Nozuyama Yukihiro Interview for Animage Magazine
This interview was taken from March 2018 Animage Magazine vol. 478. Make sure to buy it to support Hypnosis Mic and Nozuyama.
The mystery of the gambling enthusiast and the radio cassette mystery
——What kind of character is Arisugawa Dice?
Nozuyama: He is someone with gap in appearance. The first time I saw his visual, I got the impression that he would absolutely tear down any guy with his fighting spirit. But as I got to know his character, I noticed that he has a childish or like a youngest child side. If you just look at Fling Posse, you would think he’s probably the oldest one, but he’s actually the youngest. By the way, he’s the heaviest of the 12 characters, weighing in at 77kg. He’s surprisingly well built, could it be because of the weight of that radio cassette he has in the first illustration…
——First of all, why does Dice have a radio cassette?
Nozuyama: That’s a mystery. Maybe he had it since he encountered Amemura Ramuda, or maybe he’s had it since birth. I hope this will be revealed to us someday (laughs).
——Arisugawa Dice is a gambling enthusiast, isn’t he?
Nozuyama: I’m sure Arisugawa Dice likes any and all types of gambling. Even I haven’t been told why he became a gambling enthusiast yet. He is a young man that seeks the feeling of thrill so much that he once placed his life on the betting table, I wonder what happened and how it happened, I’d be happy if they describe it in the future. He’s crazy about gambling, yet what felt more thrilling than any of his gambling experiences was when Ramuda showed him the “world in which you can battle with hypnosis microphones”. The hypnosis microphone acts directly on the mind and its power can even kill people depending on how it’s used. Dice’s MC name is “Dead Or Alive”, which means “To die or to live”. It’s without a doubt the thrill Dice is searching for.
——What kind of team is Fling Posse?
Nozuyama: They are a cuteish team that makes you feel young. Although this could be because Ramuda, who is the center, is cute. The three members are composed of: a designer, a gambler and a novelist. When I look at the team’s occupations, gambler is definitely the most mysterious one. I wonder if it’ll become an actual occupation (laughs). Out of the four teams, they are the only team whose past isn’t shown. Yumeno Gentaro is also enigmatic, and it seems like Ramuda can’t read the atmosphere properly, it feels like there’s something hidden below the surface. However, even though it’s likely there is something hidden, I think Dice hasn’t noticed anything (laughs). It feels like Ramuda has Dice dancing in the palm of his hand.
——What kind of image does Gentaro have?
Nozuyama: I think that Gentaro catches on less than Ramuda. It looks like he joined Fling Posse by going along with Ramuda, but what is the truth? I can never tell if what Gentaro says is the truth or a lie. He has this mysterious side that attracts me. It’s good to have a character like Gentaro spreading wild ideas. Maybe even the entire “Hypnosis Mic” story is made up by Gentaro, and Dice is just a character in it. Sometimes I have crazy ideas (laughs). I would be scared if that were true. If Dice messes up, Gentaro could think he’s a useless character and erase him (laughs). But, seeing the interactions in the drama CD, Gentaro and Dice seem to get along just fine, so it’s okay.
——I will be asking about the songs now. To start with, twelve people sang in the “Hypnosis Mic- Division Rap Battle -” song.
Nozuyama: I remember that my first thought when I heard the sample was “This has such a serious feeling!”. It’s interesting for a gambler to rap and the song is very cool. But, I was worried about how serious it was. I originally had a “bad” image of hip-hop, so it wasn’t positive. However, when I actually got involved with it, I saw that it wasn’t like that.
——How was it singing your part of the 12 person song?
Nozuyama: Continuing the mic relay from Ikebukuro, as soon as it got to Shibuya it rose up one tone. You can feel Fling Posse’s popness from this part alone. In Dice’s lyrics is the punchline “game-stalling joker”. It’s an impressive word, a favorite of mine. The way I sang this punchline in the sample, there was no force so it had this cool feeling to it. Yet, when I heard that “Dice has a pure child-like side” I changed it to a more bursting way of singing.
——How about your solo song “3$EVEN”?
Nozuyama: Out of the Shibuya Division solos, I think this song is the closest to what people think rap is. You can see a lot of Dice in his lyrics, especially during the “Hit it, hit it” and “It’s but a dream” phrases. Having the punchline be “It’s but a dream” is a bit disappointing (laughs). Even though he’s born with luck, he’s just barely surviving, life is never easy, right?
The match against Shinjuku requires a meeting?!
——It was announced that entering the new chapter “Battle Season”, Fling Posse will be battling against Shinjuku Division’s Matenrou.
Nozuyama: In Matenrou is my mentor, Hayami Show-san, as Jinguji Jakurai. That’s why I have to stay motivated! Matenrou looks like a cooperative team. Hifumi is very excited, Doppo is the straightman, and Jinguji-san has the image of wrapping them together.
——Jakurai has healing abilities, right?
Nozuyama: That’s right! Even if the three members of Shibuya Division keep attacking Hifumi and Doppo, Jinguji-san can keep healing them. The ability to heal from a distance is a huge problem. So it might be best to attack Jinguji-san with three people. But Jakurai-san could keep healing himself being “quite hard to defeat” and could be hard to handle since there’s still the chance of being attacked by Hifumi and Doppo…
——What do you think is most likely Fling Posse’s strength?
Nozuyama: Fling Posse gives off the vibe of not being the most cooperative team out of the four. They stand out a lot individually. But, having tricky tactics as a strong point, hopefully fighting without understanding might work… It might be necessary to hold a meeting with the three members of Fling Posse!
——What would you like to do with “Hypnosis Mic” in the future?
Nozuyama: I’d like to try a song with the other members of Fling Posse. The three would have a good feeling when brought together, it could have tremendous power. On the Niconama’s lyric match, I was able to show my rapping, if it wasn’t for everyone before I wouldn’t have been able to show this composition, I would be happy to do a live someday. It would be nice to do a mic relay with all 12 members on stage. Also, I would like to write my own lyrics someday. More practice is necessary for now…
——The lyrics used for lyric match on the Niconama live are submitted by the viewers.
Nozuyama: Previously, when I went on the broadcast two days before my birthday I was glad that people sent in lyrics related to it. Our viewers’ skills keep going up everyday, so I have to work hard too. Maybe I should submit something too next time (laughs).
——Lastly, please send a message to the readers!
Nozuyama: We’re finally entering the “Battle Season”. I’m also looking forward to what kind of battles there will be and I’ll keep improving my skills. Please support Fling Posse and take them to the final battle. Thank you!
You can check out more about Nozuyama here
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