Commemorating the release of "Gridman Universe" the Movie! Chemical reaction between the heat of the Dynzenon team and the Gridman team! Interview with Junya Enoki (Yomogi Asanaka) and Yuichiro Umehara (Yamanaka Koyomi)

GRIDMAN UNIVERSE," the latest completely original theatrical film featuring a miraculous crossover between the characters and worldviews of "SSSS.GRIDMAN" and "SSSS.DYNAZENON," was released on March 24, 2023.

To commemorate the release of "Gridman Universe," in which an unknown story unfolds, Junya Enoki, who plays Yomogi Asanaka and Yuichiro Umehara, who plays Kage Yamanaka from the "SSS.DYNAZENON" team, talked about the highlights and charm of this film.

Koyomi Yamanaka has not grown after all

Q: How did you feel when you heard the first news of the decision to produce "Gridman Universe"?

Umehara: When the postrecording for "SSSS.DYNAZENON" was finished, I heard that we might be able to create a story that combines "SSSS.GRIDMAN" and "SSSS.DYNAZENON" in some way. I didn't know when that would be or what the story would be about, but I was happy to be able to play the role of Koyomi again, and I was also very curious about how the two worlds would be combined.

Enoki: In the individual works, the story had ended nicely, so what more would I draw?　I thought it would be difficult to come up with a story, but I was simply happy to be able to work with everyone again.

Junya Enoki as Yomogi Asanaka

DYNAZENON", did you notice or discover anything about these characters?

Enoki: I wonder how Yomogi was. At the end of "SSSS.DYNAZENON," Yomogi and Minami Yumei (CV. Wakayama Shion) started dating, and that relationship was carried over into "Gridman Universe. But I never really thought of the character I play as this kind of character, so I don't know how to describe it. I have the impression that not much has changed overall, but I do think that I was rather butt-hurt (laughs).

Umehara If I were to put the character of Koyomi in a simple way, he is a NEET (laughs). Since he started as a NEET, I thought that as the story progressed, there would be some sort of opportunity for him to grow up. But during the first recording of "SSSS.DYNAZENON," director Tetsu Amemiya explained to me that "Koyomi never grows up" (laughs).

(Laughs.) Well, I thought it would be interesting if there was one character who never grew up, but when I watched the entire 12 episodes, I realized that Koyomi was also Koyomi, and the part of him that was troubled by his past or was in a dither about his current state was blown away, and in the last episode he was depicted job hunting, so I thought "What the heck, he's grown up!　I wondered if the director had changed his mind along the way," and when I looked at the script for this movie version, I found that he hadn't grown up. ......

My hair is starting to grow, and that's a great relief, I guess. DYNAZENON" in terms of age, but I think the fact that he is so unreliable in spite of that makes him a very interesting character.

Yuichiro Umehara as Aryaku Yamanaka

As Mr. Enoki said, human beings do not change so drastically. It was depicted throughout the production that the base doesn't change much, wasn't it (laughs)?

Enoki: I think that's true.

Q: How did you see the characters you play in each other's works?

Enoki: Umehara-kun is a good-looking guy that everyone recognizes, and I thought it was interesting that he could play a character like that. I thought it would be interesting to play a character like that. As you might expect from his appearance and slack-jawed voice, I thought it would be good to have him speak in a low-pitched voice, call her "mother," or say something a little pathetic. You never seem to say that, do you? Have you ever said "mother"?

Umehara Yes, I have! (laughs) On the contrary, what do you call her?

Enoki Hey. (laughs) Or...

Umehara Like mother. Enoki-kun is older than me, but I really admire his ability to express the instability of a young boy. DYNAZENON", he is able to portray the role as if he were a life-size person without any sense of incongruity. That's something I really can't do, so I studied ...... No, it's not a study because I can't apply it to myself, and these roles don't even come to me in the first place (laughs). (laughs) So I thought it was great. DYNAZENON" and I heard that Yomogi-kun was going to play the main character, I kind of grasped the idea that this was the kind of play that I should perform. Rather than an animated performance, I thought it would be better for the world of the work if I relaxed my shoulders and acted naturally.

Q: Although the work is based on special effects, I thought it was characteristic that the dialogue was natural. Is this also something that Director Amemiya is very particular about?

Enoki: Looking at the detailed conversations, I would say he has a young sensibility. I don't know if he was particular about depicting student romance and how their paths crossed, because I didn't actually ask him about it, but I thought it was great.

I thought it was amazing.

Enoki: Yes, he was. I feel that he must have been naïve.

Umehara When I read the script, I thought there was no sense of discomfort in the conversation. It was so natural that it seemed as if it was taken straight out of a conversation that was really going on somewhere. Animation tends to be more explanatory or different from normal conversation. Of course, that is sometimes a good thing, but in this film, the dialogue is very natural and there is a lot of blank space, so there are many areas where we, the actors, are free to do what we want.

