Interview] Takuatsu Terashima, who plays Taiga in "Ultraman Taiga," talks about his passion for the opening theme "Buddy, steady, go!

Buddy,ready,go!", the opening theme for the currently airing "Ultraman Taiga", was released on August 28, 2019.

Ultraman Taiga" is a special effects drama about the main character, Hiroyuki Kudo, played by Yuki Inoue, a member of the private security organization E.G.I.S., who transforms into multiple heroes - Ultraman Taiga, Ultraman Titus, and Ultraman Huma - to fight against alien-related incidents.

To commemorate the release of the theme song, we asked Takuatsu Terashima, who provides the character voice of Ultraman Taiga and writes and sings the opening theme song "Buddy, steady, go!" to share his memories of the Ultraman series and "Ultraman R/B Select the Movie! Crystal of Bonds", and what he felt on stage at the grand finale of "Ultraman R/B the Movie: Select! He also talked a lot about his thoughts on "Buddy, steady, go!" and behind-the-scenes stories from the CD jacket shoot.

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

What did you think when you inherited "Ultraman"?

Q: How did you feel when you were chosen to voice "Taiga"?

Terashima: I had never imagined it, and I was just surprised. There are many different heroes, but "Ultraman" has a strong image of "Schwatch" and "Hairy," and I didn't have the impression that he could speak. Mamo-chan (Mamoru Miyano) also did "Zero," so it would have been natural for her to do voice-over work, but Ultraman is something to watch, and I never thought I would be the one to do it.

Q: What was your first encounter with Ultraman and what memories do you have of it?

Terashima: I watched "Tiga," "Dyna," and "Gaia," but I was hooked on the manga "Ultraman Super Fighter Gekiden," which was serialized in Comic Bon Bon Bon, so I have a strong impression of Ultraman from the comics. It was the same with Gundam, but I tend to like derivative works (laughs). The Ultraman-related game that my friends and I got really excited about was "SD The Great Battle," a game in which Gundam, Kamen Rider, and Ultraman all came together.

Q: Was there a character that you were into?

Terashima: For me, Ultraman was a hero from outer space, and he was somewhat distant. So, I was attracted to the characters that I felt "close" to. I especially liked Taro from "Ultraman Super Fighter Gekiden. Taro has that childlike desire to become Ultraman. I liked Taro because I could relate to him, though not to the extent that it overlaps with my own feelings. Now I am Taro's son. I am deeply moved by it, and I feel a bit of a connection to him.

Ultraman R/B Select the Movie! Crystal of Kizuna" grand finale, how was it?

Terashima: I felt like I experienced what the big sign "Ultraman" has been carrying on for a long time. When I high-fived with the fans, I was told "I've got your back" and "Keep up the good work," which made me feel that people who love Ultraman have always cherished their predecessors (Ultraman). I had never experienced such a direct handing down of a cherished character from a fan to the next person, so I was very touched by the passionate feelings of the fans. I was really glad to have participated in the event.

Terashima: Did you feel any pressure?

Terashima: There was zero pressure. But I was more impressed by how much love was put into this work (series). I felt the joy of being a part of it, and I realized once again how great Ultraman really is. There were many people who brought their own soft vinyls, and I got the impression that Ultraman is always with the fans.

Q: What was your impression of Yuki Inoue, who plays the main character, Hiroyuki Kudo?　Do you get the sense that you are buddies?

Terashima: Since we are from different generations, I always feel a sense of uneasiness peculiar to old men, wondering what to say to him (laughs). (Laughs.) I think I spend more time with younger people at the same site than most, but I still feel nervous every time. I am now 36 years old, and it is not easy for me to be so poised. My impression of Inoue is that he is a "pleasant, unpretentious boy. When talking with him, he is very natural. I feel that this is linked to the size of Hiroyuki's capacity. Even when various aliens suddenly enter his body, he is flexible enough to accept them without bending his passionate thoughts, but at the same time he has a core. I feel that Inoue also has such flexibility and softness, and I wonder if they have something in common. He is a person who puts himself in the middle of battle, wears a uniform and uses a ton fur. And he is a crisp and cool character, isn't he, Hiroyuki?

