Category Archives: Magazine Articles

Animage May 2011 – Legend of Raimon Eleven Memorial Book – Cast and Staff Pictures

Original:

Annotated:

Some of the signatures were totally illegible to me so I wasn’t able to tell who they were, but they’re probably some of the other staff listed from the picture.
All those loops and scribbles, and Level-5 President Hino has the most legible one on there.

Sayonara, mata ne!

Animage May 2011
Highlight: Character Song Original Album Comments w/ summaries

Animage May 2011 – Character Song Original Album Comments

Many of these comments overlap with Character Song Messages From the Voice Actors that were posted on the Up-front Works site, but these Animage comments were probably done sometime later.

Questions:
1. Please tell us your impressions or any specifics about your song.
2. What part of the melody or lyrics brings out your character?
3. For those who sang in “Raimon Junior High School Theme”, please tell us the main points of the song.
4. Finally, please give a message to the fans in the character’s personality.

Takeuchi Junko (Endou Mamoru)
Mamotte Miseru! (I’ll Protect It!)
Raimon Junior High School Theme
1. This wasn’t my first time singing as Endou, so I didn’t have as much trouble. This time was a solo by myself, so I figured it would be Endou-kun no matter what i did with it, and that way I found it much easier to do.
For the School Theme, I had to be careful not to overdo it or it wouldn’t be sound like a School Theme, but singing beautifully isn’t much like Endou-kun, so it made me nervous in another way.
2. The lyrics “sungee” was so much like Endou-kun! Endou-kun’s good points are his sun-like smile, and his resolve to not run away from a match. He’s both cute and cool, so even when he sings, he’s both smiling and being serious… I’m sure his expression would be changing a lot.
3. I figured Endou-kun was accustomed to this song from start to end, and he had a lot of pride in it, so that’s what I had in mind as I sung it. While thinking about how he came to Raimon Jr. High and expanded the soccer there with all the friends he met, and thinking about their bonds, he fills the song with the hopes of making those memories everlasting. Because of these guys, I’m here, and we will head onto the next stage… That’s what I end up thinking about whenever I hear this School Theme.
4. Even when we’ve graduated, everyone should come to Raimon Jr. High! That’s all!

Nojima Hirofumi (Gouenji Shuuya)
Honoo no Riyuu (The Reason For Flames)
1. The key of the melody fit Gouenji’s character more, so it was easier, and I think I was able to make it more Gouenji-like.
2. All of Gouenji’s feelings are encompassed in this song, so it was easier to put emotion into the song. He looks like the cool (aloof) type, but he’s actually quite passionate about things. The song probably reveals that.
4. I don’t sing on a normal basis, and frankly I’m not great at it. But I did my best for this, so please give it a listen!

Yoshino Hiroyuki (Kidou Yuuto)
Hitomi no Naka no Shouri (The Victory Within the Eyes)
1. Singing really is difficult…
2. As the playmaker of the pitch, since it’s Kidou, you can get the image of game strategizing when you listen.
4. Hope you like it!!

Nishigaki Yuka (Kazemaru Ichirouta)
{her comments are REALLY long and mostly the same as the previous questionnaire, so I’m just summarizing}
Mai Agare! (Let It Soar!)
1. It was my first solo, so I was really nervous, but I started rewatching from episode one, reading the lyrics and listening to the melody while imagining how Kazemaru felt, how to express his feelings in singing and such. On recording day, I also received a lot of good advice from the staff.
While singing “Mata ne… no Kisetsu” and “Saikyou de Saikou”, the songs give off the image of the fun that it is to sing with friends, but “Mai Agare!” is when I sang with the image of Kazemaru expressing himself straightforwardly while thinking about his friends. I’ll be really happy if people listen to the song while imagining Kazemaru singing with a smile and running under the blue sky.
2. The title “Mai Agare!” is full of Kazemaru of course, but also all of the lyrics are overflowing with his likeness. No matter where you start reading them, you can think of him.
4. This album is the proof that we, with all of our friends, fought through to the end with all we had. I’ll never forget all the memories we made together.

Miyano Mamoru (Fubuki Shirou)
{more summarizing}
1. “Ice Road” is a song done with Atsuya, is what I believe. In the end, Atsuya’s existence is the most important to Shirou. Thinking about that, my chest feels tight. But that’s not all there is to it; at the end, there’s still hope, and even if it’s sad, this song is also warm somehow.
2. First off, the beautiful melody lines are very much like Fubuki. But as I read the lyrics, I break down into tears…
4. I can’t just go off speaking for Fubuki-kun, so I’ll borrow some of his lines and say one thing as Miyano! (lol) Please listen to this character song album filled with Fubuki-kun and the others’ feelings, and let’s all become like the wind!!

