Sympathize with Danny, a sneaky and unattractive character! Commemorating the broadcast of the anime "Bravest Warriors", interview with Yuichiro Umehara & Bravest Challenge photo!

Set in the year 3085 A.D. in the universe, the animated sci-fi comedy "Bravest Warriors," in which Chris, Beth, Danny, Wallow, and the other four Bravest Warriors fight bad guys to protect peace in the universe, will be broadcast for the first time in Japan on the Cartoon Network, a channel specializing in animated features.

Yuichiro Umehara, who plays the role of Danny, a good-natured, short-term, self-absorbed and self-loathing character, talks about the recording sessions, how he created the role, his recommendations for enjoying this work, and the "Bravest Challenge" challenge he took on in the program "Yuichiro Umehara's Bravest Challenge! a program commemorating the broadcast of the film, and about the "bungee jump" he took on as part of the challenge project of "Yuichiro Umehara's Bravest Challenge!

At the end of the article, there is a present announcement, so be sure to check it out as well!

-- Umehara, is there anything about the character of Danny that you can relate to?

Umehara: Danny is basically a fun-loving character who wants to participate in events and have fun, but he is the type of person who spins out of control. He has a desire to show off and get on with his life, but unfortunately in reality he is neither popular nor popular. This inconsistency makes him an appealing character. His ideal and reality are a little different. He is also a little bit despicable, and I can relate to that part of him. I myself am a rather despicable person (laughs).

Q: Specifically, when do you feel "I'm despicable"?

Umehara: I don't have a high sense of self-esteem. It's really a trivial thing, but let's say you are playing a game at home, and your group fights against each other. The teams are randomly assigned, but they are always assigned to the losing team. It's like bad luck in a raffle, or you just can't seem to pull off a win. When that happens, I think to myself, "Is this how it is in games? It's a reflection of my life," I think to myself in a negative way.

-- There are many unique characters in the game. How was the postrecording process?

Umehara: At first, I played the characters in an exploratory way. But after the first postrecording test, the director told me that the film was more interesting when I heard it in Japanese. I was very happy, but at the same time I felt a lot of pressure. There is a lot of pressure to make people laugh by dubbing a comedy that has many funny scenes, but I felt more relaxed when I heard the director's assurance.

-- There are a lot of singing scenes, aren't there?

Umehara I sing in one out of every two episodes (laughs). (Laughs.) I think this is where each character's personality comes out. The male characters, in particular, sing in an "appropriate" way, if you know what I mean. When it comes to Danny, it's okay if his voice is a bit crooked. For Danny, it's fine if he sings badly on purpose.

-- Did you have anything in mind when you were creating the role?

Umehara: Danny not only sings, but also turns his voice upside down in his lines. I incorporated those elements into my performance, and I was also conscious of making my voice blur. When I auditioned for the role, I was asked to speak in a languid manner. After listening to the original sound, I felt it was better not to dub with a lot of energy. I was conscious of how much I should relax during the dubbing of the first episode. The tempo of the cartoon is unique to cartoons, perhaps because it is a translation, but the rhythm is different from that of ordinary animation. I rather like the mysterious feeling unique to translated texts, so I enjoy acting while feeling the differences.

-- Any episodes during recording?

Umehara The recording session took place on the same day that the announcement was made that the new name of the new era would be "2025," and it was quite exciting. The first topic of discussion was the accent. The first thing we talked about was the accent and where it would go in "Reiwa. It was a conversation that is typical of voice actors (laughs). After several postrecorded episodes, there was a drinking party where the staff and cast gathered, and it became a place to discuss the work. There was also a translator, and we had a lot of fun talking about the meaning of the lines and what expressions were used in the literal translation. Since the Japanese dubbed version of the show will start appearing in Season 4 (the story's prologue and characters will be introduced in a digest version in a special program), I was very grateful that the director explained the terms and worldview of the work before each recording session. The first page of the script is like a dictionary, so that the cast members who join in the middle of the show can understand the contents of the script.

-- What did you feel when you participated in the cartoon productions?

Umehara I would like to be involved in more cartoon productions. I felt through this work that there is a different kind of fun in cartoon animation than in Japanese animation. It made me want to watch more cartoon works, not only as an actor but also as a viewer. I think the charm of cartoon works is that you end up watching them even if you don't understand the content or wonder what the story is about. There are many websites on the Internet that discuss "Bravest Warriors," so it might be interesting to compare your own thoughts with theirs. It is enjoyable just to feel the surreal atmosphere of the work, and I would recommend this work not only to children, but also to adults.

-- What do you recommend about this work from your point of view?

Umehara: The singing scenes are interesting. The singing scenes are so interesting that you might be mistaken and think, "Was this a musical? I was so impressed by the singing scenes that I was mistakenly thinking it was a musical. She even starts singing all of a sudden. There are also parodies of famous works scattered throughout the film, so if you know the original story, I think you will enjoy it even more. The "Star Wars" material, for example, is very easy to understand. Of course, you don't need to know the original story to enjoy the film.

