bokomon) who was the reason she started having them. The kitten she received from Sugiyama-san that she named “Denka-kun” [Your Highness] is the source of her happiness and “If Sugiyama-san hadn’t called to me back then, I never would’ve had cats as pets so I really am grateful.” To read a little more about Sugiyama-san’s other works, read note 8 in Tomita Sukehiro’s interview here. [link pending]
N3) B-part — In Japanese animation, it is mainstream for an episode to be divided into two parts, with the first half called A-part and the second half B-part. Digimon Frontier is also produced in this format. Just as Takeuchi-san said about “I remember fighting almost to the very end,” the last episode 50 (“Transcend Time! The Birth of a New Legend”) involved a fierce fight between Susanoomon and Lucemon that got even more intense as it went into B-part.
N4) Kaida-san — Yuki Kaida-san who performed Gomamon in episode 16 (“Just Being Strong Isn’t Enough! The Beautiful Warrior, Shutumon”). Her main roles were in such series as “HUNTER X HUNTER” (as Kurapica), “Tennis no Oujisama” (as Shuusuke Fuji), “Shounen Onmyouji” (as Masahiro Abeno), etc. Born in Tokyo. Besides the Gomamon performed by Kaida-san, there were the voices of numerous other Gomamon who appeared at the same time. Takeuchi-san’s voice is apparently included in their cries of “Goma~”

To support this site:

Main Character Memorial Round-Table Discussion with Makoto Tsumura, Mayumi Yamaguchi, and Fumiko Orikasa.
A special interview that came with the “Digimon Tamers” DVD Box released on April 25, 2007.

Purchase of the DVD Box (Region 2 only) available at: Amazon.JP, CDJapan, YesAsia

The three main characters of Tamers talk about their memories from back then.

The growth of their characters and their Digimon’s evolution?!

What sort of atmosphere was the recording studio like back in the day?

Fumiko Orikasa-san (abbreviated FO below) How many years has it been?
Mayumi Yamaguchi-san (abbreviated MY below) Five years, I think?
Makoto Tsumura-san (abbreviated MT below) It looks that way~
MY Oh dear… that’s amazing. Time really does fly.
MT Indeed. Guilmon sure was cute~ The part where he was very innocent at first and didn’t know anything was good. Even though he gradually got smarter. (laughs)
MY You make it sound like he stopped being cute (laughs). But I guess I remember more of the heartwarming feel in the beginning. When we moved into the second half of the series, it got all muddly…
MT Right, right. In the Digital World, we had to face oncoming waves of battles, so it turned into a difficult time… Now that I think about it, Jian kept stopping Terriermon^[1] from evolving at first, didn’t he?
MY Yup. I thought Terriermon was cute the way he was, so I wanted him to stay that way too. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him to evolve, just that I wanted him to stay cute…
FO So that’s why Jian kept preventing him from evolving too! (laughs)
MY Right, right. (laughs)
MT He was the Digimon who changed appearances in the most drastic way.

Was there any sort of reaction regarding that among the cast while recording?

▲Makoto Tsumura “Sazae-san” (as Wakame Isono), “Astro Boy: Tetsuwan Atom” (as Atom), etc. From Hokkaido.

MY Quite a lot, actually! There was this feeling of “ehhhh” coming from all of us, and there was even some booing involved. The person voicing him herself^[2] also let out a yell of surprise. (laughs) Apparently she’d been casted in the first place to act cute, but for it to end up that way had given her a shock.

By evolving, she has to change the way she acts after all.

MT All of those in the cast who voiced Digimon were like that. The forms that they’re introduced as evolve bigger and stronger, so they had to step up their acting each time.
MY Hiroki-kun^[3] was dripping with sweat in the end (laughs). He did really well.
FO Hiroki-kun looked like he had a lot more trouble with his beginning form. (laughs)
MY Impmon, right? You’re right, that role was probably the most troublesome. I personally thought it would be funny if Culumon got all muscular though (laughs).
MT Culumon became good friends with Juri, didn’t he?
MY But in the end, it got all jumbled up somewhat (laughs).
FO In any case, Juri-chan was a sad girl. Judging from her family situation too…

About the backgrounds of each character

The fact that each character comes with their own family background is one of the best parts of the Digimon series.

MT Takato grew up in a bakery^[4], so while Tokyo was having trouble, there was a scene where he made bread by himself. What did Ruki-chan’s family do again? They lived in a large estate.
FO Her mother was a model, but… the only adult who was there with Ruki for most of the time was her grandma.
MT What about her father?
FO He wasn’t with them. Some memories of him came up during the movie, but… All of the characters surrounding Ruki — her grandma, her mother, and Renamon — where all voiced by Imai-san^[5], which I thought was pretty amazing.
MY It felt like you two were enough to fill an entire family.
MT I was really impressed too!
MY Speaking of which, Renamon hardly seemed to change when she evolved. Unlike Terriermon… (laughs)
MT Oh, I remember Kyubimon very well… Since she was a nine-tailed fox^[6], it left a very big impression on me.

