Bringing His Ego to the Role: BLUE LOCK Voice Actor Kazuki Ura

ANN’s coverage of Anime NYC 2023 sponsored by Yen Press and Ize Press!

At Anime NYC 2023, Anime News Network had the opportunity to sit down with the voice actor Kazuki Ura, the voice of BLUELOCK‘s main protagonist Isagi, and Ryōya Arisawa, the producer of the hit sports anime BLUELOCK. One of the defining elements of the series is its emphasis on personal evolution through an exploration of ego, a selfish desire to be the best in your field. While not necessarily a part of the same overly dramatized environment in the show, Ura does describe how his ego also plays a major part in bringing the character of Isagi to life.

Ura explains, “As a voice actor, I have the ego that I don’t want to lose to anybody. I want to be the best at everything, especially when it comes to the character of Isagi.”

Ura was a fan of the original manga and connected with the character before he found out the staff was producing an anime. According to Arisawa, the characters of Isagi and Bachira had an extensive audition process, with the production staff going through a large number of voice actors per character. After sifting through so many voice actors with the other producers, the series director, and the original manga author, they knew that Ura was the perfect voice for the character.

Ura claims that Isagi is a character that constantly needs to one-up himself to survive in BLUELOCK and tries to carry a similar mindset when voicing the character.

“So for Isagi, it’s almost like everything he does has a life at stake. Anything that he does, anything that he says, can change someone else’s life or their career. So every time he plays, it’s almost like every line I deliver also means that maybe I’m going to die.” Not only is he aware that Isagi can’t be tied down for flexibility and character exploration, but he even lets some of that ego bleed into the character.

During the Anime NYC BLUELOCK panel, Ura reminisced about how he approached the rivalry between Isagi and Rin. During the last episode, Ura felt such an urge to beat Rin that he accidentally read Rin’s lines, to which the staff responded, “That’s very egoistic of you.” It is a funny story to share with the fans but also one that displays Ura’s level of commitment to the role. He enthusiastically shared with Anime News Network, “Obviously, the original authors know the best, but as a voice actor, I think that I also understand just as much about the character of Isagi.”

Ura got the chance to demonstrate this at the panel after watching a fan-voted episode. Episode 17, titled “Donkey,” stands out as a definitive moment for Isagi’s character. I rated the episode highest when I was reviewing season one. It’s no surprise when you consider that this episode perfectly displays Isagi’s ego as he uses one of the most selfish characters in the show to accomplish his personal goals. It all accumulates in Isagi standing over Barou and calling him a donkey. Ura said he practiced that line delivery numerous times to get it right and even recited it for the fans.

According to Arisawa, “We had a clear vision of how we wanted to capture the moment Isagi’s ego gets awakened. The moment of awakening in the original drawing is already very cool. So we wanted to make sure that when it gets animated, in terms of the story, how it gets there, and also the visual animation, we wanted to make sure that it’s just as cool.”

Ura isn’t the only one with an ego; Arisawa also has a vision. According to Arisawa, “I’m the biggest fan, and as such, I want to make this show the biggest hit ever! I want to bring excitement and fun to the audience. So I might get others involved in some trouble because of my passion, but that’s my ego…” Considering these things, it’s no wonder that BLUELOCK has resonated strongly with anime fans. In a series where every individual player is trying to one-up themselves, which leads to the overall team performing better, the show’s production also reflects this. When the individual parts are all performing at their best, it’s no surprise that the final product turns out to be as high quality as it is, and I am thoroughly looking forward to when season two arrives!