—In episode 9, you showed Cherry Blossom, Joe and Adam's high school days, but how did you capture those three's respective feelings when they met and leading into the present? Also, how were the trio's visual designs in the high school era created?
Okouchi-san wrote that those three had this sort of time in their pasts, so if that was the case, wouldn't their attire and such have a delinquent vibe? That speculation expanded into my mental image of them.
We weren't able to depict much of Sakurayashiki and Nanjo's relationship, but I figure they've been fighting since this time. I think their relationship probably hasn't changed at all between then and now. And the "extraordinary" thing that suddenly appeared in their ordinary everyday life was Adam. Meeting someone as gifted and charismatic as him, of course they would be affected by that. Anyone would end up admiring him, being attracted (drawn) to him.
—Cherry Blossom was especially enchanted by him.
He was, wasn't he? We didn't show what Nanjo thought of Adam at that time, but he surely must have felt very similarly. Exactly because it was when they were young, I think for the two of them, the impact meeting Adam had on them was huge.
—I think a lot of viewers were just as charmed by Adam in high school as those two were, but were there any points about his design you were especially particular about?
Because Adam is someone Sakurayashiki admires (longs for) so much, I wanted his design to be overflowing with charisma. Also, the white gakuran. A normal person couldn't wear that. (lol) And Sakurayashiki and Nanjo wear blazers to differentiate them from Adam. Since Sakurayashiki in particular always wears Japanese-style clothing in the present, I also wanted him to wear western-style clothes as a student. For Nanjo, there was the length of his hair, and I wanted him to seem like a fresh young man who was suited to sports. Chiba-san designed all three of them to show their muscles less than in the present, but that "perfect dosage" was wonderful, so please look at the concept art when it's released!
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Dimensions of the Wind -Langa Ver.- (English Translation)
The Japanese covers of Langa, Reki and Adam's character songs by their voice actors have dramatically different lyrics to the English versions that played in the show, sometimes in very interesting ways, and while there have been other English fan translations I wanted to attempt my own. (I'll do Seize the Moment!! and Behind the Mask as well.)
In the wind, feeling another speed
Within the seductive light
Intermingling energy, more velocity
Toward the opening world
Warm temperature rising
Heart-fluttering snow
A new emotion residing
Entrusting everything to my feelings
(Jump in it now!
Right!
Go with the flow!
Go!)
In the wind, feeling another speed
The seductive line of light
Intermingling energy, more velocity
Toward the opening world
In the afterimage, it moves in front of me
The image is still blurred
Within the looming shadow, see the part of me
Now I can see everything coming into focus
(Now I can kind of see)
Warm temperature rising
Heart-fluttering snow
Two feelings now, deep running
Forward toward brand new dimensions of the wind
In the afterimage, it moves in front of me
The image is still blurred
Within the looming shadow, see the part of me
Now I can see everything coming into focus
Whoa, now everything synchronizes
In memories far back
The impulse penetrating my whole body
Painted in vivid colors
New emotions have come to life
They're strong and high now
The changed colors of unsure tomorrows
Expanding my field of vision to a higher ground
(Now I can clearly see it)
Warm temperature rising
When the snow dances
Two passionate sensations, deep burning
Forward toward brand new dimensions of the wind, yeah
so this is the thing i was working on that made me decide to do that poll and go over the timeline first, kind of to preempt anyone who might argue about the placement here - adam's backstory in chronological order!
the flashbacks are scattered across several episodes so i thought it would be an interesting and useful reference to put them all in one video in order like this (and i also resubbed the scenes myself at the same time just for my own satisfaction with the translation)
and for some extra information, according to the concept art book, ainosuke is 6 years old in the first two early childhood flashbacks (and probably 7 in the third, as it looks like it's in the following summer), 17-18 in the first high school flashback and 18 in all the following ones
(edited because the end of the video cut off??? hopefully it works now???)
SK8 Cast Image Colors, and the Super Sentai Roots of Character Color Coding
Unlike my post about hanakotoba, where only a few examples can be confirmed to be intentionally meaningful choices, image colors are an aspect of SK8's visual symbolism that has been explicitly assigned by the creators to each of the eight main cast members. From design elements to official art and merchandise (such as the art and the Infinity Week logo above) to shots in the show itself, these image colors are a consistent aspect of the series' visual language, and colors, like flowers, have meanings and associations that can provide interesting insight into why these colors were chosen for these characters. Color-coded casts are also strongly historically rooted in the super sentai subgenre of tokusatsu series, a genre that has had massive impact on Japanese pop culture, especially battle anime like SK8, in part, is, so I'll also examine the archetypes associated with their colors in super sentai (and, in Adam's case, another important piece of anime history.)
As color associations can vary by culture, I made sure to use Japanese sources - I mainly started with the dictionary on TC Color Therapy for basic color meanings but frequently checked other sources. My primary source on colors in super sentai is a paper on color theory in tokusatsu by Misako Takahashi, along with fan wikis such as Pixiv Dictionary and other Japanese blogs analyzing the subject. I also supplemented with quotes from SK8's staff when relevant.
All the image colors come from the official character guide included in volume 4 of the Blu-rays.
Reki Kyan - Yellow
Despite his red hair, Reki's image color is yellow, the color of the signature hoodie he always wears at S. Yellow is associated with brightness, cheerfulness, fun and excitement - all things that Reki embodies at his best, and are very important parts of his character arc and what he represents to the people around him. In Utsumi's instructions to colorist Yukari Gotou, as shown in SK8 Design Works, she requested Reki's design have "so many bright and colorful primary colors it's tiring" in order to draw the eye, fitting of a bright and energetic protagonist. Yellow is a common color for team members in sentai anime, being the third most common after red and blue and appearing in the majority of series, and are often bright and cheerful "life of the party" type characters as well. This is a trend dating back to Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, the very first long-running super sentai series (beginning in 1975,) whose color coding has persisted for decades. Kirenger, the yellow member in Gorenger, was even a big eater with a signature favorite food (a trait more commonly attributed to Langa, but Reki's love for ramen and all things salty - even toothpaste - is a recurring bit in SK8 as well) and a big family.
In Takahashi's paper, she quotes another academic, Asako Yoshida's, analysis of another core aspect of yellow sentai characters, where she describes them as "an intelligent type who gathers information and forms strategies before taking action", and "rather than fighting on the front, they're a tactician who uses their wits and comes up with strategies," traits that Reki also shows frequently, especially in his biggest triumph in episode 11.
Like many of the image colors, it's also used in the show (both in the opening - highlighting his yellow-orange eyes - and in episode 11.)
~
Langa Hasegawa - Blue
Langa's image color is blue, selected along with white from the beginning to fit his snow theme. Blue is associated with positive meanings like calmness and intelligence, but also more negative ones like coldness, sadness and loneliness, fitting of both Langa's calm exterior and the grief that's central to his storyline. Blue sentai members are classically considered "cool" characters, an association that remains strong even as actual characters of that type have grown somewhat rarer over time, with newer series sometimes deliberately subverting expectations. Like yellow, the association of blue with the cool member of a team also dates back to Gorenger, with Aorenger (the blue member) being a cool, stoic character who came from a snowy region. Takahashi quotes Yoshida's description of blue heroes as "the calm, composed and cool second in command type," a character who "doesn't worry about what's in front of him, never seems to get worked up and deals with things calmly," which certainly describes the impression Langa gives off at first - and belies what SK8's producer Kyoko Uryuu described (when comparing him to a petit gâteau) as his "surprisingly passionate" interior.
