#Pash 2019 interview

[xitty]

From Animedia November 2019 issue.

Btw, both Animedia and Pash! will have Element content in their next issues. Pash! will have Hikaru Midorikawa's interview among other things.

words fail me but. oh dear. oh dearest even.

[mikajihiko]

PASH 2019 A Summary of Natsuki Kizu’s GIVEN Interview 1- How was Given born, what works made you want to draw? I wanted to draw a manga which had another key point other than love. I think the main purpose of BL is "romance" but I wanted something other than that. There are a lot of reasons why I chose music. I simply like music and a friend of mine used to be in a band- I wondered if using music to express emotions in BL had a good compatibility.

2- What are the origins, like the character settings of the 4 main characters.  It was originally planned to be completed in one volume, similar to many BL works. Initially, the plan was to end with the first live performance. As for the other characters, I cant express well with their origins- only Mafuyu was a decisive decision.

3-  Which character was the easiest and hardest to move In contrast, I have a hard time handling Mafuyu since he has a lot of elements that I don't have. Hiragi was the easiest to write as his elements are simple.

4- Tell us a behind-the-scene information that will only be revealed here Haruki has only one ex-boyfriend.

5- Who is going to be the uke and seme among Ritsuka & Mafuyu, or Haruki & Akihiko; and how is it going to pan out The theme for both is "emergence". I'm not picky when it comes to who's uke and seme as I prioritize the plot regardless of what I think.

6- What scene or line left the strongest impression on you "Just a little bit" on page 124 volume 2. This series started because I wanted to convey this, and so I was deeply moved when I was finally able to say it.

7- How familiar are you with music? Do you have any musical instruments youre familiar with, or experience in bands? I'm an amateur when it comes to music. I have no band experience, I just love music. I did a lot of lessons but I didn't keep up, I did like listening.

8- What genre of music did you have in mind for Given, and did you use any artists for reference I was asked this when making the anime and it really bothered me because I haven’t decided at all. This is because of "Imeson culture" or image song. It is where the subject is similar but the songs are different to each person. Musical preference also play a role so theres almost no right answer- I think its better to not limit the reader. Regarding "what kind of music is playing", it's left to the reader as much as possible. Ive been careful to leave a space in between as I draw.

9- How did you become a professional writer, and what or who are those that influenced your style? In university, I was in the video (movie) field. Even though I didn't end up in the video field, I think I was strongly influenced by the video-like expression method.

10- What BL works have greatly influenced you, or that you would recommend It's not BL, it's "Banana Fish". My father likes it, and it's almost the only manga I've had at home. It’s one of my original experiences with manga.

11- In production, what do you pay attention to the most I pay attention to the right amount of realism. Since BL stories itself are in insane fantasy, I thought that the foundation that supports it should be somewhat realistic. So, in order to keep the band setting, I studied music and conducted interviews. Also, Given has a mix of true stories from myself and friends, however, it would be a waste of fiction if it was true to reality.

I recommend buying the magazine, its really big! It features Akihiko and Ugetsu on the cover along with a large poster and ticket holder. Check it out here!

[mercyandmagic]

Regarding mxtx's whereabouts, did you check this thread ? it provides some info maybe you are not aware of ? twitter(.)com/ReviewsNana/status/1520340296151797760

Hello! That thread omits a stunning amount of context and information to make its point. 

I find it really upsetting (the thread, not you, Nonny-Mouse, please don’t feel bad). Because if you have the truth, why do you need to omit or twist information? That being said, I doubt the author is doing it on purpose, and regardless, please don’t attack them, anyone. 

Let’s break it down. For clarity’s sake, please note that my initial investigation here contains proof of literally everything I say in its 90+ references. 

I invite and want to be fact-checked here, because I refuse to hide facts even if I hate them (and as a fan of MXTX, boy do I hate these facts). 

 There’s significant missing context here:

1) Antis certainly amplified the rumors, but they didn’t start them; “Masses Eating Melons CJ” did. He’s a supposedly reliable gossip author. In his Weibo, he  expressed hope that this wouldn’t cause CQL to be cancelled, so he does not seem to be an anti. 

2) May 23 was also the date of a large raid on JJWXC by the government as part of a crackdown on content. More on this later, but it was, in short, a bad time for JJWXC. Their CEO even made arrangements on Weibo for people to take care of her pets if she was arrested (she was not). 

Holy missing context batman. 

1). This furor was caused because the government had just released a statement about their crackdown. In this official statement, they announced the arrest of a “popular” JJWXC author who has MXTX’s surname. No other popular author appears to have gone missing. When JJWXC was contacted by reporters, their CEO went out of her way to avoid providing a direct answer.

2. The Guazhou Bureau did confirm that MXTX had made a donation, but they did not contact her to ask for permission to reveal it. They contacted her to update her on delays in their restoration project her donation had helped fund. But here’s the thing: the very next day, the Bureau released a second statement saying they had tried to make contact with MXTX, but were unable to do so.  

Antis usually promote the latter statement, while fans promote the former. Personally, I believe that since both were issued, both must be taken into account, even if it means we have no real answers here.

It’s certainly true that the audio book company’s correspondence with a fan could imply this. However... the audio book began at the start of July 2019. It’s unlikely that MXTX asked the famous actor Zhang Zhen to read it just days before it was to be published. It must have been earlier, though how much earlier I don’t know. Late spring 2019 seems the most likely, and this means nothing with regards to arrest.  

