Interview with Azumi Wake, Marika Takano, Reina Maeda, Akari Kito and Shina Suto! The cast looks back on "Uma Musume Pretty Derby!

The TV anime "Uma Musume Pretty Derby" is currently airing. The storyline is reminiscent of historical races, making it a sporty anime that can be enjoyed by those who love horse racing as well as those who have never watched horse racing before.

We asked Azumi Wake (Special Week), Marika Takano (Silence Suzuka), Reina Maeda (Grass Wonder), Akari Kito (Seiunsky), and Shina Suto (Haruurara) to talk about the new developments toward the end of the series.

What was the episode that left the biggest impression on you?

─ What are the charm points of the characters you play and what do you keep in mind when acting?

Azumi Waki (Kazumi): I first played Spe-chan (Special Week) in a drama CD, and from that time on, her expression changed all the time. In the anime, Spe-chan has a lot of expressions, from cute faces to gag faces. You can see expressions that were not fully conveyed in the Drama CD. In the joy, anger, sadness, and humor, she often expresses happiness rather than anger, which is one of the best parts of her!　Also, her mysterious braid is a feature that other Uma Musume don't have, and I think it is her charm point.

Marika Takano (Takano): I had the impression that Silence Suzuka was fragile, and I created the role based on the tragic heroine-like setting. I have played the role in various places, including drama CDs, games, and anime, and in the anime I play the role of the cool and noble Suzuka. I was conscious of the strength within the fragility of the character so that she would become a cool and cool person when the game comes to play, even though she is usually quiet.

Reina Maeda (Maeda): Glass Wonder is from the U.S., which is why she is a Yamato Nadeshiko who loves Japan. She always smiles calmly and gives advice to everyone and treats them kindly. When playing the role, I am careful to keep ...... from spilling out of the scale because she speaks slowly (laughs). I try to speak like Glass (Glass Wonder) so that I don't lose the tempo of the conversation with everyone. But when she is in a fight with Elcon Dollar Pacer, she also gets elbowed and is very competitive, so I had to keep that balance in mind when creating her character.

Akari Kito (Akari Kito): Seiunsky was not a role that I had prepared for at the first audition, but rather one that was handed to me on the spot with the request to try out for this role as well. At first I thought, "I don't get it," because she is a fluffy, fast-paced girl, but as I played the role, I began to think that she might be similar to me. From that point on, I began to think about how I would be like if I were her, and how Seiunsky might think the same way because I think this way.

─ ─ In what ways are you similar to Seiunsky?

Kito: He is slow-paced ......, but if he really puts his mind to it, he can go that far! I guess that's what I mean (laughs). (Laughs.) I also don't want to be too serious because it would be a big shock if I were to lose. We are similar in that respect. There are not many characters like that, so I think it was fate that I met her.

Shina Suto (Suto): When I was given the role of Harulara, I actually went to see the real Harulara (who was the model for the character). At the time, I thought horses were cool, but Harulara was small and childlike, and I had a cute impression of her. I had the impression that Uma Musume's Ulala-chan (HaruUlala) was just like a child, so I felt that I was the easiest person to work with in all the auditions I've had so far, and I was able to grasp the role right away.

─ Does that mean you are childlike yourself (laughs)?

Shuto: My family says I have a lot of similarities with them, but I'm not really sure myself (laughs). My charm points are my pink hair and the color of my eyes. The cherry blossoms are the image of Urara-chan, so I think she is an impactful character that is easy for viewers to remember. Also, when I interact with everyone, I try to destroy everything regardless of distance (laughs). (Laughs) I tried not to read the audience's mind when I played the role.

─ ─ Are there any episodes that have remained in your memory so far?

