Special Feature: "Kuroizu-san in the Kaijin Development Department! In commemoration of the end of the broadcast, an interview with Kaori Maeda, who plays the role of Toka Kuroizu, is presented!

The anime "Kuroizu-san of Kaijin Kaihatsubu no Kuroizu-san" features Toka Kuroizu, a Hira researcher who spends her days and nights researching to create a monster that can defeat heroes in the secret society Agastia.

Kuroizu-san of Kaijin Kaihatsubu" is a manga by Hiroaki Mizusaki serialized in "COMIC Meteor" (Flex Comics). It is an anime based on the manga by Hiroaki Mizusaki, which is serialized in "COMIC Meteor" (Flex Comics).

In a world where justice and evil clash, evil monsters are repeatedly defeated by righteous heroes. Toka Kuroizu, who works as a Hira researcher in the laboratory of the secret society Agastia, creates numerous monsters while fighting against budgets and schedules.

The TV anime "Kuroizu-san of the Monster Development Department," which depicts the struggles of Kuroizu-san, has finally reached its final episode. The final episode, which featured a variety of characters and a great deal of excitement, was broadcasted, and we asked Kaori Maeda, the voice actress who portrayed Mr. Kuroizu, to reflect on the work once again.

⇒ The final episode of the series, " Mr. Kuroizu of the Monster Development Department," was a special feature! The final episode, drawn by Hiroaki Mizusaki, is a must-see! Director Hisashi Saito's interview just before the climax!
⇒ " Kuroizu-san of Kaijin Kaihatsu Buhinbu" Special! Many cast members of tokusatsu hero works appear! Legendary & local hero producer Nobuhiro Suzumura talks about casting secrets [Interview].

I'm glad you found it interesting. I wanted to say, "Right? I wanted to say.

───What are your impressions after the recording?

Kaori Maeda (Maeda): I remember how I felt after the last episode was recorded. This is the second work in which I have played the leading role, but I felt a different sense of responsibility from that of the first work in which I played the leading role.

I had the honor of performing on the same block as all the senior actors during the recording, and I was challenged in every episode. Now that we are in the Corona Disaster, it is not possible to record with a large group of people, but the staff worked together to create a sense of unity, and I think it was a warm, teamwork atmosphere at the studio.

Of course, there was also a sense of sadness. Is this the end, huh? ......" I felt lonely and cried on the way home. I truly felt that this was a work that I will never forget.

───The voice cast was magnificent, wasn't it?

Maeda: They were all people who had seen my work before I became a voice actor, and in the sense that I was able to work with people I had secretly hoped to work with someday, it was like I was making my dream come true together with Kuroizu-san!

─ By the way, who were you recording with?

Maeda: Basically, I worked with Yuichiro Umehara (Dr. Sadamaki) and Satomi Amano (Wolf), but in the latter half, I also worked with Rie Kugimiya (Salamander) and Yui Horie (Higatani Yuto/Magiazwald). The staff thought it would be better for me to be able to talk and interact with a variety of people as the lead actor. I said to myself, "Then I would like to learn from them!" and I was given the opportunity to stay in the studio after the recording to watch my seniors' performances.

─ ─ Nowadays, it seems that we don't have the opportunity to learn by watching other people's performances. ......

Maeda That's right!　That's why I watched the backs of my seniors who were performing live, with my eyes like saucers (laughs).

───How was the reaction to the broadcast?

Maeda: The response was great from the first episode, it was trending, and I saw some of the comments myself, such as "really interesting" and "the dark horse of 2025," and I thought that was true indeed (laughs). (Laughs.) It's not often that we focus on an evil organization. I think it is a new work and genre.

But then, there are also some funny parts that are "work-related," and the anime staff has a lot of fun with it, so every episode is a surprise in a good way, and you can't take your eyes off of it. I was really happy that the viewers were surprised together with me.