Like with Reki, Langa's color is shown off in the opening and in the show itself - notably as his "aura" when he's in the Zone with Adam.
~
Miya Chinen - Light Green
Miya's image color is light green, usually shown as a yellowish lime green. I'll get to green as a whole for Kojiro, but yellow-green specifically is associated with youthfulness, beginnings and hope, as it's the color of newly budding plants - and it can also be associated with immaturity, all meanings fitting of a very young character like Miya. While his costume is meant to be an in-universe game character, his bright green hood could also be seen as vaguely evoking Link from the Legend of Zelda series.
Green sentai characters have more varied archetypes, but were historically often the youngest member of the team, while more recently it's been a trend for them to be the oldest member of the team - fitting for the youngest and oldest members of the six characters making up SK8's main "team." The idea of a green member being the youngest also dates back to Gorenger, with Midorenger (the green member) being an innocent younger boy compared to the rest of the team, who was treated like a "mascot" of sorts and even shared Miya's affinity for animals. It's also become a trend for green characters to have close relationships with the yellow members, and to be in conflict with the red members.
Like with most of the other characters, Miya's color is highlighted in the opening.
~
Hiromi Higa - Purple
Hiromi's image color is purple, the color of his lipstick and the inside of his cape. Purple is associated with mystery, rarity, luxury and nobility, and in Japan in particular it's frequently associated with horror (from urban legends like the purple mirror to the common use of purple miasma to show disgusting/horrific food in anime.) Purple sentai members are incredibly rare, and at the time of Takahashi's paper the few that existed were usually mentor figures, but several since have been "dark heroes" or antiheroes - as "Shadow-sama" (fitting of the link to nobility) calls himself, as the self-proclaimed Antihero of the S community. With how he becomes a close friend (and even somewhat of a mentor) to the boys despite his very antagonistic first appearance, he certainly fits the "enemy-turned-ally" archetype, and while he's not actually the much older mentor early purple members were, Reki constantly calling him "old man" does evoke that trope too.
His color appears in the opening as well as featuring heavily in his S costume.
~
Kaoru Sakurayashiki - Pink
True to his surname and aesthetic, Kaoru's image color is pink, the color of cherry blossoms. Pink is associated with beauty, grace, luxury and love. Just like in the west, it's considered a very feminine color - also shown in the fact that pink sentai members are almost exclusively women, and typically particularly feminine and glamorous when on teams with other female members. This is a case where Cherry is in large part a departure from the classic color coding just because of his gender; SK8's colorist, Yukari Gotou, even expressed in Skater's Backstage that she was a bit worried about having a male character with pink hair, but Utsumi described him as a "pink ninja" from the get-go in her coloring notes.
And even Kaoru isn't completely immune to hitting the sentai archetypes either, with his noted beauty and a concern for his looks that Kojiro mocks as effeminate in the series; the contrast between the feminine characteristics he has and his masculine voice and personality are a core part of how his character was designed. He even has a surprising connection with Momorenger (Gorenger's pink member, and only woman) in his affinity for kicks. (As of 2022, there's also finally been a male character properly featuring as the pink member in a sentai series in Avataro Sentai Donbrothers.)
Of course, on top of featuring so heavily in his design, Cherry's color is also used in the opening.
~
Kojiro Nanjo - Green
Rather than Miya's light green, Kojiro's image color is a regular green. Green is associated with calmness, stability, growth and nature, fitting for a very calming and stable mentor character who just "goes with his feelings" like Kojiro - but like light green, it can also signify immaturity, which also suits a character who proudly proclaims to be a "kid" when he's on vacation. Where Miya fits the "youngest member" trope for green sentai members, Kojiro fits the "oldest member" trope, and he also fits the recently trendy close relationship with yellow and conflict with red. In Takahashi's paper, she quotes Yoshida describing green characters as a whole as "a caring type who's always concerned if things are peaceful" (also fitting of Miya, who's always the most concerned for Reki and Langa,) "a soothing person who makes you feel warm and comforted just by being next to them" and as someone who "loves their friends, and 'being together with everyone' is important to them," and in Utsumi's color notes in SK8 Design Works, she described Kojiro as "A calming, mature green. Comforting."
And like with the others, on top of being his hair color, Kojiro's color is also shown in the opening.
~
Ainosuke Shindo - Red
Naturally for the "Matador of Love", Adam's image color is red, a color associated with love, passion and excitement, but also danger and anger, covering both sides of the duality of Adam's connection with love and romance and his violent skating. Utsumi's color notes in SK8 Design Works describe it as "the color of love and blood", and described Adam himself as "a guy who stole a main character's color" - fitting of the fact that in sentai series (and many anime influenced by them,) the red member is almost always the main protagonist and leader. (And perhaps a cheeky reference to Reki, though it seems Adam's color was decided on much earlier on.) Between red and blue being tied for their inclusion in sentai series and yellow in a close second place, the three primary colors form a core trio of characters in sentai series that's also reflected by Reki, Langa and Adam as the three most central characters in SK8.
While many works follow Gorenger's lead with the red protagonist being a hot-headed, passionate natural leader (a role that Adam does command at S as a whole, at least at first,) it's covered such a wide spectrum of protagonists over the course of the genre's history that red's biggest association is simply "being the main character," superseding a single specific character archetype. To momentarily dip into the history of anime itself rather than tokusatsu's influence, I'd be remiss not to mention that thanks to the influence of Mobile Suit Gundam (a franchise that both writer Okouchi and character designer Chiba have history with and mentioned in interviews on Febri as inspiring their interest in anime) it does have a memetic association with speed (and rival characters,) as Gundam's frequently-imitated masked antagonist Char Aznable's custom red mecha is notoriously "three times faster" than any other. (Adam's voice actor, Takehito Koyasu, has even played two "Char Clones" himself.)
As with the other characters, Adam's color appears in the opening but it also surrounds him frequently in the show even from his first appearance, including a red glowing aura to mirror Langa's blue when they're in the Zone (even in the finale when the red is gone from his costume.)
~
Tadashi Kikuchi - Gray
(Tadashi never got an official Twitter icon like the other characters, so I used a different piece of merch.)
Lastly, Tadashi's image color is gray, which is mostly known for being... a bit of a non-color, though it can be associated with gloom, ambiguity or uneasiness. It's mostly seen as a color that blends in and doesn't stand out by itself, which was the purpose behind Tadashi's color scheme, as Utsumi described in her notes as wanting his coloring to "make the main character stand out", given that he was designed from the beginning to appear alongside Adam, who has the "main character's color." Gray is an incredibly rare theme color in sentai series, to the point that there aren't specific character archetypes either; in 2014, at the time of Takahashi's paper, the only gray character she noted was a literal ghost. Even Tadashi's image color is alienated from the other skaters'...
While there are comparatively few (and less obvious) examples of Tadashi's image color appearing in the show, his last emotional scene with Ainosuke takes place in an almost entirely gray room.
It'll be interesting to see how these associations might continue to be used in the future.