Not proven. I’ve actually read a JJWXC contract. An author’s signature is needed for adaptations of works, but not translations. JJWXC may authorized translations without consulting authors, because it involves no changes to the work and will only profit the authors.

The second point – that MXTX was unsatisfied with the results of revision – is not what was said. The announcement merely stated the status quo that MXTX was still revising TGCF, with no implication that they had personally contacted or heard from her, so they were going to go ahead with the unrevised version.

So this was February 3, 2020. During Covid lockdown. No one was able to travel from Korea to personally hand the award over, and moreover, the company did not say they would. They said the award would be delivered to the author. They did not say it would be done “personally.” 

I don’t know the source of this, but I suspect it comes from the PASH interview I was never able to gain access to. Basically, the interviewer asks about the original author’s reaction. The interviewee (I believe a producer of the audio drama in Japan) says the original author was delighted, and thought the people voicing Wei Wuxian and Lan Wangji were perfect. 

I have to ask. For the audio drama adaptation, is the original author MXTX, or the person who wrote and produced the audio drama? (I believe that producer is Brackets-Jun, a friend of hers). The interview refers to an original author, but not to MXTX directly so I really don’t know. I don’t think they’re lying – that would be pointless – but I don’t know anything else here. 

It’s true that the Thai version contains a personal message from her. I reached out to ask the publisher directly if it was sent by JJWXC or MXTX herself, and their response simply said that they received it in February. No elaboration.

The screenshot at the bottom of the middle column does say that MXTX and the translator worked together. However, where is it from? What is its source? The Weibo on the right is clearly from the publisher, and aligns with my own contact with them. (The Twitter screenshot appears to be from a Japanese fan excited about the personal message, nothing more). Without sources for the screenshots on a clearly twisted fact check, I’m not sure why we should trust that this is certain.

Also, this timeline skips something major: on 11 November 2020, a sealed judgment was uploaded to the government’s court website. The judgment concerned someone with MXTX’s exact first and last name, with the exact location of the arrested author in the government’s August 2019 announcement, for “illegal business operations,” the charge common for authors who publish without going through the censors. Many newspapers reported that this was MXTX, and no friend nor JJWXC said anything to deny it – but also, they did not confirm it.

If MXTX had already signed rights to the webtoon, I’m not sure she’d need to sign it again for a physical version. Without seeing her exact contract, it’s impossible to say.

As for the Audio Drama rights, this again excludes something so major I cannot overlook it:

At the end of October, the same person convicted with MXTX’s name in the exact location of the arrested author for a crime consistent with being an author was released on parole. This was uploaded to an official court website.

Two things: 

1). When the sealed judgment was originally reported in the news, the reports cited “insiders” who said MXTX had been convicted and sentenced to three years. This parolee indeed had a 3 year sentence.

2). In December 2020, an anonymous person claimed to have been MXTX’s cellmate. She highly praised her conduct and character, and claimed MXTX had been born in a specific year. I did not include this in my investigation, because I thought it was too easy to fake. However, what has made me reconsider is that the parolee’s birth year was indeed the same year mentioned by the alleged cellmate. Make of that what you will. 

So yes, if she is paroled, MXTX can authorize TGCF’s audio drama. This disproves nothing. 

Let’s talk about true evidence. There are indeed two court cases, but MXTX is not the suer. 

Case 1: involves copyright infringement on the audio drama. Her friend Brackets-Jun is the suer. MXTX’s name is mentioned, but her presence or lack thereof is not.  

Case 2: involves piracy of the novel MDZS. JJWXC was the suer, and the defendant’s actual defense was that MXTX was in jail, so the piracy didn’t matter (can you see my eyes rolling through the screen?). The judge lists out JJWXC and the defendant’s evidence, but does not say the rumors are untrue. The judge simply doesn’t rule on this at all.

What the judge does say, however, is the following: that JJWXC had provided three signed forms allegedly from MXTX. The first two are from 2015 and 2016, showing she owned the novel’s copyright. The third? An unnotarized form saying JJWXC could represent her in court. Notarization is when you have a government official present to ensure that someone actually signed a form. The judge declared that this form’s signature was “significantly different” than MXTX’s previous signatures, and that this led them to believe something was indeed amiss between MXTX and JJWXC. In other words: the judge thought her signature was forged. (Fwiw, JJWXC won the case because the defendant did indeed do a piracy).

If you have the evidence, why twist facts? Why mislead? 

I’ll say it until I’m blue in the face: 

I hate this! But hating it doesn’t change the hard facts.

Now, this response doesn’t even cover that a close friend of MXTX’s went missing at the same time, and indeed another person was convicted with the parolee. Nor does it cover the Weibo records saying she did indeed publish illegally, but stopped once she realized it was illegal after the arrest of another danmei author, Xiansheng Shenhai. 

(In brighter news, Xiansheng Shenhai was recently released after the completion of her sentence.  She is publishing legally and doing well. I hope MXTX will do the same in due time).

That’s it for the fact check. What lies ahead is a genuine questions and a bit of a rant on my part. 

It’s genuinely distressing to me to see so many fans spreading false rumors that are gobbled up because people want to believe them. 

MXTX is a genius author and content creator, yes, but she’s also a human being who was imprisoned for doing nothing immoral or bad. And I hate it, but...

In all honesty, how does spreading easily debunked rumors help?

