“Uma Musume Cinderella Gray” Yuko Kaida x Shizuka Ishigami x Akira Sekine x Ayahi Takagaki x Miyu Tomita roundtable discussion | Isekai2nd

The anime “Uma Musume Cinderella Gray” (hereinafter referred to as “Cinderella Gray”) is currently being aired. The second season will start in October, and the passionate story between Oguri Cap and his rivals will be depicted every week. In the latest episode, episode 18, the Japan Cup, which competed with the world's strongest horse girls, has finally come to a conclusion.

Isekai2nd conducted interviews with the cast members who graced the second season with their wonderful performances. We spoke with Yuko Kaida (voice of Toni Bianca), Shizuka Ishigami (voice of Obey Your Master), Akira Sekine (voice of Moonlight Lunacy), Ayahi Takagaki (voice of Michelle My Baby), and Miyu Tomita (voice of Ella Zulie Pride), who ran a hot race in the Japan Cup just like last time.

*The text contains spoilers up to episode 18.

I was surprised to become a horse girl!?

――Last time, we interviewed Tomoha Takayanagi who plays Oguri Cap, Saki Kosaka who plays Gold City, and Shizuka Ishigami who plays Obey Your Master, who is also participating this time. When I asked him about his co-stars, Mr. Takayanagi mentioned Mr. Kaida's name and said, “He had the aura of a strong man. I felt the weight of every word he said.'' How about listening to that?

Kaida:I was relieved to hear you say that. I was thinking about how to express the European champion…

–The four people next to me were nodding furiously at Takayanagi-san's words.

Tomita:I think everyone was shocked when they heard Kaida-san's line.

–You also mentioned Ayahi Takagaki's name, and she seemed to have had a big impact on Michelle My Baby, saying, “The acting is American! Powerful! Dynamic! Exciting!'' “The positive pressure was amazing.''

Takagaki:I'm happy. In the scene where he interacts with Oguri Cap during the race, it was fun to see Oguri respond to Michelle's English line by saying, “I don't understand English!!”

Kaida:I'm sure the lines have changed, right?

Takagaki:That's right. The original script had a different line, but it was changed to the same line as the original: “I don't understand English!!''

――Takayanagi also said, “When I tried it, everyone laughed so much that I was happy.''

Takagaki:I also thought the feel of the original work was interesting.

Ishigami:This momentarily alleviated the heavy atmosphere of the race, didn't it?

Takagaki:I agree. Also, I thought there was a contrast between Oguri and Tamamo's straight-forward, hard-working side, and Michelle My Baby, who still has a little bit of leeway, so I purposely played her in a very cheerful way, and I'm glad that that was conveyed. I’m glad it wasn’t unrequited love! I was so curious about Takayanagi that I looked up his profile and even Wikipedia (lol). I see, she's a talented woman who has passed the Eiken and Kanji test (English Proficiency Test Pre-2nd grade, Kanji Proficiency Test Pre-2nd grade).

–I can't believe you're doing that much research (lol). So, please tell us how you felt when it was decided that you would appear in “Cinderella Gray”.

Kaida:I thought that “Uma Musume'' was in a different world than mine, so I was surprised when I was offered the role of Toni Bianca. Is it okay for me? That's what I thought too. Toni Bianca is a horse girl with a Versailles-like atmosphere. I was wondering how much they would ask me to “act young'', but it turned out to be fine.

Ishigami:As I mentioned last time, when “Cinderella Gray'' was being made into an anime, I auditioned for a different character. That was a disappointing result, but after that I was asked, “How about playing the role of Obey Your Master?'' Of course I knew about the game “Uma Musume,'' and I had also seen the TV anime and movie version, so I was happy when it was decided that I would be participating in “Uma Musume.'' At the same time, the “Japan Cup'' story in the original story was particularly popular, so I felt very nervous that I had to put all my energy into it.

Sekine:I also auditioned for “Cinderella Gray''. When I read the original work, I thought, “What a gruesome and passionate story!'' and tried my best, but at that time I had no connection. After that, I was offered the role of Moonlight Lunacy, and I remember being so happy that my manager and I were jumping up and down, thinking, “I get to work on this work too! And I get to run with such a wonderful horse girl!''

Takagaki:When I received the offer to play the role of Michelle My Baby, I was surprised, just like Mr. Kaida, and thought, “Eh! That! Uma Musume!?'' Someone close to me was enjoying the “Uma Musume'' game, so I thought, “Umapyoi (legendary)!'' But it turns out that “Umapyoi'' doesn't exist (lol). Moreover, if you look at the original story, Michelle My Baby is 195cm tall. He is quite large among the Uma Musume girls, and he is over 40 cm taller than me (Mr. Takagaki is 151 cm tall), so although there is quite a gap, I thought I would enjoy it and give it my all.