Hanakotoba and the Meanings of Flowers in SK8 the Infinity
Ranging from very overt allusions in the text to single pieces of official art, almost every main character in SK8 has been associated with a flower. Hanakotoba, the Japanese language of flowers, is something that the creators were attentive to, evidenced by its mention both in the show itself and by staff in discussion about the episodes, and considering how hanakotoba might have been taken into account in the other examples of flower imagery can add an interesting layer of symbolism to speculate on.
The hanakotoba columns on GreenSnap were my primary source for this post, but I've crosschecked the meanings on multiple websites as much as possible to ensure the factual information here is accurate to the best of my ability. This is quite a long post, so bear with me.
🌹 Roses 🌹
Naturally, the first flower to start with is the one that is directly mentioned in the show itself:
As Adam says, red roses do mean "passionate love", though his particular wording (jounetsu no ai) is slightly paraphrased from how that meaning is typically worded. (If you look up the meaning of roses in hanakotoba, you may see netsuretsu na koi (熱烈な恋) instead.) They can also simply mean "love" and "passion" (ai and jounetsu, as Adam uses in this line), as well as "beauty" and "I'm in love with you."
In Japanese as in English, red roses are a very classically romantic gift, so in the finale and the Blu-ray box art, it seems Adam's passionate love hasn't waned.
There are also specific meanings for certain numbers of flowers in a bouquet of roses, and while it's never stated how many roses are in the first bouquet Adam brings Langa, extrapolating from how many flowers are visible in the shots and how many are hidden, as well as the bouquet at Adam's birthday display at the 2022 NAMJATOWN collaboration containing 50 flowers (as I was able to confirm from some fans' photos from better angles, that I won't be reposting here as they were personal photos on Twitter) I believe that the bouquet in the show also contains 50, which means "eternity."
Adam's bouquets to Langa are also not the only times roses appear in relation to him, nor is red the only color they appear in. Several flashback shots of Ainosuke and Tadashi as children feature red roses, which has quite clear subtextual implications, especially alongside the comparison between Tadashi and Langa made in the show itself.
But one prominent flashback also includes pink roses, meaning "deep impression."
In Ainosuke and Tadashi's last scene together in the finale, there's a vase of purple roses behind them, meaning "pride" or "respect."
And his graffiti tag from the 2022 Infinity Week art features blue roses, which, along with being in Langa's image color, mean "dream come true", "impossible" or "miracle."
Roses also have a lengthy history of associations with gay men, both in real-life Japanese gay culture and in the boys' love genre, and how this relates to the use of rose imagery in SK8 could (and likely eventually will) be its own post, but it's an extra aspect to take into consideration with Adam especially.
As a bonus, the mangaka for the official manga adaptation also drew Langa and Reki with red and blue roses (respectively) to celebrate the season finale:
And while Reki is never associated with roses in any more official capacity, Langa does have red roses in his house that are visible in a few scenes:
~
🌷 Tulips 🌷
This is another one that's directly confirmed, this time regarding Shadow's bouquet in the ending montage.
For love bouquets, Adam uses roses, so Hiromi-chan's was tulips and white baby's breath. In hanakotoba, red tulips mean "confession of love." Pink means "sincere love." Orange means "shyness", so we went with these three. Plus, white tulips are "new love" or "unrequited love" so we stopped there… (lol) By the way, in hanakotoba, baby's breath means "innocent love" and "gratitude."
(Episode 12 Director Masatoyo Takada, Skater's Backstage)
Tulips in general mean "charity" and "thoughtfulness", and Shadow is frequently associated with them outside of just this scene, whether on his clothes or in official merchandise. "Tulip" is also the name of the flower shop where he works!
He's holding another bouquet of tulips on the Blu-ray box art, as well, with the same colors as in the finale - but with the addition of the mentioned white tulips for "unrequited love", and yellow tulips, which can mean "honesty", but can mean "unrequited love" (or "hopeless love") too... Sorry, Shadow.
~
🌺 Hibiscus 🌺
Moving away from directly stated connections into slightly more obscure ones, Reki is nevertheless visually associated with hibiscus in several places, both in shots in the show and in his 2021 birthday art.
Hibiscus flowers generally can mean "new love", "trust" and "I believe in you" (a meaning thought to originate from Hinduism), while red hibiscus specifically (as Reki is depicted with) mean "bravery."
Hibiscus flowers are also considered as symbol of Okinawa as a whole, making them an especially fitting flower for Reki, who's implied to be of indigenous Ryukyuan descent and is the character who could be considered the most representative of Okinawa (and Langa's new life there) in the show,
~
🌸 Cherry Blossoms 🌸
This one is fairly self-explanatory; Kaoru's surname is Sakurayashiki (sakura being the Japanese word for cherry blossoms), his S name is Cherry Blossom, cherry blossoms feature on his costume and heavily in the decor in his calligraphy studio, et cetera. As one of the most well-known and famously Japanese flowers, they're well suited to Cherry's traditional Japanese image, and the whole aesthetic of his character is themed around them. Even his birthday is on March 27th, Sakura Day in Japan.
In hanakotoba, cherry blossoms' most well-known meaning is "moral beauty", a phrase referring to the beauty of someone's personality or character. They can also mean "graceful woman" or "pure-blooded", and the specific species of cherry blossom that the ones in Cherry's design resemble (somei-yoshino cherry blossoms) can additionally mean "noble" or "innocent." The fact that the same flower with such elegant meanings is related to both his public and S personas adds to the characteristic duality between his outward appearance and private personality.
While not specifically hanakotoba, the French meaning of cherry blossoms also appears to be well-known in Japan - "ne m'oubliez pas", or "don't forget me", associated with ending relationships.
~
💮 Chrysanthemums 💮
Another flower associated with a character through their surname, chrysanthemums are the "kiku" (菊) in Kikuchi. A chrysanthemum also features prominently in the design on Adam's skateboard.
Chrysanthemums also appear on both Adam and Tadashi's clothes in a few pieces of official art.
Chrysanthemums' meanings in hanakotoba are all variations of "nobility" and "purity." They're a flower with great cultural significance in Japan, being the crest of the Imperial family, and often appear as a symbol of Japanese society itself - including on the badges worn by both Diet members such as Ainosuke and even certain ones worn by their secretaries, making this flower one that's representative of a very important aspect of both their lives.
While there's no particular history to this meaning, due to the romantic color, red chrysanthemums such as the one on Adam's board can also mean "I love you."
According to director Utsumi in the 2022 Infinity Week livestream, the chrysanthemum on Adam's board was a happy accident, as Thomas Romain, the artist who designed the board, didn't know Tadashi's name or anything about his history with Adam when creating it. The double layer of symbolism is an incredible coincidence!
~
🌻 Sunflowers 🌻
Joe doesn't have any particular connection with flowers in the show himself, but there is one piece of official art featuring him with sunflowers, which complement the strong association he does have with the sun.
In hanakotoba, sunflowers mean "admiration", "longing" or "I'm only looking at you" - originating from the way sunflowers will always turn to face the sun. As this particular piece of official art was for a magazine feature for White Day (a Japanese holiday where men receive gifts from women they gave gifts to on Valentine's Day), perhaps they're meant to be a gift to him. As Joe's stronger association is with the sun itself (his tattoo is of the sun, his board has the word "sole" - sun in Italian - written on it and a sun incorporated into the design, his restaurant's name (Sia la Luce) translates to "let there be light") he could be seen as the sun that the sunflowers (his admirers) would look towards.
