2021 Spring Anime "Sayonara me no clamor" is too hot, realistically depicting the lights and shadows of women's soccer! Interviews with Miyuri Shimabukuro, Utone Wakayama, Tomoyo Kurosawa, Aoi Yuki, and Shiho Kojomon!

Women's soccer has skyrocketed in popularity since its first victory at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. The anime "Sayonara me no clamor," which is currently airing, depicts the activities of girls aiming for the top in the world of soccer.

This TV anime is based on a manga series in Monthly Shonen Magazine from 2016 to January 2021, written by Naoshi Shinkawa, the creator of the manga "April is Your Lie," which has also been made into an anime and a movie.

The story follows the Warabi Seinan High School girls' soccer club, known as the "Warabies," to which the main character Onda Nozomi belongs, as they face off against various rival schools in a heated competition.

We asked the five main cast members about the appeal of the girls' soccer drama depicted in the TV anime and movie!

───Please tell us about the character you will be playing in the TV series "Sayonara my Krammer".

Miyuri Shimabukuro: Nozomi Onda is a winsome and daredevil, with a strong sense of conditioning. However, once she turns on the switch, she shows a technique that fascinates everyone around her. He is so straight-forward when it comes to football that even the most outlandish comments he makes are strangely persuasive, making you want to believe them. He has such a mysterious charm.

Tomoyo Kurosawa: My character, Sumire Suo, is a girl of few words, and her emotions leak out only slightly through her facial expressions. She has a history of not being able to play as well as she wanted to because she played too much of a one-man game in junior high school and floated around on the team.

For better or worse, she is a very stubborn girl. She has a cool visual, but in my mind, she is a girl without limit, and I think she is the type of girl who can make loud calls.

Aoi Yuuki I play Midori Soshizaki. She is a very cool girl who seems to be aloof but is hot and muddy at heart. She is the team's commanding officer and watches each player very closely.

Wakayama Shion Echizen Sawa is a girl who loves football and loves Non-chan even more. She has a passion for football more than anyone else, but since she was a small child, she had a talented footballer named "Nozomi Onda" close to her, so she did not become a player herself. However, she was moved by the sight of Onda in junior high school, and after watching a high school women's soccer tournament, she decided that she wanted to become a player herself. I am sure that she will play an active role in the future because she is able to keep working hard.

Shiho Furukomon I play the role of Aya White, a high-spirited young lady who is eager to be the star of the show. Everyone calls her "Swan".

She wants to score all her own goals, so she basically stays in front of the enemy goal. She is a "born on the offside line".

Miyuri Shimabukuro

───What was your impression when you first read the original story?

Shimabukuro: I read the story with emotions for all the characters because of the wonderful descriptions of their voices and pasts that came in the middle of the intense and sweaty game. I was also caught up in the tension between the players, and I sometimes forgot to breathe.

Kurosawa: Muddy and exhilarating! The attractive actors were all well-paced, and I quickly became emotionally involved.

Yuuki: I thought that the most important thing in sports is that the players are enjoying themselves. I want to pursue it because it is fun. I want people to know about it because it is fun. This work conveys that kind of passion.

Wakayama: I was impressed by the sense of everyday life, as if we were watching an actual high school girls' soccer team. Everyone is extraordinary, yet ordinary, as if we were watching the story of the girl next door. I was very comfortable with such a realistic feeling. I wanted to root for every character, and every time there was a win or a loss, I felt joy and sadness at the same time.

Old Castle Gate I was very drawn in by the homage to famous scenes from the soccer world. Even though my knowledge of soccer was limited, I began to look up who actually made this fascinating play and what kind of technique it was. I find that I have a much greater knowledge of soccer than I did before I read the manga, and I've come to love the game. I found myself wanting to go to real matches.

What was your impression of women's soccer? Did your performance in this film change your impression of women's soccer?

Shimabukuro: I am not familiar with sports, but I was impressed by the 2011 Women's World Cup victory. I was able to learn about the current situation that women's soccer is facing for the first time through "Goodbye My Cramer". I hope that more people, including myself, will pay attention to women's soccer as the WE League will start this year.

Kurosawa I remember cheering enthusiastically for Nadeshiko Japan's success when I was a student, buoyed by the public's enthusiasm. I took it for granted that they were professional players and that they were well supported as top athletes, so I was very surprised when I learned about their background in working on this project. I too am looking forward to the opening of the WE League!

Yuuki: I was not familiar with the sports world, so I had a vague image of women's soccer as Nadeshiko Japan. My impression of Nadeshiko Japan changed after appearing on the show ......, but rather, the resolution of my out-of-focus image has improved, and I now understand how interesting it is and why Nadeshiko Japan shook the world at that time.

