The main video for the new song "We Can Do It, Chief!", rapped by Matsuya Onoe, the kabuki actor who plays the Japanese version of Maui in Disney Animation Studios' latest film "Moana 2" (directed by Dave Derrick Jr. and others, released on December 6th), which cheers up the depressed Moana, was released on the 6th.
Maui is a half-god, half-human hero who controls the sea and wind. In the video, Maui swings a giant fishing hook around and tells Moana the path she should take, saying, "This is the history only you can make," and "This is destiny," and he delivers powerful, positive words in a rap style. "Can you do it? Can you do it? Chi-hu!" he says, full of Maui-ness, encouraging her, and the animation direction is a perfect example of a Disney musical.
Matsuya commented, "(My previous song) 'It's All Thanks to Me' was a song about bragging about oneself, but this time it's a song that encourages Moana. As I tell Moana in the lyrics, the lyrics tell her to just forge her own path and do her best, so I would be happy if people who are troubled, or who want to try something but can't take the first step, listen to this song and it would inspire them to take the courageous step forward."
Diggy-MO', who translated all the songs except for one from the previous film "Moana," commented, "It's very impactful! It's a song that creatively stirs up the atmosphere of the entire film, along with the bold character direction, so it's a song that really gets you going." He also talked about the behind-the-scenes of the translation process, saying, "When I thought about the functional beauty of the story as a whole, in addition to the maniacal attention to detail that goes into creating something that is 'naturally familiar' to a wide range of people, regardless of age or gender, I had a pretty big part in mind, so it was interesting to find that balance, and I learned a lot from every process."
He added, "If the children who pass on this tradition to the next generation were to find themselves humming the song, or if they were to naturally feel like giving it a try, even though it may be difficult, then I think that would be the most wonderful and gratifying thing."
"Moana 2" is a sequel to the previous film "Moana" produced in 2016. Three years after the previous film, Moana has become the leader of the island and is spending time with her family and friends, but when she learns of a legend that "if they reach an island at the end of the sea, the curse will be lifted," she decides to go on a dangerous voyage to regain her bonds. The film depicts her embarking on another adventure with Maui, the demigod who adventured with her in the previous film, and new companions. In the Japanese version, China Yabiku will continue to voice Moana as in the previous film, and Koseki Yuta, Suzuki Rio, Sonim and others will also be in charge of the voice acting.