The outfit on the jacket makes me feel all fired up!

Let's talk about the CD. First of all, the jacket, ......, is cool.

Terashima: It's an easy to understand costume, isn't it? I wore this costume for the grand finale, but it ended up being the most Ultraman-like. When I was designing it, I simply thought it looked cool, but it turned out to be shinier than I expected, and I like it because it is designed to be as Ultraman-like as possible, and I get excited when I wear it. For some reason, it is now carefully stored at home, covered with plastic (laughs). Every time I see it, I feel like I am being told, "You are Ultraman," and it makes me feel better.

Q: Are you particular about your hair style?

Terashima: Every time I do a song, I put extensions or mesh in my hair to match the image of the song. This time, Taiga is Ultraman, and like Taro, Taiga has an ultra horn, so I suggested, "Let's put a lot of silver on both sides! I suggested. I suggested, "Let's put a lot of silver on both sides!" When combined with the costume, it really works well, and even for a normal person like me, it blends in perfectly (laughs).

Even with the Ultraman version of the jacket, it doesn't look out of place. The poses are cool, too.

Terashima Since it was a tie-up, I think it was good that we were able to feature the fact that "the work comes first" both as an otaku and as an actor. For some reason, I always strike poses that are a little tight, but this time I had a place to sit, so it was probably easier. I thought about poses that would make a good picture in my own way and came up with various patterns, and after discussing the best ones among them with everyone, we settled on this pose. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of feedback we will get after the release. I am looking forward to seeing what kind of feedback we will get after the release of the product. I think that would be the most pleasant feedback.

Q: Did you find any differences from your usual lyrics for an Ultraman song?

Terashima: Recently, I have done two tie-ups in a row for the same work, but this time it was for Ultraman (the previous song was "Megurumono," the second opening theme song for the TV animation "Tensei Takera Slyme Datta Koto"), so it was a complete change. Naturally, I was conscious of the fact that I was trying to be close to the work. It is my mission to write lyrics with "the best of the work" in mind. This time, too, I thought a lot about what was most important in "Taiga.

I then came up with a lot of elements that I wanted to include in the work, so the lyrics are "crammed full of lyrics. I think it is the power of Ultraman that makes the song feel miraculously cohesive, even though it is packed with many different things. It all comes down to "Ultraman is awesome" (laughs).

Ultraman Taiga" and the key word for transformation, "Buddy Go! was a must request from Tsuburaya Productions, and another theme was to depict Taiga's growth. We also included a kind of diversity that acknowledges that there are many different kinds of aliens on Earth.

Q: Did you start with the music or the lyrics?　Do you write the lyrics first?

Terashima: In my case, the music always comes first. This time, the phrase "Ultraman Taiga" was so cool in Chel Watanabe's demo, which was chosen in a competition, that I felt there was no other way to include it, and the process went smoothly. The first phrase that came to mind was the beginning of the chorus, "Get set, GO Taiga, your own answer is" rhyming. The most important thing I knew I had to take care of was that it was the main audience. That's why we wanted to make sure it had a message. It is a story about Taiga growing up and finding his own answers, and I wanted to include as keywords that the answers are found in the infinite universe, the galaxy, and the society that spreads out before our eyes, and that we must find our own answers from there. I wanted to convey the feeling of having the courage to take the plunge, and I think that is why this phrase was the first to come to mind.

Q: This is connected to what you said at the beginning about how you felt about Ultraman when you were a child.

Terashima: I thought of the music as a connection between the audience and the work, so I didn't consciously fill it with my own feelings and memories, but that's how it turned out. When I am able to incorporate the images and keywords of the work into the lyrics, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I feel a sense of accomplishment when I am able to incorporate the images and keywords of the work into the lyrics. That is very much the case this time, so I hope that the message for children and the parents who watch the film with them will find enjoyment in it.

I want children to shout "Taiga! I want them to shout "Taiga!

When I heard the song, the English lyrics also came easily to me, as if to say, "You say that line.