Like, I don’t think shouting her tribulations from the rooftops is helpful – it’s cruel, stupid, and I do worry it will negatively impact her reputation or worse, her mental and emotional health. But I fail to see how twisting the truth, omitting details, etc., is any more helpful. 

I know, it’s not deliberate. Chances are this person actually believes this timeline and wants to be helpful. But when I see antis mock fans like this for what they label “delusion”... I can’t believe it’s helpful.

Why can’t we just acknowledge the facts, hope for the best, and support her in whatever ways we can? Speaking of, what are the best ways to support her? 

I don’t know! I feel rather helpless. I first did my fact check to ascertain that she wasn’t in jail and wound up finding a very different, odious truth. 

Heck, if any of you have ideas or different perspectives or thoughts, let me know.

[chazukekani]

Selection

Dead Apple Movie Official Guide [Enmouroku] - Initial Plot for Dead Apple by Asagiri Kafka

Rakugaki Note - Harukawa Sango’s note of Lucy Montgomery Outfit Setting and Trivia

BSD Wan! 100th Chapter Anniversary - Messages from authors

Interviews

Animate Times Interview (Uemura Yuto & Miyano Mamoru)

Magazines

Pash! December 2019 Issue - The Entrusted Belief between Atsushi and Dazai

[katyatalks]

Mob Psycho 100 Translated Interviews - 2019 Masterlist

Here’s a link compilation for every single (if I’m not mistaken) 2019 MP100 interview in chronological order for easy access. They have a bunch of interesting trivia and insight in them, I’ll be glad if you’re able to enjoy them!!

01.2019 - PASH! - Producer Matsuda Akio

02.2019 - PASH! - Itou Setsuo & Sakurai Takahiro [Mob & Reigen]

02.2019 - PASH! - Itou Setsuo & Ootsuka Akio [Mob & Dimple]

04.2019 - Spoon.2Di - Character Designer Kameda Yoshimichi & Director Tachikawa Yuzuru

04.2019 - Animage - Series Coordinator Seko Hiroshi

04.2019 - Otomedia - Character Designer Kameda, Eyecatch Team Kenja, Series Co-ordinator Seko & Director Tachikawa

04.2019 - Otomedia - Itou Setsuo & Irino Miyu [Mob & Ritsu]

04.2019 - Otomedia - ONE

04.2019 - Otomedia - Itou Setsuo & Sakurai Takahiro [Mob & Reigen]

04.2019 - Otomedia - Kokuryuu Sachi [Shou]

04.2019 - Anime Official Guidebook - VAs of the main 5, Director Tachikawa Yuzuru, Series Coordinator Seko Hiroshi, Character Designer Kameda, ONE

05.2019 - Animage - Director Tachikawa Yuzuru

05.2019 - Otomedia - Inoue Kazuhiko & Hoshino Takanori [Suzuki & Serizawa]

08.2019 - Otomedia - ONE

09.2019 - Animage - Hoshino Takanori [Serizawa]

12.2019 - Animestyle - Various Staff

[kyattozanmai]

Hasty Translation Snippet - Nobuyuki Takeuchi on “Restraint” in episode 9 of Sarazanmai (Pash! 09/2019)

(This is only part 6 of a 12 part interview. I might translate more in the future, but for now I was particularly curious about this bit.)

For the ninth dish, each character showed “restraint” in some way. That restraint was symbolized in the way they tightly grasped something. For Kazuki, it was the water bottle; for Toi, the plastic bag; for Reo, his own chest.

To convey Toi's desperation after losing his brother, I asked Director Ikuhara if I could extend the final scene with a flashback. The flashback sequence was an homage to the ending of The Godfather Part III. The music we used was a piano cover of the song used in that scene— the intermezzo from Pietro Mascagni’s opera, Cavalleria Rusticana. There was also a visual homage to the Ken and Mary advertising campaign for the Nissan Skyline C110 from 1972, in which Ken became Chikai and Mary became Toi.

The audience can take away what they want from this scene, but in my case, I think instead of Toi seeing the imagery through his mind’s eye, it was shown to him by some sort of muse…

Sorry, it’s hard to explain.

[engekihaikyuu]

Hyper Projection Engeki Haikyuu!! Year in Review - 2019

January

Various cast members from the Tokyo Battle go to watch the 2019 Spring High volleyball tournament!  (x) (x) (x) 

Tokyo Battle cast comments are published in Jump (x) (x) 

Takato does an interview with ModelPress for Tokyo Battle (x) 

Haruto and Shungo go to an owl cafe together (x) (x) (x) 

February

More Tokyo Battle cast comments are published in Jump (x) 

Takato and Shouri are featured as guests on Academy Night G (x)

New full cast visual for The Tokyo Battle is released in Jump (x)

Rehearsals begin for The Tokyo Battle!!!

Stage Pia interview featuring Takato and Shouri (x)

March

Entertainment Station interview with Takato and Shouri (x) 

Steady magazine interview with Takato and Shouri (x)

Margaret magazine interview with Takato and Shouri (x)

Stage pash magazine interview with Takato (x)

April

Opening night for The Tokyo Battle kicks off on April 5th! 

TV Guide Stage Stars interview with Takato and Shouri (x) 

The Strongest Team DVD release on April 17th!  

Yours truly flies over to see The Tokyo Battle on the last leg of their tour, including the final show~

May

Shiota Kouhei (Tanaka) announces his marriage!  (x) 

The Tokyo Battle wraps up its final show on May 6th! 