But I knew from the recording sessions that "this was going to be an interesting piece of work, without any patronizing remarks!　I was happy that they could tell that, and I wanted to say, "Right! I wanted to say, "Yes!

─ When we were working on it, we were making decisions on our own, but when we were able to share that with everyone, it was nice to feel that "right! I like that feeling.

Maeda: Satomi Amano and I were talking about how interesting the original story was and how the recording was pure fun. I think that was carried straight onto the film.

─ Were there any special effects enthusiasts on the set?

Maeda: Toru Inada, who played the role of Megistos, was very knowledgeable! I had never had a chance to talk with my seniors, so I was very happy to be able to do so.

Mr. Inada has appeared in many tokusatsu movies, and many of the other cast members have also been involved in heroic movies, so I think the fans were like, "This casting is awesome! I think the fans were like, "This is great casting!

──Megistos-sama, the "Absolute Zero" general counsel, was quite an interesting character, wasn't he?

Maeda He is an ideal boss!　He's really cute, opening his computer at night after work so that he doesn't bother the people around him!

He even let Mr. Kuroizu stay at a hotel and slept with him in a sauna. What a good boss he was.

Maeda: He says scary things so as not to worry them and doesn't tell them where he really is. He really is an ideal boss!

─ ─ The original manga is interesting, but I think there were many things that were enhanced in the anime. What did you feel were the unique qualities of the anime?

Maeda: The narration at the beginning was incredibly well cast, and I was surprised to see a local hero. Also, it was interesting to see the local heroes in the ED theme, "Thank you for your cooperation, local heroes," and at the end it says, "These heroes are not fictional, they are real! at the end was also interesting. The ED theme with various patterns was also interesting. Also, I personally like the next episode's preview challenge. They don't let you say the end of every episode.

─ ─ That was a challenge, wasn't it? (laughs). I thought it was a challenge, but they cut it off in the middle.

Maeda The entire recording was done. There were times when I thought it would be surprisingly long, but I didn't know how it would be used. When I saw it on air, I found that it was cut off more bluntly than I had expected, which made me laugh (laughs). (Laughs) In the middle part of the episode, it gets more and more annoying and suddenly starts abbreviating, and I thought it was great that they incorporated laughter just in the next preview.

─ ─ The subtitle appears at the beginning, but it disappears at a timing that is absolutely unreadable. Speaking of originality, I would like to mention the temporary employees, Kako Mizuki and Heihei Matsuyama.

Maeda: It's hard to watch them (laughs), and I really like the sense of pity they always have for each other. But it's interesting to see how their relationship gradually changes, and it's also heartwarming to watch. When I heard that there was an original story, I thought, "Wow, that's great! I thought, "Wow! I would like to see something like Kuroizu-san's strategy book for the Kaijin Development Department. I would love to have a book like Kuroizu-san's book on the monster development department, with this kind of material (laughs).

──There were quite a few detailed stories.

Maeda: The episode in episode 9 where the famous heroes are talking at a tavern was also very surreal and interesting.

──The local heroes who started fighting at the pub were also introduced in the ED, and this was made possible by Nobuhiro Suzumura's connections. Connections are important in any world. The last episode was like that.

Maeda: Connections are indeed important, and mutual help between people is also important in society, isn't it?

─ Yes, that's right. It was a very interesting work as a "typical working person's work.

Maeda Even if you are not familiar with special effects, I would like you to watch it as a normal work animation or comedy animation. Moreover, the girls are all very cute. I like the scenes with Wolf-kun that are often included.

Maeda: Wolf-kun and Kuroizu-san are quite nice, aren't they?

Maeda Wolf-kun is a boy inside (his brain), but Kuroizu-san feels like a mother and doesn't see him as the opposite sex at all. Wolf-kun tries his best to help her in any way he can, but Kuroizu-san is able to do it quickly, so he doesn't need much help.

(Laughs.) But gradually, Kuroizu teases Wolf-kun, and in the latter half of the story, there are parts that make me feel a little bit cute, so I thought their banter was cute.