Along with the hibiscus in the image, Reki's birthday event in 2021 also featured sunflowers as part of the display, fitting his yellow image color.
~
❄️ Snowdrops ❄️
And finally, one more case with only a single piece of official art - but one with a very interesting history behind its meanings. In Langa's 2022 birthday art, he's shown holding snowdrops - a natural association with his S name and the fact that he's a former snowboarder.
In hanakotoba, snowdrops mean "hope" and "comfort." These meanings are said, as you will find on any Japanese hanakotoba site, to originate from a story about Adam and Eve dating back to at least 1925, if not earlier (with 1925 being the earliest version of the story the Japanese Wikipedia page on snowdrops is able to cite.) As the story goes, after Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden, an angel took pity on them suffering in the winter cold and turned the falling snowflakes into snowdrops, to console them and give them courage. In that 1925 version of the story, the first snowdrop was specifically a gift to Eve:
The Snowdrop Legend
When the first winter lay white upon the earth, Eve sorely missed the beautiful things of the field. An angel who pitied her seized a snowflake and, breathing upon it, bade it live, for her delight. It fell to the earth a flower, which Eve caught to her breast with gladness, for not only did it break the spell of winter, but it carried assurance of divine mercy. Hence the flower means consolation and promise.
With both the superficial connections of being winter flowers named after snow and their connection to SK8's intentional biblical themes (as producer Mari Suzuki described the show as a whole as "the story of Adam searching for Eve" in Animedia March 2021), these have some of the deepest meanings of any of the flowers depicted, despite only appearing in a single piece of art.
The flower imagery SK8 uses is fascinating and surprisingly layered, especially knowing the deliberate attention to hanakotoba that was paid in certain cases, and it'll be interesting to see how it might continue to feature in the future.
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Kaoru's calligraphy display in episode 5 is very obviously targeted, but between natural difficulties in translating idioms, changes made in the English dub, and misunderstandings of the general meaning of "repentance", exactly what he's communicating often gets lost in translation - which is a shame, because it's not only a very telling moment about Kaoru's own feelings about Adam, but one that ends up being very important to the themes of the entire show and many of the central character arcs.
To give some quick establishing information, what Kaoru is writing in this scene is a called a yojijukugo (四字熟語), or four-character idiom - set idiomatic phrases that are very similar to (and originate from) Chinese chengyu (成语), which you may be familiar with if you've read any linguistic analysis of danmei. Four-character idioms are very common subjects for calligraphers like Kaoru, and the ways they can be used in speech make them very difficult to translate concisely. The particular idiom Kaoru has written here, read from right to left, is 悔悟奮發, a real four-character idiom (though usually written 悔悟憤発 in modern Japanese - Kaoru is using the Chinese hanzi.)
Read kaigo funpatsu, both the Crunchyroll subs and the dub translate this as "repent and make efforts", which is... fine enough given the complexity of translating yojijukugo. It's quite a literal translation, looking at the phrase broken down into its components - 悔悟 can indeed be translated to "repentance", and 奮發 means "to exert oneself." As an idiom, it means "to regret one's mistakes, and work hard to recover." It generally refers to remorse, but can also mean coming back from a loss. In this exchange from a Japanese website explaining the use of the idiom, it's used to describe recovering after a loss in a competition:
Tomoko: You must be in high spirits, to be practicing on your day off.
Kenta: Everyone was shocked when I was eliminated in the first round of that tournament the other day. Next time I'll get my revenge.
Tomoko: Oh, so you're trying to make a comeback*, good luck!
(*in a perfect example of how difficult yojijukugo can be to translate when used in regular speech, a translation as literal as "repent and make efforts" would sound very silly in English here.)
And this idiomatic meaning is how Kaoru explains it - and where I believe some misunderstandings are originating from, both due to the overall interpretation of the word "repent", as well as changes in nuance in the explanation given in the dub. To begin with, let's look at Kaoru's dialog in Japanese. (Due to him immediately explaining the meaning, I chose to leave kaigo funpatsu untranslated, unlike the official subs.)
And the same dialog in the dub:
It should be apparent just from this that Kaoru in the original and Kaoru in the dub are saying completely different things. Originally, Kaoru makes no mention of making peace with people that have been hurt, because that isn't what kaigo funpatsu is referring to. Kaigo is personal, internal regret - kaigo funpatsu is about self-reflection, recognizing one's mistakes and striving to do better, considering your past in order to take your next steps in the future. That could involve making amends with wronged parties, but it's not part of it inherently - Kaoru's original dialog doesn't even allude to people being hurt at all, because it's not relevant to the idiom.
It's here that I believe the word "repent" is causing some trip-ups: it's being taken in the Christian sense of atonement or penance, an action done to achieve forgiveness from others or redeem oneself for sinning, but Kaoru is simply talking about realizing you've done something wrong and feeling remorse for it. (Or, specifically, about Adam realizing he's done something wrong and feeling remorse for it.)
And while his last line in the dub is at least a bit more in the spirit of kaigo funpatsu, it's still missing what is at the heart of Kaoru's feelings about this idiom, and about the man it's clearly targeted at - the idea of coming back from one's mistakes, something that does not come up in the dub at all. The first word Kaoru uses, bankai (挽回), does mean "to recover", but also "to regain what was lost" or "to return to the original state." Torimodosu (取り戻す), as well, specifically means to regain something that was lost - in fact, it's the very same word Tadashi uses when speaking of Adam "regaining his love."
Kaoru is not asking Adam to personally make things up to him, or to anyone - Kaoru, at heart, believes in Adam, and believes that he can, and should, still come back from everything. Even in the finale - after the Full Swing Kiss, after his naive hopes of simply returning to how things were in high school are shattered - his first concern is still for Langa to make Adam understand that.
Like with Kenta in the example exchange above, kaigo funpatsu isn't about Adam atoning for his sins - it's a call for him to recognize he screwed up and move forward without making the same mistakes.
And he does, or at least he's beginning to take those steps. He recognizes the mistake that matters most to the themes of the story, and that led to everything that happened in his life since - that he lost sight of the innocent love for skating he had as a child.
He finally admits what Tadashi meant to him;
he directly defies his abusive family's wishes by working against Takano rather than throwing Tadashi under the bus;
and he finally shows up as Adam in daylight, on someone else's "turf", to celebrate his own defeat - reaching out to his former friends and gracefully accepting loss, things he refused to do even an episode prior.
He may not be begging for forgiveness, and with this coming at the very end of the series there's a long road still ahead of him, but he's recognizing that he did things wrong and he's making an effort to move forward in a better way - and in doing that he's regained the most important thing he lost, his love of skating.
And Adam isn't the only one whose character arc kaigo funpatsu describes, either. Reki regrets his mistakes...
...and comes back from them.
Langa recognizes his mistakes and comes back from them - and is even able to help Adam do the same.
Tadashi, more clearly spelled out than anyone, recognizes his mistakes...
...and he's able to come back from them, too.
None of these resolutions involve big direct apologies, or any kind of penance to earn forgiveness. (Personal forgiveness isn't something SK8 takes much interest in dwelling on or making characters earn in the first place, and its approach to forgiveness could easily be a whole other meta in and of itself.) They don't have to, because in the end, Kaoru's idiom is not only a message to Adam - one that he ultimately does receive, if a bit later than Kaoru hoped - but a moment that spells out a big part of the show's thesis.