It’s tough work acting as Digimon?! What happened in audition…

While acting as your character, was there ever a time when you wanted to voice a Digimon?

▲Fumiko Orikasa “BLEACH” (as Rukia Kuchiki), “Atashinchi” (as Mikan), “Saishuu Heiki Kanojo” (as Chise), etc. From Tokyo.

MT Yes! Like Terriermon. I wanted to try a cute role. I kept wanting to try one the whole time, and the series ended without me getting a chance. (laughs)
MY I voiced a Digimon^[7] in the first series. My role as Jian was decided through audition, but back then, the thought that I’d be accepted for audition never crossed my mind, so I mentioned how cute Terriermon was while looking at the promotional pictures, like it was someone else’s business. (laughs)
FO I auditioned for a number of roles back then, with Ruki being one of them. I also tried out for Impmon at the same time. I’d voiced him with no idea of what the storyline even was, so I have memories of wondering who would be Impmon and it turned out to be Hiroki-kun! (laughs)
MT A woman could certainly get away with voicing Impmon.
MY But it would be pretty scary if that happened for real~ (laughs)
FO I never expected the storyline to end up that way, so when I think about that now, it is scary. (laughs)
MT In my case, my audition tape didn’t reach the casting office the first time, so I was decided for the role after a tryout later on.
MY If no one had realized that then, Tsumura-san’s Takato wouldn’t have existed. That’s also kind of amazing. (laughs)

Did you ever face something difficult while acting as Takato?

MT Takato was a normal boy, so he was very easy to act.
MY He was exactly like you~ (laughs). I thought it was wonderful how you were able to express a pure-hearted elementary school child so naturally.

How about Jian?

MY I voiced him without much conscious effort, but somehow I kept getting told that I made him sound sexy. Aoi-chan^[2] would be the one who’d tell me that, and I’d answer back that Terriermon shouldn’t say such things. (laughs)
MT We’d also call him Zenra [Note: Zenra = buck naked] instead of Jianliang. (laughs)
MY You’re right, even though everyone is naked when they evolve to Ultimate. That part was really embarrassing. (laughs)

How about Ruki?

▲Mayumi Yamaguchi “Digimon Adventure” (as Gabumon), “Galaxy Angel” (as Forte), etc. From Iwate prefecture.

FO I think I acted her role without as much difficulty as I expected. At any rate, I went with Ruki being cool, without having it seem like she had much friends. (laughs)
MY Ruki is a tsundere^[8], isn’t she?
FO Oh, maybe! She wasn’t described in that way back then, though.
MY She was tsundere of the season. Must’ve been nice.
FO Ruki was the first character for me that had common phrases. That’s why when it came time to saying things like “Card Slash,” I’d look at how the two of you did it first while thinking about how I should speak.

Have you ever wanted to see your character in a certain way?

MT I’d like to see him in a relationship, whether it’s with Juri-chan or not. I want to see him try making advances. Without changing my voice. (laughs)
MY He won’t get past saying “Um” or “Ah,” I expect. I’d like to see what Jian does in his daily life. Like whether or not he just sits in front of his computer all day or maybe have an episode of “Jianliang goes to Akihabara” (laughs). Maybe he tries to go into maid cafes while making sure no one sees him or he doesn’t go into any stores and just buys bulk items along the streets.
FO In that case, Ruki would probably be made to join an Akihabara tour. Then when she’s walking along, she’ll get pointed at to voices of “There’s the Digimon Queen!” (laughs).

Please leave a message to the fans who have watched the show then.

MT Probably the impression that you had five years ago will be different from what you get now. For the amount of time that’s passed, the impact you receive from it will change, so it’d be nice if you enjoyed that.
MY If you buy it now with your New Year’s money, you can watch it at any time so I’d like it if even your children and grandchildren enjoyed it too. I think this story is a very good asset, so I’d like others to watch it by all means.
FO Those who keep the DVDs at hand must be super-fans, so I’d like for you to look back on the scenery and what else has changed from five years’ time, as well as enjoy this story of everyone’s friendships and youth once more.