Tomita:Before the recording of the second season began, I received an offer to play the role of Ellerslie Pride. Like everyone else, my honest impression was “Uma Musume!”, but when I first received the cast list of rival Uma Musume from overseas, I had a strong feeling of “Is it okay for me to be among these seniors…?”

A way of acting that is conscious of expressing the individuality of each Uma Musume.

–What are your impressions and charms of the Uma Musume you play?

Kaida:Toni Bianca looks like a European champion, and her perspective is different from other horse girls. However, in the scene in episode 18 where she is injured and in the hospital, we get to see her as she really is, and I thought that gap was interesting.

Ishigami:Obey Your Master is a character with two sides. She is a cool, hard-working person, and is rather quiet, but in order to run in the Japan Cup, she hid her true self and researched Japan's horse girls a lot. The most appealing part is that he shows his true potential at the very end.

Sekine:Lunacy has the impression of being a “tsuntsun tsundere”. She's a very beautiful horse girl when she acts normally, but when she's running she's really hot. Also, I think her kind side is very cute and charming, such as how she remembers reporter Fujii's name well, how she quickly notices Toni Bianca's strange behavior during the race, and how she cares and cares for her childhood friend.

Takagaki:Michelle My Baby is just so big! That was my impression. She is a member of the American team like Obey Your Master, but I think it is her unique ability to run dynamically with that kind of body.

Tomita:My impression of Ellerslie Pride was “beautiful and cool.” However, when I read the original work and the script, I found that although she is cool, she is not quiet and communicates well with the other horse girls. Personally, the scene with Gold City in episode 18 was very impressive. She also had a cute side that was a little shy, so I felt that she was an attractive girl with a very different personality.

――As for the overseas Uma Musume, please tell us what you were conscious of and what was difficult when acting, including the lines in English and Italian.

Kaida:Basically, I can only speak Japanese (lol). I'm not good at English either, so I thought (Toni Bianca speaks) Italian… I kept practicing, but the sound source I prepared for practice and the sound source I listened to on set were completely different, and it was difficult not only to pronounce it, but also to add emotion to it. No matter how many times I try to convey emotions in different languages, it's always difficult, and that was the hardest part this time as well.

Ishigami:That's right. Even if I received the sound source in advance, when I tried to match it to the emotion and expression of the scene, the pronunciation as it was from the sound source didn't work. As I mentioned in the previous interview, Mr. (Daisuke) Takahashi, who plays the role of Izumi Fujii, is very good at English, so I asked him things like, “What kind of intonation does he have when he speaks in an enraged way?'' and I copied him word for word on set. However, compared to the original, many of the English lines were in Japanese, and only the final parts remained in English, so I had fun recording it, even though it was difficult. I'm worried about how it will sound to people in Japan though (lol).

Regarding languages ​​other than English, in order to create a gap between the two sides, Obei-chan was asked to use a “lower voice''. Based on that, we listened to the director and sound director's opinions on how high the pitch of her voice would be when she was wearing a mask. If the two sides of the character were portrayed beautifully, I would be happy to have played the role.

Sekine:Moonlight Lunacy doesn't have any English lines (lol). One thing I was careful about was that Lunacy is a lady and her posture was very beautiful even in the scene where she appeared, so I made sure to keep my back straight and show the grace of a lady while recording.

Takagaki:Michelle My Baby valued brightness, freedom, and being able to do things at her own pace. I thought it would be quick to close the distance with the other person, so I went to the microphone with a friendly attitude and tried to do everything as big as I could.

However, in the original work, most of the characters spoke in English, so I was a bit scared, but I was relieved to see that some lines that were in English in the original work were now in Japanese. However, there were quite a few scenes where I felt like this was still in English, so I checked with Mr. Takahashi while I was working on it. I can no longer sleep with my feet facing Takahashi-san (lol). In addition, the sound director Go (Yuki Fumi) also provided strict direction regarding pronunciation. They politely pointed out things like, “Uma Musume'' is being enjoyed all over the world, so I think it would be good if it sounded a little more like this so that it would be accepted by native speakers as well,'' or “I think you swallowed it a little.'' I was nervous about learning English, but it was a lot of fun.

Tomita:Ellerslie is a horse girl who looks pretty, beautiful, and cool, but has a very passionate belief in racing and running, so I wanted to play her in a way that would give her an elegant atmosphere while also showing her strong core.

