The second season of the anime, based on the manga " Uma Musume Cinderella Gray," from the popular cross-media content " Uma Musume Pretty Derby ," which also includes games, is currently airing on 28 TBS affiliates nationwide at 4:30 PM every Sunday. The second season also drew attention for the fierce race that took place in the international invitational G1 "Japan Cup," pitting Oguri Cap and the other Japanese horses against their overseas rivals. We spoke to the overseas horse racers, Yuko Kaida, who plays Toni Bianca; Shizuka Ishigami, who plays Obey Your Master; Akira Sekine, who plays Moonlight Lunacy; Ayahi Takagaki, who plays Michelle My Baby; and Miyu Tomita, who plays Ella'slie Pride, about what went on behind the scenes at the Japan Cup.
◇The appeal of "Cinderella Gray" is effort, guts, and competition
-What is your impression of "Uma Musume Cinderella Gray"?
Kaida-san: I never thought I'd be competing not just as a trainer, but as an Uma Musume! It was unexpected, but once I started watching "Cinderella Gray," I was so excited I couldn't stop, and I continued watching with the feeling that I was rooting for Oguri. Each Uma Musume has their own background, and they take on the races with the expectations of many people on their shoulders. Each one has their own struggles, but they work hard without giving up. When you see these cute girls working hard, you just can't help but want to cheer them on. It's a passionate work that I would like even people who have never been exposed to "Uma Musume" before to watch.
Ishigami: I first learned about "Uma Musume" through a game, and I had an image of cute girls singing and dancing, but I didn't know anything about running. After I learned that if you enter a race and win (in the game), there's a winning live performance where you sing and dance, I was approached about this audition, and when I read the original "Cinderella Gray" manga, I was shocked to find out that the story revolves around racing. It's a sports manga. After watching the first season, I was hooked, and I realized the charm of real horses, and started watching horse racing on TV. So, I would like to see horses in person someday.
I knew Sekine from the game, and watching the commercials, I had a pretty image of her. When I had the opportunity to audition for "Cinderella Gray" and read the original manga, I was surprised to see her racing with such a determined, passionate expression. The more I read, the more moved and passionate I became by the many heart-wrenching episodes, and the more passionate I became, and the more I wanted to root for the Uma Musume. I auditioned for another character and unfortunately didn't get the role, but when I was offered the role of Moonlight Lunacy, it was a character I really liked, so I was so happy that my manager and I were jumping up and down in joy, shouting "Yes!" Moonlight Lunacy is an elegant lady worthy of her name, so I approached the recording with my back straight, striving to be worthy of her. There are many other fascinating Uma Musume besides Moonlight Lunacy, and I have multiple favorites myself. Each one is different, and they're all great! I think this is a work that allows you to create many favorites.
Takagaki: The racing scenes are impressive and full of speed. I also think that the appeal of this work is that it gives me strength as I watch the unique Uma Musume struggle and strive to win.
Tomita: I also had an image of girls singing, dancing, and being cute. But when I read the original work, just as Sekine said, there were scenes where the girls' expressions were far from cute, and it really touched my heart. I felt it was a passionate work filled with effort, determination, and competition.
--What is the appeal of the Uma Musume you play? What did you keep in mind while acting?
Kaida-san is a European champion, so I thought about how to express that presence. I was worried that if I went too far, it might make him seem older, but I pretty much went my own way (laughs). However, I struggled with Italian. I've had experience with Spanish, Russian, and Chinese before, but it's still difficult.
Ishigami-san , Obey Your Master, is also known as the Clown, and is a character with two sides. At first, I struggled with how much of this duality I should portray. Her natural voice is low and cool, but when she wears the mask, she looks a bit like a gyaru, so I thought about how much of a contrast I should create. When she wears the mask, she is rather cute, but since she is tall, if her voice is too cute it will sound like a shorter character, so I was told, "I want to express her cuteness, but also her size," and I made small adjustments as I performed. Since she is described as a clown, I tried to explore how much of my true self I could show while acting silly.
