Spoon2D.i Vol. 98: Cast Interviews
Interview: Kobayashi Yuusuke (Kanata)
→ At the time of interview, the Paradox Live Dope Show 2023 is just about to happen. Kobayashi-san, what are your feelings about the upcoming concert?
→ In this special feature, we also interviewed Kondo Takayuki, who plays Suiseki Iori from Akan Yatsura. He mentioned that for cozmez performances, the two of you aren't given any prepared choreography, but part of the appeal is that you are able to express yourselves freely as a result.
Kobayashi: To me it's pretty scary that we never get any choreography (laughs). My fellow cast member, Toyonaga Toshiyuki-kun, who plays Nayuta, is a person who is able to improvise very easily, so one of my goals is to copy what he's doing as much as possible, since we're playing twins. Since we're not given choreo, it is of course a good thing that we can express our individuality, but -- for example -- when we're both doing the same lyrics, I thought it would be best for us to be in sync, so I just copy what Toyonaga-kun is doing without actually consulting him about it. That's the strategy we use every time, so for my part, I'm always super on-edge about it (laughs).→ Paradox Live -Road to Legend- is now entering its second round, and stage batle "TRUST" is scheduled to be released soon. As the winner of the last tournament, what are your feelings going into round 2?
Kobayashi: I think that no matter how much we put our heart and soul and passion into our work, it's all up to how the fans, who are the ones to receive all that passion. I think cozmez's victory last time is testament ot that. Their enthusiasm and their cheers, more than anything else, is what led cozmez to victory.
→ After having played Kanata in so many songs, dramas, and stage battles, what do you think is Kanata's core appeal?
Kobayashi: I think his appeal is that he stands by his belief in hiphop. cozmez's lyrics have always had lots of lyrics about rising to the top or wanting to reach the top, and I thought that after they won the previous battle, they might reel back a bit on that and cool down on their aspirations to rise up, and I didn't want that. But I was worried for nothing. I think cozmez are more interested now in overthrowing Buraikan, and I get the distinct sense from both their songs and the dramas that they still want to prove themselves and what they can do, to both the new and returning teams. I think his greatest appeal is that he's able to maintain that attitude.→ While his belief in hiphop and his hunger have remained unchanged, do you think there are any changes you've noticed about performing Kanata over the course of the dramas?
Kobayashi: I don't want to sand off or change the sharp edges in my performances as Kanata, and I try to maintain that, but I still feel like there's a roundedness that's starting to creep into the way I speak as Kanata. So, I entrust everything to the dialogue that's written, and I try to keep that sharpness in mind. Above all, cozmez's goal is for everyone to hear their music-- or rather, it's like a command: listen to our music!. I don't think that charm is ever going to change.→ What is the most important thing that you have to emphasize when you sing as Kanata?
Kobayashi: Whenever we're recording, the vocal director always says we need to have a sense of rebelling against society, and to act like pushy, aggressive people. Before we do our own recordings, we get a demo with temporary vocals, but you kind of get the impression that during the demo phase it's all done very pretty and straightforward, performance-wise. Back when the Paradox Live franchise was first starting, they let me just sing along to the way the demos were performed, but as time went on they said they wanted us to bring out more character into our performances.Ever since, I've been trying my hardest every time to keep pushing the spirit of hiphop and pushing that sense of aggression and rebellion. I also think it's important that, even though cozmez are twins, Kanata and Nayuta have very different styles of singing, and I try to emphasize the sort of jagged style whenever Kanata has a solo part. On the other hand, when we're singing together, I soften my voice a little bit more to give us a stronger sense of unity.
→ It seems to me like the quality level of Paradox Live's music is getting higher and higher, and in turn so are the expectations for the cast. Do you feel the same way, Kobayashi-san?
Kobayashi: I absolutely feel the same way! Maybe not the music itself, per se, but how densely the lyrics are packed in, especially as of late. (Laughs) In the past, Nayuta's flow has been more relaxed where Kanata has been more of a motor-mouth, but for this song, we're both being asked to pick it up. More than that, the melody for this song is the most mellow and relaxed that cozmez have ever been, so it was kind of hard to find a way to express cozmez's style on such a mellow track. I found myself asking, "can we really do this song in a cozmez style?" like I was being posed with a great challenge. Every time I listen to the songs we're being handed, I sigh, because they're really hard. (laughs)→ The staff must have full faith that you're able to handle such a difficult song, and that's why they've issued this challenge to you!