Engeki Haikyuu announces their autumn production and the new Karasuno cast, Fly High!  (x) 

Engeki Haikyuu announces our 11 new Karasuno cast members!  (x) (x)

A new promotional CM for the new cast! (x)  

Engeki begins releasing a series of short CMs to introduce the new cast one by one (x) 

June

Act Guide interview with Akana and Daigo (x) 

July

Engeki Haikyuu releases tour dates, the full cast list, new visuals, and the title for the autumn production, Fly High! (x) (x)

A new promotional CM featuring the Tokyo youth camp trio (x) 

August

Engeki Haikyuu announces a special Haikyuu day video! (x) 

8/19, on Haikyuu day, the special Haikyuu Day program! (x) 

An official production announcement event (x) 

The Strongest Team OST is released for general sale (x) 

September

2.5D News interview with Daigo and Akana (x)

A surprise late announcement adding Hashizumi Ai as Amanai Kanoka to the cast! (x) 

Rehearsals begin for Fly High!  

October

W magazine interview with Daigo and Akana (x) 

Tokyo Battle DVD release day on Oct. 15th!  

First ever press sneak peek of Fly High rehearsals! (x) 

Rehearsal digest video (x) (x)

Yours truly flies over to catch the opening weekend of the new show!

Pamphlet preview video (x) 

November

A successful opening night for Fly High on Nov. 1st!  

Preview video of the pamphlet Karasuno group interview! (x) 

Engeki Haikyuu celebrates its 4th anniversary! (x)

Stage Natalie interview with Daigo and Kenta (x) 

Sparkle interview translation with Akana and Daigo (x) 

With the Nov. 16th matinee show in Osaka, Engeki Haikyuu celebrates 300 total performances over the past 4 years!  (x)

Prince of Stage Karasuno interview (x) (x) (x) (x)

December

A successful closing night for Fly High on Dec. 15th!  (x)

Engeki Haikyuu announces their Spring 2020 production, The Strongest Challengers!  (x) 

A promotional CM for The Strongest Challengers (x) 

Along with the cast list (x) (x) (x) 

The Tokyo Battle OST is released for general sale (x)

Thank you so much for 2019!!!  See you next year!

Love, @nimbus-cloud

[wildroseofarran]

☙ Luke Graham ❧

❁ Full Name: Lucas Bradley Graham ❁ Nickname: Luke ❁ Age: 34 ❁ Date of Birth: September 18th, 1988 ❁ Birthplace/Current Residence: Edenton, North Carolina ❁ Hair: Thick, wavy, dark blond ❁ Eyes: Cerulean ❁ Sexuality: Gay ❁ Height: 5'5" (1.65 m) ❁ Species: Human ❁ Parents: Evelyn and Peter Graham, Sr. ❁ Distinguishing Marks: None

☙ History ❧

Luke was born and raised in Edenton, North Carolina along with his brother Pete and his sister Stella. They were raised primarily by their mother while their father ran the family business, a pub called Pete’s.

Being the baby of the family meant he was spoiled on all fronts, but his parents didn’t let it ruin him. They instilled good values and nurtured his passions and made sure he had the best education they could give him. So it was that Luke followed in his brother’s footsteps and went to college.

He came home to live with Pete during the summers and worked at the bar, putting himself through school with the help of his family. Four years later he had his undergrad degree and was on his way to law school.

After passing the bar exam with flying colors, Luke moved permanently to Raleigh and opened a law office with some of his closest friends from school.

☙ Threads ❧

The Other Mr. Graham (MJ and Pete)

Orange Marble (Callum and Rosmond)

Drinks at Pete’s (Tolvin, Logan, Pete, and Father Patrick)

Unofficial Interview (Tolvin, Logan, Callum, and Pete)

Strategy, Humoring, Comfort (Pete, Callum, and Fletcher)

Tantrums and Truths (Logan, Tolvin, Father Patrick, and Tane)

Mixed Beer, Pt. 1 (MJ, Pete, June, and Fletcher)

Precarious Slope (Tolvin and Logan)

An Edenton Christmas (Various)

Picking a Fight (Tolvin)

Pash and Retreat (Tolvin)

Distractions (Tolvin)

Paid For Company (Q)

There and Gone (Tolvin, Brett, Bo, Logan, June, and Rosmond)

Echoes in the Atmosphere (Tolvin, Logan, Brett, and Q)

Sorely Needed Comfort (Q)

Otherworldly Revelations, Pt. 1 (Callum, Matheus, and Tolvin)

Otherworldly Revelations, Pt. 2 (Tolvin and Logan)

Another Edenton Christmas (Various)

Heart to Heart (Q)

Three Stories (Q, Tane, Lawrina, and RoJ)

An Edenton Christmas in 2018 (Various)

Angel Rules (Tolvin, Oliver, and Logan)

Cry for Help (Tolvin, Oliver, and Tristan)

Not Your Typical Morning After (Tolvin)

Call Back (Oliver, Tristan, and Gina)

The Hurricane (Tolvin, Logan, and Oliver)

Halloween 2019 (Various)

Reacquainted (Rosmond)

If I’m in Limbo, Where Are You? (Tolvin and Logan)

Christmas in Edenton in 2019 (Various)

A 2020 Edenton Christmas (Various)

Land Shark (Tolvin)

For Better or Worse, Pt. 1 (Tristan and Leslie)

[lunawings]

PASH August 2019 has a page explaining the events of King of Prism SSS episodes 10-12 and an interview with Junta Terashima, but I actually don't have much to say about it since nothing in it has contradicted anything I said in my episode commentary posts so far. It all just kinda reinforced things I have already said.

