AZURELAIN" is a popular fall anime. Interview with Daichiha, Maria Naganawa, and Nozomi Yamane of the popular fall anime "Azur Lane! They talk about the charm of the anime version!

The popular video game "Azur Lane" will begin airing as a TV anime in October 2019!

Azur Lane" is a game application for smartphones based on the theme of anthropomorphic ships distributed by Yostar. It is a shooting game in which the player becomes a commander and fights against enemies with a fleet of anthropomorphic ships that he has trained and built. In addition to the game, the series has been adapted into a radio program, a manga, and a novel, and now it is being made into an anime.

As the anticipation builds for the broadcast of the anime, we spoke with three of the main characters, the "initial ships" chosen by the commander in the game, played by Ms. Daichiha (Ayanami), Ms. Maria Naganawa (Laffey), and Ms. Nozomi Yamane (Javelin).

What were you conscious of when you first played the role?

--Actually, I have to apologize to Mr. Yamane and Ms. Naganawa.

Yamane and Naganawa Eh?

--When choosing the initial ship in the game, I chose the ...... Ayanami.

Yamane: Huh? (Laughs)

Naganawa That thing? (laugh)

Daichi Thank you! Well, I'm sorry, guys (laughs). Ayanami is so cute!

Naganawa (laughs). Everyone is really cute, so it's really hard to decide.

Yamane: Yeah. I can't choose.

--What do you think is particularly cute about the character you play?

Daichi: As those of you who play app games will know, Ayanami speaks in a whisper. There are pauses between words, and she has a mysterious way of speaking that makes it difficult to grasp her emotions. However, I feel that this mysterious atmosphere is her greatest charm. In the anime, I always think "Ayanami is so cute! I can't believe how cute she is even though it's her own voice (laughs).

Yamane: In the game, Javelin's charm point is that she is "mockingly cute," but in the anime, I feel that she has a more familiar cuteness, more of an impression of an ordinary girl. In the midst of so many unique characters, I think Javelin's normal cuteness is a charm. She is a girl whose emotions are easily expressed in her facial expressions and actions, which is one of the reasons why she is so cute.

Naganawa: Raffy is a girl who goes at her own pace, but whenever she gets a chance, she tries to spoil people and talks to them in a way that makes them feel spoiled. This is especially true for the commander, and he will spoil you if he gets a chance. I think the charm of Raffy lies in the fact that she is like a little girl who is younger than him. It makes you want to cuddle her or stroke her.

--How was it when you first played the role in the game? Did you have any difficulties in creating the character?

Daichi: I don't usually play characters like Ayanami, who are cute and taciturn. So at first, I thought, "Is it really me? I thought, "Am I really mistaking her for a junior?" (laughs). (Laughs.) But the manager said, "I think you can do it, so give it a try," and I gave Ayanami a try. That may have been part of the reason, but the Ayanami I created at first sounded a bit more cute, like a moe character.

--But in the actual recording, was it different?

Daichi: Yes. During the recording, I was told, "I want her to be flirtatious, but not flirtatious," so I made a conscious effort not to be flirtatious in my performance. That's why Ayanami is so blunt at the beginning when she is chosen as the initial ship, or she speaks so plainly that you might think she is cold. The way she speaks changes depending on her wedding outfit and the degree of affection, so I want the audience to feel the gap between the two.

Yamane: Javelin was created based on the explanation of "this is the kind of character", but we tried to make her more "cute and innocent" than before and made her more like a fluffy moe character. From there, the character took on more of a shape through the recording of dress changes, and she became more of an energetic girl who supports her commander rather than a cutesy, cheeky character.

Naganawa: When I first played Raffy, I said, "OK. It's OK just the way it is" (laughs). But as I played the role over and over again, it became more and more fun. Because there is a long period of time between game recordings (since the last recording), I often get told that I have too many facial expressions. So, I try to keep a cool and calm attitude without any facial expressions. I wonder if it was cool that they didn't say anything at first. (Laughs)

Belfast's presence is amazing!

-I think many people are looking forward to seeing the characters' interactions and movements in the animated version. Did you discover anything new in the animated version?