Everyone is going to do things wrong in their life, one way or another - but anyone who regrets their mistakes and makes an effort to do better should be able to recover from them and regain what they lost.
Only season 2 can show us what moving forward is going to look like, but when it comes to what counts to the core narrative, everyone's taken the first steps.
In episode 4 of SK8's dub, Reki refers to Joe and Cherry as "founders" of S, and this has led to a pretty widespread conception in the English-speaking fandom that the two of them were... well, S's founders alongside Adam, that it started when the three of them were in school, that they're still involved in it on a managerial level, or even claims that they founded it first and Adam stole it after the fact.
But what is actually being said here?
It's the word "初期メンバー" that was translated as "founders" in the dub, and while it can mean "founding members", in a sense, there is no implication in the word 初期 of actively being involved in creating something, simply that they were the earliest members (it means "in the initial stage.")
Even more telling is Reki's use of みんな - he's talking about a larger group than two people here. He's not setting Joe and Cherry apart as "founders", he's counting everyone who skated at S at the beginning as "初期メンバー" and namedropping the two characters from that era whose names we know and who are going to be significant to the story. (This reference to "everyone" establishing that there's a larger group going unnamed is also cut from the dub; instead Reki says "Cherry, Joe... man, I bet they'd love to go off about that guy.")
Conversely, looking at how Adam is described...
...it's pretty straightforward.
He's also described in his profile on the official website (and consistently in other official sources that use these character profiles) as 創設者, which does mean founder, explicitly referring to "the person who first established something."
Cherry and Joe, meanwhile, are both referred to as Sの実力者のうちの1人, or "one of the big names at S." They're certainly both respected, influential people within the community - recognition they've earned, not something they're set apart for in any "official" capacity. They've never been described in an official source as 創設者, or in any other way that would indicate they were involved in S's creation rather than simply being two powerful people in the community as it exists now.
There are a few other details that tie into establishing this - mainly disproving the notion that Adam stole something already existing. In episode 5, as they're fleeing from the police, Tadashi says this...
...indicating that Crazy Rock was part of a regular police patrol route before Adam was able to use his money/influence to have it removed, something that Cherry and Joe (particularly years ago, when Cherry wouldn't have had the money he's earning now) would not have had the power to do.
And in episode 12, when discussing the change in course, Joe says this:
Literally saying "it became banned", this is wording on Joe's part that would make no sense for a decision he was involved in. He's describing this as something that happened totally separate from him. Early enough that the funeral course was still being used, Joe (and presumably also Cherry) were not making calls about the management of S like this.
There's also a relevant quote from SK8's screenwriter, Ichiro Okouchi:
When considering Adam as a character, I thought he would need someone beside him. If Kikuchi wasn't there, Adam would become a character who would do nothing but talk to himself, and it would be difficult for Adam to manage S alone.
(spoon.2Di, volume 72)
Part of Tadashi's entire conceptualization as a character was because without him, Adam would be running S alone. Early enough in the development in the series that Tadashi hadn't properly been created yet, S was imagined as something solely belonging to Adam.
Adam is S's founder; Joe and Cherry were simply in the initial group of members, along with other people who haven't yet been named.
Additionally, from only a few pieces of dialog it's possible to narrow down when Adam started S - and it wasn't during the DK era. When Joe interrupts Reki in episode 4, he says this:
Earlier in the same episode, Cherry says this:
And the two of them have this exchange at the beginning of episode 9:
Adam, Joe and Cherry are all 26 years old (25 going on 26, in Cherry's case; he hasn't actually had his birthday by the end of season 1, but this is normal for how ages are listed for anime characters.) Seven years ago would have been the end of their last year of high school (Adam, as the oldest of the three of them, would have turned 19 just over a month after graduating high school.)
When Adam skated with Joe and Cherry was seven years ago, before he left for America, and he hasn't accepted any of their challenges since he returned to Japan. In Joe's words, this time skating together was "way before S started."
So, all together:
For some time in high school, Adam, Joe and Cherry all skated together as a group (sometimes with some other friends/gang members.) Seven years before SK8 season 1 takes place, Adam was sent away to America by his father, ending his friendship with Joe and Cherry. Some time after that (presumably upon his father's death,) he returned to Japan and founded S with Tadashi to assist him in managing it, using his influence to remove the abandoned mine from regular police patrols to protect it, and Joe and Cherry were among a larger initial group of skaters who competed at the time. Since then, he's never agreed to a beef with Joe or Cherry despite them challenging him many times, so neither of them have skated with him since S started.
TL;DR - Adam is the person who started S and he and Tadashi were always conceptualized as the only people running it, and the idea that Adam, Joe and Cherry founded it as a trio comes from a mistranslation in the dub.
Since watching his BEEF with SHADOW in episode #01, ADAM has been deeply interested in Langa. After Langa breaks out of the Love Hug, ADAM's fixation grows even stronger, and he begins calling him "Eve."
Michinori Chiba Interview (SK8 the Infinity Official Guide Book)
I think the voice cast's performances carried the visuals as well.
Character Designer & Chief Animation Directer Michinori Chiba
PROFILE
An animator affiliated with Studio Hercules. He was in charge of character design for projects including Basilisk: The Kōga Ninja Scrolls, Mobile Suit Gundam 00 and Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans, among others.
—First, how are you feeling now that episode 12 has finished airing?
Somehow, we made it...
—Could you give us your honest impressions of what you thought when you heard the outline for the series?
It sounded like it'd be a work unlike anything I'd worked on before (because no one dies) so I was interested (and thought it would be very hard.)
—Do you have any favorite episodes, or scenes that left an impression on you?
Of course I have the strongest feelings about episode 1. We were still feeling out a lot of things then.
—Could you tell us your impressions when you first saw Director Utsumi's original character concepts, or anything important you took note of about the designs?
I was glad they were such anime-like anime characters. Only Director Utsumi knows the correct interpretations of her characters, so I tried to fulfill the order as best as I could.
—Were you ever inspired by working alongside the team at Studio No Border, who did the skateboard designs and illustrations?
I have no sense at all for that, so I'm grateful to them.
—Do you have a favorite character?
ADAM and Shadow. Also Sketchy.
—What were your impressions of the voice cast's performances?
Everyone was a perfect, A+ match for their characters, and I think they carried the visuals as well.
—Can you tell us about the appeal of skateboarding we felt in the series?
If I were younger...
—Do you have any anecdotes about Okinawa, the setting for the series?
I had plans to go to Ishigakijima, but things ended up being so difficult...
—If "S" opened in the real world, what part do you think you'd be most involved in?
Watching from a distance.
—Can you send a message to all the fans who loved SK8 the Infinity?
I think it was some kind of fate that you were able to discover this series, so thank you for your continued support.
(from SK8 the Infinity OFFICIAL GUIDE BOOK, released December 22nd 2021)
Ichiro Okouchi Interview (SK8 the Infinity Official Guide Book)
Skateboarding was the peak of fun.
Series Composition & Screenwriter Ichiro Okouchi*
*(though his name is romanized "Ohkouchi" in the book, I'm choosing to write it "Okouchi" as he is usually called in English-language sources.)
PROFILE
Screenwriter and novelist. He was in charge of the series composition and screenplays for major works such as Lupin the Third PART 5, Princess Principal, and Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion, among others.