Except they also said Shine is the way he is because of a program bug??? And I'm like um, that's new????

Also Junta Terashima thinks Shin is terrible for forgetting his date with Louis until Louis messaged him and thinking all he has to do is give him a stuffed animal to make him feel better. Pfft.

[presidentyukisohma]

The Fruits Basket (2019) poster featured in PASH! this month (x)

Scans of the interview (Japanese) with Manaka Iwami, Nobunaga Shimazaki, and Yuma Uchida available here.

[houkagokappa]

Those who bought the June 2019 issue of PASH! from Animate got a Sarazanmai postcard with their purchase. The magazine also features a pinup image with Reo and Mabu and an interview with Mamoru Miyano. 

[mirikitakato]

Inazuma Eleven Orion’s poster and Ichihoshi’s seiyuu (Oomachi Tomohiro) in Pash! April 2019 magazine

I actually bought this for Sandy’s poster and didn’t even realized my Orion best boy’s interview is in here, lol. So I may as well post this and a summary of the interview (I did a full translation for this, but in my language, I’m just lazy to do a full English one....). I’m not confident in my Japanese skill so please take it with a grain of salt.

- Machi-san said the staff hid the fact Mitsuru is Hikaru from him and he was very surprised, but he feels lucky that he didn’t know because that way he was able to play Mitsuru as Mitsuru and HIkaru as HIkaru, two different people.

- He is pressured because he is working with lots of famous seiyuu and he is a “villain” that gonna kick the popular IE characters out. Then he said he is lucky that he didn’t get the pain that IE fans feel because he doesn’t have that much emotion for other characters (since he didn’t know about IE before and this is his first main role)

- He is shocked by the “sorry, I slip my hand” by Kidou but he thinks the connection between this scene and the later “grasping hand” by Nosaka and Asuto is deep.

- He thinks it’s easier to think Ichihoshi as “2 people with the same goal” when playing him.

- Machi-san admires Endou and Asuto because they believe in Ichihoshi since very beginning and always around to help him. “Asuto and Ichihoshi has lots of chance to talk with each other, and some scenes are impressive to me.”

- He was scared of Nosaka and Haizaki since Ichihoshi is being suspected by them. But now Nosaka sounds like a dependable brother to Ichihoshi. 

- He wonders what NIshikage feels when “his beloved Nosaka” is together with Ichihoshi. Yes I’m not kidding, Machi-san said that “daisukina”

- He wants a combo hissatsu of Ichihoshi, Haizaki, Nosaka and Asuto.

- For some reasons the magazine calls Hikaru “Apostle of the Sun”.

[thecourtneychronicles]

“Love Island has come under fire for its lack of LGBT representation in recent years but Drag Race and Big Brother star Courtney Act has spoken out in defence of the show, suggesting that gay representation may in fact set back ‘the gay narrative’. 

‘I have thought about it and I can’t work out the model to be all inclusive,’ says Courtney. 

‘This is the problem: Imagine, in a completely hypothetical world, Curtis Pritchard and Tommy Fury have a pash on the day bed. I think the world would explode and the fact that it would be such a big deal is testament to the fact of how far we’ve got to go.’

She added: ‘If two lads had some sort of sexual interaction with each other that would be so scandalous and that tells us that although queer culture is popular and visible, I don’t think society – the UK is a lot further along than Australia or the US – but society is still not at a healthy place when it comes to sexuality and masculinity.

‘If you could cast a few bi guys and girls it would spice it up a little, but I think gay Love Island would be detrimental to the gay narrative.’

Courtney found fame on RuPaul’s Drag Race but in 2018 won the winter version of Celebrity Big Brother, which she says took her drag from being ‘a sideshow act to sitting on BBC Breakfast talking about Brexit and the NHS’.

And she admits that was ‘refreshing’ for her, as it allowed her to feel a ‘respect and understanding’ that had been missing.

‘I didn’t have to make a dick joke to be allowed the space in the mainstream,’ she says.

‘I still love a dick joke but before it was “come on we’ll wheel you in, you make a dick joke and then we’ll wheel you out”, but in the UK there is a respect and understanding.’

Courtney – real name Shane Jenek – now lives in the UK and she admits that ‘there is something intrinsically different’ about the UK and British fans. ‘They’re more up for it, more fun and lighthearted. I suppose the term banter is part of the vernacular… it’s not part of the conversation in Australia or the US.’ 

The 37-year-old will be performing at G-A-Y on 25 September and she promises ‘a crazy night’ for fans. ‘I will sing a couple of songs, maybe crowd surf – the first time I ever crowd-surfed was at G-A-Y,’ she laughs.”

Courtney’s interview with Metro - July 22, 2019

[katyatalks]

PASH! February 2019 - Itou Setsuo & Sakurai Takahiro [Mob & Reigen] - Interview Translation

Here’s Itou Setsuo & Sakurai Takahiro’s [Mob & Reigen] special interview from PASH! February 2019. In semi-summary style, includes who the two would choose to be a part of their family from Mob Psycho 100, Itou’s initial difficulty getting back into character as Mob, Director Tachikawa’s more hands-on approach with season 2, and more!