FOOTNOTES
N1) Jian kept stopping Terriermon — Jian was against the idea of Digimon fighting each other and so kept Terriermon from evolving. That was because letting him evolve would mean that he had to fight. Jian’s way of thinking was the exact opposite of Ruki, who thought that fighting was a Digimon’s reason for existing, but it grew evident that the Digimon themselves also wanted to evolve. By interacting not just with Takato and Ruki, but with Guilmon and Renamon, Jian reevaluates his thinking on both his partner’s evolution and fighting.
N2) The person voicing him herself — Aoi Tada-san who voices Terriermon. The same “Aoi-chan” who Yamaguchi-san refers to later on. As a Digimon partner, she also voices the evolved forms like Gargomon. Terriermon first appears in “Digimon Adventure 02″‘s movie “Digimon Hurricane Jouriku!!/Chouzetsu Shinka!! Ougon no Digimental” and is voiced by Tada-san. What’s more, she also voices Jian’s younger sister Shaochung’s partner, Lopmon.
N3) Hiroki-kun — Hiroki Takahashi-san who voices Beelzebumon/Impmon. A popular voice actor who is famous for performing a wide range of roles, from cool to comedic, as can be seen in “Konjiki no Gash Bell!!” (as Parco Folgore), “Tennis no Oujisama” (as Eiji Kikumaru), and “School Rumble” (as Kenji Harima). He apparently voiced Impmon and Beelzebumon with such enthusiasm that Yamaguchi-san says he came out sweating “as if he’s been under a waterfall”.
N4) Bakery — Takato’s home above the “Matsuda Bakery.” A small bakery located a bit outside of West Shinjuku, Takato often helps out his parents at the store. It is shown in episode 43 (“Hearts Connect! The Revival of Beelzebumon”!) that Takato knows how to make bread, when Takato and the others go to the store while the city has been evacuated due to the D-Reaper and make bread for breakfast. In the latter half of the series, Takato’s father also makes bread in the shape of Guilmon’s head.
N5) Imai-san — Yuka Imai-san who voices Renamon. She not only voices Kyubimon, but also Ruki’s mother and grandmother. Chiaki Konaka-san talks about this casting in his homepage, saying that it was a suggestion from producer Seki Hiromi-san. The song when Sakuyamon evolves is not only sung by Imai-san, but she also came up with the lyrics. Other than “Digimon Tamers,” she has performed in such roles as Yuki-sensei in “Ojamajo Doremi”.
N6) Nine-tailed fox — Renamon’s evolved form, Kyubimon, who is modeled after the nine-tailed fox spirit. It is a fictional existence that came from ancient Chinese legend, but in Japan it is famous for transforming into a beautiful woman from “Tamamo-no-mae” which is a story written in the “Otogizoushi” during the Heian period.
N7) Voiced a Digimon — About Gabumon, who appeared as Yamato Ishida’s Digimon partner in “Digimon Adventure” and “Digimon Adventure 02”. Due to his shyness, he wears Garurumon’s pelt over his normal form. His true form underneath the pelt is said to be a “reptile Digimon,” but does not make an appearance in the anime. Yamaguchi-san often passes by the Oogado Crossing in Shinjuku even now, and says that she often remembers “Digimon Tamers” at that time.
N8) Tsundere — One of the character types often used to describe female characters in video games and anime. Although they have romantic interest in the main character, they cannot express that feeling well and so take on a “tsun” [prickly] attitude in front of other people. But when the two of them are alone, they change into a “dere” [sweet] attitude, which describes the tsundere. There are various theories as to where the word first sprung from, but it became popular usage around 2002. Afterwards in 2006, it was nominated for the “New/Popular Word Award”.

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SPECIAL TALK! with Toshiko Fujita & Chika Sakamoto
A special interview that came with the “Digimon Adventure” DVD Box released on December 21, 2007.

Purchase of the DVD Box (Region 2 only) available at: Amazon.JP, CDJapan, YesAsia

Leaders even in postrecording sessions, both Fujita-san and Sakamoto-san reminisce on 8 years ago.

PROFILE
Toshiko Fujita :: Taichi Yagami, Toshiko Takenouchi		Main character roles in such works as “Ikkyuu-san” (as Ikkyuu), “Kiteretsu Daihyakka” (as Kiteretsu), etc. Besides young boy roles, her range includes a mature, feminine voice, such as the beautiful Rui Kisugi in “CAT’SEYE”.
Chika Sakamoto :: Koromon, Agumon, Greymon, etc.		Main character roles in such works as “Tonari no Totoro” (as Mei), “Shounen Ashibe” (as Ashibe), etc. In “CAT’SEYE” (as Ai Kisugi), she performs together with Fujita-san as sisters.

[ What was the first image they held of their characters? ]

Please tell us the first impression you had of the character you had played.

Toshiko Fujita-san (abbreviated TF below) I saw him as a relatively energetic and normal boy that you can find anywhere. One that cares for his younger sister and is perhaps a bit clumsy or lacking, but full of passion. That’s why I didn’t have any trouble getting into character. Maybe it’s because the movie^[1] preceded the TV series, because I could jump in rather naturally.
Chika Sakamoto-san (abbreviated CS below) Koromon is cute while he’s small, but Agumon’s visual is pretty real as a dinosaur. His teeth are eyebrow-raising, and when I first saw pictures of him, I thought, “This is going to talk and go on a journey with children?” (laughs)
TF To tell you the truth, when I first saw Agumon, I also thought, “What, wait, he isn’t cute at all!” (laughs) I grew to like him as I kept watching him, but Koromon will always be cute, so I suppose I like Koromon the best. There’s also his last stage, WarGreymon, I like him.