—First, how are you feeling now that episode 12 has finished airing?
FAN & FUN! In working on this series, I myself became a FAN of it, and it was a FUN series to create.
—Could you give us your honest impressions of what you thought when you heard the outline for the series?
When I heard it was an original work by Director Utsumi, I accepted right then. Utsumi-san's series have been so enjoyable to watch, after all. I only heard definitively that it was going to be a skateboarding anime after that. I had never ridden a skateboard before, but working with Utsumi-san was so appealing that I wasn't anxious in the slightest.
—Do you have any favorite episodes, or scenes that left an impression on you?
Episode 2 might be the one that made the most lasting impression on me. How I imagined episode 2 and the episode 2 the director wanted to create were different, so it was the episode that made me think, "Ah, it's this kind of series," and solidified the "image" of SK8 the Infinity in my heart. Thinking back on it, it was an important episode.
—Were there any episodes or behind-the-scenes developments that you hated to cut? (lit. "cut while crying")
There are! But, I can't say definitively that we won't use them in the future, so they're secret!
—Do you have a favorite character? Could you explain your reason why?
I like all of them, so it's difficult to single one out. Langa is dazzling, I love him. Reki, I understand your feelings! MIYA is a good kid who diligently worries about others. Shadow, I'm glad you grew up into a lovable character. Joe is an incredible adult, and if I were a woman I'd fall in love with him. Cherry Blossom might be the most pure-hearted. ADAM is the most incredible heel character, and elevated this work to the next level. Kikuchi, please keep supporting Ainosuke from now on!
—Could you tell us your impressions of the voice cast?
Of course everyone's performances were excellent, and the arrangement and balance of the youth and adult groups was wonderful too.
—Can you tell us about the appeal of skateboarding we felt in the series?
As the line in the series goes, "fun!" is what it's about. Not just when you're skating yourself, but talking to your friends, seeing your buddies' tricks, diligently practicing, and falling down are all fun. I interviewed all kinds of skaters, and it was striking how all of them made even the painful parts sound fun.
—Could you tell us any stories you would like to include in a spin-off?
I already wrote two spin-off scripts for the Blu-ray and DVD bonus CDs, so if possible, I'd like to write a continuation of the original work next.
—Do you have any anecdotes about Okinawa, the setting for the series?
The production staff and I all took our skateboards and went on a location hunt around Okinawa. It was spring, but it was already incredibly hot, and we had to scramble to buy hats. In that brightly saturated scenery, skateboarding was the peak of fun.
—If "S" opened in the real world, what part do you think you'd be most interested in?
I'd be happy to be an irresponsible spectator. But I'd at least like to try participating by Adam dragging me by the leg around a corner. (laughter)
—Can you send a message to all the fans who loved SK8 the Infinity?
Thank you so much for watching and loving SK8 the Infinity! The responses echoed stronger and stronger with each episode and filled all of us creators with strength. It was a work where we could feel the strength of everyone's support in a way that's only possible in this era of social media. I'm grateful!
(from SK8 the Infinity OFFICIAL GUIDE BOOK, released December 22nd 2021)
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Hiroko Utsumi Interview (SK8 the Infinity Official Guide Book)
Thank you... for loving SK8!*
Director Hiroko Utsumi
PROFILE
Animation director, producer, and animator. She directed the Free! series and BANANA FISH, and was in charge of production on K-On!, Nichijou (My Ordinary Life, Hyouka, The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, and others.
—First, how are you feeling now that episode 12 has finished airing?
Right after it aired, I felt like crazily dancing flamenco, but now enough time has passed that I've calmed down. Still, I keep thinking "We really finished it~!"
—Do you have any favorite episodes, or scenes that left an impression on you?
Personally, I naturally have the strongest attachment to episode 1, which I storyboarded and produced. At that point, I was fumbling through without being certain exactly what this work was going to be. The ending gave me a lot of trouble, but the image of "white snow falling in Okinawa" surpassed my expectations, and is my favorite part even now. That image is like a snow crystal formed by the professionals in each department, which can only exist through animation.
—Can you tell us about the appeal of skateboarding we felt in the series?
It made me feel like "skating is so cool!" all over again! I was convinced it was a theme that could really shine in anime, and I only felt that even more as the series continued. That heart-pounding feeling, the speed, the coolness of tricks. I'm glad I was able to portray the appeal of skating through anime.
—Are there any secret stories from production you can reveal to us now?
ADAM and Langa's white-hot BEEF scene in the last episode. At first, Kobayashi-san played Langa with a powerful air, like he was fighting, but the sound director, Masafumi Mima-san, directed him, "Do it like he's cuddling up to ADAM", and made me feel, "Yes, yes! That's exactly it!"... but after that, we went with intense background music that would suit an action scene, so the lack of tension in his voice ended up not matching up... so in the end Langa's voice was revised to sound like he was fighting again. I wanted everyone to hear the incredibly rare Langa cuddling up to ADAM...!
—Were there any episodes or behind-the-scenes developments that you hated to cut? (lit. "cut while crying")
In the original scenario, during the part of the plot where Langa is rapidly becoming obsessed with ADAM, there was a part where ADAM was going to carry Langa off to his vacation house, and Reki was going to be shocked to see the two of them having fun skating together, but... I felt like that wasn't the right direction, so I had the plot changed to what it is now. There are a lot of scenes where I wonder how things would have turned out if they'd been in the original work. If Kikuchi's "yes!" in the last episode was "woof!"... for example. (laughter)
—What were your impressions of the casting and the voice actors' performances?
Everyone played their unique characters with such splendid individuality, and conveyed the characters' charm in a way that you can't with just visuals, so I enjoyed the recording for every episode. The other day I went back to listen to Hatanaka-san and Kobayashi-san's audition tapes again, and Reki hasn't changed at all! Hatanaka-san never wavers~! I admired that. Meanwhile Langa was like a completely different person! (laughter) Langa in the audition was sharp and sarcastic, and gave off an ice-like impression, but he's changed so much up until now~! It was really moving to hear that. Now, he's like powder snow. (laughter)
—With production, props, character designs and the like, was there anything you were especially particular about?
Speaking generally, a main facet of production is pacing. It's a really important part of film-making; if the pacing is good, the work flows smoothly, and when you're watching, before you know it, it's over! I like series with that kind of good tempo to them, so I paid attention to every episode to make sure that the pacing felt good. As for the character designs, I was careful to make sure they were very unique, but also balanced. And then there's the difference in their physiques!
—If "S" opened in the real world, what part do you think you'd be most interested in?
I want to say, "Hey, have a BEEF with me!" and "Crush them with that hug, ADAM—!!"
—Can you send a message to all the fans who loved SK8 the Infinity?
Thank you... for loving SK8!* (with a blank expression) When I was working on the original work, there were times when I was BEEFing with production that made me lose the highlights in my eyes in real life, but I was able to get through it thanks to everyone's love. As their creator, I couldn't be happier that people love Reki and Langa and the others in so many different ways. The original series has ended, but their daily lives will surely continue, and we'd be happy if you could watch the series over and over again while imagining them like that. ☆ Thank you so much for watching SK8 the Infinity!
*She is directly quoting Ainosuke's line that is translated as "thank you for loving me", but here the subject is the series, not herself.