Sekine-san plays a British lady, so I thought posture would be good for playing an elegant character, so I played her with a straight back. After the test, the sound director gave me direction, saying, "I want you to add a more prickly feeling," and "Show me a bit of a prickly side, so that she seems a little unpleasant," so I adjusted the degree of prickliness while performing. I was recording in separate groups, but when I heard the performances of everyone who had finished recording, my heart was warmed. In the scene with Toni Bianca in episode 18, we see her not only as a rival, but also as a childhood friend who is concerned about her, and I felt that she is a truly charming girl.
Takagaki-san is simply cheerful and energetic! She runs with a powerful and dynamic style that makes the most of her size. I was always conscious of Michelle My Baby's lively nature and the power and presence that earned her the nickname "giant god." I also received guidance on pronunciation when writing English lines, and tried to convey the momentum and passion of the race.
When I first saw Tomita-san 's visual of Ellerslie Pride, I felt that she was a beautiful, icy character, but she is cool and not silent, and not cold. I also wanted to show her passion for the game, so I played her while thinking about how I could convey the feeling that she speaks coolly, but with a burning feeling in her eyes.
◇The energy during the recording was incredible!
-What was the recording like?
Ishigami-san is hot!
Kaida: It's interesting that the cast includes a wide range of generations, which is rare for recent anime.
Takagaki- san and Takayanagi (Tomoha), who plays Oguri Cap, acted with such heavy breathing that I thought he might actually collapse during the tough racing scenes, and it really warmed my heart to see him like that.
Tomita: I thought that Ozora Naomi, who played Tamamo Cross, had a really cool back, and when she stood in front of the microphone, I felt the aura of determination that she was determined to make it big.
There's a scene where Moonlight Lunacy, seeing Toni Bianca catching up to Sekine, says, "As always, incredible spirit..." and Kaida-san's acting really gave me the air of a champion. However, Moonlight Lunacy is a girl who has stood alongside Toni Bianca and even won, so she once again got fired up and fired up to take on the recording.
Tomita: Episodes 17 and 18 are all about the race. It takes just a few minutes to run 2,400 meters, but in the anime the race is depicted over two episodes. But it doesn't drag on, it's breathtakingly fast-paced. The direction is amazing! I was really moved.
Kaida: The cast members came together from various generations and recorded with great enthusiasm, but the older guys and the girls also got along well, which was also interesting.
◇You'll want to root for Oguri Cap!
-What is your impression of Oguri Cap?
Kaida: I'm already a fan of Oguri, so I think she's cute. She can be a little silly, but she's serious about the races and does her best even when she gets covered in mud. I think her charm is that she's so cute that you just want to cheer her on.
Ishigami-san was unrivaled during her time at Kasamatsu, but now that she's at Chuo, she's been struggling amongst a lot of strong girls, which is cool. She's wrestling with the question of how she can surpass herself now, and I believe we'll see her explode once she overcomes that wall, so I'm looking forward to it.
Sekine eats a lot, runs a lot, and is the kind of girl you want to cheer on. Even in tough situations, she practices hard and diligently, hitting a wall again, and yet she keeps running forward, which is very appealing.
There's a stark contrast between Takagaki's struggle to win and her cute, laid-back, comical side. No matter how hard she tries, she just can't reach her goal... I felt a connection with Oguri's pain, and I wanted to cheer him on.
Tomita-san is down-to-earth and cool. She has a human side to her. Even though she's an Uma Musume. It's a simple phrase, but it makes you want to root for her.
--This is your first appearance in "Uma Musume," but what would you like to do in the future?
Sekine: I would like to actually ride a horse. I have ridden a pony before, but I imagine that a racehorse's muscles are different, and I would also like to feel its fur.
Tomita: A few years ago, when I went to Hokkaido for work, I had the opportunity to go horseback riding and there was a Yabusame class there. I heard that if I go for a few months I can do it, so I'd like to try it. Fortunately, I've been doing martial arts for nearly 10 years, so I have a good core. I was pretty good at horse riding, so I think I could do it if I try hard. It would be cool to list "Yabusame" as a special skill in my profile (laughs).
Ishigami-san: I would love to meet a racehorse in real life!
Kaida: I would also like to go to a racetrack. I have had the chance to go before, but I have never been, so I think this work will be my chance to go!
Takagaki-san , I'd like to go to Oi Racecourse, which I've been close to! Also, I'd like to put on those cute horse ears and do some Umapyoi with the voice actors of the overseas Uma Musume...!!
Anima Mitsuru/MANTANWEB