Did you find any other Digimon cute?

TF Well, not as such. I did like Palmon^[2] because she was amusing, though. (laughs)
CS Palmon was funny, but Mizowaki herself was also a funny person. (laughs)
TF Her Palmon was the best. I was always looking forward to how she’d deliver such and such line for the day’s recording. We couldn’t even imagine… it was as if there was this distinct character that seemed to go beyond her performance. I’d really loved that.

How was the atmosphere like during postrecording at the studio?

TF Everything aside, it’s a show with a lot of voice actors, you see. When you include guest characters, our numbers would go over 20 people but we’d only have 3 mics to work with. All of us had a time of it, trying to maneuver ourselves around.^[3]
CS There were also some young ‘uns who couldn’t budge in from behind a great senior like Toko-san [Fujita-san’s nickname]. (laughs) Apparently this show was the first time they experienced a postrecording, so even when Toko-san said it was okay to go in after her, they’d turn her down.
TF That’s why us seniors would say things like “When it’s your turn, just push aside the person standing in front of you”. (laughs) We were like mothers or older sisters to them.
CS Everyone really put all of their effort into their roles. They gave off such a fresh feeling that I felt like I was receiving from them the things I’d lost. (laughs)
TF We had a variety of people, like some whose voices themselves were interesting. We’d keep busy thinking about whether they’d approach their role like this or like that. We were also frantic. But, despite our large numbers, we worked well together, so the studio would always be filled with a cheerful excitement. I felt that most of all when everyone was singing together.
CS You mean after “Adventure” was over, right?
TF Right. In the second year, we sang a song that was like “We are the World,” called “Bokura no Digital World”^[4]. That time, I thought, after performing in one show for so long, we could move in such wonderful harmony without saying anything more. It honestly made me feel happy and inspired.
CS Everyone really loved their roles. We’d often talk to each other as our characters.

[ Taichi and Agumon’s deep and strong bond ]

How do you think Taichi and Agumon feel about each other?

TF Agumon is a friend, but one that’s inside Taichi. Not like Yamato or his other friends, but more like a clone, like another part of himself.
CS Agumon loves Taichi in a way that’s kind of like how a chick that’s hatched from its egg thinks the first thing it sees is its parent. Taichi is a straightforward boy that often acts without thinking first, right? So when Agumon sees that, I think he thinks, “That’s what’s hopeless about Taichi. But that’s what I like about him, so it can’t be helped.”
TF At first glance, Taichi seems to be the responsible one who treats Agumon like his little brother, but I think that’s far from the truth.
CS Yes. But Taichi and the others ended up maturing a great deal, don’t you think?
TF Yeah. The rate of their growth was very natural. Even for us, who get to read the scripts and think about how such-and-such an incident would provoke such-and-such reaction… they’d grown up a lot before we’d even realized it.
CS Since there were 54 episodes in total, the problems that each of the children had^[5] was written quite thoroughly. I think the actors found a good challenge in that.
TF The actor him/herself has to mature along with his/her character, if they want to accurately portray their growth. If they don’t have a good grasp of their role, it’ll mess things up midway. I think that, in that sense as well, everyone did their best.

As Taichi matures, Agumon evolves as well, but was there any point where you went through trouble?

CS There are tons of different types when it comes to evolution, and since there are also a lot of Digimon, I think the Digimon actors^[6] went through trouble to make sure that they didn’t end up sounding the same as the others. Whoever does it first, wins, so there were some times when people would say, “I’d thought of doing that, but you took it from me~” (laughs)
TF The fighting scenes are also difficult for the Digimon side.
CS Yes, they just keep getting stronger and stronger. Even back when Agumon became Greymon, I felt like I couldn’t go any lower [to sound stronger], so when I got to WarGreymon… That part was touched up with devices, but it still made me wish I could take something to soothe my throat. (laughs)
TF As for us, even though we’re visibly maturing, it’s not as if our faces change along with our personalities.
CS If some elementary school boys told me, “Greymon sounds cheap,” that would be sad, you know? That gave me pressure. Whenever I heard children talk about Digimon on the train, my heart would beat fast as I eavesdropped on them. (laughs)

Because the show was popular even among children, the series was given a continuation.

TF It’s amazing, the number of Digimon series that kept going after. But when “02” ended, there weren’t any developments of us getting a return, were there?
CS That’s because Taichi and the others became adults^[7] at the end of “02,” remember?
TF Oh, that’s right.
CS (in Agumon’s voice) Taichi, why did you have to become an adult? I can’t appear in the show anymore now that you’ve grown up. (laughs)
TF I’m sorry. (laughs) How about we make a story based on Taichi’s son, then? (laughs)

The adult Taichi and Agumon became diplomats of the real world and Digital World.

