In commemoration of the release of the movie "Black Clover: The Sword of the Magical Emperor! Takehito Kajiwara pushes his limits in a one-on-one recording with his senior, Toshihiko Seki! Interview with Takehito Kajiwara (Asta) and Nobunaga Shimazaki (Yuno) Part 2 [Cheki Present]!

In a world where magic is everything, Asta, a boy born with no magic, and his rival Yuno, aim to become the "Magic Emperor," the pinnacle of mages in the long-awaited film adaptation of the white-hot royal road magic battle action "Black Clover!

The staff who worked on the TV series will reunite for the first movie in the series, "Black Clover: The Sword of the Magical Emperor," to be released in theaters on June 16, 2023. In addition, Hiroki Tabata, the author of the original manga, will supervise the film as well as drafting the characters, and an original story will unfold.

The film depicts the story of the Magical Emperor, which was not revealed in the original story. Asta, who is on his way to becoming a magic emperor after accumulating achievements, is confronted by the previous magic emperor Konrad, who was feared as the most evil and sealed away, as well as three previous magic emperors.

Their goal is the destruction of the Clover Kingdom. All the magical knights of the Clover Kingdom are fighting against the greatest crisis of the Clover Kingdom with all their might!

Akiba Research Institute interviewed Takehito Kajiwara, who plays Asta, a boy who dreams of becoming a magic emperor, and Nobunaga Shimazaki, who plays Asta's rival Yuno!　We asked them about their expectations for the future development of the original work, which is entering its final chapter, and what their ideal magical emperor would be.

─ ─ The TV anime will start in 2017. Being able to make a film with a team that has been together for so long must have had a positive impact on the work.

Shimazaki: With the Corona disaster, it was difficult to record while everyone was meeting and communicating with each other, but I am grateful that we were able to do it with the team that we have built up over the years. The first postrecording of the anime was about six years ago, so ...... has been going on for a long time.

Kajiwara Six years is amazing when I hear it again.

Shimazaki Because Gaku-kun introduced himself by saying, "I'm a newcomer. It was the first time I introduced myself, saying "I'm a newcomer and this is my first leading role.

Kajiwara That was right. It brings back memories...

SHIMAZAKI It was difficult to communicate with each other at first (laughs).

Kajiwara I was a university student.

SHIMAZAKI Wow, I see... But we had built up a group over the years, so even though we were recording separately, there was a sense of security. We are in different places, but the sense that we are fighting together is linked to the content of the film, and I am glad that we have been working together for so long.

Takehito Kajiwara

Kajiwara I am very grateful that the people around me know me so well. At first I was nervous and had trouble communicating. They were very good at teasing me, making it easy for me to come to the site, and supporting me in many ways. That's why I feel like I have to give a little something extra every time we record a scene.

Shimazaki: This time, too, the recording was distributed, but I can feel the love in the fact that you left me alone with Toshihiko (Seki). It was definitely a good experience!

Kajiwara I'm really grateful.

Shimazaki It sounds like it was so hard that your muscles ached all over (laughs). (laughs) But if you had recorded alone, you might not have had any muscle pain, right?　It was an environment where you had a very senior actor playing the role of the mighty magic emperor, so you may have been able to push your limits as Asta and as Gaku-kun.

Kajiwara That may be so. I certainly exceeded my limits.

Nobunaga Shimazaki

─ Is "Blaqlo" a story of Asta's growth, and is it also a work in which we can feel your growth as a voice actor?

Kajiwara: I did my best to make it a work that would make people feel that I have grown and overcome. I feel like I say "I worked hard" a lot. ......

Shimazaki I did my best. You can say that.

Kajiwara Thank you very much!

─ ─ The original work has entered its final chapter. What are some of the points you two are wondering about in the future?

Kajiwara: Yuno's origins have been revealed, and we are learning a lot about Asta, but there are still many mysteries. The enemies we have to defeat in our quest to become the magic emperor are getting stronger and stronger, and we have overcome a much higher hurdle in the movie. But I am sure that more powerful enemies await us in the future. I wonder how strong I have to get to be in the film, but as an actor, the higher the barriers, the more fun and rewarding it is. I want Asta to get as close as possible to the ideal world he envisions, and if there is a continuation (in anime), I wouldn't mind getting sore muscles again (laughs).