I think the only line I had to say in English was “Are you OK, Lady?”, but I went to the scene more nervous than I usually do for auditions (lol). In the first place, when I received the offer, the manager asked me, “I'm sure you speak English, but is it possible?'' At that time, I said, “I'll do my best,'' but on set, Mr. Takagaki had a great ear and spoke perfect English. Immediately after that, I heard my lines in English, so I was really excited. However, in addition to Mr. Takahashi, there was also an English speaker (someone fluent in English) at the mixer booth, so I was able to record while listening to his guidance.

— Mr. Takahashi is listed in the credits as a foreign language supervisor.

Takagaki:Mr. Takahashi stayed on even though his own turn had ended, so he could do our English lines. The audio I received from the guide was carefully read out by a woman so that I could hear even the smallest pronunciations, but Takahashi-san is very aware of the nuances of the play. In that sense, I'm glad I was able to ask Mr. Takahashi.

When I looked at Mr. Takahashi after speaking English lines during the actual performance, I saw him saying ok with his fingers, which was reassuring.

The dubbing was inspired by many of the cast members recording together.

――Please tell us about the memorable acting and behavior of other cast members during dubbing.

Kaida:We were able to record this work with everyone together. There are some young people, some from my generation, and some from a slightly older generation, so there's a wide range of ages, and there are people I've met with nostalgic memories and people I'm meeting for the first time. That interaction was a lot of fun. I'd listen to it thinking about how to steal the lines of young people, and I'd sit in the booth with Yoshitada Otsuka and other seniors and listen to them when they were recording. After the coronavirus pandemic, I didn't have a chance to record with many people, so I learned a lot.

Ishigami:I was wondering how “Uma Musume'' would create excitement and dynamism after the race begins. In that sense, I think the biggest achievement award goes to Satomi Akesaka, who plays the role of live commentator Misato Akasaka. The running horse girls have a surprising amount of monologues and just talk normally. Akesaka-san was in charge of all the exciting things like how close the race was, who had the most momentum, how many hundred meters remained, the last spurt, etc. Moreover, instead of recording separately, we used the same microphone while moving around. It was at that moment that I got a glimpse of the great skill of our seniors, who created an atmosphere around us without interfering with our performance.

Kaida:I thought he was a real professional when I watched him. I thought it was amazing that they were watching the race and providing live commentary, and even pointing out that the timing might be a little off here.

Sekine:I was only able to participate in the recording of one episode with all the members, and the rest were recorded without me. So, although I felt lonely, when I was able to record with everyone for the first time, I felt enthusiastic and excited, saying, “We're going to make the Japan Cup even more exciting!'' When I listened to everyone's recorded audio, I got goosebumps from the heat of the race.

Takagaki:It was my first time working with Mr. Takayanagi, who plays the role of Oguri Cap, and both he and his acting are wonderful. I think those of you who watched it could feel the amount of enthusiasm, but even during the recording I was so exhausted that I was afraid I would collapse or hyperventilate. I was moved by the play, which made me feel so sad.

Also, I am also Akira-chan (Satomi Akesaka). When I thought about what I would do, it seemed really difficult. I was overwhelmed when I was listening to him at the scene, and I think he has a great sense of responsibility as he is the cornerstone of the race, and I once again respect him for continuing to fulfill that role.

Tomita:I am Naomi Ozora, who plays Tamamo Cross. When I stood in front of the microphone, I could really feel that “I've done it'' feeling from my back, and I really looked like a ball. I simply thought how cool that spirit was. Everyone else's performances were also really passionate, and I was inspired to not give in to their enthusiasm.

There was also a horse girl who stole my heart and fell in love with me at the booth!

――Please tell us about the character you are interested in other than Uma Musume, and why.

Kaida:When I was going to be interviewed this time, I looked back at the first episode and found it so interesting that I ended up watching the whole thing until about 4 a.m. (lol). I was always inspired by the Oguri Cap, so it's the Oguri Cap that I'm most interested in. I love Oguri's slightly mysterious feel and am addicted to it.

Ishigami:Obey Your Master and Michelle My Baby are from the same American team, so I was trying to match their excitement, but Takagaki-san's Michelle My Baby was too American (lol). I realized that I might not be able to imitate it.

Takagaki:America is a big country (lol).

Ishigami:However, I felt that she had that energy that other Uma Musume didn't have, so through the dubbing, Michelle My Baby became my favorite character.

Takagaki:happy! At the last press conference, it looked like a comedy show. I thought the two of them would interact like this after the race was over.