TF Yes, and wearing those suits. That visual was shocking. It made me chortle a little. (laughs)
CS Kind of made you wonder how that came about.
TF But, with that, I realized that it really was the end. I remember thinking then that it was time for me to say goodbye to Taichi.

[ What they wished to tell the children ]

What did you wish to tell the viewers, through this series?

CS I think that “Digimon Adventure” is a story about how there are many things that the characters wanted to run away from, but they all kept moving forward even though they were reluctant to do it and, as a result, they changed and matured. I greatly sympathize with them in that regard, and I think the people who watch the show will also feel that way. Sometimes you hide behind other people and push each other ahead while saying, “You go first,” but because everyone is still there with you, everyone takes one step ahead. I find that wonderful.
TF Each of the children had a specialty, but they also had little faults about them. So they compensate for that with their friends’ strengths. There’s a constant theme on how you can’t do everything on your own, but with help from your friends, you can, and with help from you, your friends can as well. For instance, the belief between Taichi and Agumon. Having belief between two humans is difficult as it is, but Taichi and Agumon never distrusted each other, no matter what happened. Having a strong relationship like that is really lovely. I’d like it if the viewers felt the same. If they can find a friend in a person like that, it would be even more wonderful. You hardly come across a friend like that, and I think Taichi has that in Agumon. Oh, I finally understood that myself while I was talking. (laughs)
CS That was very coherent. A terrific speech!
TF I kind of want my own Digimon. That would be nice.
CS Yeah. You’ll have one, too, some day, I’m sure of it.

[ A message to Digimon fans ]

In closing, please give us a message to those who have bought this DVD box.

TF I strongly recommend this show. Since the DVD box has released, I, too, have watched a number of “Adventure” episodes. It may be strange for me to say this in a show that I’m involved in, but watching it again brought new excitement. For those who had watched the show long ago, and for those who are watching it for the first time, I do hope you enjoy it. Also, the two movies that were released before and after the TV series are fantastic, so I hope you watch them, too.
CS The people who bought this DVD box will probably get to watch it on a big TV screen, won’t they? I’m a bit envious of that. Back in the day, we’d wake up on Sunday mornings to watch it on a small TV, so I’ll bet even the intensity of it will be vastly different.
TF Yeah. Also, while we did watch it on TV or video back then, that was only to check up on our acting, so we couldn’t view it objectively and have the chance to just enjoy it. But now we, too, can finally sit back and truly enjoy the show.
CS With seven years having passed now, I feel like I can listen to Hirata-kun’s narration^[8] during the opening purely as an audience member.

FOOTNOTES
N1) The movie — Meaning the movie “Digimon Adventure” that opened in theaters on March 1999. Taking place four years before the TV series, during spring vacation of 1995, it reveals the truth behind how Taichi and his friends became the “Chosen Children.” Both Fujita-san and Sakamoto-san appear in the movie as first-grader Taichi and Koromon. This movie is the debut piece of Director Mamoru Hosoda, whose movie “Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo” won the thirtieth Japan Academy Prize for Best Animation of the Year, and it is still highly appraised.
N2) Palmon — Just like her human partner Mimi Tachikawa, this Digimon does things at her own pace. She evolves into Togemon and Lilimon. Palmon is voiced by Shihomi Mizowaki (currently going by the name Kinoko Yamada), whose unique husky voice and high-tension acting left a very strong impression not only on viewers, but on her fellow performers as well.
N3) Trying to maneuver ourselves around — In a usual postrecording for anime, there is a fixed number of 3 to 4 mics that are used by all voice actors. Recording takes place by going in front of the mic when it is one’s turn, and then stepping back once that person has given his/her lines. In the large family that encompasses “Adventure,” where the Chosen Children and their Digimon alone make up 16 people, working the mics can get pretty complicated. Mizutani-san and Maeda-san also talk about the difficulties of this in their interview here.
N4) “Bokura no Digital World” — The insert song that played in the last episode of “Adventure”‘s continuation, “02”. It is performed by the Chosen Children and their Digimon of both “Adventure” and “02,” as the “Digimon All Stars,” as well as theme song artists, Wada-san and AiM. Narration in the song is performed by Hiroaki Hirata-san. The song was recorded on a not-for-sale CD, which could only be obtained by gathering all 12 application forms included in the character song CD series, “Digimon Adventure 02 Best Partner”.
N5) The problems that each of the children had — Unlike the familiar stereotypes of kid leader and perfect student, the children that appear in “Adventure” are depicted to have faults and problems at home, which the series carefully attempts to show them overcome. For instance, the two brothers Yamato and Takeru live separately due to their parents’ divorce, while Sora, who seems the perfect student type among her friends, clashes with her strict mother. Even Taichi, who appears not to have any concerns at first glance, has a bitter past of almost killing his younger sister, Hikari, due to his own carelessness.
N6) The Digimon actors — Because the Digimon grow bigger and their attacks become stronger as they evolve, the actors who perform them were requested to have a large voice variation. Even the experienced Sakamoto-san said she had a lot of trouble with this. “It’s because we get much, much bigger as we continue to evolve. You can’t say you can’t do anymore, since you don’t want to get replaced by another actor. (laughs) I performed my role while consulting with the others on it. Even in that part, I was standing up to the fight. (laughs)” (Sakamoto-san)
N7) Taichi and the others became adults — In the last episode of “02”, “Our Digital World,” the ending scene takes place in the year 2027. It depicts scenes of the adult “Chosen Children,” even introducing their jobs and their new families. The adult Taichi is shown to be an ambassador who acts as a bridge between the Digital World and real world, with the humorous appearance of Agumon in a gray suit and bowtie at his side. What’s more, Taichi’s son, looking just like Taichi as a child, makes an appearance and is voiced by Fujita-san.
N8) Narration — Hiroaki Hirata-san, a stage actor as well as voice actor, was narrator. He also performed as Leomon and the father of Yamato and Takeru. Main character roles of other works include series such as “ONE PIECE” (as Sanji). He also appears in many overseas movies, performing as dub voice to such actors as Johnny Depp and Jude Law.

