HISASHI (GLAY) & Sekai (EXILE/FANTASTICS) talk] Commemorating the broadcast of summer anime "Grendizer II"! Rock spirit and love for ani-songs in the OP theme "Kai-Shin No Ippatsu

The anime "UFO Robot Grendizer," originally created by Go Nagai, was revived in the 2025 era! The TV anime started broadcasting in July 2024 as "Grendizer II".

The opening theme "Kaijin-no-Ippatsu" is performed by GLAY, one of Japan's leading rock bands. This time, Akiba Research Institute had a talk with HISASHI, a guitarist of GLAY who wrote the lyrics and music, and Sekai (EXILE/FANTASTICS), a self-confessed anime geek who knows both the original comics and the original anime.

GLAY and EXILE have a close relationship, as they performed together on the song "SCREAM" before Sekai joined the band. The two talked about the secret story behind the production of "KAISHINO ICHIKI". We hope you will enjoy their deep anime talk.

The Deep Connection between GLAY and Anime

Thank you very much for this interview.

World I have been hoping to meet you someday, and you have an interesting YouTube channel.

HISASHI That makes me happy (laughs).

World GLAY's older generation is more direct than mine. I am 33 years old now, and for me, GLAY is a very rare band that sings anime songs and is also active as a regular major band. I joined EXILE 10 years ago, but the image I had of HISASHI before that was that there is someone who is so active as an artist but talks about anime! I was like, "Wow, someone who is so active as an artist is talking about anime! And here I am now, as someone who has absolutely nothing to do with the TV anime "Grendizer II," so I am just honored to meet you (laughs).

HISASHI The 90's was a time when I wanted to wear suits and create a cool image for the band, but from that time on, I always liked not only anime, but subculture in general. I think it was around the year 2000 or so. I started to publicly say that I liked Akiba-like subcultures in general.

World That was when I was a student, so I thought, "HISASHI-san, you like anime!　I was like, "Oh, come to think of it, he also plays ani-songs" (laughs).

HISASHI If anything, I might have been more influenced by you than by music (laughs).

(laughs) What influenced you the most?

HISASHI I love director Mamoru Oshii, and the movie version "Urusei Yatsura 2: Beautiful Dreamer" (1984) was a loop! I thought, "I can do this in anime! The "Mobile Police Patlabor" series, too, was a playful combination of anime and manga, which was more rock than rock at the time, and I thought, "Wow, this guy is amazing! I thought, "Wow, this guy is amazing!

World: You and Director Oshii worked together on some films, didn't you? (GLAY x Mamoru Oshii's animated short film "Je t'aime")

HISASHI Yes, yes. That was such an event that I could have quit (music) already (laugh). I had a talk with director Oshii, and all of his talks, or rather his blabbering, were very interesting.

Mr. HISASHI (left) and Sekai-san

Q: When did you start liking the works of Director Oshii?

HISASHI I think it was "Tenshi no Tamago" (1985 film) at first. I wondered what I was being made to watch. I still don't understand it, but I like the fact that I can see the ego of the filmmakers.

I don't know what it is, but I saw something amazing! I don't know what it is, but I saw something amazing!

HISASHI It's fun to unravel it, isn't it?

HISASHI So you are influenced by the mind?

HISASHI Yes, I am. But I am also influenced by anime and the music that plays in it. I love not only anime but also movies, and I also love movies and the music that plays in them.

Q: Do you remember the first soundtrack you bought?

HISASHI That was the theme song for a professional wrestler named Terry Funk. There is a technique called the "spinning toe hold," and I was like, "Does that work? It was a guitar instrumental inspired by that technique, and it was so cool that it made an impact on me when I was a kid.

World That's really cool! (laughs) Those were the days when pro-wrestling and anime were very popular. I envy you.

HISASHI Animation was also on prime time terrestrial television.

WORLD When I was a child in the 90s, animated works for adults were released as OVAs. But I was just a kid at the time and didn't have the money to buy them.

HISASHI Software was expensive back then (laughs). It's hard for a kid, isn't it?

Incidentally, what did you two like in terms of robot works?

HISASHI It's a classic, but I think it was the "Gundam" series. It was the era of Sunrise, so I watched all the robot anime from that time.

WORLD When I was a child, it was the "Yusha" series. I also watched "Yamato Takeru" (1994), for which GLAY sang the theme song.

HISASHI Our debut song "RAIN" was the theme song for the live-action version of "Yamatotakeru," and later "Manatsu no Tobira" was the OP theme song for the anime version, so we have been doing theme songs for anime since the beginning. I also had director Koji Morimoto make an animated music video for the song "Survival" in 1999. ......