Kobayashi: I suppose so! But still... we have to work really hard behind the scenes! (laughs)→ Is there anything you have to do to prepare when you're going to be recording as cozmez?
Kobayashi: When you're recording ordinary character songs, you just have to memorize the melody, but since I have less experience with hiphop, as Paradox Live requires, so I need to have a certain amount of strategies on deck to make sure it will turn out well. So that's why I have to practice a lot in advance. It depends on the song, but oftentimes cozmez's style will come out without too much trouble, and there are parts where I just go with what I feel Kanata would do in the moment. I always try to have three different approaches in mind: the first is to be right in-line with the music, the second is to play around outside the lines of the music a little bit, and the third is to try something closer to spoken dialogue than singing.The more I record, the more I'm amazed by how much freedom you have in hiphop. I think it's the performer's ultimate job to think about what they want to do and go in prepared to do it, and in the end, whats' most important is that I'm satisfied with the result. I want to do my best so that when I hear the finished product, I can think, "ah, I really did a good job on that song".
→ As you take on more and more new challenges, do you feel like your understanding of hiphop has been expanding?
Kobayashi: Absolutely. When I listen to the songs the other teams are putting out, I really feel like the quality is just getting better and better every time. Everyone is exploring and taking a hold of their own ways of expressing themselves and their characters, and this makes me really aware that I can't just rest on my laurels.→I see! When you were recording the song for TRUST, what sort of things were you conscious and aware of?
Kobayashi: When I first heard the demo, I thought that the melody was very soft, so if I made my performance too jagged it would clash with the song. Since they didn't ask me to do any huge retakes, I suppose that the production team and I were on the same page, even if we never actually consulted about it. However -- and this just may be my own ego talking -- I didn't want to play a soft or toothless Kanata. So, I played his jaggedness a little differently. I wanted to make him sharper. Less 'stabbing with one thick needle', and more like a lot of sharper, thinner needles in quick succession. That was what I was trying to be conscious of, this time around.→In your opinion, what makes Nayuta -- Kanata's twin brother -- an attractive, appealing character?
Kobayashi: What I really like about cozmez is that there's this sense of atmosphere and this flow of time just between the two of them. I think that's the only place that they're really at peace, and I think that's Nayuta's doing. Nayuta is the reason that the always-tense Kanata can relax; he's the one creating that atmosphere.Up until recently, Kanata was living with the illusion of Nayuta that he had created, but in a sense, that was a Nayuta that was a reflection of Kanata's ideals. But, in the drama tracks of "TRUST", Nayuta acts in ways that Kanata isn't expecting. However, this is an incident that reminds him that this is what makes Nayuta so good. Nayuta has that relaxed aura, as I said before, but it's also up to him to correct Kanata when he's wrong, and the real Nayuta is much more direct and blunt than the phantom ever was. I'm certain that Kanata has grown a lot over the course of the Paradox Live dramas, and now he has the ability to accept that. I think that's why now, he's able to have a two-way conversation with the real Nayuta.
The two of them still have the same relationship with each other based on intuitive mutual understanding, and that isn't changing, but there are also some things that are different now because their circumstances have changed. I'm sure Toyonaga-kun is bearing the brunt of having to convey that, but I'm kind of just along for the ride.
→ What do you think of Akan Yatsura, with whom cozmez will be competing on stage in "TRUST"? From your perspective, what is the appeal of their team?
Kobayashi: I think Akan Yatsura are by far the most high-power team. They're very full-power, but at the same time, they seem to be having a lot of fun, and they're a team that have a lot of emotional appeal. In the already-very-free world of hiphop, they've got even more freedom than the rest, and I think that's only possible because they're a team of five. When I first saw the cast members of Akan Yatsura perform live for the first time, I felt a very difference sense of power from the other teams. Every team has their own appeal and style, but the live performance of Akan Yatsura really drags you along for the ride. I think that's due to the power of everyone in Akan Yatsura, and I'm certain that a lot of people feel that strength all over again after every time we see them perform.So, to tell you the truth, I'm a little worried that this stage battle won't go as well as the last one did. I'm sure that cozmez themselves would say that this is just another checkpoint they're going to blow past, but that's how I feel (laughs). I always think all of the other teams are intimidating, and the fact that Akan Yatsura has as many members as they do makes them even more intimidating. So now it's just a matter of what the audience feels about the music. But, I think we've put enough into our songs to make them consider backing cozmez.