Daichi: There are scenes where you don't know what the characters are going to sound like until you see them in action. I wondered if Ayanami would really use her voice when fighting, or if she was too strong (so much so that she is called a "demon god") and would just go ahead and do it without uttering a sound. There were times when I wondered if it would be wrong if I went any further. There were times when I wondered if it would be right if I went any further, but I just said, "As long as you move, you can make your voice come out" (laughs).

Yamane: I felt that the characters became more appealing when they talked to each other. In the game, they mainly talk to the commander, but in the anime, they talk to the people nearby and say things to each other, which shows a new side to them and makes them more attractive.

Naganawa: That's right. In the game, she is always smiling, but in the anime, she is always looking away with an awkward "Aha! or a tense expression on their faces as they try to decide what to do. I am very happy to see the expressions of not only us but also many other characters all at once.

Daichi: I think everyone animated the characters in their minds while playing the game, but they didn't know how they would actually move. It was the same for us. We wondered, "How will they fight? "How do they fight?" "How do they live their daily lives? These are the things we wanted to see in the film. There are parts of battles, parts of daily life, and a central storyline that I think will be enjoyed by a wide range of fans.

Naganawa: I want everyone to see the scene where everyone is eating together. The faces of the characters as they are eating their meals, but also the interaction between the characters in the background is fun to watch. This is something that would never happen in a game. Everyone was improvising a lot, which was a lot of fun.

Yamane: (Ad-libbing is) really fun, isn't it?

--Is there any character other than the three that you are interested in?

Daichi: I think a lot of people are looking forward to this because he is a very popular character, but Belfast-san's presence is amazing. The moment he appeared, I was like, "Here comes someone from another world!" Is it really Azur Lane?" (laughs).

Naganawa She's even dressed as a maid (laughs).

(laughs)! (laughs). Daichi: She appears in the right places, so please look forward to her appearance.

Yamane The scene where she appears is amazing. She appears in a very good place.

Naganawa I think it's the unicorn girl. She is cute, and her troubles that appear in the middle of the story are really cute. She is just so cute, and I love her! I love her so much!

Daichi She is adorable, isn't she?

Yamane: Yes. Also, Enterprise and Akagi are the central characters in the story, so I want people to pay attention to them. When these two appear, you can feel the anticipation that something is about to happen.

--Speaking of characters, character songs will also be released. What can we expect to hear in each song?

Daichi: When I heard Ayanami's song, I thought the lyrics were really good. I wondered who the lyricist was, and I was so excited to find out that it was one of my favorite lyricists. I was so excited because the lyricist was one of my favorite lyricists. The tune is cute and lovely! You have to protect them! Please look forward to it.

Yamane: The song is filled with Javelin's love for her commanding officer, and includes what Javelin said in the game. It is a character song that is truly Javelin's, so I hope you will listen to it and think, "Ah, Javelin, you're a cute guy!

Naganawa: Raffy's song is also very Raffy-like, with "sleepy" and "groggy," so it was very easy for me to put my feelings into it. （I listened to Enterprise's (Yui Ishikawa) version of the common song (included as a coupling song) before recording, and it really fit. We talked a lot about how to sing it in a Raffy way. It's an intense and cool song, but I don't use vibrato and just stretch it out, like a child singing "It's kind of a fast song, but I did my best to sing it!

(laughs) . Sounds like a lot of fun!

Yamane: It's true that the common songs are quite different depending on the character.

Daichi That's right. So I hope you will pay attention to that as well.

--I am looking forward to both the animation and the songs. Thank you very much!

(Reporting, writing, and photography by Kenichi Chiba)

One lucky winner will receive a signed copy of the fall anime "Azur Lane" by Daichiyo, Maria Naganawa, and Nozomi Yamane!

To commemorate this interview, we are giving away autographs of the fall anime "Azur Lane" by Daichiha (playing Ayanami), Maria Naganawa (playing Raffy), and Nozomi Yamane (playing Javelin) to one lucky winner! Please read the detailed application guidelines before applying.

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Application period: October 3, 2019 (Thursday) - October 10, 2019 (Thursday) 23:59
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