Shimazaki: I'm most interested in what will happen to Yuno.

He has so many attributes. I wonder where he will end up.

Shimazaki: That's right. I personally have an ideal landing spot for Yuno and Asta, but I won't go into that (laughs). Yuno's burden is getting bigger and bigger, so I'm very curious about where he will end up, including whether he really is the Magical Emperor of the Clover Kingdom, and I have high expectations for him in many ways.

─ ─ Regarding the "magical emperor you would like to follow," which was a topic of discussion at Janfest, could you tell us again about your ideal magical emperor? Some of the answers were quite gaggy...

Kajiwara: I would like to follow someone who is able to see things from the other person's point of view. In the world of "Bla Bla Bla Bla," it would be someone who understands the feelings of both the aristocrats and the common people. Asta is from a lowly background and has been oppressed, so he knows the pain and has the heart to be there for others. The ideal person is someone who can put himself in each person's shoes and consider their feelings regardless of his or her origins. I feel that such a person can communicate well with anyone and everything will turn out well.

Shimazaki My answer at the Jangfest must have been serious!

Kajiwara Indeed!

Shimazaki: My ideal is still the same: a magical emperor who gives me advice with just the right amount of salt. Someone who can guide me just right when I'm in trouble is ideal. If you are a one-man, go-getter, you do everything on your own, so you can't teach and guide. On the other hand, an overprotective person who tells you the right answer so that you don't have to struggle is also no good. It is best if you advise and take care of the minimum necessary so that the person can grow. It may seem like a "good boss" to do everything for you or to teach you everything from 1 to 10 in detail, but it will not lead to your subordinate's growth. If they are going to be independent someday, if they are aiming to become a magical emperor, they should be given advice with the right amount of salt so that they can grow. A person with a good sense of balance is the kind of magical emperor I want to follow.

(Reporting and writing by Shinobu Tanaka; Photography by Shohei Kanazawa)

Film Information
Film "Black Clover: Sword of the Magical Emperor
June 16, 2023 (Friday), Japan Roadshow
Netflix worldwide distribution

Official website: bclover-movie.jp
Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/bclover_PR

<Staff
Original Story, Supervisor, Character Planning：Hiroki Tabata (serialized in Shueisha's "Weekly Shonen Jump")
Director：Ayataka Tanemura
Character design：Itsuko Takeda
Music: Minako Seki
Screenplay: Johnny Onda, Ai Orii
Production: studio Piero ("BLEACH: The Thousand Year Blood War", "NARUTO", "Yu Yu Hakusho")
Production: Black Clover the Movie Production Committee
Distributor: Shochiku ODS Business Office

＜Cast
Asta: Takehito Kajiwara
Yuno: Nobunaga Shimazaki
Yami: Junichi Suwabe
Noel: Kana Yuuki
Konrad: Toshihiko Seki

＜Introduction
Serialized in "Weekly Shonen Jump", a heart-stopping magical battle action game!
The original author, Hiroki Tabata, himself supervised the production! A film adaptation of the story of the "Magical Emperor" that was never revealed in the original work!

In a world where magic is everything, Asta, a boy who was born with no magic, aims to become the "Magic Emperor," the highest rank of mages, in order to overcome adversity, prove his power, and keep his vow to his friends.

The staff who worked on the TV series and pioneered the world of "Blaqlo" are now fully prepared to produce the feature film version.

Outline of the present campaign

<Prize

In commemoration of the release of the movie "Black Clover: The Sword of the Magical Emperor," we will be holding a drawing for a checkerboard photo autographed by Takehito Kajiwara and Nobunaga Shimazaki!

• <Entry requirements
• Entry period: June 16, 2023 (Fri.) - June 23, 2023 (Fri.) 23:59
• Number of winners: 2
• Announcement of winners: Prizes will be shipped to winners.
• Prize delivery: Prizes will be sent out sequentially. How to apply: Please fill out the application form below.

• ＜Please note the following
• Registration (free of charge) is required to enter the contest.
• Only one entry per person is allowed.
• We will not be able to respond to any inquiries regarding the results of the drawing or shipping status.
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©2023 "Black Clover the Movie" Production Committee ©Hiroki Tabata/Shueisha