→ That said, Kobayashi-san, what are your impressions and feelings of the new teams who joined Paradox Live starting in Road to Legend (AMPRULE, VISTY, 1nm8, and GokuLuck)?
Kobayashi: Like cozmez, AMPRULE is a two-man team, and we're determined not to lose out against them. We're siblings, but AMPRULE are more of a master-servant relationship, and Baek Chungsung (played by Okiayu Ryutaro) gives them a very adult appeal as well... but I still feel a sense of rivalry as a duo unit that makes me want to not lose out to them (laughs). The two cast members of AMPRULE really do a great job of selling it and pulling you into their world during the live performances, and their atmosphere is super stylish and glamorous, including the costumes. (I was talking with Toyonaga-kun about this-- cozmez's costumes can get really hot when we're wearing them at concerts, so I was hoping we might be able to change them up after our victory... (laughs))VISTY are the only team out of the new batch that cozmez have gone up against so far. At first, I was a bit worried about whether they'd be able to make it in the world of Paradox Live, since they're all really pure people, but I think their passion and belief in hiphop isn't actually that different from cozmez's. That said, we were in the position of telling VISTY off during RAGE because of our history of winning stage battles; but the really scary thing about Paradox Live is that we don't know how they're going to change and develop in the future. Who knows? Maybe they'll have a face-heel turn and terrify us all with their dark power (laughs). But even saying that, I hope their pure concept doesn't change. I don't want them to be discouraged that easily. Kanata was trying to advise them in his way.
At first I thought that 1nm8 were a lot like VISTY in terms of being a beautiful, pure team, but I'm probably the most interested to see what comes of them in the future. Currently, cozmez haven't had any reason to come in contact with them, though, so my opinion might change, depending on what kind of drama would result from an actual battle with them. 1nm8's very pure, sterile vibe is kind of similar to cozmez's downer style, but it goes in a totally different direction, and I'd like to see those styles clash someday.
I think GokuLuck have a lot of similarities to Akan Yatsura. They're very similar in terms of aggression and having a lot of members, but Akan Yatsura are a team that really values the familial kind of bond they've forged between themselves, and there's a lot of warmth between the five of them. I really want to know what's going on between the four members of GokuLuck. Despite first impressions, the guard is actually a far worse offender than the three prisoners, and there's this powerful sense of being unbalanced and off-kilter created by GokuLuck. I feel like there's some kind of heavy, oppressive aura swirling around them.
→ Thank you very much! To finish us off, please share your feelings for the upcoming stage battle "TRUST" and a message for the readers who are supporting Paradox Live.
Kobayashi: This time, the theme is "TRUST" and we'll be going up against Akan Yatsura; out of all of the three other teams that have been around since the start of Paradox Live, I think AKYR are the most intimidating. As I said earlier, their live performances are a reminder of the unity and power of them as a team, not only for the heads, but also for the rest of us in the cast. This time, we'll be going up against Akan Yatsura again in a head to head battle, and since we win or lose based on the numbers we pull, I'm very interested to see what the difference is between the two teams and what kind of results will emerge.We've already done everything we can to put our all into the TRUST CD, so from here on out, it's up to what the audience takes away from it. To be honest, the days of "poor, pitiful cozmez" are gone. After going through those trials, the cozmez that exist now are working their hardest to reach the very top. If you're thinking that you want to support them going forward, then we would be thrilled if you could cast your vote for cozmez. Thank you very much!
Interview: Kondo Takayuki (Iori)
→ Paradox Live -Road to Legend- Round 2 "TRUST" is about to be released, and the anime is beginning its broadcast in October. It feels like Paradox Live is getting more and more popular and the excitement is going up; what are your feelings about the franchise so far?