Mizushima Takahiro (Kiyama Hiroto)
1. Character songs are hard to do. No, the song itself was hard to do… But I think it ended as a song very much like Hiroto.
2. The lyrics are like Hiroto, the words he say definitely give off that feeling, and although the melody is pretty cool from the get-go, it’s also passionate and filled with emotion.
3. My song… Although it’s a bit embarrassing, please listen if you’d like!

Tano Megumi (Kabeyama Heigorou)
1. It was my first time singing as Kabeyama, so I brought the album jacket picture made by the staff and sang while looking at it. I sang while imagining new students to the school would be listening to it.
2. I remember thinking “just what I’d expect from the Inazuma Eleven’s scriptwriter Tomioka Atsuhiro-san. They’re lyrics that only someone who has been so involved with Inazuma Eleven would be able to write. And Mitsuda Yasunori-san’s melody!! It’s the epitome of “Inazuma Eleven”!!
3. It sounds like an actual School Theme, so I was able to stand up to the mic feeling like I was singing a school theme. Thanks to Takeuchi-captain, I think it went well.
4. It’s a CD we all put our heart into!! I’ll be happy if everyone feels a little bit better from listening. We’ll keep working with all we’ve got! Please keep cheering us on!!

Questions:
1. Please tell us your impressions or any specifics about your song.
2. To bring out your character, what kind of struggles did you have? Or what kind of feelings did you put into the song?
3. Please tell us about the special characteristics of the unit and your character’s position in the unit.
4. Finally, please give a message to the fans in the character’s personality.

Kaji Yuuki (Fudou Akio)
1. To think the day would come when I would sing as “Fudou”… (lol). We were able to see another face to him.
2. Although it was all pretty much lines… (lol). I did it with the intentions of making it cool and sexy.
3. At all points, it was the “aloof, charismatic Fudou-kun.”
4. Who gives about any of this, just let me play soccer.

Mine Nobuya (Tobitaka Seiya)
1. It was my first time ever having a character song, so I was both nervous and anxious, but thanks to all the staff, I think we came up with a great piece of work.
2. It was mostly lines, so when it came to the song parts, it was pretty smooth riding to get into character. Tobitaka’s solo was about the time when he first started out and had a lot of hesitations, so I sang while remembering those times.
3. This party consisted of 3 delinquents (?) and one bright mood maker by the name of Tsunami, and I’m sure any InaIre fan would grin at it. Compared to the other two delinquents, Tobitaka has a more old-style and headstrong feel to his character.
4. Usu. It’s a CD my friends and I put our souls into singing. Listen to it at LEAST 100 times over!!

Sakaguchi Shuuhei (Tsunami Jousuke)
1. The recording went with a really good rhythm, so I had a fun time from start to end sing(?)ing this.
2. I took notice of each of the three guys’ (Someoka, Tobitaka, Fudou) situation. About what feelings I put into it while singing… “Riding it” of course.
3. At first I thought “Tsunami isn’t BAD”, but after reading the lyrics, it makes more sense to me. Tsunami must be the lead to the this song? Just a thought.
4. Okay, guys! I dun really know why but we’re singing. Well, there aren’t any waves or soccer or songs I can’t ride! It came out pretty nice, so look forward to it.

Kase Yasuyuki (Someoka Ryuugo)
1. Impressions… in one phrase, it was tons of fun! The four’s balance was nice, and I think we got every part down pat!
2. The lyrics were very much like Someoka, so it really wasn’t too difficult. I did it with every thought of “Someoka Ryuugo”!
3. It’s supposed to be the group of four baddies in the gang, but Tsunami being a baddie… Someoka, more than being a baddie himself, is just the type to say what he thinks straight out, from the start (lol). Like an older brother. I thought it was nice!
4. Everyone, please listen to the song the four of us sang! It’s a realllllly awesome piece!

Shimono Hiro (Fidio Aldena)
1. I’m truly happy I got to participate. This is a work I have a lot of personal feelings for, and I never thought we’d actually get character songs, so I got some really nice memories out of this.
2. It’s a song fit for the opening ceremony, so I sang while thinking of that. It’d be a piece I think would be fun to sing with everyone at karaoke. For my character, I guess it’s the “Odin Sword” part (lol).
3. The others in the group all had much deeper voices than me, I thought it’d be a little strange, but the unison actually worked out quite well.
4. Please listen to this CD full of everyone’s feelings! If you all sing along with us, it’d make me really happy!!