(from SK8 the Infinity OFFICIAL GUIDE BOOK, released December 22nd 2021)
"Here, here! Right in my heart!" / "Welcome home, Ainosuke-sama."
Ainosuke Shindo
"S" Name: ADAM
Birthday: May 1st
The legendary skater who founded "S". His true nature is still wrapped in mystery. Under his dazzling mask hides the face of a popular young politician.
Tadashi Kikuchi
CV: Kensho Ono
Ainosuke Shindo's secretary.
Takehito Koyasu Interview
—Koyasu-san, what sort of person do you feel ADAM is? Could you tell us any dialogue or scenes you think are key to understanding ADAM's character?
A hard worker who grew up a favored son. In BEEFs is where ADAM is the most ADAM.
—What do you consider important in portraying ADAM, and what direction did you receive?
Feelings, emotions, PASSION. They told me I overdid that a bit. (laughter)
—When you were playing ADAM, what dialogue or scenes made a lasting impression on you, and why?
Generally, ADAM's BEEFs are when he's the most appealing. The production is wonderful!
—In episodes 4 and 5, ADAM has BEEFs with Reki and Langa, but he shows an unusual obsession with Langa. What were your impressions when acting in those episodes, and what did you consider important in portraying his interactions with Langa?
A longing for him like the thirst for water. Lust. Desire. And love.
—I'd also like to ask your impressions of Cherry Blossom and Joe, the pair who are acting to try and force ADAM to open his eyes.
It's nice to have friends, isn't it?
—Also, with his close associate Kikuchi, ADAM takes a cold and disdainful attitude toward him. What are your impressions of Kikuchi, and what did you consider important in ADAM's interactions with him?
Because Kikuchi as a person is deeply intertwined with ADAM now, I can't say very much about it, but he's careful not to treat him kindly.
—Is there anything in episode 7 and onward you think we should pay particular attention to or look forward to, and do you have any messages for our readers?
It's chock full of ADAM until the end, so please look forward to that. You can't go wrong by watching!
Kojiro Nanjo Character Intro + Yasunori Matsumoto Interview (spoon.2Di vol.71)
"Skating is all about a feeling, you know what I mean?"
Kojiro Nanjo
"S" Name: Joe
Birthday: July 7th
One of the big names at "S". A cheerful womanizer whose magnificent skating style also suits his muscular body. His public face is the owner and chef of an Italian restaurant. He and Sakurayashiki are childhood friends, and fight like cats and dogs.
Yasunori Matsumoto Interview
—Matsumoto-san, what sort of person do you feel Joe is? Could you tell us any dialogue or scenes you think are key to understanding Joe's character?
He's a big-hearted and generous older brother type, isn't he? I think he's a person who stays positive and enjoys things to the fullest.
—What do you consider important in portraying Joe, and what direction did you receive?
As much as possible, I have to keep in mind not to be too intense. They told me on set that the main point is for him to be charming, so I'm agonizing over that while I'm acting.
—In the episodes up to 7 that have been broadcast so far, are there any of Joe's scenes or dialog that have had a particularly lasting impression on you?
In episode 6, his shameless lines in the first half, and during his conversation with Reki when he murmurs, "Stuff like that is what's important."
—Joe is constantly arguing with Cherry Blossom, but Matsumoto-san, how do you feel about Joe and Cherry's relationship? What did you consider important when you were playing their interactions?
In the scenes where they're bad-mouthing each other, they get riled up, but they don't hate each other.
—Regarding Joe and Cherry Blossom's old friendship with ADAM, what impression do you have of them? Could you also give us your impressions of ADAM's skating scenes in episodes 4 and 5?
I think Joe's frustrated, not being able to understand the reason why ADAM ended up changing so much. As for the skating scenes, generally, I thought he's one crazy guy. But now, I can understand him a little.
—And what are your impressions of the student characters, Reki and Langa?
In general, they're fun to watch. Being able to play friends like that is really fun too.
—Is there anything in episode 7 and onward you think we should pay particular attention to, and do you have any messages for our readers?
More and more skate battle scenes are about to start. And at the same time, you'll see the interpersonal relationships getting even deeper. I think we can all have a good time.
Kaoru Sakurayashiki Character Intro + Hikaru Midorikawa Interview (spoon.2Di vol.71)
"Carla, calculate the angle."
Kaoru Sakurayashiki
"S" Name: Cherry Blossom
Birthday: March 27th
One of the big names at "S". Assisted by his AI partner Carla, he calculates the theoretical best way to skate. His public face is that of a famous AI calligrapher. He and Nanjo are childhood friends, and fight like cats and dogs.
Hikaru Midorikawa Interview
—Midorikawa-san, what sort of person do you feel Cherry Blossom is? Could you tell us any dialogue or scenes you think are key to understanding Cherry Blossom's character?
He's an overly complicated character, so I still don't understand him very well. (wry laughter) However, if I make a mistake in my performance, I can be corrected on it, and that's a part of acting I enjoy as well. It'd be nice to see how he came to be like this depicted someday. (laughter) As for what's important at this stage, that would be his constant low-level arguments with Joe. (laughter)
—What do you consider important in portraying Cherry Blossom, and what direction did you receive?
Like I said just a moment ago, his fighting with Joe is over the top to the point of being childish. (laughter) And delivering lines with a low center of gravity to make it feel like he's riding his board.
—In the episodes up to 7 that have been broadcast so far, are there any of Cherry Blossom's scenes or dialog that have had a particularly lasting impression on you?
Naturally, his scenes with Joe. Is it that they get along so well they can argue? (laughter) I thought Cherry was a cool character type at first, so I had the feeling like, "You're really going that far!?" but now I've completely gotten used to it. (laughter) Also, I'm interested in how kind he is to Carla. Why? (laughter)
—Cherry Blossom is constantly arguing with Joe, but Midorikawa-san, how do you feel about Cherry Blossom and Joe's relationship? What did you consider important when you were playing their interactions?
If they really had a bad relationship, they probably wouldn't take things that far. (laughter) Because there are so many scenes like that, we have to be mindful of keeping up a good tempo. I'm sure they've known each other for a long time and been repeating themselves for aaaaaaages, so it has to feel smooth, doesn't it? (wry laughter)
—Regarding Cherry Blossom, Joe, and ADAM, what impression do you have of them? Could you also give us your impressions of ADAM's skating scenes in episodes 4 and 5?
Something definitely happened between them in the past, didn't it? It's funny how Cherry has some kind of burning desire to fight him, but keeps getting flippantly ignored by ADAM. (laughter) As for ADAM's skating, it's absolutely crazy. (laughter) But it makes me want to watch it over and over again, or rather, it's addictive. (wry laughter)
—And what are your impressions of the student characters, Reki and Langa?
Absolutely adorable! Pure! Please skate together for your whole lives! ♪
—Is there anything in the upcoming story you think we should pay particular attention to, or look forward to?
How will Reki, who hasn't yet gotten to do anything protagonist-like, shape up to fill the position of a protagonist? (wry laughter) Also, Reki and Langa's friendship. I'd like them to keep being friends for a loooooong time.
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"I want to hear the ding of leveling up for the first time in a while. You're fine with it, right?" / "Which of you will skate? I won't mind both of you at once!"