The director is probably very particular about his plays, but in the end he leaves the final decision to the actors. That is why I felt a sense of responsibility. I felt like I had to do my best. Of course you have a lot on your mind, but you don't force your ideas on us.

Enoki: Yes, that's right. He is very appreciative.

Umehara So it was very easy for me to work on it.

Q: The highlight of the film is the special effects-like action, but I really enjoyed the interactions between people.

Umehara I really think so.

Q: By the way, do you have any memories of special effects works?

Enoki: Actually, I have not attended tokusatsu productions at all. I did watch a lot of anime, though.

I am sure you could feel the passion of the tokusatsu fans.

Enoki: I felt that. There are many tokusatsu fans in the industry, and many of them are still in love with the series even after they reach 40 or 50 years old, so I think there must be a certain appeal that makes them fall in love with it.

Umehara I remember watching "Ninja Sentai Kakuranger" and "Choryoku Sentai Oranger" when I was in kindergarten. I also remember my grandmother buying me candy with toys. I also liked "Godzilla. I have seen many different series.

Enoki: Oh, I watched "Godzilla" too. Now that you mention it, "Godzilla" is also a special effects movie.

The action scenes with all the techniques are the highlight!

DYNAZENON" is now in theaters. What was the most memorable scene from the TV series?

Enoki: I liked the action scene at the beginning when he takes the enemy into space and defeats him (*the third episode of the TV anime). Also, I watched the special move where he spits fire from his mouth (*"Hashiao Dai Iyafire Rexlore"), thinking that boys would like that.

Umehara In terms of the calendar, I think it was the interaction with Mr. Inamoto (CV. Mariya Ise). I don't think it was depicted in the movie version, but it showed Koyomi's insecurity. Afterwards, he and Mujina (CV. Ayaka Suwa) somehow ended up drinking at an izakaya (Japanese-style pub), and the fact that Koyomi was complaining about how he was not cool at all and was just a shitty person was also endearing. I was impressed by the vividness of his personality. (*The 6th episode of the TV anime)

That part was pathetic (laughs). Now, please tell us about the highlights of the new "Gridman Universe".

Enoki: I can't give too many details yet, but there will be a lot of battle scenes in the movie version, and I think Gridman and Dinozenon will fight together and put all their techniques together! I think there will be action scenes like that, so I hope you can count on that. I think the big screen will be better for the sound.

Umehara The same goes for the scenes where everyone fights together. DYNAZENON team and the Gridman team switched during recording (due to the Corona disaster, the new work was recorded in a dispersed manner), but since "SSSS.DYNAZENON" is a combined fight, there was a lot of dialogue to be combined during the battle. Seeing the passion, the Gridman team sometimes said, "We can't lose, too, so can we retake it? Even though we were a small group, we were able to create that kind of chemical reaction by recording together, and I think that kind of enthusiasm would be exhilarating to see in the theater.

Q: That's very interesting. So there are some different colors in the work?

Umehara "SSSS.DYNAZENON" has a low tension that is typical of today's youth. DYNAZENON" has a low tension that is typical of today's youth. I thought the color of the song is the downer feeling of everyday life. I feel that because the tension is the same, the conversation is cohesive. GRIDMAN" is really a mass of personalities, each with different tensions and different tones of voice. I think the characteristic of the Gridman team is that their personalities seem to clash with each other, but they are surprisingly cohesive.

Enoki: Also, in "SSSS.GRIDMAN," there is a sense of unity among the actors. Since the work was done before the Corona disaster, it seems like they had a drinking party every week. Yuya Hirose, who plays the role of Yuta Hibiki, is a great tease, and it seems like everyone is united by that. DYNAZENON" is more like a group of people who don't give a damn (laughs).

Umehara Ha-ha-ha. That's a bad way to put it (laughs).

Enoki But isn't that so?　There are many independent types. It's not that we don't get along with each other or anything.

Umehara We went there before!　I went.

Enoki So we get along well, but it was nice to have an easy atmosphere where we could do whatever we wanted and just get together when we wanted to.

Since the Corona disaster, you couldn't go there during recording, right?

Enoki I didn't go during recording.

Umehara You didn't go.

Enoki But I probably wouldn't have gone even if it wasn't for the Corona disaster (laughs).

Umehara I don't know! Well, I'm at the top of the list of people who don't go.

Enoki That's why you came so well the other day (laughs).

ー-Please go and launch with the Gridman team (laughs). Thank you very much.

(Interview, text, and photos by Junichi Tsukagoshi)

Outline of the present campaign

<Prize>
■"Gridman Universe" dialogue! Junya Enoki and Yuichiro Umehara autographs will be given away!

<Entry requirements

To commemorate the release of "Gridman Universe" the movie, Junya Enoki, who plays Yomogi Asanaka, and Yuichiro Umehara, who plays Koyomi Yamanaka, will present one lucky winner with an autograph card!

• Entry period: March 24, 2023 (Fri.) - March 31, 2023 (Fri.) 23:59
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