They’re asked how they felt when season 2 was confirmed.

Itou; “I think I knew clearly it was going to happen when we were recording for the season 1 OVA?”

Sakurai; “It was kinda a rumour. ‘Looks like… we’re doing season 2?’. Ever since the latter half of season 1, we’ve all been wanting the anime to continue.”

Itou; “Truth is, when I was shown the final episode of season 1, Bones’ president Minami-san said ‘we’re doing season 2!’ pretty casually to me. But, honestly, I didn’t believe him. But I’d wanted to do season 2 since then.[...]”

They’re asked about their motivation in the lead up to season 2, to which Itou mentions that he forgot how to perform as Mob. “But in the wait for season 2 we had the season 1 OVA, so when I got to perform as him again for that I knew it’d be okay.”

Sakurai; “I didn’t really have that with Reigen. Reigen… his behaviour is conman-like, and he’s an interesting character with how he conducts himself in a pretty aloof way. [...] Getting into character as him isn’t a stiff thing; rather, I’m able to play off the energy that’s present when we all record together.”

They’re asked how they feel now, now that season 2 has started. Itou mentions his love for the first episode with the letter, and the desire he always had to see it animated. “The relationship between Mob and Shishou, and those of Mob and the people who surround him, they’re all nicely depicted. When I performed episode 1, I kinda felt nostalgic; ‘We’re back with Mob’s daily life.’”

Sakurai; “Season 2 has a graceful opening. Sure, it’s the first episode of season 2, but it feels more like season 1 episode 13. Powers are at the base of Mob Psycho 100. In season 1, Mob always has ‘I don’t want powers, I want to be normal’ on his mind, and then his powers are made to explode. But in season 2 episode 1, Mob says, without hesitation, ‘I’m an esper’ - like he’s come to recognise that his powers aren’t anything special, but just another characteristic, as it were. That’s amazing.”

Q: “How about Reigen in season 2?”

Sakurai; “He’s a step behind Mob, isn’t he. I think Reigen has come to a stand-still, in a sense. But when he looks at Mob, who he’s always treated like a child, calling him his ‘deshi’... Reigen looks at him changing in front of his eyes, and various opportunities for he himself to change inside appear before him. We get a good few monologues from Reigen in which he talks about what is happening inside his heart. Please enjoy the unexpected nature of Reigen’s true heart, which he hasn’t shown us before.”

They’re asked how Reigen and Mob’s relationship has changed since season 1.

Sakurai; “Kinda gets awkward, doesn’t it.”

Itou; “Mob doesn’t really realise that he’s changed himself. It’s just, Mob is growing as a person with each passing day, so with the start of season 2 we see that the two of them don’t exactly mesh as well as they once did. The way their strained relationship changes is a huge highlight of season 2.”

***

Q: “If a character from Mob Psycho 100 was to become a part of your family, who would you want?”

Itou; “Tome-san as my big sister. That came to mind straight away.”

Sakurai; “For me, Teru as my little brother.”

Itou; “As your little brother?! I think Tome-san and I would have fun together. I think she’d say some crazy stuff like, ‘Let’s go UFO hunting!’, and take me to a bunch of places with her. I actually do have an older sister, but I think it’d be nice if I had an older sister that’s active like Tome-san is.”

Sakurai; “I also actually have a little brother (laughs). I’ve always liked Teru. He’s a really good kid, isn’t he - he was born with powers and as a result has been stagnant his whole life, but upon coming into contact with Mob, who has powers so much greater than his own, he reforms. Anyway… it’s difficult to choose who you’d want as parents from the Mob Psycho 100 cast.”

Itou; “Well, Tsuchiya from Claw is pretty motherly, isn’t she? She’s always looking out for Mukai. She seems very caring.”

Sakurai; “I suppose Gouda is also pretty motherly. The training he offers might be tough, but he’s tolerant - I’d say that’s more the nature of a mother than a father!”

***

Itou having performed in the stage play is brought up, and he is asked if he was able to get properly back into character as the anime’s Mob for season 2.

Itou; “Truth is, I went a bit overboard at first. Stage acting differs to voice acting; you perform using your body, too. I tried to pull back a little when I first started recording for season 2, but regardless I was told plenty of times to tone it down.”

Sakurai; “Performing on stage where you use your whole body, and performing using just your voice for an anime… they do differ.”

Itou; “They do! Even though the anime’s Mob-kun and the stage play’s Mob-kun are fundamentally the same character...”

Itou is asked if he was able to feed his stage play experience into his season 2 performance. Itou; “I came to be able to see the relationships Mob-kun has with the characters surrounding him more clearly. With season 1, I only really thought, ‘I have to be gentle when I talk to Ritsu-kun’, but with season 2 I wanted to perform in different clean-cut ways depending on whether Mob-kun was talking to Reigen-shishou, or Dimple, or...”

Sakurai; “I think Itou-kun has changed as a result of his stage play experience. When we started recording for season 2, it was the first time I’d seen him in a while… how do I put it; his face had truly become that of a man's (laughs).”

They’re asked if they became aware of any difference in their performances from season 1.

Sakurai; “Nope! Same old Reigen.”

Itou; “I rewatched season 1 a good amount of times to try and get back the vibe I had when I performed as Mob-kun back then.”

They’re asked how the atmosphere is when recording for season 2.