Kondo: As someone who's been involved with the franchise since the start, I'm really moved. When you start a mixed media project, you always kind of hope you'll be able to manage to make it all the way to getting an anime and the like, and I'm very grateful to be able to see it be made real. I'm very happy to see the growth of the franchise. After all, we started with relatively few people, and it's kind of like we have more friends now-- and of course, now the sheer number of people involved has grown significantly. I'm happy to see the franchise grow.→ At the time of interview, the Paradox Live Dope Show 2023 is just about to happen. Kondo-san, what are your feelings about the upcoming concert?
Kondo: The tagline for Suiseki Iori is 'good-vibes high-spirited rapper', so I feel like I can't lose out to the other performers in terms of vibes, so I think you could say I'm really feeling a fire under me (laughs). I really want to leave a good impression during the performance. This is going to be the first Dope Show where the audience will be allowed to cheer, which makes for a bit of an unknown variable, but I think this is going to be our first chance to see a proper live performance by Akan Yatsura, and the other groups as well. I've received a lot of comments from fans saying that they were looking forward to the chance to cheer and applaud freely, so I'm really looking forward to enjoying it as well.→ After having played Iori in so many songs, dramas, and stage battles, what do you think is Iori's core appeal?
Kondo: I get the feeling that he's a character that's really hard to pin down with words. I think that's because, as I dig deeper into the role, I feel that Iori is very multifaceted, and he's kind of a person who creates that multifacetedness by design. I think in truth he's very compassionate, kind, and patient, but he also has to create a ruthless personality to stand against the problems he goes up against and in order to protect his family, and I think he also has a more calculating side separate from his emotional side.On the surface he seems a little bit silly, friendly, and evasive, but when he's with his family, he acts like a good big brother or father figure, and he cares about the members of the other teams, and he acts different depending on who he's interacting with. For example, he acts differently when he's interacting with the younger members of Akan Yatsura -- Satsuki, Reo, and Hokusai -- than when he's interacting with his partner, Zen-san, or with his former partner, Kanbayashi-san of The Cat's Whiskers, and I try to play the role with different nuances for each. Underneath it all, I think Iori-kun is a very kind man, but he's also a person who can be vicious regarding the organizations working behind the scenes or anyone who tries to hurt his family. He's the kind of person who tries to do everything on his own. I think that's it. At the start, he had the attitude of "I'm the only one who should have to suffer", but in the first tournament, he's reaffirmed his bond with his brothers, who are willing to shoulder some of his burden. I think Iori is becoming a more complete person.
→ So have you changed how you approach performing the role of Iori, from the beginning to now?
Kondo: Yes, of course, now that I'm closer to the character. I'm often directed to be a little softer or to close the distance a little more. I feel much more comfortable in the role than I used to be. I feel like I'm playing around with it a little less than I was, and the real Iori is starting to come through.→ I see! You mentioned a little bit ago that you didn't want Iori to be outdone in terms of vibes. What are some of the things you try to keep in mind when singing?
Kondo: I'm a big fan of rap and hiphop, but I think the more technical aspects of hiphop are the realm of other teams. For Akan Yatsura, though, when recording as Iori, there's this feeling that he has to rap with passion and a message that he wants to convey. That said, I would like to try my hand at some more technically intricate verses. For example, Mikoshiba-kun from GokuLuck does super fast rap verses, and sometimes I'm a little jealous (laugh).I've always followed and really liked an artist named KREVA, and I like music with that kind of strong feeling, but as far as Paradox Live is concerned, I think the character with the most similar flow to that is Kanbayashi-san. I think Iori's role is to bring a heat and a tricky style and a sort of human touch to the music, and I like that a lot. So, when I'm doing recordings, I tend to make suggestions, like, 'can I try doing it this way?'. I'm very grateful that the staff are always willing to take my suggestions into consideration.
→So, do you feel like the difficulty of the recordings is increasing?
Kondo: I think so. It kind of ties into what I said earlier-- back when Paradox Live was first starting out, I was still trying to figure out Suiseki Iori's character, but now, I have a lot more to work with. When I listen to a demo song with the placeholder vocals, I compare it in my head to my image of Iori, and then I make adjustments and suggestions based on what I think. I think this is how a lot of the recordings go these days. This may be especially true for this round, "TRUST". Regarding Iori's parts, we were like, how about we try a higher key? We workshopped and fine-tuned it all back and forth to get it just right. I'm very grateful for the chance to consult this closely with the work.→ Were there any particular challenges when it came to recording "TRUST"?
