The upcoming anime series Dandadan is being produced by a talented team of artists, including character designer Onda Naoyuki, creature designer Kameda Yoshimichi, and series first-time director Yamashiro Fuuga. But one of the most well-known figures in the production is Ushio Kensuke. He’s the composer behind such anime classics as Ping Pong, Chainsaw Man, and Liz and the Blue Bird, as well as being both a solo artist (under the name Agraph) and a former member of the rock band Lama. In that capacity, he’s performed with former members of legendary J-rock bands Supercar and Number Girl.
At Anime NYC, Comics Beat was lucky enough to have the opportunity to ask Ushio Kensuke a few questions. Also on hand was Aoi Hiroyuki, a producer at MBS known for producing a number of great shows, including Dandadan. Aoi previously appeared at the premiere of the English dub of Dandadan and spoke of his admiration for the series. “Dandadan has ghosts, aliens, action and even romantic comedy,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a series like this in Japan right now.”
The following interview has been edited for clarity and content.
Adam Wescott: Kensuke Ushio, I’d like to start with a selfish question. I’m a fan of Number Girl and Bloodthirty Butchers. Do you have any memories of collaborating with Hisako Tabuchi as part of Llama?
KENSUKE USHIO: She’s like a samurai. She handles the guitar like a sword. She’s also very friendly. She asks me if I can do a take and plays the guitar “dada-da-da-da-da.” It’s amazing.
Wescott: That’s really cool.
Ushio: I respect her. Also, if you listen to the Chainsaw Man soundtrack, it’s her playing the guitar.
Wescott: Our next question is with you, Hiroyuki Aoi. You were a producer on the 2019 anime adaptation of Blade of the Immortal, which featured composer Eiko Ishibashi (who appeared in last year’s film There Is No Evil). Did you play a role in bringing Ishibashi onto the project? What do you think of her music?
Hiroyuki Aoi: Blade of the Immortal? Do you know the Japanese title?
WESCOTT: Blade of the Immortal.
AOI: I see. Sorry, I wasn’t really involved in that.
Ushio: I have a lot of respect for Eiko Ishibashi. She has worked not only on anime, but also on highly acclaimed live-action films like “Drive My Car.” So, did she also do the music for “Blade of the Immortal”?
Wescott: Yes, that’s right. The director is interesting too. It’s Hiroshi Hamasaki, who previously directed “Techno Rise” and “Steins;Gate.”
Aoi: Ah, Hamasaki-san!
Ushio: This is more like a chat than an interview.
WESTCOTT: (Gesturing toward the representatives from GKIDS and AnimeNYC) I know that’s not what they want, but…
(Everyone laughs)
Ushio: No, it’s okay. I’m relaxed.
Wescott: One more question for Ushio-san. Dandadan’s manga artist, Yukinobu Ryu, was originally an assistant to Chainsaw Man’s manga artist, Tatsuki Fujimoto. Did you have Chainsaw Man in mind when you were writing the Dandadan manga, or did you try to get it out of your mind?
Ushio: I wasn’t thinking about Chainsaw Man at all. When I’m working on a piece and I’m thinking about another piece, it’s a bit rude to incorporate parts of that piece. I’m just thinking of it as a separate piece.
Wescott: I have one more question for Ushio-san. During the Dandadan panel today, you were talking about your use of chopping and remixing in the soundtrack. Dandadan has a lot of elements that contradict each other, like aliens, spirits, and different worlds occupying the same place. When combining these genres, did you think about using music to help bring consistency to these different parts? Or did you instead strive to make these parts stand out?
Ushio: I talked with the sound director about wanting to separate the music for the alien side and the ghost side. But it’s like changing clothes on a dress-up doll. For example, if you put on this outfit, you become the alien side. But if you take that off and put on this, you become the ghost side. So I tried combining a lot of different things.
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