Terashima: I had a hard time deciding whether or not to include the English lyrics. But, as you said, when I listened to the song, it came to me easily. Since English education is commonplace nowadays, I decided to include it. However, while keeping in mind words that are easy to understand and look up, I included things like idioms and idiomatic phrases in the titles as well. Even if children don't understand, they can ask their parents, "What does this mean?" and it can be a good opportunity for communication. When I think about it, I felt that it was right to include English, and that it was better to include English. I hope that the rhyming rules, such as "Action" and "Passion," will be interesting to children as sounds. In any case, I have packed a lot of thoughts and feelings into this album (laughs).

Q: After hearing what you just said, I think we will be able to hear the music in a different way.

Terashima I am very happy if you think so. I am grateful for the opportunity to hear the story unraveled through this kind of interview. My goal was to use the keyword "running. For children, it is cool to be fast at running. In special effects programs, there are often commercials for shoes that make you faster at running. Ultraman has a strong image of flying, but I definitely wanted to include the word "run," which is the number one hero word for children. Taiga" included a commercial for Moonstar's sneakers, so I thought, "Okay, we're connected" (laughs).

Last year, "Hands" by Oishi Masayoshi ("Ultraman R/B" opening theme) was on repeat all year long, and this year, it's already here.

Terashima I'm glad to hear that!　But I also love Oishi's music, and I put it on my playlist to get me excited...there's something interesting about the way he crams it in before the B-melody, and how he does it with Ultraman.

Oishi-san performed a call-and-response choreography at the release event that had been well received at another event the day before. Do you have any choreography in mind for your songs that you think children would get into the groove of?

Terashima: I want children to do it, so I'm thinking about it now. Many of the children I know are "crazy about Taiga," so I would like to do choreography and call-and-response that children can get into. I want them to say the title and shout "Taiga! I want them to shout "Taiga!

I'm looking forward to it. Lastly, do you have a message for our readers?

Terashima: This time it's about Ultraman Taro's son, so many Ultraman fans are paying attention to my work, which is different from usual. It is a very good work that will not disappoint those who usually watch my other works. I myself shed tears every time I watch it on air. I hope you will watch and see how Ultraman Taiga deals with the many memories of childhood, the love between a man and a woman after they have grown up, and the sadness of an adult who disrespects them.

Also, since they are buddies, it will be interesting to see how Taiga and Hiroyuki will clash, take each other's hands, and face each other. For adults, the content of the song is heavy and makes you think about many things, but I hope you will enjoy the heroic content and the keywords inherited from the members of New Generation Heroes, who are our seniors. I hope that you will listen to every word of the lyrics, imagine various things, and enjoy the great hero Ultraman to the fullest. Please pay attention to it!

(Interview and text by Shinobu Tanaka)

CD Information

Takuatsu Terashima, the voice of Buddy,steady,go!

August 28, 2019 (Wed.) on sale

Limited First Edition 1,800 yen (tax not included), Normal Edition 1,300 yen (tax not included)

<CD contents

1. "Buddy, steady, go!

Lyrics: Takuatsu Terashima Composition/Arrangement: Cher Watanabe

2. summer timer

Lyrics: Tak Atsushi Terashima Composition/Arrangement: R・O・N

3. monster

Words: Tak Atsushi Terashima Lyrics & Arrangement: mito (clammbon)

Buddy, steady, go!

Summer Timer (Instrumental)

MONSTER (Instrumental)

＜DVD contents＞ ※Only for Limited First Edition

Buddy,steady,go! (Music Clip)

In commemoration of the release of "Buddy,steady,go!

To celebrate the release of the CD "Buddy,steady,go!", we are giving away an autograph of Takuatsu Terashima, who plays Ultraman Taiga, to one lucky winner! Please read the detailed application guidelines before applying.

<Prize

Takuatsu Terashima's autograph on a colorful paper

<Entry requirements

Entry period: September 6, 2019 (Fri.) - September 13, 2019 (Fri.) 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 November 2019.

How to apply: Use the dedicated 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 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.

Kakaku.com will take the utmost care in packaging the prizes, but please note that no returns or exchanges will be accepted 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.

　Prize winners are not notified by the deadline for prize delivery address notification.

　If there is any fraudulent activity related to the application.