Kazuki: For Special Week, it was the Japan Derby in episode 5. Unlike in the historical record, Elconder Pacer participated in the race, so I think there was a lot of anticipation about what would happen! I think there was a lot of anticipation. The story was impressive because it was different from the actual Japan Derby. I also like the ending song "Arigatou, kamigami" (Thank you, God). Thank you, God." I thought that Special Week was the only reason he was able to say that. I was also told by people around me that the winner of the Japan Derby is the one who has the luck, so I wanted to say "Thank you, God. ＜I think that I was happy that everyone at Spica helped me find the four-leaf clover and told me that my luck was now on my side. Also, when Suzuka told me to run as if there was a carrot at the finish line, and after I reached the goal, I felt that I had found a good team when I said, "The carrot for me was everyone at <SPICA>.

Takano: I like the part in episode 8 where the trainer tells each member of Spica, "This is what you should do.

But after that, how Suzuka was going to recover was important in episodes 8 and 9 because it was impossible to imagine the future. And that is where the trainer said to Suzuka, "Last year, you showed me my dream. But it's not enough. I want to see more dreams with you. I really like what he said to her, "Keep up the good work in rehabilitation!　I thought that was the same line that everyone who loved Silence Suzuka actually thought. The trainer is like a father to the members of <SPIKA>, but he feels the same way as those of you who cheered for the actual horses. I love episodes 8 and 9 because they give us a sense of hope that Silence Suzuka's dream will continue.

Maeda In episode 8, Glass Wonder and Spe-chan go head-to-head. Glass had not been able to race for a long time due to an injury, and she was feeling impatient and anxious in her own way, but in episode 6 she entered a race (Mainichi-Oukan) where she was completely beaten by Suzuka. After that, in episode 8, she was supposed to run with Suzuka, but Suzuka got injured right before the race, so she had to stay with him.

I understand that feeling, but it was such a sad thing for Glass because he recognized Spéchan as his rival and wanted to run with her, but Spéchan was only looking at Suzuka-san (laughs)!　No matter how many times I read the script, I was sad. She didn't look at me at all.

After that, when Glass put on his aura, did he fall to the dark side? I thought so, so once I took the performance in that direction, he said, "Glass is not sad or anything, but he is clad in an aura of honesty or such feelings of victory, of being focused on winning. It is between calmness and passion! I was given this direction. When I actually played the role, I found that I was indeed like that.

But I am still a little bit angry with Spee-chan (laughs).

I hope that we will be able to fight together again someday, and I hope that Spe-chan will realize something and become stronger.

Kito: Episode 5 left an impression on me as well. But in the Japan Derby in episode 5, I felt that she was so disappointed because she had worked so hard and tried her best in her own way. She lost, but I could feel that she really meant it. I think it is very frustrating to lose after all the hard work you put in. That's why I think that by going through that experience, you can become stronger, so I enjoyed seeing how Seiunsky will grow from this experience.

Suto: In episode 4, Urala returns to the school after making her debut at the Kochi Horse Race, and I ad-libbed, "The dawn of Japan is near! I ad-libbed, "The dawn of Japan is near! Ulala-chan is a horse girl who has never won a race, but she thinks, "I can win next time! She thinks, "I can win next time," so she doesn't get depressed. Like other characters, she doesn't have a strong "I have to win! She doesn't have strong feelings of "I have to win!" or jealousy (toward someone else) like other characters do. She has no strong feelings of "I have to win! I put that kind of feeling into this line. But if it were me, I would get depressed and want to quit the school if I lost that much (laughs). (Laughs) Ulala encourages me, too.

Through "Uma Musume," I became friends with her father!

─ ─ You mentioned the word "historical fact" earlier, and I think the feature of this anime is that it is linked to actual races. In this regard, could you tell us about your interest in horse racing and the influence of your appearance in this work?

Takano: I became close with my father!　My character, Silence Suzuka, is a runner, so when I expressed my love for runners, my father would say, "Runners are cooler than runners! (laughs)!　Of course, everyone has their own preferences, but my father had a favorite horse and made me watch his movies. Thanks to the fact that I learned about horse racing through this film, I had more opportunities to talk with my father, and I thought that was a very good influence. It gave me a lot of fun.