Sakurai; “Unchanged from season 1; high spirits and fun all around!”

Itou; “That’s thanks to Dimple’s VA, Akio-san. (laughs)”

Sakurai; “That’s true… Akio-san is the mood maker when we record for Mob Psycho 100.”

Itou; “There’s a lot of veterans involved with Mob Psycho 100, so I get nervous, but Akio-san calms me down.”

Sakurai; “Akio-san’s stories and the way he reacts are all amusing - it’s as if he’s truly become Dimple (laughs).”

Itou; “Gouda’s VA, Seki-san, also looks out for me. He’s like Gouda himself - how should I put it... he’s like a kind older brother.”

Sakurai mentions how season 2 has a lot of characters, and there have been days in which there have been more than 30 people in the studio at one time - Itou mentions how they only have 4 microphones, despite this.

They’re asked about any back and forths they may have had with the director when recording, to which Sakurai says this time around Director Tachikawa ordered a good amount of retakes. Itou mentions again how he found it difficult to perform as Mob like he used to at first, but now he’s gotten back into it. “I worried over whether I could perform Mob in a way that suited the image that Director Tachikawa has in his mind.”

Finally, they’re asked what highlights there are for the rest of season 2.

Sakurai; “Naturally, Mob’s growth and the way Reigen changes.”

Itou; “Season 2 has a lot of powerful enemies! For me personally, I find you /have/ to pay attention to Reigen-shishou.”

---

Twitter crosspost here.

[katyatalks]

PASH! February 2019 - Itou Setuo [Mob] & Ootsuka Akio [Dimple] Special Interview

Here’s Itou Setsuo [Mob] & Ootsuka Akio [Dimple]’s joint special interview from PASH! February 2019, in semi-summary style. Contains some lovely meta on Dimple & Mob’s relationship, some headcanon confirming notes on Dimple & Reigen’s relationship, Security Guard Dimple’s popularity, and more!

Ootsuka is asked when he knew season 2 was going to happen. “It was a little before the public announcement. My honest response was, ‘that took its time, didn’t it!’ (Laughs).” [...] “Mob Psycho 100 is a tactful work in every way - the anime not getting a second season was unthinkable.”

Itou & Ootsuka are asked how Dimple and Mob view one another. Itou states that during LOL arc, Mob viewed Dimple as an enemy, and following that arc he remains cold toward Dimple. “But his attitude toward Dimple gradually thaws, to the extent that by season 2 Mob-kun pretty much trusts Dimple. He even leaves his body in Dimple’s care during Mogami arc.”

Ootsuka: “To possess Shigeo - that’s always been Dimple’s dream (laughs). Had this been the Dimple from back when the two first met, then without a doubt, he would’ve run away with his body.”

Itou: “Mob-kun and Dimple’s relationship in season 2… I think it’s something close to a, ‘we don’t call it that but we both get it’, type of close friendship.”

Ootsuka is asked his thoughts on Mob as a character. “Mob Psycho 100 is ultimately a story about Shigeo’s growth - he’s lovely. His growth in season 2 in particular is amazing. He doesn’t even flinch away from tackling an enemy as powerful as Mogami.”

Itou: “Mob-kun and Mogami’s battle is an esper battle, but that big battle contains the question, ‘How are espers supposed to live?’”

Ootsuka: “I feel the relationship Mob and Dimple have is similar to that of Kitarou and Nezumi Otoko [from GeGeGe no Kitarou]. At first, Dimple tries to manipulate Mob, but by the time we get to Mogami arc I feel Dimple thinks of Mob as being too much to handle.”

Mogami being voiced by Ishida Akira is brought up, to which they both sing his praises. Itou: “In the show, Mob-kun defeats Mogami, but in real life I was completely blown away by Ishida-san’s performance…!”

Ootsuka praises the casting for the anime. “The superb smoothness of Sakurai-kun’s performance as Reigen is praiseworthy, and Itou-kun’s Mob is excellent. I wonder who’d play Dimple if it wasn’t me.”

Itou: “I can’t think of Dimple as anyone other than you, Ootsuka-san.”

Q: "What does Dimple think of Reigen?"

Ootsuka: “Reigen introduces himself as an esper, but truth is he has no powers - he’s simply a fraud. Dimple respects Reigen in his own way, as Reigen has gotten Shigeo to idolise him as his Shishou. If Shigeo wasn’t in the equation, then for Dimple, Reigen would have no worth. They’d have no common ground. However, the two of them have been dragged into various different situations together, and in that - utility value put to one side - I think he’s come to feel an attachment to Reigen. I suppose you get a sense of Dimple’s growing humanity there.”

**

*Dimple’s handsomeness increases upon possessing a human. Security Guard Dimple’s nihilistic coolness - thinking about him even now, your heart will skip a beat!*

**

Ootsuka is asked if there was anything that troubled him in preparing for the role of Dimple. Ootsuka: “Dimple is, at heart, a sly guy. But, in being with Mob, that slyness gradually gets washed away - that’s how I perform him, I suppose.” Mentions how the plot of season 2 up until the latter half functions without Dimple.

Itou: “No, [...] Season 2 has plenty of stories that take place from Mob’s side and Reigen’s side, and Dimple acts as the intermediary between the two every time.”

Dimple possessing various characters is brought up. Ootsuka: “During season 1, I changed my performance with each possession. I thought, since he uses their vocal cords when he possesses people, it’d be natural to change my voice. I wanted to speak in a similar way to Shigeo when Dimple possesses him during Mogami arc, but I was told to not do that by the director, which was disappointing (laughs).”