Sugita Tomokazu (Edgar Valtinas)
1. Singing is difficult, but under the name of soccer, I came to pass it through with team plays, and that’s how I went through with the recording.
2. The very concept of the character singing is different from the image he presents, so there were quite a few struggles in doing this.
3. These are all opponents to the main protagonist of the story, but there were times when we all cooperated. I took careful notice of everyone’s feelings in the group of four.
4. It was a fight befit of the pride of the knight. I would be grateful if you all enjoyed it!

Nakamura Yuuichi (Mark Kruger)
1. There weren’t many chances to go all out with the national teams, so being able to sing with the rest of the gang like this was really fun.
2. It was short, but I put a lot of thought into how to do the solo part. Like Mark, it had to be gentle, but still firm. I hope that came through in the song.
3. The image of all the national teams gathered together fits with this. As the captain, Mark did his best to do his part for Dylan as well.
4. This piece has many feelings embedded within. Please give it a listen!

Majima Junji (Teres Tolue)
1. I haven’t had many opportunities to sing character songs, so I was pretty nervous. It went smoother than I thought though.
2. Teres is the one famous for his defense as the “infallible stronghold of the Andes”! I did my best to give his part strength.
3. I was only defender in the unit, I wondered if I really fit in sometimes.
4. I’m not great at singing… but I did my best. Please accept our “cheers”.

Animage May 2011 – Legend of Raimon Eleven Memorial Book – Shimono Hiro & Kaji Yuuki Interview

Animage May 2011 came with an amazing 36-pg Legend of Raimon Eleven Memorial Book with tons of cast and staff interviews.
I wanted to translate this one first because these two say so many ridiculously awesome things in it. As expected of the Radio Misty pair!! (biases leaking out 100% on my end)

Shimono Hiro (voice actor for Fidio Aldena & Handa Shin’ichi) & Kaji Yuuki (voice actor for Fudou Akio & Ichinose Kazuya) Interview

Handa/Ichinose section
✿ You two have spent a lot time as part of the Raimon Eleven as Handa and Ichinose.
Shimono: In the second season, I was really sad to see Handa get injured and leave the stage early on. So when I was called back towards the end of the second season (ep 64), I was surprised to see that Handa became a bad guy?! (lol) Even his hairstyle was different, everyone was telling me “He must be taking note of Ichinose.”
✿ It seems Ichinose took Handa’s regular seat, after all.
Shimono: Yep.
Kaji: That’s because Handa stood up against Kidou-san (ep 18).
Shimono: (lol) Handa picked a sharp tongue after Shishido was benched. He was saying things like “Are you really okay with this? This isn’t how we do soccer!”
✿ Is that really why?
Shimono: As far as the actors were concerned (lol).
Kaji: (whispering) Well, isn’t Handa being a smart-aleck. Just who do you think you’re talking to?
Shimono: (whispering) Aah, not the thing you should say to Kidou-san, Handa~
Kaji: So the next thing we know, Handa was benched for the next match (lol)
Shimono: And Ichinose conveniently came in around there (ep 19).
Kaji: Yeah, Ichinose has such terrible timing! So everyone kept saying “It’s Ichinose’s fault.” They’re all so mean! (lol)
Shimono: And eventually Handa’s appearances disappeared just like that (lol).
Kaji: I was thinking “I’ll be in the same studio with Shimono-san!”, but in actuality we were only together at the beginning.
✿ Kaji-san, what are your impressions of Ichinose?
Kaji: He was quite a mood killer in the recording studio (lol). It was something about how American he was and that he was way too refreshing.
Shimono: That’s true (lol). That pose (pictured above) got on everyone’s nerves a bit.
Kaji: Also, I did think he was good with soccer, but I never thought it was to the level of people around the world going “THAT Ichinose” and knowing him (lol).
Shimono: It was the shocking truth. Fidio told Endou about it too. “At least you know about Ichinose” (ep 86).
Kaji: If only the Raimon Eleven treated Ichinose a little more nicely too!
Shimono: Maybe he was so big that they just didn’t know? (lol)
Kaji: Fidio and Ichinose had probably met each other before.
Shimono: I see. Since he’s known as the “magician of the field”, he probably played in international tournaments. He could have at least told the Raimon Eleven. “You can’t let these guys scare you. The world out there is even more amazing!”
Kaji: He could’ve given advice like “it should be more like this.” But him leaving without doing anything like that even once is just like him (lol).