When I auditioned for the role, I thought it would be an anthropomorphic role. But as I got the role and got to know the work, I felt the seriousness of the staff, and I realized that it was such a serious sporting story. I realized that it was such a serious sporty story. Like the Uma Musume girls, I thought it was cool to see horses running seriously in an actual race, and I didn't expect them to be this fast!

I also didn't know how much emotion horses have, but now I think, "Horses express their feelings with their ears and tails just like dogs and cats! I now think that horses are even cuter than before.

─ Did you actually go to see the horses and races?

Kazuki: Planning (included as a bonus video in the first corner of the first volume of the Blu-ray BOX "Uma Bako" released on July 18, 2018!) So I went to Saga Racecourse with Machico and Takano. We also met Special Week in Hokkaido. At the farm, there was a mother horse and her foal, and when I saw them running together all the time, I thought how cute they were, I love animals! I love animals!

Maeda: When I was looking at the script, I thought that Suzuka, for example, was doing strange things, like running around the room in circles. Also, the fact that (Special Week) got a little fat before the race really happened! And so on. The races are in line with historical facts, and the visuals as well as the races are faithful to the costumes of the original horses and jockeys. I learn a lot about these things from the tweets of the viewers and staff.

Also, the real-life Glass Wonder has a white area on his forehead called a "meteor". I knew that, but there is a small patch of brown chestnut hair in it, and it is reflected in the character design of Uma Musume. I was really impressed by the way they expressed this in the character design! I was really impressed by the way they expressed this in the character design. I was impressed that the staff thought of such details, and that the viewers noticed them too! I was so impressed. I should have been the first to notice it! I thought, "I should have been the first to notice it! I definitely want to find it next time.

Kito: Since the anime started airing, I've been told at other sites, "I'm watching Uma Musume. The teacher who wrote the original story for a different anime is a horse racing fan. I didn't know anything about horse racing before, but now that I'm involved in this work, I can understand what everyone is talking about.

At first, I thought horse racing was just about competition. But the work helped me to understand that there are things like the character of the horses and their racing style. It is an interesting anime not only for those who know about horse racing, but also for those who do not know or are not fans of horse racing.

Suto: I also started to pay attention to the visuals that Maeda-san mentioned. There are different breeds of dogs, such as Dachshund, Corgi, and Shiba Inu. But with horses, I had the perception that "they are all dachshund, and sometimes there are white dachshunds, but they are all the same. But when I took a closer look, I realized that their sizes and coat colors are completely different. From now on, I want to be able to say, just by looking at a horse, what kind of horse it is! I want to be able to say, "This is what it looks like! I haven't quite mastered that yet.

The people who create the characters really pay attention to the smallest details. Whenever I see a horse on TV or something, I think about what it would be like if she were to become an Uma Musume.

─ ─ Finally, please tell us about the highlights of the future.

Kazuki: I think that Suzuka-san is an object of admiration that she wants to catch up with and run with, but in the latter half of the story, she starts to want to surpass Suzuka-san. The story will be about how Suzuka's will becomes stronger and stronger, and I hope that everyone will be able to see the changes in her emotions.

Takano: I think you will be able to see Suzuka's future dreams, which everyone is anxious to see. I myself am very curious about her, so I would like to play the role with great care.

Maeda: I think I have shown that even though Glass is usually calm, he can be scary when he gets angry (laughs). But after that, I think he will return to his calm and watchful self, so I would like to watch everyone's growth.

Kito: Up until the halfway point, there were scenes that were in line with historical facts, so I think we could predict what would happen next!

Suto: As a viewer, I am wondering if Suzuka and Spe-chan will run together and if Suzuka's dream will come true. I am also paying attention!

(Reporting, writing, and photography by Junichi Tsukagoshi)