Q: “Seems like when Dimple possessed that security guard in season 1, he was amazingly popular with girls.”

Ootsuka: “Girls… they seem to be infatuated with cool, yet sinister and malicious people, aren’t they? Security Guard-san’s facial expressions are a little bit on the sinister side, so I performed the role as such. I suppose that’s what hit the spot with all the girls out there.”

They’re asked if there’s anything they became aware of when recording dialogue scenes between Mob and Dimple. Itou: “For Mob, Dimple’s presence has become a given, so he tries to not sugarcoat his words when talking to him.”

Ootsuka: “That’s because Dimple is kinda like Shigeo’s pet dog!”

Itou: “Actually, he tries to not be too cold when he talks to Dimple (laughs).”

They’re asked how the atmosphere is when recording together.

Itou: “I’ve discussed this before, but Ootsuka-san is the mood maker when we record!”

Ootsuka: “With Mob Psycho 100, I’m both the oldest person there and the one with the longest running career. There’s plenty of young people who record for the show; my aim is to get everyone smiling and lighten the atmosphere.”

Itou: “Before recording for season 2 I’d performed in the stage play, and as a result my acting was initially over the top. I’d lost what made Mob Mob. However, Ootsuka-san told me I’d truly become an actor. That made me really happy.”

They’re asked what highlights there are to look forward to with Mob and Dimple. Ootsuka mentions Mob’s growth, and that Dimple possesses more characters. Itou says Mob’s growth as well, and the support Dimple gives Mob when he’s in a tough spot.

Ootsuka: “When Mob seems like he’s gonna crumble under the pressure, Dimple’s role is pretty much to say, ‘get a hold of yourself!’ (laughs).”

Itou: “In that way, too, Mob-kun needs Dimple in his life. I’ll be glad if you’re able to appreciate the ‘buddy’ kind of friendship they have.”

Q: “Say if you were to become Dimple, which character from Mob Psycho 100 would you join forces with?”

Ootsuka: “Definitely Reigen. If we joined forces, we’d surely be able to swindle a lotta money out of people. All we’d do is fight, but, ‘we’re making a lot of money so I guess that’s just how it’s gotta be.’ (Laughs).”

Itou: “If I were Dimple, I’d join forces with Mitsuura-san and truly try to study powers. I’d want to help people who have faint powers bloom, using Dimple’s powers.”

Ootsuka: “That’s basically how Ritsu awakened to his powers, huh.”

Itou: “[...] Naturally, joining forces with Dimple brings sinister ideas to mind, doesn’t it. Say if he joined forces with Teru-kun, and the two of them ended up having a relationship similar to what Dimple and Mob have now, a different kind of story would unfold. If he joined forces with Teru-kun before he met Mob, Teru-kun would be full-throttle bad… I think some major psychic battle action would unfold between them (laughs).”

--

Twitter crosspost here.

[katyatalks]

PASH! January 2019 - Producer Matsuda Akio - Interview Translation

Here’s Producer Matsuda Akio’s interview from PASH! January 2019. A very short and sweet one to create some hype just before season 2′s premiere, but contains some nice comments on the love the staff have for Mob Psycho 100, and some thoughts on Security Guard Dimple’s popularity.

He’s asked to list anything that’s left an impression on him during the Mob Psycho 100 anime journey. “The huge shouts of joy when we dropped the surprise season 2 announcement during the event back in March. It was touching, knowing that the fans love Mob Psycho 100 this much... that people were willing to wait for season 2... that despite the gap of almost two years between the first and second season, people were willing to keep supporting us. I got to witness that support first hand.”

He talks about the loveable characters of Mob Psycho 100 - “I think we can attribute a good amount of that love to the good performance of their voice actors. Regarding Security Guard Dimple’s bizarrely large popularity, I think he wouldn’t have become as popular as he is without Ootsuka-san’s voice behind him.”

In reference to the staff behind Mob Psycho 100; “Every single person involved with the production of the anime is someone who holds a high degree of affection for it… everybody understands and has their own interpretation of the manga.”

He’s asked about Reigen and Mob’s relationship, and what we should pay attention to with regard to it in season 2. “There’s moments in which we delve deep into their relationship. I want you to pay attention to how they speak to one another. The two of them aren’t just Shishou and Deshi - they’re able to take another look at what the other is to them. Also, there’s a scene that forms a pair with one that we see in season 1; I think you’ll be able to recognise the foreshadowing in that anime original depiction.”

“Director Tachikawa is a cool and gentle person by nature. He doesn’t make his passion very apparent, but he tries so hard - so hard, in fact, that he’ll miss out on going to his favourite Tonkatsu restaurant!”

Q; “What kinds of things should we expect to see in season 2?”

Matsuda; “Mob becomes a bishounen for a moment, Reigen gets backed into the biggest corner of the series, and Dimple becomes one of the Body Improvement Club!”

Finally he’s asked to give a message to fans who lie in wait for season 2; “Season 2 has plenty of good chapters from the manga, some fantastic moments, and is crammed full of moving lines. Mob Psycho 100 II - an anime given life by a wonderful cast, and a team of staff who craft it with hands full of love. I think you’ll come to be even more charmed by Mob Psycho 100, so please look forward to it!”

---

Twitter thread here.