───That being said, the relationship between Kanon (CV. Shunichi Toki) and Hydra (CV. Fumi Aikawa, Risae Matsuda [1st and 3rd sister] and Sousui Matsuda [2nd and 4th sister]) is also good.

Maeda: That's right!　I really like Kanon-kun. Kanon-kun was grabbed by me in the live-action explosion scene. I thought, "What a sudden live-action scene! (laughs). That really made me laugh out loud. "Kanon-kun...!" I was like, "Kanon-kun...! (*Part C of episode 2)

─ ─ I was shouting (laughs). (Laughs) In the second episode, even though we worked really hard to come up with a plan, everything was turned upside down by a single word from the top management.

Maeda: I would like all those who are about to enter the workforce to watch this!　The punch line "and what the customer needed" after Kanon-kun was blown up at the end was really funny (laughs).

The background music that was playing during the film and the scene at the drinking party, "Let's go, let's go, let's go!　We can go! The atmosphere of "Let's go!" during the drinking scene, and the explosion of the ED theme at the moment it started ....... Kanon-kun was really funny! It's amazing how funny it is when you know what's going to happen. Usually in gag anime, once you know how it's going to turn out, you don't get that sudden laugh the second or third time, but Kuroizu-kun is hilarious. It's silly, but it's funny because it's serious, and I think that's what makes it work so well.

───I thought that Kanon-kun was going to leave the show, but he appears in the next episode, and after that, he and Hydra have been getting along well (laughs).

Maeda: I thought the show was over in episode 2, but then he showed his manly side and became good friends with Hydra (laughs). I think that his job search also shows what Kuroizu-san values. Because of his love for the monster, he makes the monster more flexible by giving him more leeway. I think it is important that the developers do not determine the monster's own development.

We let him learn not only about the monster but also about many other things so that he will be able to respond to crises on his own. This is not the "professional work style," but I felt Mr. Kuroizu's enthusiasm for his work and his guidelines. He is making a proper monster, isn't he?

I am truly happy to have met Mr. Kuroizu.

─ Is there a monster that you developed that you are particularly attached to?

Maeda: In the latter half of the season, the episode about Mami-chan, the monster idol, was a divine episode (episode 10). I cried just watching the rehearsal video. Mami-chan wants to be an idol, but she can't speak.

─ ─ Originally, she was a monster specialized for the anti-sword god Blader, so she didn't have the ability to speak.

Maeda: She worked very hard to become an idol, and watching her work, I felt a strong emotional response because I am also active in the idol content business. I was so moved that I ended up doing a little bit of a crying scene when I finally said I was glad I could speak, but I was instructed that I didn't have to cry there. I was directed to say, "I see," and I thought, "I'm happy for Kuroizu-san, but he has a calm side as a developer or an adult, so please keep that in mind. But the Mammy-chan episode was really good!

The fact that it was Megistos-sama who wrote the music was great, but this was another episode that showed how Kuroizu-san deals with the monsters.

Maeda: It is good that the monsters do their best to defeat the heroes, but I really like that each of the monsters created by Mr. Kuroizu is independent and that he values their personalities. I respect Ms. Kuroiz as a person who is in charge of making things, and I wish I could do the same kind of work that she does. So it's not just a comedy!　Kuroizu-san is life!

─ So, do you have a favorite scene?

Maeda: There are a lot of those!　I especially really like the part where the two "Magical Girl Piriamagia" appear.

─ That would be Ms. Yukari Tamura (who plays Reo Shikishima/Magia Rose) and Ms. Yui Horie.

Maeda It's "Yamato Nadeshiko!　It was amazing when it was announced, wasn't it? It was trending for a long time. The relationship between the two is very moe, and I simply love the character design and think the magical girl look is really cute!　Reo-chan is a hard-working girl and is in a leading position, but Yuudo-kun supports her a little. I also really liked the fact that when he transforms into a girl, he becomes a girl.

─ ─ You can also enjoy Mr. Horie's male voice.