Fidio/Fudou section
✿ First off, thanks for all the work for the last episode.
Shimono/Kaji: Thank you!
✿ Feelings about the ending:
Shimono: Sad that I wasn’t able to fight Endou for the finals as Fidio. But I was still really glad to have so many appearances.
Kaji: Inazuma Eleven is the first work that I’ve been involved with for so long. Coming in and seeing the faces of the same members week after week, it really feels like the end of school days to me. Still, I’m very grateful for getting to voice Fudou, Ichinose and various other roles, and I’ve gotten a lot of good experience out of it.
Shimono: I was involved since episode 1 with Handa-kun’s role, but then I was told “In the upcoming World Arc, there’s a role for you, Italy’s striker Fidio, so wait for it a bit.”
Kaji: But to think that he’d end up showing up this much… (lol)
Shimono: I was only told that Fidio was “a guest character and he’d only show up once every so often”, but it made me go “this wasn’t what I was told!”
Kaji: He kept showing up at the most awkward times.
Shimono: Handa and Fidio pretty much share the same face, so people in the studio would call Fidio “Zenda” (The Han in Handa means “half” while zen is the character for “complete”). Fidio is the completed form of Handa. He’s a Handa who’s got his act together (lol). The lead protagonist in Inazuma Eleven is Endou Mamoru, but I was told to act as if Fidio was the lead protagonist in eps with Fidio as the main character. It felt like a big load of responsibility. He’s the total opposite of the half-baked Handa (lol). Every time Fidio shows up, I end up putting everything into it, so when the sessions are over I practically let out a huge sigh of relief after exerting so much.
✿ Fudou and Fidio both share the fact that their fathers gave them a lot of struggle growing up.
Shimono: Yeah.
Kaji: But Fudou’s father was a salaryman. He had a big stack of debt and was in a lot of trouble.
Shimono: But Fudou and Fidio have completely opposite personalities. How did it end up that way? Fidio grew up into such a nice kid (lol).
Kaji: That’s true. Fudou showed up in the second season as a bad guy. I thought he’d just be a one-time character, but of all things, he ended up as a member of Inazuma Japan in the third season. At least the ink (?) in his head was cleared up by then.
✿ That was probably because the Aliea meteorite’s influence was gone.
Shimono: Otherwise it would give the Japanese nationals such an evil impression (lol).
Kaji: At first I thought “Will it really be okay to put this guy in?” but once in a while he brings in a scene that makes you smile, so I guess he’s not such a bad guy.
✿ Fidio and Fudou were both deeply involved during the Team K match.
Shimono: Team K’s appearance really shocked me. To think someone who looked so much like Kidou would show up (Demonio in ep 91). It made me remember the time when Teikoku Academy showed up in the first episode.
✿ After this match, Fudou’s distance with Kidou and the others got a little closer.
Kaji: Since they all shared the same enemy, Kageyama, at the time.
Shimono: “I’m gonna have my go at it too” like that? (lol)
Kaji: Yeah, yeah. Fudou just couldn’t stand Kageyama for using him before. And he hated it even more to see Kidou getting sent into confusion by Kageyama. “We’re not freaking puppets or creations!” (Ep 92)
✿ On the other hand, Fidio was very sympathetic towards Kageyama.
Shimono: Mister K (Kageyama) and Fidio shared similar circumstances. Both of their fathers lost their standing in the soccer world and were devastated by it. Mister K lost all hope in the soccer world after that, while Fidio continued believing in it.
✿ The turning of a leaf can change a man’s direction in life just like that.
Shimono: Yeah. Mister K could have chosen a lot of other ways to get his revenge, but yet he insisted on doing it through soccer itself. Seeing Mister K giving out such short and clear-cut orders, Fidio probably recognized something about himself in him. He’d wonder “Oh, this person loves soccer. Then why can’t he just admit it?” It was almost to the point that if they were opposite genders, it could be the moment where they’d start falling in love.
✿ Could that be because of Fidio’s gentle personality?
Shimono: It’s more like Fidio was pure-heartedly interested in Mister K, and that’s what pulled him so much into it.
✿ And that’s when Emperor Penguin No. 3 was completed. What do you think of Fudou, Kidou and Sakuma’s relationship?
Kaji: Um… it’s a love triangle?
Shimono: (lol)
Kaji: But, but… Sakuma’s such a girl! He’s always so jealous of Fudou. Although it’s true that when they were practicing Emperor Penguin No. 3, Fudou only asked Kidou to practice with him (lol).
✿ Why was that?
Kaji: It’s gotta be because Kidou’s the one and only capable player Fudou acknowledges from his heart. So he must have felt that “this can’t be done without Kidou,” is what I think. Back during the True Teikoku times, Fudou must’ve heard quite a bit about Kidou. How he was Commander Kageyama’s number one and things like that. That probably got him thinking, “But that guy lost to Raimon and ended up on their side in the end, right?” and so he had a low opinion about Kidou. But then after fighting against Kidou and experiencing his skill for real, Fudou must’ve gotten really upset about it. So the strongest player in Fudou’s mind isn’t Endou or Gouenji or anyone like that, it’s Kidou.
✿ Then what does he see Sakuma as?
Kaji: Kidou’s goldfish poop.
Shimono: wat (lol)
Kaji: “Kidou acknowledges him, so he’s probably not a useless guy” at least? NOW he probably thinks of it as “the three of us,” but he probably didn’t imagine Sakuma in the picture in the first place. To Fudou, Kidou’s the only special one to him, after all.
Shimono: Wasn’t Fudou maybe thinking “I wonder if I can get along with someone from Teikoku?” Maybe he’s just a shy person? (lol)
Kaji: Eh, “In reality, I want to join your group of friends” kind of thing? Was that how it was? (lol)
✿ Endou was an important existence to Fidio too.
Shimono: Yeah. Their love for soccer was very similar. They became friends quickly, but I think they both got the feeling that the other person was a soccer lover the moment they met (ep 85).
✿ Unlike Endou, Fidio’s the leader type to whip out orders one after another.
Shimono: That’s not part of Fidio’s personality in the first place, it’s just that he’s trying his best and ends up doing that. Since the real captain, Hide, wasn’t around, he’s been thinking “I’m the one who has to keep Orpheus together!” That’s why he kind of fell out of the loop trying to aim for the championship, but Endou’s existence really encouraged him. Endou and Fidio really mutually benefit from each other, and I think it’s a good relationship. Fidio worried and got discouraged by a lot of things, but his teammates, Endou, Kidou, Mister K and many others supported him and he managed to overcome all those things.
✿ Lastly, a message to the fans
Shimono: The FFI is the climax of the climax. Please cheer on to the very, very end! I’ll be watching over Fidio and Endou’s final matches. And for fans of Handa-kun, please look forward to it!
Kaji: The work of Inazuma Eleven is an essential part of my life as a seiyuu. Especially at the beginning, when I was still fresh, seeing the passionate performances of all the senpai around me taught me all sorts of things. I’m really sad to see the Endou Arc coming to a close, but this is a work I really love, so I hope everyone watches it to the end.