Wakayama: I am ashamed to admit that before I was involved in this film, my memory of women's soccer had stopped after the 2011 World Cup. After being involved in this film, I became interested in women's soccer and started to do a lot of research, which made me wonder why I had never gone to watch it before. I regretted it so much. This year, Japan's first professional women's soccer league, the "WE League," will start. I am excited that women's soccer will attract the same attention as men's soccer from now on. ......

I have a very strong impression of women's soccer from that year when Nadeshiko Japan won the World Cup. I was very proud that Japan could be the top country in the world soccer championship! I was very proud. Now that I am involved in "Farewell my Kramer", I know about the unfavorable environment and the difficulty of signing professional contracts for women's fleet soccer players and I have started to think about how to keep the culture of fleet soccer that made Japan so exciting at that time.

Tomoyo Kurosawa

─ By the way, have you ever been involved in soccer in any way?

Shimabukuro: Since I started working on "Sayonara my Cramer," I have actually watched the games and visited soccer experiences. When I actually touched the ball, I could not even kick it properly, and I was reminded once again of the amazing technique and athleticism that the players have accumulated.

Kurosawa: When I was in elementary school, I used to play mixed-gender soccer during recess. After entering junior high school, I cheered for them on TV.

Yuuki: In my family, my father was a soccer fanatic, so he took me to a few games when I was little. I didn't really understand the game at the time, so I was impressed by how the grass was just as beautifully striped as it looked on TV.

Wakayama: The staff of "Goodbye My Cramer" invited me to play futsal a few times. It was almost my first time to play futsal, so I didn't know how to play at all. During a break, Ms. Misano Sakai, who played Komurasaki, taught me some theories on how to attack and I said, "Oh, I see! I see! Interesting! I thought, "Oh, I see!

Kojokumon: My appearance in "Farewell My Clamor" led me to attend futsal and soccer matches, and I even tried playing futsal myself. I wanted to know how they breathe while playing, how they communicate with their friends by projecting their voices, and how they play.

Before I appeared on the stage, I rarely played soccer, but I was addicted to playing the soccer game "Winning Eleven" for a period of time. I love the exhilaration of scoring a goal! Looking back now, I am glad that I was not completely ignorant of the game, but had knowledge of the names of famous players and how to carry the ball to the goal, which I gained from playing Winning Eleven.

Aoi Yuuki

─ What do you pay attention to when you play the role and what are you conscious of?

Shimabukuro: I try not to forget that I am playing a life-size high school student.

Kurosawa: Sumire doesn't use many words and her facial expressions don't change much, so I felt that there was a danger that she would appear to be a character who is just going through the motions of life. I left all the responsibility for expressing how she is seen by those around her to her partner Yuuki, but I tried to remember that she is a girl who has chosen to play soccer and football and enjoys it.

Yuuki: In the first direction, I was told to "make the gag scenes as vivid as possible" and that was the point I kept in mind. Also, Midoritachi and the others are athletes, so I made sure that when I was giving them instructions or telling them what to do, I was very clear and direct with love and without holding back.

Wakayama: The most important thing to keep in mind is to look nurturing. Since the first touch, I have heard from Mr. Yota Tsuruoka, the sound director, that "Sawa has a good upbringing," so I have been conscious of the differences between Sawa and the other members of the team, such as not using words without "la" and not being too loud in my cheering.

I think that the White White is a key player in uniting the team. He doesn't get carried away with the game, and whether he's winning or losing, it's important whether he's playing well or not, whether he's outstanding or not. I think that's one of our strengths. When the team seems to be in a negative mood, I see the same old White White, and I spin the lines in the hope that everyone will be energized.

I hope the team will be energized by seeing the same old White White when the mood is about to turn negative. and that's when the team feels united. The White Walkers are in that position.

─ Is there any character that you like or would like to be teammates with?

Shimabukuro: I'm interested in Kutani from Hi-Leeds, whom I played against in futsal. He may not be able to be as good as the geniuses, but he keeps following in their footsteps and fights using his weapons to the fullest, even if they are clumsy or muddy. I want to cheer them on.

Kurosawa: If we are talking about "teammates" without being bound by the concept of soccer, I would have to say Soshizaki. He is a genius of curiosity, but at the same time he is calm and has the ability to look at things from a bird's eye view, which I think is something I lack.

If it were soccer, it would be Shiratori. Because I can't play soccer, Shiratori would be there to encourage me and make me feel at ease.