Q: You have a deep connection with anime, don't you?

World So there are people who like the so-called "HOWEVER" kind of The Artist GLAY, and there are people who came in from anime songs. So what were the fans like? I think.

HISASHI But GLAY listeners seem to be able to enjoy everything that goes along with it. That's why I think they will enjoy "Grendizer II" as well.

Let's make it something that we are not ashamed to release as Japanese music.

Q: How did you come to be in charge of the OP theme for "Grendizer II"?

HISASHI: General director Mitsuo Fukuda is a free spirit, so I think the name GLAY came up with the production team's encouragement, and they said, "That's good!　Go for it! Maybe it was something like, "Why not? (Laughs.) Then we were approached, and we had a meeting remotely before producing the music, and we were told that we were free to make it the GLAY way, whether we liked the content or not. ......

World So you were able to create freely! (laughs).

HISASHI Yes, yes. (laughs) But when I talk to people like that, I get inspired by the tempo of the song, the major/minor feel of the song, the choice of words, and so on (laughs).

WORLD Hee~!

HISASHI So when we had our first meeting, more than half of the song was ready. All that was left was to give it shape.

Q: Does that mean you don't have to talk about the contents of the anime?

HISASHI That's right. We just talk about it, and it's like, "It's okay!　Don't say any more. I didn't think I had such a part of myself, but it seems like I have a creative soul at the core.

World Wow!　What came to your mind when you wrote "Grendizer II"?

HISASHI The first thing that came to mind was momentum, and then the phrase "kai shin no ichibu" came up, and I thought, "This is it!　This is what Japanese entertainment is all about! I didn't care what I said in the A-melody or B-melody! (laughs).

World That's great (laughs). (laughs). That feeling also fits the tension of the piece.

HISASHI Also, 2A (the second A melody) is never used (in anime), so I decided to use a slightly offensive word.

WORLD The 2A in anime theme songs tends to express what you want to say (laughs).

HISASHI I also heard that "UFO Robot Grendizer" is popular in Europe, so I was very determined to make it something that would not be embarrassing to release as Japanese music.

The popularity of " UFO Robo Glendizer" in France is amazing, so I was very determined to make it something that would not embarrass Japanese music. That's why France was attacked in the PV for this work (laughs). (laughs) So this is a work with a serviceable spirit.

HISASHI I see (laughs).

Q: What was your impression of "UFO Robot Grendizer"?

HISASHI I lived in a very rural area, so I don't know if I saw it or not. Maybe that thing in my memory was "Mazinger Z". ...... I also wonder why "UFO Robot Grendizer" is pinpointed and popular in Europe. So I only had a vague image of a robot animation fighting enemies.

WORLD When I watched "Mazinger Z" or "UFO Robot Grendizer" as a child, I only thought it was an awesome anime with a big robot and an enemy robot fighting (laughs).

HISASHI It's the same with the "Gundam" series! I just thought, "MS looks cool! But I heard about the staff of "Grendizer II" later. I thought, "Are you serious? I thought.

World The staff is superb, isn't it?

HISASHI They were all people we were familiar with.

HISASHI Who were you interested in, in your opinion?

HISASHI I liked "Neon Genesis Evangelion" as well, so I guess Yoshiyuki Sadamoto. His touch is good.

Q: Sadamoto-san's drawings have a touch that can reach people who don't watch anime, while appealing to those who like anime.

World: It's anime, but it's not too deformed. I think that's what makes it popular with so many people. Also, I think the enemies are becoming more handsome (laughs). Zuril and the others are really cool. Also, I think that the anime is directed by Mitsuo Fukuda, which means that there will probably be a lot of girls in it as well.

There are many famous theme songs for robot anime.

HISASHI: I wanted to blend the right balance of half GLAY and half anime songs. I wanted to create the right balance between the two. I am good at, and sometimes like, minor melodies in my songs, but I thought that if I was getting offers, people would be looking for that kind of music as well, so I was proud that I was aiming for something close to the target.

WORLD I thought it was great that you came up with the phrase "kai shin no ichibu.

HISASHI I had already imagined the opening picture. I grew up watching this kind of anime, so I had an idea of what I wanted the song to sound like.

Q: In the meeting, I think we were told to be free, but you were able to get a sense of what kind of things were being asked of you.

HISASHI But what makes it difficult is that we tend to leave things where they are. For me, there is a feeling of wanting to put it in a place other than there. This is partly because I originally admired Mamoru Oshii, the director.

World: So you are a little influenced by him (laughs). You want to be eccentric.