Ishigami:oh yeah. We hadn't been together until then, but I thought we were good friends.

Sekine:This is just a matter of personal taste, but when I read the original story, I found that Dicta Striker and Fujima Samari are both straight-up horse girls with a strong sense of sloppyness.

However, once the recording started, the number of recommendations increased rapidly. I was especially captivated by Toni Bianca. I was really impressed by the really cool Italian spoken in episode 16. A guide voice in Italian was played from the speakers, and when I checked it out, I got goosebumps at how amazing Mr. Kaida was in the recording, and from the sound of his voice, I knew he was the champion! It's the conqueror! I could feel the spirit. “In this work, I'm playing Moonlight Lunacy, a childhood friend of Toni Bianca.'' “We're competing as rivals in the race.'' “I have to be as noble as her,'' I remember thinking to myself as I went into the recording session.

Takagaki:I was moved by Oguri Cap. I'm sure I'm working hard to achieve victory, but what am I missing? Why can't it arrive? That's it. Oguri's line in episode 18 really stuck with me. Voice actors also have auditions every day, and even though they don't know what the correct answer is, they have no choice but to improve themselves to get what they want. The pain I felt when I saw the backs of people who tried even harder than they could to overcome their challenges was very painful. I sympathized with them so much that I entrusted my dreams to them, so I want to continue to support them.

Tomita:I really like Tamamo Cross and Ozora-san. It was so powerful that if you were in that booth, you would fall in love with it. Speaking of my conversation with Ellerslie, when I said the line earlier, “Are you OK, Lady?'', Tamamo replied passionately, so I wanted to respond passionately as well. But when I recorded it, I thought that Ellerslie had to be cool and have some leeway.

Japan Cup, where everyone's feelings and expectations collided

–I would also like to ask you about race. Without worrying about spoilers, how did you feel about the Japan Cup? Toni Bianca had a disappointing result.

Kaida:I agree. She said she didn't mean to belittle her, but maybe she let her guard down because she was racing against a Japanese horse girl.

The same goes for the actors, but when I looked at the cast list and thought it would be like this, I found that there were some people who were quite aggressive, and people who did various things (unexpectedly). I often get inspired by people like that and get excited on set. On the set of “Uma Musume'', the enthusiasm of many people was gathered in the studio, and the atmosphere between the race and the studio was very similar, or rather, it felt like a race. This year's Japan Cup also had various strategies depending on Uma Musume, such as the big outside and then the big outside. I'm not someone who can come up with a strategy like that, so I thought everyone was thinking about different things. Obey Your Master was the best strategist.

Ishigami:I was thinking about a lot of things. So at the very end, I came out and fought with Tamamo. Obey mentioned the names of Toni Bianca, Tamamo Cross, and Ogri Cap as players to watch out for, but I wonder how Obey would have reacted if Toni Bianca had also been running in a close race.

Takagaki:Michelle may have had some respect for the Japanese team after all. So I guess I didn't see much of it. What if you had some leeway with the world's strongest players in mind? I think the Japanese people were also shocked that they came unexpectedly.

However, Michelle surprisingly didn't seem like she was rushing forward, and she was thinking about various things in a calm manner, such as if she thought it was impossible to get first place, she would at least try to get third place. While running, everyone's various intentions collided with each other, and it was overturned… It was interesting to see how it unfolded. Just when I thought I could make it, Oguri came through. I also have to change my mind while watching the script, react to what's happening, and follow along! It was. Anyway, Oguri was really a zombie monster (lol).

Tomita:I love it. That zombie voice (lol).

Takagaki:When I tried it out for a test, I thought they might say it was too much, but they didn't say anything, so I just played zombies in the actual production (lol).

Tomita:This Japan Cup made me keenly aware that racing is not just about physicality. After all, you have to use your head and you have to have knowledge, so I think it's not enough just to be fast on your feet.

Sekine:Lunacy was looking for revenge after missing out on winning the last Japan Cup, so I think she was very motivated. However, I think they were more determined to beat the overseas champions than the Japanese. When Tony says, “The most important thing to watch out for is'' and looks at Tony, I feel that they have a bond and are recognized rivals.

However, as I said earlier, I was alone in the recording, so I wonder if I'll be able to ride the wave of everyone's passionate acting. I was a little nervous. As I listened to Toni Bianca's voice, the hot race scenes, and Akasaka-san's commentary, my heart became more and more heated. That's why my heart tightened when I saw Tony stalling in the race. The sad expression on Lunacy's face left a very strong impression on me.

