Anime Expo 2024: The Kinnikuman Staff Throws Down With Anime Herald

Note: Due to the time-sensitive nature of our coverage, this will debut on the main Anime Herald site on July 27. We apologize for the inconvenience

• Interviewer: Seth Burn

• Date: 7/6/2024

• Editor: Samantha Ferreira
  

Anime Herald: I remember the action figures of M.U.S.C.L.E. from back in the 80’s. What do you think has led to the enduring popularity of Kinnikuman?

Kinnikuman: That’s a tough question. I had tons of those figures.

Everyone had the M.U.S.C.L.E. action figures back in the day. They all played with them. I think that’s part of the reason why it is still going strong. The author is still writing the manga, [and] people still read it. There’s a lot of passion around it. I think that’s why it’s still going strong.

Anime Herald: The original Kinnikuman run had a lot of villains change sides after their battles. Is that something we can look forward to in the new anime?

Kinnikuman: That’s something you’ll need to watch to see?

Anime Herald: What led you personally to join the anime industry? What are your origin stories?

Director Akira Sato: I was hospitalized from a biking accident. I didn’t have anything to do, so I watched Evangelion. That was my start.

Anime Herald: I want to make sure I completely understand. You had something very depressing happen to you, the bike accident, and then you watched a very depressing show and decided “This is what I want”?

Director Akira Sato: For me, the bike accident wasn’t really depressing. I was just bored and watched Evangelion. Watching it, I wondered “Can I draw something like that?”

I hadn’t actually drawn anything until then. That’s what got me into drawing.

Producer Rui Kuroki: When I was trying to find a job, the job that finally accepted me first just happened to be an anime studio, Production I.G. It was close to where I lived. I didn’t even know it was an anime studio.

Producer Rui Kuroki: When I was first looking them up, it just said, “We make videos.” I thought to myself, “Well, there are lots of types of videos.” When I finally joined, I discovered that they happened to make anime.

My first project with them was the animation for Kill Bill.

Anime Herald: What was your role with Production I.G?

Producer Rui Kuroki: I started in production and grew into the producer role.

Anime Herald: What stories can you share about the production of this season of Kinnikuman?

Kinnikuman: The hardest thing was that everyone on the staff really loves Kinnikuman, so we had to stop them from going overboard. Sometimes, I (Director Akira Sato) would also join in and make things worse.

At the first meeting with the authors, Yudetamago, we did introductions for all the production staff. The director’s job was to keep the staff from going overboard in that meeting.

Anime Herald: Obviously this is a very fun project. Is this the kind of project where you think “Maybe we should go overboard? Maybe that’s more in tune with Kinnikuman?

Kinnikuman: I’m not sure we’re doing a very good job of keeping the staff under control right now.

We haven’t had much success in stopping the staff from going overboard. That might be why it’s so much fun. We’re having fun producing Kinnikuman every day. That might be the reason why.

Anime Herald: If we’re being serious for a moment, making anime is very hard. A lot of work has to get done at every stage to get something from the page to the screen. Is this the first project you’ve worked on where everyone was so passionate about it?

Kinnikuman: In particular, the character designer is very passionate. He shows his passion very strongly. I think that creates a very exciting workplace. That passion transfers to everyone there.

Anime Herald: Speaking of passion, how difficult was it to find the proper voice actors?

Kinnikuman: It was very difficult to find the right voice actors for Kinnikuman. We didn’t quite reach the point where we were fighting with each other, but lots of people auditioned for the roles. Everyone there wanted to put out the absolute best work they could. After all of the auditions we had to choose who got the roles. We feel we’ve come up with a good cast for this. After the show comes out, we want you to listen to it and tell us if we’ve made the right choice.

Anime Herald: Is there any particular episode you put extra work into, or any particular scene we should look out for?

Kinnikuman: It might actually be in the promotional video. There’s a scene where Prince Kamehame and Kinnikuman (Suguru Kinniku) interact together. There’s some symbolism there of the old passing on the baton to the new. I hope people pay attention to that scene and enjoy it?

Anime Herald: Did you watch the original anime series?

Kinnikuman: Producer Rui Kuroki has watched it, but director Akira Sato hasn’t watched it.

Anime Herald: The original series wasn’t allowed to air in the United States because it was too violent.

Kinnikuman: That is the first time I’ve heard about this.

Anime Herald: Yes. There was the Toei animation from 1983-1986. We didn’t get it.

Kinnikuman: I’d heard that Kinnikuman wasn’t very well known in the United States. That might be one of the reasons.

Anime Herald: The story wasn’t well known, but the toys were. The toys were everywhere for a little while, and then they disappeared.

Kinnikuman: It was the same in Japan, where you could find them anywhere back then. They were everywhere.

Anime Herald: They were good, they were fun. 

Which is your favorite character or characters?

Director Akira Sato: As I work on the storyboards my opinion keeps changing. This guy looks cool, and then this guy looks cool. In a previous interview I said Robin Mask is my favorite. Because my favorite character keeps changing, now I’ll say Akuma Shogun

Anime Herald: Is this your first time here in America?

Director Akira Sato: Yes, it is my first time?

Anime Herald: What do you think?

Director Akira Sato: I just got here. I haven’t walked into town yet, so I don’t really know.

Anime Herald: How long will you be staying?

Director Akira Sato: Two more days.