HISASHI Yes, yes (laughs). (laughs) I wonder if it is safe to use this word. (laughs). It's not like a robot anime. The story also has a human touch, and the scariest part of the story is the human being. In "Grendizer II," the characters fight evil, but are they really evil? Or is the opponent really evil? To them, this is our justice! To them, this is our justice! When I think about it, I realize that all things are like that, so I wrote the music with the hope of depicting the contradictions in that area.

World You sound like Dr. Hell from "Mazinger Z/INFINITY" (laughs).

HISASHI Ha ha ha (laughs).

What did you think of this song when you heard it?

Sekai: I was really impressed with the beginning of the chorus, which sounds like an anime song. It was a phrase that made me want to sing along. The title also sounded straightforward.

HISASHI The title was different at first.

WORLD Was that so?

HISASHI I was unsure about it until the very end, and then I decided to go with it! I thought, "Let's go with this one! At first it was "VIVA LA VIE EN ROSE," wasn't it?

World That's the phrase you are shouting at the top of your head!　But I thought it was nice to have the song title at the beginning of the chorus.

HISASHI Breaking into the chorus and saying the title of the song sounds silly (laughs).

WORLD It takes me back to my childhood, and I feel like I'm grabbed by the song. It also had a sense of speed, so it made me want to ride a robot.

HISASHI I could go on and on, but in the end I thought it would be better to keep it simple and easy to convey. I think it's the same with anime, but the simpler the story, the better.

The world But I also felt some darkness. I don't know if it was because it was HISASHI. The Mazinger series also has darkness, not just a little, so I think this is a song that will stick with teenagers.

HISASHI This has always been the case, but I like dark heroes more than heroes, and I definitely think that is cooler.

WORLD I am the same way!

HISASHI I was the type of person who always looked at things from an angle while living my own life, and I think that kind of thing shows in my style.

Q: So the song has both a dark part and a royal feeling like the chorus.

HISASHI In that sense, we have members who are on the high road, which allows me and JIRO to be the counterculture.

So we have a good balance.

Incidentally, were there any retakes from the director?

HISASHI There were no retakes. So I was very happy. I was confident, but there was a part of me that was worried, wondering if the lyrics would be okay. But I think the director wanted to show our free spirit in the animation.

World It was a good chemical reaction, wasn't it?

HISASHI It really is!　When you do a job like this, there is a sense of accomplishment, isn't there? That's why I was really happy.

Q: Which is easier to work with, being asked to create freely or being given specific details?

HISASHI It may sound arrogant to say this, but when it comes to GLAY, they don't specify much anymore. ...... So I sometimes wish they would specify a little more. It's easier to make something if it's within this framework.

World In a positive sense, it is also easier to rebel (laughs).

HISASHI Yes, that's right!　But I think it's more like, "GLAY, you're free to do whatever you want.

World The people who produce animation are getting younger, so there are probably many people of the generation who say, "I used to listen to GLAY! I used to listen to GLAY! But there may come a day when a young, crazy young person will emerge and designate the work as "crazy". That is exactly what happened with the young director Hideaki Anno.

HISASHI I wonder if I can do it with Director Anno (laughs). (laughs) But if someone young like that emerged, I would think, "What is this guy? (laughs). But if a young person like that came along, I'm sure it would be interesting. Director Kazuya Tsurumaki's "Furikuri" (2000 - 2001) used a lot of the pillows' songs freely, and someone like that might emerge.

Q: HISASHI seems to enjoy being told what to do.

HISASHI I enjoy being told to "make it like this" and then making a song that is not at all like that and having people say "that's good" (laughs).

WORLD I knew it would rock~ (laughs).

HISASHI Even General Director Fukuda, in creating the theme song with the artist, said, "Are you a little crazy?" I wonder if they understand the meaning of the words. I got the impression that he was amused by that as well. I like that part of the story, too.

I think that is a kind of counterculture! That is the counterculture (laughs).

HISASHI I think everyone is like that. It's like everyone is trying to be a counterculture (laughs).

I would like to cherish the memories of "Grendizer II" and others in the future.

World HISASHI, do you have a favorite ani-song?　Is it "Bocchi Za Rokku! is it?

HISASHI I listen to it because I think it's so perfect.

HISASHI You played it on HISASHI TV on YouTube, didn't you?

HISASHI It's difficult, even for musicians. Even for musicians, it's difficult. I play the music thinking, "This is difficult. But I think it's great that there is a band anime boom every few years, because it helps sell instruments and boosts the band world.

WORLD Someday you might be asked to write a song for a girl band anime.

HISASHI I'll do it anytime (laughs).