To support this site:

SPECIAL TALK! with Yuuto Kazama & Mayumi Yamaguchi
A special interview that came with the “Digimon Adventure” DVD Box released on December 21, 2007.

Purchase of the DVD Box (Region 2 only) available at: Amazon.JP, CDJapan, YesAsia

In perfect synchronization, Kazama-san and Yamaguchi-san talk about their newbie days on “Adventure.”

[ “Digimon Adventure” was where the both of them made their debut ]

For you two, “Digimon Adventure” was your debut as voice actors, wasn’t it?

Mayumi Yamaguchi-san (abbreviated MY below) Yes. That’s why I had absolutely no idea what was going on. Imagine me in that state, and in the same cast with people like Fujita-san and Sakamoto-san…
Yuuto Kazama-san (abbreviated YK below) Yeah, such prominent, big-name seniors! I had no idea what the show would be about or who the cast was, so when I saw the first episode script, I was almost freaking out, going all “What’s up with this amazing cast?!” I thought, “Am I going to be okay here?” (laughs)
MY And things like, “I might not make it out of the studio alive!” (laughs) But when I actually met them during postrecording, the two of them were very kind.
YK Yes, they were very warm-hearted. There were many times when our characters would pick fights with Toko-san [Toshiko Fujita-san] and Chika-san, so we were causing trouble for both of them in all aspects.
MY Who knows just how many obligations we owe them…

Your first roles, Yamato and Gabumon, were decided through audition, right?

YK I tried out for both Gabumon and Jyou.
MY I tried out for Gabumon and Jyou, too. Huh? You didn’t go for Yamato?
YK Yeah. When my agent asked me which role I wanted to try out, I thought I couldn’t do a pretty boy character like him, so I was really astonished when I was chosen for the role. Afterwards, when I asked Kakudou-san [the director] about it, he said that he’d decided on me the instant I’d come in.
MY The only thing I was asked to do during audition was to voice Gabumon evolving into Garurumon, so when I went to postrecording for the first episode, I thought I’d be doing it as Gabumon… only to find out that my first line was for Tsunomon. I remember thinking, “Gosh, he’s so tiny~” (laughs) Even by just suddenly seeing a picture of him, it wasn’t as if I knew how to apply my voice to match him. But the other actors were doing just that with their characters, so I was kind of intimidated, thinking “Who are these people?” (laughs)

What character image did you have to deal with as you faced your first recording session?

MY I still do this even now, but I prefer getting direction [at the studio] rather then deciding on something and being stuck in that view. The most I’ve probably thought is, even in times like this, Gabumon is still gentle and considerate towards Yamato. I hoped that I’d be able to mature along with the storyline.
YK I’d heard that Yamato was a cool character, which I thought was a part of him that didn’t agree with me. So there was that factor in the beginning. But I learned that he was actually quite similar to me, and a surprisingly passionate guy.

It was a bit surprising at first to find out that Yamato’s Crest was Friendship.

MY Right, especially when he didn’t have friends. (laughs)
YK He’s the type that can’t express friendship very well. It’s hard for him to just come out and say things like thank you.
MY He’s tsundere. [Internet slang describing a contradictory personality of someone who is good-willed on the inside, but harsh on the outside]
YK Yeah, that’s the word we use now to describe people like him. (laughs) I think that Yamato’s true feelings were expressed really well in the lyrics of “Oretachi no Melody,”^[1] the song that the two of us sang as a duet. The truth about him is that he really cares about friendships. Maybe that’s why he was given the Crest of Friendship, so he could also be able to express himself more honestly.