Forgot to add this in earlier, but cast favorites:
Kaji Yuuki
Favorite Character: My favorite would be Emperor Penguin No. 3, not as a technique, but as a character. The title for the episode they appeared in was “The Strongest Faceoff! Penguins VS Penguins” (ep 93), and at that point you couldn’t tell what kind of anime it was anymore (lol).
Favorite Team: Unicorn. The keeper and coach were both nice characters, and especially Mark and Dylan. If Ichinose and Domon weren’t there too, I’m sure they would’ve stood out even more. So if Ichinose were to get better and go back as being part of Inazuma Japan, I think it would make an even more interesting match. Well, we’ll (Unicorn) be the ones to win in the end!
Shimono Hiro
Favorite Character: I like Shishido. He was one of Handa’s comrades. They were both hospitalized during the second season, and I was really glad we both got to show up at the end of that season (ep 64-65). I got to talk with Nara Tooru (the voice actor for Shishido) too. “We got to do both the opening and closing!” (lol). I also personally like his poofy hair, but I also thought it was funny that he also got to voice Chae Chan-soo who had the same kind of hair. And Kurimatsu is cute too. His “Go right, me!” line during the Argentina match really got to me (ep 95).
Favorite Team: I like Orpheus too, but I’ve gotta say it’s Shuuyou Meito (ep 9). I liked their clothes. Even though it was still the district prelims, it felt like it was on an even smaller scale like just one town. The hissatsu technique “Sliding Goal” was just moving the goal in the end… totally against the rules! (lol). It was also the one episode where Megane-kun took one for the team.