–It's precisely because of these two that the final scene where they meet each other was so wonderful.

Sekine:That's really true.

Kaida:Even though I said that I couldn't live up to the expectations of Japone's fans because of this result, I think it's the champions who can afford to relax for a while.

Sekine:It was so funny and cute to see the face sticking out of the flower (lol). It has been pointed out that this scene makes Tony worry too much during the first test. Mr. Go told me that it was a really interesting and comical scene, so please just ask me, “What are you doing?'' As I watched Tony's gap and the calm faces of the two of them, I imagined a lot during the recording that they must have had this kind of interaction before.

Kaida:Her expression was also quite soft.

Tomita:This can be said about all overseas players, but after the Japan Cup, everyone's expressions softened. Even though they lost in the race, the girls really showed off their skin, and in this scene, we could see a lot of their true sides that we didn't see in the race, and it warmed my heart.

Someday, we'll see “Umapyoi Densetsu'' by foreign artists and people wearing horse ears!

–By the way, Kaida-san said earlier, “I can't plan a strategy like that,'' but are you the type to do thorough research and plan a strategy in advance?

Tomita:It's the exact opposite.

Takagaki:Maybe me too. I've only ever done anything race-like except for sports days.

Ishigami:But you did a lot of research on Takayanagi-san, right? (lol)

Takagaki:surely. As for information, there are places where you can find out what kind of person they are (lol). That's how you can stay calm no matter how heated up you are at the dubbing site. However, there are times when it is okay to lose your cool. There's no right answer because it depends on what the results convey, but from that perspective, I thought it was amazing that I was able to change my mind in so many ways by running in that race. I can't switch.

Sekine:I researched and researched a lot, and when it came time to actually do it, I was disappointed! I'm the type of person who forgets everything (lol). I'll look into it, but during the actual performance, there are times when he rushes into action, saying, “I'll do it!'' and “The momentum of the situation is important!'' I think Obey is amazing at being able to carry out the strategy he has set up properly.

Ishigami:As I said in the last interview, it's scary to do things without knowing anything, so I'll do some research, although not as much as Obei-chan. When it comes to dubbing, I often find out who the sound director is and ask things like, “How much do you like improvisation?'' I'm the type of person who does research and reads the atmosphere of the place as much as possible.

— Mr. Kaida, how do you feel about it again?

Kaida:I can't do sports at all, but when it comes to acting, I do a lot of research. I do it a lot, but I tend to get sidetracked, so for example, if I'm making a movie about the Russian Revolution (dubbed), I'll start reading books about the Russian Revolution before I even read the V-check or the script. And later on, I feel like I'm running out of time (lol). (Mr. Sekine) did a lot of research and performed it in real life! As I said, the part I researched was surprisingly at the root of the play.

Sekine:I agree.

Kaida:When I stand in front of the microphone during the performance, I'm going off track because I believe that something unexpected will come out (lol). I'm the type of person who slowly approaches the actual event while studying trivia. However, I don't have the sharpness to plan a strategy, so I would like a trainer.

Takagaki:Certainly, the presence of trainers is important.

Tomita:I want you to put together a solid menu.

–All the trainers that appear in “Cinderella Gray” are excellent. Finally, it would be a shame if this was the only time we saw the success of overseas artists, so please tell us what you would like to do in the future related to Uma Musume.

Kaida:I'd like to go to a racetrack. I keep missing out on opportunities.

Ishigami:I would love to collaborate and call the racehorses by their names at races. It's impossible to give live commentary, but it's like, “Which gate will I enter?''

–In the past, Takayanagi-san did the reading at a collaboration event at Kasamatsu Racecourse.

Ishigami:I'd like to try something like that.

Tomita:I once went to Oi Racecourse for work, and the real horses were muscular and very impressive.

Sekine:I would like to ride a racehorse. I want to experience the height, the view from horseback, and the atmosphere of the racetrack.

Takagaki:I would love to have overseas performers sing the English version of “Umapyoi Densetsu.'' If possible, there will also be an Italian version! (lol)

Umamusume: Pretty Derby – Umapyoi Legend (English ver.)

Also, I thought everyone's horse ears were cute, so I'd like to see Kaida-san with them! In that outfit! It definitely suits you! What if the Japan Cup was aired and overseas Uma Musume were really well received by people overseas? Because we are good.

Kaida:Don't leave me alone (lol).

Takagaki:got it! I will follow my senior wherever I go! (lol)

–I'm looking forward to it becoming a reality someday. thank you very much!

(Interview and text by Kenichi Chiba)