[ What is the relationship between the cool Yamato and the gentle Gabumon? ]

How did you view your partner as you performed?

YK To Yamato, Gabumon is a bit like his wife. A very well-balanced one.
MY That’s because the husband is a useless child. (laughs)
YK Right, he rushes off to do reckless things. And he watches his younger brother more than his partner. (laughs)
MY No matter how much devotion Gabumon shows, he doesn’t turn around to notice. But all Gabumon says about it is, “You’re fine that way. I’ll just keep waiting for you.” (laughs)
YK But Yamato does worry about Gabumon, too. Like those times when Garurumon is attacked.
MY Oh, I would expect that he be a little worried in those times, at least! (laughs)
YK Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry. (laughs)

Yamato’s love for Takeru is indeed impressive.

YK That part was actually the hardest to do. I’m the younger brother of two, so I didn’t understand how he felt that way towards his brother. Normally, it’s the younger brother that gets trampled underfoot by the older brother, isn’t it? (laughs)
MY Oh, but the family situation for Yamato and Takeru was complicated. If he became that way because of how they’d split up and lived separately, I can understand that.
YK I mused a lot on that, too. But I think it was the restaurant episode^[2] with Jyou, that gave Yamato the chance to change and take a step back from his Takeru-filled world. Those feelings of irritation he’d felt towards Jyou changed, with a snap, to appreciation for him, and even I felt like something inside of me had unclenched itself. It was around that time that I felt living as Yamato was going smoothly for the first time ever. Even though I should have been doing that sooner. (laughs)
MY Well, if you’re going to say that, then I felt the same thing much later than you. Probably near the end, in that episode when Yamato turned dark and Gabumon was lecturing him^[3]. (laughs) That’s how many problems I was facing then. And then there were all those stages of evolution. I didn’t know how far I was going to have to evolve.
YK Yeah, there had to be an end at some point.
MY I thought WereGarurumon would be the last one, so I went to my limits to make him sound the strongest. But then when I saw the new ending for the second half, there was MetalGarurumon… Chika-san and I were exclaiming about how the two of us looked like robots! (laughs) That’s why I went through a lot of trouble with Metal’s special attacks. Humans have it easy, they just have to say things like “Go get him!” (laughs)
YK But I’m jealous that you get to have special attacks. Children might tell us to do something during the fights, but we don’t even have a catchphrase.

[ Many fans were surprised by Yamato’s marriage ]

What was the atmosphere like during postrecording sessions?

MY We became comfortable with each other right away, and did things in harmony. The big-name seniors treated us in a way that let us not feel overwhelmed by their presence.
YK We really were like one big family.
MY Most important of all are the amazing people who came for guest roles. Like Shiozawa-san’s Devimon^[4]. I’m really glad I had the chance to perform alongside him.
YK Yeah. As actors, it’s our good luck to see how those amazing people go about their acting in numerous ways. My view on acting was completely blown away by Ueda-san’s Numemon^[5].
MY Even thinking now about Ueda-san performing Numemon is incredible. There were a lot of people like that. Masutani-san’s Etemon^[6] was funny, and Ishida-san’s Wizarmon was wonderful.

Was there any scene in particular within all 54 episodes that left an impression on you?

MY I will never forget running up Odaiba’s Fuji TV station^[7] and going all the way up to the Sphere.
YK It fell, didn’t it?
MY Yeah. We destroyed Fuji TV.
YK The memories come back to me every time I go to Odaiba. I’ve heard that fans still gather up in Odaiba every year on the day. The episode on Gotsumon^[8] in particular left a great impression on me. Whenever I pass by that shop window now, I’m reminded about those two. (laughs)

What feelings did you have as you did the last episode of your first job as voice actor?

MY I cried at the last episode.
YK So did I. I felt like I’d lived another person’s life for a year, so I was reluctant to have to stop there and step out of his shoes.
MY Yeah, I was deeply moved, too. But then we were chosen to show up in “02” next, and by the time “02” was done, it felt like we’d really done enough.
YK And it ends with them all being adults.
MY That part surprised me.
YK What I kept thinking most was, if it was such a good idea to have shown so much of the future, and all the way up to the part where he’d married to Sora. (laughs)
MY As well as a lot of other things… (laughs)

There were a lot of fans who were surprised by the development between Yamato and Sora in 02.

MY Honestly, Sora! If you’d spent just a few minutes to ask [Gabumon] for advice, I would have said, “Sora, don’t do this to yourself. It’s Taichi you should go for.” (laughs)
YK It’s tough work taking care of Yamato, you’re saying? (laughs)

[ The emotions they’ve put into their characters and a message to the fans ]

What did you wish the viewers to understand through your performance?