Kondo: To tell you the truth, it had been a while since we recorded a match. Consolation match "SHOWDOWN" was all the new teams and Buraikan, and Round 2 "WILL" was BAE and The Cat's Whiskers' turn up at bat, so it had been a while since we'd recorded as Akan Yatsura. I don't think we fell off at all because of that, though. Though I may be being a little defensive about that.→ Was there anything new you discovered or that's changed, compared to previous Akan Yatsura tracks?
Kondo: When we last went up against cozmez in FAMILY, we walked away as the losers. The song was called "CALL FOR FAMILIEZ -Akan Yatsura is Forever-", and we're actually kind of self-sampling that song for this one. It contains some callbacks to phrases from "Call For Familiez", and the melody is also kind of similar. I feel a real sense of "this is going to be this song's revenge!" from the songwriters. But, what's different this time is there's a bit more heat on the track than there was on "Call For Familiez". The new song has the same kind of goodness that makes you want to listen to it and take it to heart, but it also has a fire that gets you excited at a live performance. It's got a lot of emotion to it.cozmez's music is always really emotional too, I think, so this may be an emotional showdown yet again. Last time, the theme was "FAMILY", and our approach was that it was more about bonds than blood, but we were still defeated in the face of a real family bond. This time, though, with the theme of 'trust', I think we've got a good shot at winning. I think trust is deeply linked to bonds.
→ In your opinion, Kondo-san, what is the appeal of Akan Yatsura as a group?
Kondo: The charm of Akan Yatsura is that we all have our own very bold personalities. Of course, this is true of all of the teams, but I think Akan Yatsura put so much of themselves into their muisc that it makes it easier for all of the characters to express themselves there. More importantly, I think it's possible for the performers to express their individuality during performances. I think that's Akan Yatsura's unique charm. For example, AMPRULE have a very superior, cool worldview, and I don't think they should stray too far from that. That unshakeability is part of their beauty. But by contrast, I think that Akan Yatsura can kind of cut loose and do whatever they want.During the rehearsals for the last Paradox Live Dope Show, Hatanaka Tasuku, who plays Satsuki, told us that he was going to get the audience hyped during the intro of our opening number. That was how it was supposed to go, but he got so excited that his mouth kind of malfunctioned when it came to actually do it (laughs). And during the night show, Hatanaka-kun was also hyping the audience to get up on their feet but everyone was already on their feet (laughs). I feel like trying to push past it with just the heat of a hearty "yeah!!!" was very Akan Yatsura. It's all about getting caught up in the passion and not worrying about the details, and getting excited with the feeling of going past all your limits.
But, everyone's ways of being excited vary from person to person. Hatanaka-kun has a really rowdy way of being excited; Yano Shogo-kun, who plays Reo, is very lively and sharp-witted but also very cute at the same time. Shunichi Toki-kun, who plays Hokusai, was the bedrock who lent a lot of stability and depth, and Shima-kun, who plays Zen, provides the core and is a force to be reckoned with of an unsung hero. When I thought about my own role in all of this, I thought about how it's good when Iori is able to weave all of the members of Akan Yatsura together. Iori should be the thing that ties it all together, and his vibes absolutely can't lose out to anyone else's. We're not going to lose out to anyone else in terms of energy. I think that's how everyone's appeal comes together. You'd think all of these personalities coming together would clash, but we're all able to perform in harmony with each other in a very comfortable atmosphere. That's what I think is great about Akan Yatsura.
→ In this interview, we're also interviewing Kobayashi Yuusuke, who plays Yatonokami Kanata of cozmez, who will be going up against Akan Yatsura in "TRUST". What is your opinion of cozmez as a team?
Kondo: The appeal of cozmez is that you want to protect them and cheer them on. They're still basically just kids in the middle of growing up. That's why they sometimes out of sync with each other, why they get hurt in ways they don't need to get hurt. Their bond is very deep, but they've also got a fragility to them. I think they have a charm that comes from being imperfect. In the TRUST drama tracks, they show off a very cute side, and it makes you go, "is that really what's got you so worried? That's all?". But when it comes to their music, they're so cool with this aggressive underground sound that it's kind of not fair (laughs).→ What are your impressions of the performances of Kobayashi-san and Toyonaga-san, who play the roles of Kanata and Nayuta respectively?