Yuuki: They are all very good kids. When I see them working hard while rolling toward something, I want to be friends with all of them. If I had to say something, I would say that I love Sawa-chan's balance of modesty and playfulness, and I would love to play soccer with her!

Wakayama: The characters I am interested in are Suo and Ido. Suo seems to be able to say what he wants to say with 100 times more fear, so it will be refreshing to be with him (laughs). (Laughs) I would like to experience the daintiness of Ido up close. If I see someone playing so lightly and wonderfully, I would fall in love with her!

Koshimon: I like Alice Adatara very much. I want to be friends with her! He/she looks a bit unique, but is very heartwarming and very sensitive. The gap between the first glance and the second is so fascinating.

Shiho Kojomon

─ Mr. Shimabukuro and Ms. Wakayama will also appear in the movie version to be released in June. Please tell us about the highlights of the film.

Shimabukuro: The footage we received during the recording of the filming of the game gave the audience a realistic feeling that they were actually watching the game, so I think they will feel even more like spectators when they see the movie in the theater! Also, there is an exchange between Onda and Sawa-chan that was not in the original story, so I hope you will pay attention to Sawa-chan's kindness in that scene.

Wakayama: The story is about Non-chan, who is troubled by the physical differences between boys and girls, until she meets Namek again and regains herself. If you pay attention to such things as "How difficult it is for girls to play with boys" or "What happened to Nozomi when she was in junior high school", I think you will enjoy the TV series even more, and you may even want to watch girls' soccer in person.

───Do you have any changes from the TV series in your performance, or conversely, any points that you have not changed?

Shimabukuro: I don't think I've changed the core of Onda's character, which is his greed for football and his willingness to use any means to achieve his goals, whether in middle school or in high school. However, Onda in junior high school was in agony because he was not allowed to play in official games because he was not as good as the boys in terms of physical strength, so I tried to be conscious of his feelings.

Wakayama: In the junior high school version, Sawa is devoted to supporting Onda and says, "I'm always on Non-chan's side! She is always on Non-chan's side! She is "always on Non-chan's side! In the TV series, however, she has a desire to play as well, and although she doesn't show it openly, she makes a big change emotionally.

Shion Wakayama

─ Finally, what are the highlights of the upcoming TV series?

Shimabukuro: Not only the Wallabies, but also various other players will appear in the future. They all have different personalities and strengths, but they all love football and aim high as a team. We hope you will get a sense of their fighting spirit, as they leave no stone unturned to fight in any situation.

The names and tactics of many real-life players appear in the film. If you watch "Sayonara my Krammer" and then watch the actual game, you may enjoy it in a different way. I hope you will love Onda, the Wallabies, and women's soccer through this film. I also hope that you will look forward to seeing what kind of team the Wallabies will become, as they have only just begun their journey.

Kurosawa: Of course you can learn about women's soccer and follow their adolescence, but there are also a lot of great words of wisdom in this work that will touch us today, so I am sure that you will find something to treasure in every episode. Please enjoy it to the end.

Yuuki: From the beginning to the end, the events are so realistic that you can catch up with the feelings of Nozomi and her friends ....... Such a coming-of-age ensemble drama is a heartwarming work. The recording is actually finished until the last episode. During the last recording, we all discussed where the answer to the title "Sayonara my clamor" would be. I would be happy if you could find the answer by enjoying the original work as well as the anime.

Wakayama: The Wallabies will continue to grow as time goes by, and I hope that you will look forward to that. In the future, the characters' passion for football will be shown in the games. The games are just so powerful. I am sure that before you know it, you will be watching the game with your hands tightly clenched and sweating. That's how heated the games are. I hope that the audience will be able to watch the matches with a sense of joy and sorrow, as each player grows and matures amidst the competition. I hope you will enjoy watching Onda, Suo, Soshizaki and the others fight with passion on TV and in the theater, just like the speed of the original story. Whether you are familiar with football or not, you will definitely enjoy it, so please watch both the TV anime and the movie version! We are waiting for those who are into the healthy Sawa-chan!

Koshimon The Wallabies, who started out as a lame team with exploding personalities, grow as a team by making the most of each person's individuality. The Wallabies, a weak team, will be up against strong teams, but please look forward to seeing how the Wallabies will fight against their opponents, who will try various strategies! I never knew that flea market soccer could be so much fun to watch and play. Winning and losing are important, but it's not just the winning and losing that gets people excited.

I hope you will be interested in soccer and football after watching "Farewell My Cramer"!　Whether you watch or play, you can start with "Winning Eleven"! Let's enjoy soccer together!

(Photo by kow iida)