YK I never really thought of a theme. Rather I just lived as Yamato. Instead of me actively presenting something, I felt as if I was the one being watched. That difference is what I hope will allow the people who are just watching to feel as if they themselves had gone on an adventure. I think I was only able to accomplish this because I didn’t have the ability to do any calculated acting back then.
MY I just wanted, at any rate, for the children to enjoy the show and think “Wow, Garurumon seems really strong and really cool!” Wanting to make children happy, just like how I had adored the anime I’d watched when I was a kid, was my main thing. The memories of what you see as a child can be pretty intense, so I thought about how I’d like to have been of some use to someone in their life.

In closing, please give us a message to those who have bought this DVD box.

YK The reason why a DVD box can still be released after all these years is because there is a large number of people who still love this series. There aren’t many shows who have that sort of fanbase, and the only thing I can say about that is, thank you. I’ll be glad if, not only the people who bought the boxset watch it, but if it is also watched many times by the children now, and by children in the future.
MY I think that when you see something that you used to be obsessed with as a child, you can take back the feelings you’d felt back then. Maybe for people who are worrying over something now, they’ll be reminded on how they used to be pure as a child upon watching the DVD, and that will enable them to start over. That’s why I think it’s a good idea to watch it whenever something comes up. Even I feel like a child again just by watching the opening.

FOOTNOTES
N1) “Oretachi no Melody” — A Yamato and Gabumon duet character song that was recorded in the maxi single, “Digimon Adventure 02 Best Partner 2 – Yamato Ishida & Gabumon,” and released on June 2000. The bass played in Yamato’s own character song, “Negai Kanaeru Kagi,” which is included in the same CD, was performed by Kazama-san himself. “Before I went into voice acting, I used to play bass in a band. There’s a live scene in “02” where I also really did play the bass. My experience in music didn’t end up being a waste after all. (laughs)” (Kazama-san)
N2) The restaurant episode — Meaning episode 23 (“You’re My Friend! WereGarurumon”), where Yamato works in a restaurant to help Jyou, who couldn’t pay the bill and therefore ends up laboring tirelessly under the restaurant owner, Digitamamon. Tricked by PicoDevimon’s secret schemes, Yamato loses his ability to believe in his friends and tries to run off alone with Takeru. However, upon seeing Jyou risk his own life to save Takeru when he is in danger, Yamato has a change of heart and takes back his belief in his friends, activating the power of the Crest of “Friendship” to allow Garurumon to super-evolve into WereGarurumon for the first time.
N3) In that episode when Yamato turned dark and Gabumon was lecturing him — Meaning episode 51 (“The Clown from Hell, Piemon”), when Yamato and Gabumon separate from their friends and wander into a cave of darkness. As he walks through the cave of darkness and is enveloped by black mist, Yamato becomes filled with disgust for himself and ends up crouching in the darkness, saying how useless he is and how he cannot go back to being everyone’s friend again. However, touched by Gabumon’s words and tears, Yamato pushes out the black mist inside his heart and restrengthens his bond with Gabumon. The two head back to friends who are waiting for them.
N4) Devimon — A Fallen Angel Digimon on top of Infinity Mountain on File Island, who unleashed black gears that made Digimon become vicious and tried to take over the world. He is destroyed when Angemon sacrifices his own life to attack him. Voiced by the late Kaneto Shiozawa-san, who was known for such roles as M’Quve in “Kidou Senshi Gundam” and Rei in “Hokuto no Ken.”
N5) Numemon — One of the most hated in the Digimon world, using its own poop as a weapon. It makes its first appearance in episode 6 (“Palmon’s Angry Evolution!”) and is voiced by Yuji Ueda. Kazama-san remembers being surprised over how “this character always has its tongue sticking out, and you can really tell that its tongue is sticking out just by the sound in Ueda-san’s acting.”
N6) Etemon — This boss of Server Continent was performed humorously and with much high-tension by Yasunori Masutani-san, who also performed a character of the polar opposite in the fourth series, “Frontier,” as the intelligent tactician, Mercurymon. Meanwhile, Akira Ishida-san, who is famous for pretty boy roles, voiced Wizarmon.
N7) Running up Odaiba’s Fuji TV station — There is one scene in episode 37 (“All Perfect Levels Advance! The Glittering Angewomon”) where WereGarurumon runs up the wall of the Fuji TV building in order to chase after Vamdemon, who at the time went out of the sphere viewing platform with both Hikari and Tailmon in his grasp. After that, Angewomon gathers up all of the Digimon’s powers and releases it into her attack, Holy Arrow, to defeat Vamdemon, but due to the damage it received from that vicious battle, the Sphere breaks off from the building and crashes heavily to the ground.
N8) Gotsumon — Appears in episode 33 (“Pumpmon and Gotsumon are Shibuya-type Digimon”). He, along with Pumpmon, drags Yamato and Takeru into hanging out with them in Shibuya, but both end up killed by Vamdemon. And then, when Yamato passes in front of the shop window where they had played dress up, Yamato thinks about them in a heartrending flashback. He is voiced by Yuu Sugimoto-san.

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