Anime Herald: Is there anything you’re looking forward to?

Director Akira Sato: I love cars, so just looking at American cars on the road. I want to see the Cybertruck.

Lucas DeRuyter: Petersen Automotive Museum. I highly recommend it.

Director Akira Sato: Maybe we’ll go there after this.

(Editor's note: I second the recommendation for the Petersen Automotive Museum. It’s great. Also, my first experience seeing the Cybertruck was from behind at LAX. It looked like a low budget prop vehicle from a late night Cinemax sci-fi movie. 10/10, no notes.)

Anime Herald: Same question for producer Rui Kuroki.

Producer Rui Kuroki: This is my fifth time. It’s my third time at Anime Expo. I visited other places the other two times.

Anime Herald: What do you look forward to now that you’re back?

Producer Rui Kuroki: The food.

Anime Herald: Anything in particular?

Producer Rui Kuroki: Steak. It’s tasty. We had some yesterday.

Anime Herald: Shifting gears, with streaming, anime has become much more popular in the United States. Has that changed what kind of projects you can do?

Kinnikuman: When we’re making the anime, we’re not thinking about the US, or Europe, or any other region. We’re just making what we want to make. It’s great that other regions really like what we’re putting out.

Anime Herald: When you first had the chance to get involved in this project, did you immediately know that this was something you wanted to do?

Producer Rui Kuroki: When I first heard, I thought “I have to do this,” because I am a huge fan.

Director Akira Sato: For me, I’m not a huge fan like producer Kuroki. When I first got the offer, I thought, “Other people might love this series more,” so I wasn’t sure I should do it. But when I was reading the manga, I thought, “Oh! I can make a really fun show out of this.”

Anime Herald: What is it you love most about the show?

Producer Rui Kuroki: It’s not so much that I love it. It’s that it is a part of my life. If it wasn’t there, I would feel very insecure.

Anime Herald: Is it like you feel a responsibility to do this?

Producer Rui Kuroki: It’s more that I want to see this show, which is why I’m making it. If I didn’t, no one else might do it, and the production might not happen. If I want to see it, I have to make it. It’s not a sense of responsibility. I just want to watch Kinnikuman.

Anime Herald: That’s a great answer.

Shifting gears again, do you have any questions for us?

Kinnikuman: What got you into Kinnikuman? Was it the characters? The story? The action? The wrestling?

Anime Herald: (Wrestling pose with sound effects)

Kinnikuman: (Laughs) In the United States, there’s a lot of wrestling. For example, you can watch WWE on television. It seems to be everywhere. Does everyone love wrestling in the United States?

Anime Herald: It has a passionate fanbase, but a lot of it comes down to the stars. There are wrestlers we really want to see.

You remember Andre the Giant? I loved to watch him, he was awesome. He was in The Princess Bride and helped make it a great movie.

A long time ago wrestling used to be regional. You’d have traveling wrestlers that were usually paid to lose to the hometown champions to make them look good. Eventually, the WWE (nee WWF, nee WWWF) bought up a lot of the smaller leagues to form a giant federation.

Kyle Kusch, The Basement Geographer

Wrestling learned a lot from soap operas. It learned how to tell highly emotional stories. Professional wrestling is often highly emotional. These are men with big muscles, but also big emotions.

Kinnikuman: What do you think the demographic for Kinnikuman Ultimate Wrestling is here in the United States? Kids or adults?

Anime Herald: I would say adults.

Kinnikuman: When we were first discussing the project, we wanted to make it like a Japanese version of The Avengers, so it would appeal to a more adult audience. In the past, a lot of these comic movies were made for kids. Now they are making movies that adults can also enjoy. In terms of what we were trying to do with Kinnikuman, we wanted to do the same thing. If adults are watching this, we achieved what we set out to do.

Anime Herald: Something you should know is that, when I was growing up, we didn’t have the story; we just had the toys. It was the next generation that got Ultimate Muscle. That was in 2002. I think you’re going to have your own generation. You’re going to make new friends.

Kinnikuman: That is exactly what we are hoping for. We want everyone to watch and enjoy Kinnikuman.

Anime Herald: My grandmother loved professional wrestling. When I was a kid, she explained that I thought it was about the violence. She explained that it was really about conflict resolution among men.

Kinnikuman: That’s exactly what we are trying to do with Kinnikuman. We want to get that message across.

Anime Herald: Any other questions?

Kinnikuman: Who is your favorite character?

Anime Herald: I don’t remember his name. It was the character that was part car, part man.

(Editor's note: His name is Big Radial. Also, I like Max Radial)

Anime Herald: I remember that the main character… he… he did not look intelligent.

Kinnikuman: That’s right. He’s not very smart, but he has a passionate heart.

Anime Herald: That’s what the show is about, passion. That’s what the production is about.

Kinnikuman: That’s exactly what it is.

You mentioned that the original wasn’t broadcast in the United States, but that Ultimate Muscle was. Is it possible that folks here in the United States don’t know the story that happens right before the perfect origin arc?

Anime Herald: Yeah, we don’t.

Kinnikuman: We reveal a lot of that in episode 0.

Anime Herald: There are people who cheated by reading the manga. They’ll know.

Kinnikuman: I guess if only Ultimate Muscle was broadcast, that’s just how it would be.

Anime Herald: Thank you. This was fun.

Kinnikuman: Thank you.