-- This work is set in the universe in the year 3085 AD. What is the world of 3085 A.D. that you envision?

Umehara I would like to have a world where I don't have to work (laughs). I think it would be a more enjoyable world if there were more people doing entertaining or creative things. Well, the environment and human emotions change even in just 10 years, so it's hard to imagine.

-- Is there a character you are interested in?

Umehara: Catbug is a cute looking character, so just by appearing in the film, he is a soothing character. I think the fact that Wallow and all the other characters are full of mysteries also makes them interesting. Since all the characters are unique, I sometimes wonder if Chris, the main character, is the most decent. He is a character that you should pay attention to.

-- Now, let's talk about the "Yuichiro Umehara's Bravest Challenge! What is your challenge project? Why did you choose "bungee jumping"?

Umehara: I decided to do something I had never done before. I had always wanted to try bungee jumping someday, so I took this opportunity. I am not afraid of heights, so I thought I could probably do it. So I wasn't scared this time either. Rather, I felt that next time I would like to do skydiving from a higher altitude. It felt good. I was a little hesitant to say, "I'm scared!" and hesitating for a bit would have been better for the show (laughs).

-- This time, you tried bungee jumping at an amusement park (Yomiuriland). Do you have any memories of the amusement park?

Umehara I think the last time I went was when I was in junior high school. It had been a very long time, but I thought it was a fun place even as an adult. When I was a child, I often went to theme parks on family trips. I remember that I liked and enjoyed the screaming machines. Today, I rode the roller coaster and Crazy Hugh Ston during a break. There were many different kinds of roller coasters alone, so I would like to ride more if I have a chance. Also, I thought that dog character (Land Dog, the mascot character) was cute with nice sitting eyes.

-- If there was a next challenge project, what would you like to try?

Umehara: I would like to do a car-related project. I have a driver's license, but I haven't driven properly for 5 or 6 years now, and I have a gold license. Today, when I rode a go-kart, I thought, "I can go for it" (laughs). It's not really a challenge for me (laughs). Or I would like to go to a place where the air is clean and relaxing, about an hour from Tokyo.

-- Do you have a message for the viewers?

Umehara "Bravest Warriors" is said to be a nonsense comedy, but I feel that it is thought up by very smart people. The expression that is allowed because of the pictures is a work that I want adults to see. Whether you are familiar with the series or not, you can easily enjoy this work, so please give it a try and experience the world view.

(Interview and text by Shinobu Tanaka)

Commemorating the start of "Bravest Warriors" broadcast! Yuichiro Umehara, who plays Danny, will give away autographs!

To celebrate the start of "Bravest Warriors" broadcast, we are giving away a paper autographed by Yuichiro Umehara, who plays Danny, to one lucky winner! Please read the detailed application guidelines before applying.

<Prize

A paper autographed by Yuichiro Umehara, who plays Danny in "Bravest Warriors".

<Entry Requirements

Entry period: August 11, 2019 (Sun.) - August 18, 2019 (Sun.) 23:59

Number of winners: 1 person

Announcement of winners: Prizes will be sent to the winners.

Prize shipping: Prizes will be shipped by the end of October 2019.

How to apply: Use the dedicated application form below.

＜Please note the following

Registration (free of charge) is required to apply.

Only one entry per person is allowed.

We will not be able to respond to any inquiries regarding lottery results or shipping status.

Transfer or resale of the prize or rights to the prize winner to a third party is prohibited.

Kakaku.com Group employees and related parties are not eligible to participate.

Prizes must be shipped within Japan.

We will take the utmost care in packaging the prizes, but please note that we cannot accept returns or exchanges in the event that the prizes are damaged due to an accident during transportation.

Please note that the prize will be invalidated in the following cases

　Multiple winners at the same address or in the same household

　If you have entered the contest using an unauthorized account (e.g., multiple accounts by the same person)

　If a prize cannot be delivered due to the winner's address, change of address, long-term absence, etc.

　Prizes cannot be delivered due to incomplete contact or delivery address information.

　In the event that the prize recipient fails to contact us by the prize delivery address notification deadline

　If there is any fraudulent activity related to the application.

Broadcast Information

Broadcasting station: Cartoon Network

Broadcast Date: Sunday, August 11, 2019

　10:00-10:30 "Yuichiro Umehara's Bravest Challenge!

　10:30-11:30 "Bravest Warriors" #5 and #6

Rebroadcasts available

All "Bravest Warriors" & broadcast commemorative programs

Wednesday, August28, 2019, 9:00 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.

Bravest Warriors" #1-6, "Toshiki Masuda's Bravest Challenge! and "Mikako Komatsu's Bravest Challenge! Yuichiro Umehara's Bravest Challenge!

TM & © 2019 Cartoon Network