Anime Anime Global

New futuristic TV “ABEMA” is currently streaming the first original voice actor show called “SAY YOU TO YOASOBI” at AnimeCH, and the show marked the 4th anniversary on April 2, 2021.

Here at Anime!Anime!, we conducted the interviews with MCs in each day of the week to celebrate the 4th anniversary and the beginning of the new season. We asked their history and passion toward future “SAY YOU TO YOASOBI”.

We conducted the interview to the new MC Hatanaka Tasuku and Seki Tomokazu, who are in charge of Firday’s show. Seki-san commented that since it is Friday’s show, he wants to make the show so that the audience can feel like weekend. We dig deeper into his thoughts.

【Interview conducted and article written by: Mori Motoyuki, Photographs taken by Fujita Ayumi】

-Congratulation on your continuation of “SAY YOU TO YOASOBI” MC for 2021. What is your honest feeling?

Seki: When I received an offer for the first time, I thought, “I want to continue this work at least 3 years”. Now, I am allowed to do MC for the 4th year, so I want to do this for 5th year. I want to continue this until this completes nicely. If I feel accomplished doing this after 5 years, I will retire.

-What was your most impressive episode of this show?

Seki: Although I really love the episode that I did rakugo, but when this show picked up the family robot called “LOVOT” and spent time with it, I broke into tears to say goodbye. I remember that well because I don’t show tears to others often. I still live with “LOVOT”. It is very cute, but I have to hospitalize it since it does not work well again.

I also remember the episode of Karaoke freely because that program was acceptable only with Morikubo Shoutarou.

-We see you sleeping often with oxygen capsule and when experiencing massage.

Seki: It is because the staff told me that I can fall asleep. A piece of acting is hidden behind when I said, “I fell asleep with massage machine”, but I seriously fell asleep with oxygen capsule.

-Do you usually take care of you body?

Seki: I take a bath often. I sometimes go to massage. I take a light massage, because I don’t favor painful ones.

-What is your passion toward continuing Friday’s show?

Seki: Although “SAY YOU TO YOASOBI” has hardworking MCs, but I think the MCs go crazy as they approach to the weekends. Therefore, I think we can go crazy in the acceptable level. Although I get scolded if I go too crazy, but showing weekend-like atmosphere is important.

-What kind of program do you want to do in the show?

Seki: I want to continue with the program that invites the professionals of various fields. We have so far invited professional chef to learn fish cooking and professional musician to create sound effects. When the buckwheat noodle professional came to studio to teach me how to cook, I could cook the noodles nicely, although I could not do it well by teaching myself.

-What is your goal for this year?

Seki: I want to cook udon and ramen from the beginning. I love cooking, it’s fun. Also, I started collecting retro, old figures from the last year, like old Ultraman and tokusatsu heroes. Maybe I can bring a few of my collection to the studio every week because I collected a lot.

-What is so appealing about the retro figures?

Seki: The point that they are ugly. The modern figures are so nicely designed that they match perfectly with the original design or one in the show, but retro figure doesn’t have nice posture and that is lovely. I can imagine that the professionals carve the candles hand by hand to enjoy the kids, and that makes me emotional.
Some figures have names on the foot because they are sold and bought by many other people. I also like cleaning and taking care of it.

There are many cleaning methods. You break it into pieces, warm it with a hair dryer, make it soft, break it into pieces again, put that in neutral cleaning chemicals, and then wash it. Some white sections have yellow stain, so I put that section in the chemicals. When those kind of process is continued over the days, the figure gets back its original condition. These process makes me love the figures.

I want to create a figure in the show. I want the professional to teach me how to create, and eventually make a ABEMA-kun figure.

-What kind of guest do you prefer to come?

Seki: I love the professionals, but I also want to meet ordinary people. I once invited a famous tax driver, who often carries the actors from a place to another. I really enjoyed talking with him through the phone connected the studio and the driver at work.
Moreover, the staff loved the violin teacher we once invited, and the staff kept inviting her since then. I wonder who is interested in her, from the beginning? But it is so fun to invite those kind of guests.

-We see many unique guests to the show.

Seki: I once rescued by the staff when a dominatrix tried to put her butt on my face. Staffs stop me from doing those too aggressive things, though they usually let me do. The show is run by considering the acceptable line. I want to have moderately dirty jokes in the show.

– That episode is unique to “SAY YOU TO YOASOBI”. Do you want to visit show of any other day of the week?

Seki: I have not visited Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I want to have a serious talk when I visit the show held on other day of the week.

-This show is based on “night routine”, but do you have “morning routine”?

Seki: Every morning I drink protein to drop my weight, since I got fat too much. I eat rice, but when I only took in proteins, my weight dropped more than I expected and I thought, “maybe this method is right for me”. I am not young, so I feel like I need to start caring about my body.

-Do you have any message for your partner MC, Hatanaka Tasuku?

Seki: Please react without hesitating. If no reaction is made for my crazy actions, I am simply crazy, not funny. He is a good friend of mine, so I believe we can do this nicely.

-Please send a message to your fans.

Seki: “SAY YOU TO YOASOBI” is now marked the 4th anniversary, and keep experiencing renewals, but I want to keep the Friday’s show in the way we did previously since familiar show is wanted. White I make such comment, I often run the show provisionally, so please relax by watching us do things freely.