Q: In Japan, band sounds are deeply rooted in popularity.

WORLD The OP/ED of "Grendizer II" is also done by a band.

HISASHI We have done live shows in the U.S. and Asia, but not yet in Europe, so I would like to use this as an opportunity to do so.

WORLD I am 100% sure we can do it in France.

HISASHI You do the "Japan Expo" every year, don't you?

WORLD It's "Grendizer II" and I'm sure they would ask us to do it, but I think it would be difficult with the overflow of customers. But I would love to hear the intro of the song and hear everyone screaming!

Q: By the way, what is your most memorable ani-song?

HISASHI I think it would be ......'s "Aiwenshi", which we also covered in ACE OF SPADES. Because my roots are in Gundam.

WORLD If I were to say something related to Go Nagai's works, I like "Devilman," so I would say "Devilman's Song" (Ichiro Mizuki).

HISASHI So you like the dark side after all (laughs).

WORLD I like heroes with a lonely side. I also like Showa Rider.

HISASHI That's unusual (for someone so young). Because it means you are following all of them.

WORLD When you have been working since you were a child, you are surrounded only by adults, so it becomes a story about generations. So, when I see something I think looks interesting, I gradually grow up to be a crooked adult (laughs). (Laughs.) The song "Devil Man Song" sings, "Devil Chop is Punch Power," and I thought to myself, "Chop means punch? I thought to myself as a child that "Devil chop is punch power," and then I realized that everyone else thought so, too (laughs).

HISASHI "Lucky Star! Sailor Fuku" from "Lucky Star! Sailor Buku" from "Lucky Star!" was very popular on Nico Douga, and the ending nostalgic melody in the karaoke box was very moving. ......

I hope "Kaijin no Isshin Ichigeki" will be loved for many years to come.

HISASHI The other day, GLAY held a live concert at the Belluna Dome to recreate the "GLAY EXPO '99" concert in 1999. (Laughs) GLAY is actually a band that plays a wide variety of old and new songs. That's why I want to keep "Kai-Shin-Ittchi" and the memories of "Grendizer II" in my heart.

World I really want to hear it live!

Q: Even if the songs are 25 years old, the music doesn't fade away, does it?

HISASHI Well, the lyrics are terrible (laughs), but there are songs from around 1993 that I think have terrible grammar, but TAKURO doesn't mind that at all, and he seems to say, "You can do that at all" (laughs).

(Laughs.) World That's often the reason why people stop playing old songs. But fans want to hear songs from 20 years ago, and young people find them fresh.

HISASHI And I also think that songs are alive, and in 1996 I released a song called "Ikitekuru Tsuyosa (Strength to Live)," but I was still in my 20s or something, so I didn't know what was going on, but what was in TAKURO's head entered the fans' ears, and everyone's lives changed. You meet your partner, get married, and have children. Then "strength to live" becomes a different story. When a song is released, it is not ours, it is the people's. Songs have that kind of power. Songs have that kind of power.

Q: The meaning of lyrics changes depending on the listener's situation, age, and era.

HISASHI As with all entertainment, how a person sees a song can change his or her life.

WORLD Yes, that's right. Even "Choo Choo TRAIN," if you look at the lyrics carefully, you may wonder what they are saying (laughs). (laughs). (Laughs.) "Moonlight, freak" and so on.

HISASHI It's a song for the times, isn't it?　That's a good answer.

World This is very close to anime. There are no detailed descriptions, but there is a lot of pressure and momentum! It's like that.

HISASHI The lyrics of this song have to be this way! There's a certain "this song's lyrics have to be this way! It has a mysterious persuasive power. That's why there is a fine line between rock and entertainment and stupidity. People want to see the unusual, not the everyday, so you have to go all the way to that point. I don't know what it is, but it's fun to be excited at a live venue! I want to always have the courage to show people that "I don't know what's going on, but I'm having a lot of fun!

Q: Lastly, please give us your thoughts on today's discussion and a message to the fans who are looking forward to seeing "Grendizer II".

I was just so honored to meet you and talk about anime with you. As I have said many times before, I am someone who has nothing to do with "Grendizer II," so I am just looking forward to the anime. I just want to see the activities of Naida Baron, whom I liked!　And I am so happy to see Mazinger Z and Grendizer in this age of 2025.

HISASHI Sekai-kun, you know an awful lot about anime. I can trust people who are proper otaku. We like dark heroes and darkness in common, so I'm looking forward to seeing how much darkness there will be in "Grendizer II". And since the OP theme "Kaijin-no-Ippatsu" also has such elements, I hope you will look forward to it as well!