Yep, we’re back to Canadian Ps. I first met Karagea at Anime North 2013 when he wasn’t really a P yet. He didn’t stand out much at the time but now he’s become the Nao/Yuiton P so he has an identity! Unfortunately many Ps agree that Yuiton has amazing beautiful legs and can’t help but visually prpr them when Kara’s not around. Sorry Kara!
1. How did you first learn about “The iDOLM@STER”? What were your first impressions?
My first exposure with iDOLM@STER is most likely through stumbling on one of its songs on Nico Nico Douga ages ago. There was a time where I was quite into Nico Nico Medleys and had few favorite utaite, in particular nayuta, whom covered Do-Dai. While it is unlikely my first imas song, it is a cover that I still like today.
However, I don’t think I have strong first impression of the franchise aside from thinking that the songs are catchy or good, like several of the other songs from Nico Nico Medleys or covered by utaite.
2. Have you played any of the idolm@ster games? Which is your favorite?
I played Dearly Stars, One For All and Million Live. I’m divided between OFA and ML, the former actually have gameplay and not just a time sinking mobage, I like the latter because of its portability (can play it whenever I have time to kill) and….
3. Which idol is your favorite and why?
Yokoyama Nao. I always had a thing for kansai-ben, so knowing that ML had a stereotypical kansai-ben idol was a sure to hook me (funny thing was that the game recommended me Nao as the main when I first started playing it). On top of that, I really like her cheerful personality, her t-shirt (rock-looking design, but with harapeko as the main text, I love that contrast), and her laugh, seriously, her laugh. O and, the seiyuu behind her really help to push me to like her.
Though before ML, and even now if it is just limited to the main 765 Pro, my favorite would be Kisaragi Chihaya. Main reason is that she had the aura of being a strong singer, and has the songs to back that. Also I do like her smiles, because it is so rare given her background (unless we are talking about Puchimas).
So 笑顔です as the reason for both.
4. What is your favorite idolm@ster song and why?
Can’t narrow down to just one songs, but three for now (and might add more soon):
- Little Match Girl
- Fate of the World
- Jibun Restart
Liked the first two because it had a strong (vary?) beat and it shows Chihaya’s singing strength. The third song because of its importance in the anime and that is just a very fun song to do calls for. Also debating if I should add any of Blue Symphony / 瞳の中のシリウス / Sentimental Venus, 3 songs sung in lives that showed Watanabe Yui’s (Naochan’s seiyuu) singing skills, especially the last one where I watched it live.
5. What’s your favorite aspect of the idolm@ster series?
DANKETSU
If I look at what I like in anime (or even in real life), one of the themes that I really gravitates towards is friendship or unity. Hence seeing the danketsu not only in animas but also within the Ps is quite awesome. While I might have self-enabled myself quite a bit, I likely won’t get this far without knowing a bunch of danketsu Ps…
6. When and how did you become a “Producer”? That is, when did you consider yourself an idolm@ster fan?
I think I wouldn’t call myself a producer until the second half of 2014, most likely sometime after Otakuthon (anime convention in Montreal at early August). This is despite knowing some of the HPT members since 2013 Anime North.
AN2013 was just a con that I went to because I lived around the area. And realizing that I wasn’t there for cosplay and merchandise, I found that the best return to my convention pass was to see the foreign guests, which just so happens to be Eriko for that year. So it was only because of AN that met some Ps, got introduced to ML (a big reason that I’m a P today), got imas2 and OFA because I needed stuff for Eriko (2013) and Harami (2014) to sign, and somehow found myself within the community.
So if it weren’t for Anime North and the P’s I met in that convention, I likely would have never become a P.
7. Have you ever been to an idolm@ster live concert? Please share your experience or any particularly special memories if so.
Yes! I was just in Japan for Million Live 2nd Live just months before. While most of the live was a haze, here are some memories that I recall
- YUITON POINTING AT MY DIRECTION (not at me but)
- MOCHOOOOOOOOOOOOO CLOSEUP
- Moving platforms was cool
- Technical difficulty during Sentimental Venus actually made that song even more memorable because the Ps were singing along
- A P using a pair of blue penlight/cyalume as chopsticks
8. Do you play any of the mobile game series such as Cinderella Girls and Million Live?
Yes, I have been playing Million Live for more than a year.
9. Are you watching the Cinderella Girls anime? What are your thoughts?
For me, Cinderella Girls anime is in the same situation as when I first watched Idolm@ster anime, knowing the existence and bits of information of but not being fully involved in it, and hence had the same result: got to know the personality of some of the Cinderella Girls and some of the songs. However, I just didn’t have the same level of hype as the CG Ps had, instead my hype is reserved for ML anime.
10. Do you have any favorite seiyuu related to the idolm@ster series?
Watanabe Yui, the seiyuu behind Yokoyama Nao. Similar to Nao, she too is from Osaka, and has a stereotypical hobby, liking baseball, especially the Hanshin Tigers, to the point where one of her radio shows is her talking about baseball. Similar to Nao, I like her for her Kansai-ben, her smile and laughs. Different from Nao, though, was that her path to be a known seiyuu was not direct, but instead she had to struggle quite a bit to be where she is today. Furthermore, she is also a decent singer, as heard from her singles before she became a part of idolm@ster. All in all, I really want to support this seiyuu that is so unabashedly Osakan and is still full of potential.
11. Shout out your love about the idolm@ster series, say anything you’d like!
Answer is going to be similar to the one in question 5.
Through imas, I have met quite a few people both online and offline, people that I will likely have never met if I never was interested in the series. Meeting people all over the world also inadvertently made me want to travel more. It is quite surprising how much one year (or even less) in imas can change one person.
＼ゆい㌧最高／ er, I mean
＼アイマズ最高／
12. [From Basu] If you were able to see her (Yuiton) directly (in say a handshake session), what kind of pun would you say to her to make sure she remembers you forever?
First I would think my legs would go soft, my brain melting, my hands and mouth shaking before I can make any puns in front of yton. Also, even after a week, thinking a good pun for yton is really hard.
Oh here is one: I bring a pot full of water, and then call it: Waternabe. [please don’t hate me, yton]
Another one: What do people say when I’m hungry? Karapeko [this relates less to yton : Nao -> writing on her shirt. also not a good pun]
O this one is good: I also care much about Hanshin. Because without my shin, I legs won’t work (I’m a Han Chinese). Also I like my rice (飯) to be new (新).
And then she will look on me with a disagreeing face while giving me a stern tsukkomi + what Basu tweeted.
I hope Yton would never come across this.
13. Say something about the next interviewed person (vae), also please ask them a question.
Yo vae, my fellow Canadian and Yokoyama Nao P (though I guess Makoto is still your main rep). It was fun rooming with you in Anime North this year. Despite that, sadly I don’t think I have interacted with you that much. So basing on what I remembered from AN this year and just glancing through your twitter. So here’s your question.
One day Makoto arrived to Montreal and you are her guide. Where would you bring her to sightsee and to chill? What restaurants would you bring her to dine in? Let’s just say she will be visiting for a maximum of one week (obviously you can have the trip shorter if you want).
You can follow karagea on Twitter @karagea
<Better Know A Producer>
#01 – [Exciel]
#02 – [Kurotsuki]
#03 – [vota]
#04 – [Seraph]
#05 – [Shinikenshi]
#06 – [Erwin]
#07 – [JT]
#08 – [garbejP]
#09 – [KenP]
#10 – [YashaFoxP]
#11 – [omo]
#12 – [ShinP]
#13 – [Basu]
#14 – [karagea]←Here
#15 – [vae]