Miya Chinen
"S" Name: MIYA
Birthday: February 22nd
A middle school first year and a hopeful for the Japanese national skateboarding team. He's a talented skater who can easily pull off high-level tricks. He has a cheeky personality and loves video games.
Hiromi Higa
"S" Name: Shadow
Birthday: September 14th
The self-proclaimed Dynamite Flower blooming at "S". He uses every dirty trick in the book to toy with his opponents. His public face is that of a mild-mannered florist.
Takuma Nagatsuka Interview
—When you were playing MIYA, what sort of direction did you receive from the staff? What did you consider important to your portrayal?
They told me not to forget that even though he acts prickly, Reki and Langa and the others are precious friends to him, and that left a lasting impression on me. Even at times where he talks like he's keeping his distance and pushing them away, those aren't his true feelings. I was very conscious of trying to convey that contradictory nuance.
—MIYA really gave his all in the BEEF in episode 3. Could you give us your impressions from when you were performing, and tell us your feelings about what Reki and Langa are to MIYA?
Honestly, seeing him lose to Langa, who could still barely skateboard (he's more experienced than MIYA at snowboarding) was devastating to me, and not just as the person playing MIYA! I think for him, who'd lost his friends and is living totally dependent on his skills as a national team hopeful, it's a tremendous humiliation. But because he experiences losing to Langa, he's able to tone down his conceit for others, and thanks to Reki he's able to realize the importance of having friends to free you from despair. I think Reki and Langa become irreplaceable friends and rivals to MIYA.
—Do you have any stories from recording with Reki and Langa's voice actors, Hatanaka-san and Kobayashi-san?
Because of the situation with production, we often recorded in different booths, and being surrounded by our seniors, the atmosphere was tense and we were focused on the work, so I don't have much I could call stories, but it seems that Tasuku likes the same "salt crystal" toothpaste as Reki. (laughter) Oh, and I bought a skateboard recently, so Chiaki-kun and I made a three-person group chat on LINE with him right away and we've been talking about going to skate together.
—In episode 6, enjoying the beach and the hot springs with Reki and the others and get covered in mud, we were able to see the real MIYA. In particular, when he called Joe "papa" and all that, that cheekiness and charm felt so MIYA-like. What were your impressions and memories from recording?
Personally, episode 6 is one of my favorite episodes. Up until now there's been so many developments that there's barely been time to catch our breath, so you could say we finally had a chance to take a break. (laughter) I was happy to see MIYA getting to act like a mischievous middle schooler when he was calling Joe "papa". Maybe he's overcompensating for having lost his friends before, but he's actually a real attention-seeker. He's like a needy cat who can't be left alone, that MIYA. (laughter)
—Are there any other characters in the work you like, or think we should pay particular attention to?
Of course, as the one playing him, I think you should pay attention to MIYA. (laughter) But my favorite character is Joe. I always end up liking muscular characters. He's got that adult charm and manliness. I guess what I want is the things I don't have? (laughter)
—Is there anything coming up in the story that you thing we should pay close attention to?
I assume since watching episode 6, everyone's understanding and appreciation for the characters has gotten even deeper. Episode 7 is past a turning point, so the story's going to pick up the pace and get even more intense from here on out. I'm sure it'll be more exciting and move your heart even more than the first half... Hang on tight so you don't get shaken off!
—Finally, please send a message to all our readers.
The pain of thinking you have no talent. The struggles that come from having talent. The things you lose by having too much talent. This story is born from each and every character's feelings clashing and conflicting. Isn't there at least one character you sympathize with so much it hurts? Through this work, I hope I can convey through MIYA how to face that pain and find a path to overcoming it. Thank you, and please enjoy and support us until the end!
Langa Hasegawa Character Intro & Chiaki Kobayashi Interview (spoon.2Di vol.71)
"Right now... I'm having fun!"
Langa Hasegawa
"S" Name: SNOW
Birthday: February 8th
A returnee* transfer student from Canada, and a high school second year who's always spacing out. He sometimes shows a stubborn side.
(*note that "returnee" here refers to a child with Japanese nationality through their parent(s) who's come to Japan after living elsewhere, but includes children who were born overseas - this doesn't imply anything one way or another about if Langa was born in Canada or Okinawa.)
Chiaki Kobayashi Interview
—When you were playing Langa, what sort of direction did you receive from the staff? What did you consider important to your portrayal?
My own impression of Langa is that he looks cool at a glance, but is an unexpectedly expressive and aggressive boy. So when we were recording the first episode, I played him really lively, like he could keep up with Reki. And then in direction I was told "we want him to be more spaced out and out of touch", "he should go at his own pace without discussing things with Reki." Moreover, that as the story progressed from here, he'd gradually show more expressions. I think it was exactly because I received that direction that Langa began to come to life as a character to me.
—In episode 5, Langa has his first BEEF with ADAM. Could you give us your impressions from when you were performing, and tell us how you perceive what ADAM is to Langa?
I think, to Langa, ADAM is someone who can show him sights he's never seen before, and can teach him a kind of excitement he's still never experienced first-hand. So, when I was recording episode 5, he pursued him without any negative feelings like fear or worry he could lose. But because I got direction that I was coming on too strong and it felt like Langa would win from the beginning of the race, I had to be conscious of the balance between being overwhelmed when he was supposed to be overwhelmed, but still chomping at the bit. I was really overjoyed to be able to talk everything until now out with a great veteran on the front lines like Koyasu-san. (laughter)
—Episode 6 turned out to be a really fun episode. What were your impressions and memories from recording?
We, the cast, will enjoy ourselves! After this, we're over the hill! That's how we got through it. (laughter) The episodes right before and after this were particularly hard, so this was a pretty extreme difference in intensity. But thanks to this episode, we were able to deepen the camaraderie between the characters, and dig into each character in more depth, so I think it was a really important episode.
—Are there any other scenes in the story so far that have made a lasting impression on you, or episodes you remember recording the most strongly?
Episode 2 made a lingering impression on me. Episode 2 was an important episode that really condensed Reki and Langa's deepening relationship and the joy of skating. Episode 1 was still the episode where they first met, so Reki and Langa weren't really opening their hearts up to one another yet. But in episode 2, they're dealing with the same things, they're sharing their "fun" with one another, and gradually start to get along. It was an episode without a race in it, but I think it's this episode that really solidified Reki and Langa's friendship. On top of that, because the episode's crammed full of things that beginner skaters go through, people who've never skated before can have the sense that they're growing alongside Langa, while experienced skaters can have a taste of nostalgia and think "I used to do that!", so I thought the composition of the episode was amazing.
—Is there anything coming up in the story that you thing we should pay close attention to?
I think you should look out for the outcome of the tournament, that everyone will be staking their hopes on when they compete, and what will happen to Reki and Langa. Of course the main draw of a tournament is who's going to battle who, and which pair is going to end up competing in the finals, but underneath that, there's an intricate web of human relationships depicted from all sorts of angles that you can't tear your eyes away from. I think you'll enjoy it, even when it's heart-wrenching. (laughter)
—Finally, please send a message to all our readers.
Will Langa go down the same path as ADAM? What will happen to Reki and Langa's relationship? There are a lot of things to be anxious about, but please keep watching over those two! The staff and cast are working together as one to do our best to show you those things, so please keep waiting with infinite anticipation! I think there will be more and more developments unfolding that you won't expect. Thank you, and enjoy!