Maeda That's right. I guess because she is a magical girl, she becomes a girl, but I like the relationship between them. Also, the scene at the bento shop with Kenji Satamaki, who transforms into Braider the Sword God, is great. He fights with Blader in every episode, and I felt sorry for him because I thought it must be tough to be a hero. I also really like the fact that he is not immune to women. When he receives Melty-chan's Valentine's Day chocolate, he is so happy that he feels a mysterious emotion. I really liked the sense of incompatibility between them.

─ ─ I was also shocked to find out in episode 8 that the doctor and Blader were brothers. I knew that since they had the same name from the beginning, but I was shocked to find out that they were in the same room.

Maeda I would love to see a spin-off of those brothers (laughs). I wonder what they would do if they were about to be found out. When I think about it, it is interesting that they are all unaware of it.

─ ─ They are always fighting with Mr. Kuroizu and the sword god Blader, but they don't notice them at all at the bento shop. It's very interesting that they are so close to each other but don't notice each other. As for the final episode, it is almost entirely original. Director Hisashi Saito said that there were not enough episodes from the original story, so Hiroaki Mizusaki, the author of the original story, wrote most of the plot. There is also a serious subject matter, such as the threat of takeover by a foreign company.

Maeda: Episode 12 is the final episode, and I was told to make a serious change in the play so that the audience would understand how dangerous the secret society Zet Ark is. So I took it very seriously. I also felt a sense of anger that Kuroizu-san must never touch, and he repeatedly said, "Don't underestimate the one-off monster!　There are any number of possibilities for monster development!" I said this with all my heart. It was a slapstick development, but it was a heartwarming part of the story.

─ ─ Up to this point, I knew how much you love monsters, so I'm sure you couldn't tolerate an organization that treats them like objects. You also transformed, how was that?

Maeda: It was difficult!　I never thought I would become Blackblader. ...... I wasn't able to work with him on the recording, but I think Takuatsu Terashima's performance as the sword god Blader helped me a lot. I played the fight scene while listening to Terashima's voice, but his presence alone made it easy for me to do the scene, and I realized that this is what it means to fight together with Braider. So I was able to give a performance that I had not been able to give while practicing at home.

But above all, the pictures were really cool!　The cuts were so fast, and there were scenes where they beat the hell out of me. Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! I was told not to worry about the length of the bold lines, so I focused on the sense of speed and acted with the feeling that the last boss was being beaten to a pulp.

─ ─ Since this is a heroic story, did you ever think about becoming a hero and shouting out special moves?

Maeda: I thought about it a lot. Kuroizu-san was shouting "Kanon-kun...! (laugh). When I was in the evil organization, I was aware of the cool Kuroizu-san. But the moment I became a hero, I really thought about what I would do if Kuroizu-san were to become Blackblader. He became so cool, and I really felt honored to be entrusted with such an important scene. Tomokazu Sugita's Zed Acht was so ruthless and intimidating that I was very happy to be able to play the role while listening to his recorded lines. I am very happy that I was able to listen to the recorded lines and play along with Mr. Kuroizu.

The recording has finished, but I am sure that if I have any difficulties in my future work, Mr. Kuroizu will come to my mind and push me forward, and I am truly happy to have met him.

───This was a big work for you as well, wasn't it?

Maeda: It may be an exaggeration, but I think that playing Kuroizu-san changed my view of acting and my life as a voice actor. At the same time, I was able to learn important things about working in the industry, and at the same time, I was able to enjoy watching the show without being overbearing, so it is a really good piece of work. I feel like Kuroizu-san is already a friend of mine, and I hope that you will also make this film a friend of yours, as it is an indispensable work for my life.

─ ─ If your voices are heard, I am sure it will lead to the second season.

Maeda I am sure Kuroizu-san and the others are talking about that too. They may be saying, "Let's make a PR monster for the second season next time" (laughs).

(Interview, text, and photography by Junichi Tsukagoshi)