Kondo: I think it's fascinating that Kobayashi-kun and Toyonaga-kun are basically complete opposites from their characters. Toyonaga-kun is playful and has this interesting dimensions to his personality that he deliberately lets show, and Kobayashi-kun has a very strong sense of self-- in fact, he's quite an athletic person, it seems he was a graduate of his university's karate club. I think it's very interesting to see Kobayashi-kun, who is a very sturdy kind of person, paired up to work with Toyonaga-kun, who's an excellent all-arounder. And more than that, they're the same height, the same shoe size, and are close in age. It's like they really are twins! (laughs) I also thought that there's a great contrast between Kobayashi-kun, who completely plays the role of Kanata while on-stage, and Toyonaga-kun, who kind of incorporates himself into all of his performances.If I recall, at one of the previous concerts, cozmez told me that they weren't given any choreography for their performance and they were told to improvise freely. If I'm remembering that correctly, I think it feels right. I think the charm of the two members of cozmez is that they're able to simply act freely.
→ For Akan Yatsura, how is the choreography determined?
Kondo: Akan Yatsura have some pre-determined choreography, but for the most part, Kashira's choreography is left open. I'm very grateful the staff mostly turn me loose to express Kashira as I see fit, even when I'm standing center stage. For the most part, the choreography is set at a few specific points where the other four members are going to support and strengthen Kashira. As I said earlier, the other four are hyping up Kashira while also expressing their own charm freely, and I think that's really amazing.→ What are your impressions and feelings of the new teams who joined Paradox Live starting in Road to Legend (AMPRULE, VISTY, 1nm8, and GokuLuck)?
Kondo: All of the new teams are full of really strong personalities! First of all, AMPRULE has the legendary Okiayu Ryutaro-san companied by Inoue Marina-chan, and they leave a very strong impression (laughs). I think it's very cool that they so thoroughly show off the master-servant relationship, and they convey their worldview very firmly.Even though it's a hiphop franchise, VISTY are a group of idols, so they seem a little bit out of place, but I think that's one of their strengths. Their songs are very poppy and catchy, and I think they are a team that really broadens the scope of what the franchise can be.
1nm8 were the team I was most interested in at first. They have a super sterile feel, the exact opposite of Akan Yatsura, with a very innocent and clear atmosphere. That kind of feel... I like it (laughs). It has a sort of feeling of translucence, and I'm all for it. Their singing voices all have that translucent feel, and I like the way Kitamura Ryo-san's rap has the sort of natural low-pitch rasp as Itsuki, as well as Amatsuki-san as Kei. It's hard to find that atmosphere among seiyuu, and I think it's very beautiful. Chiba Shoya-kun's energy is great too.
And then there's GokuLuck, who are the polar opposites of 1nm8. They're a team made up of thugs, and they're kind of like our mirror image. At first I didn't get it, I was like, what? Isn't this too similar to Akan Yatsura? Do you want to start a fight? And then I thought, well, looks like we're going to fight it out after all (laughs). They've also got a sort of gangster rap feel, but they have more of a rap-rock element to them as well. They've got the same aggression, and I kind of view it as being a sort of yin and yang situation, with Akan Yatsura as the yang and GokuLuck as the yin. They can't exist without both of them, and I think that's a good relationship to have. Well, that's what I think would be cool, anyway (laughs).
→ Thank you very much! To finish us off, please share your feelings for the upcoming stage battle "TRUST" and a message for the readers who are supporting Paradox Live.
Kondo: Since getting involved with Paradox Live since the very start, and I've seen our numbers increase and we've all made new friends. That's what I think, and I'm very encouraged that we keep making new friends. That said, it's also very cruel that we have to keep fighting in that enviornment. I think the fans feel the same way. All of us on the performing side go in not knowing the results when we do the announcemnet livestreams, and everyone is always super anxious before the cameras start (laughs). We're having the same experience alongside the heads during those announcements.This time, Akan Yatsura are going up against the previous champions, cozmez, once more, and I think this is a very meaningful battle. I don't believe we had the term "sixth man" yet when we were up against cozmez last time, but this time, all of the Akan Yatsura heads will be our sixth man, so our unity will be way different from last time. "TRUST" means "I believe in you". Let's go see the greatest view together!