Official Interview Featuring Ryota Osaka, Nobunaga Shimazaki, and Takahiro Sakurai Now Available! Reflecting on what has changed, and what hasn’t over the years.
An official interview with Ryota Osaka (Eijun Sawamura), Nobunaga Shimazaki (Satoru Furuya), and Takahiro Sakurai (Kazuya Miyuki) from the TV anime Ace of the Diamond act II -Second Season- is now available!
Laughing as they remarked, “We’ve all gotten older, haven’t we? (laughs),” the cast reflected on what has changed — and what has remained the same — over the years. They also shared their thoughts on the various collaborations with Japanese baseball teams, looking back on the Ace of the Diamond anime series from its original TV broadcast in 2013 up to the present day.
—The TV anime Ace of the Diamond is finally back in motion once again. How did it feel reuniting with the cast and recording together after so long?
Sakurai: We’ve all gotten older, haven’t we? (laughs)
Everyone: Hahaha! (burst into laughter)
Shimazaki: Ryota’s voice gets louder with every season.
Osaka: No, actually I feel like it’s only recently come back. During the test recording for Episode 1, I pushed too hard, and there are parts in the actual A-part recording where my voice cracks (laughs).
Shimazaki: So your “Sawamura muscles” still aren’t fully back yet?
Osaka: Not completely yet. During the test recording I felt amazing and thought, “I haven’t lost it at all!” so I went all out… and completely burned myself out before the real take (laughs).
Shimazaki: Guess that’s what happens when you get older… (laughs)
Sakurai: But now he’s fully back. He’s hitting us with so much volume it feels like the microphones might break (laughs).
Osaka: It always feels like everyone else’s voices are louder than mine, and I don’t want to lose (laughs).
Shimazaki: No way, Ryota’s definitely the loudest! Just like in the series, his voice really echoes across the entire field, even in the recording studio.
Sakurai: He’s the only one on set who’s ever been told, “Could you step a little farther away from the mic?” (laughs)
Shimazaki: Matsuoka-san’s energy as Kanemaru is incredible too, but in terms of pure volume, Ryota as Sawamura is still number one.
Sakurai: Matsuoka’s portrayal of Kanemaru has this sharpness that charges straight ahead. Meanwhile, Osaka’s Sawamura is more like… “BOOM!” (laughs)
Shimazaki: Exactly (laughs). It reaches everyone.
Sakurai: Hearing that from Sawamura instantly makes you think, “Ah, this is Ace of the Diamond.”
—The anime first aired back in 2013, and it’s now been 13 years. Looking back, are there aspects of the characters you understand better now, or moments where you’ve really felt their growth?
Shimazaki: In terms of growth, I think every character has evolved in some way. One of the amazing things about Ace of the Diamond is that, as the story progresses, it becomes almost entirely focused on baseball. Even though it’s centered purely on the characters facing baseball head-on, you can still clearly feel how much they grow as people through that process. Watching Miyuki, for example, really made me realize that “a person’s position can shape who they become.” If he hadn’t become captain, the Miyuki we know now probably wouldn’t exist. He would’ve grown in a completely different way.
Sakurai: Yeah, I agree. His growth curve would definitely have been different. When he was appointed captain, he wasn’t upset—he was troubled by it. That felt very true to Miyuki. So every step he took, deepening his bonds with Maezono, Kuramochi, and the younger players, became really meaningful. That’s growth too, and watching that process unfold is exciting.
Osaka: Since he now has juniors looking up to him, Eijun has started to feel more like a senior as well. He’s probably not the type to give advice directly or explain things with words, but he shows what it means to fight as a team and what it means to be a pitcher through his actions. He probably isn’t consciously trying to teach anyone, but his play naturally influences the younger players. That’s growth for Sawamura too.
Shimazaki: Having juniors around really reveals new sides of Sawamura’s growth. For Furuya and Miyuki, Sawamura’s level had become “normal,” but to the younger players, it’s more like, “Wow, this person is incredible!” They admire him, and they also notice the more delicate parts of him that Furuya and Miyuki couldn’t see.
Sakurai: Especially Okumura Koushuu. He’s very sensitive to even the smallest changes in Sawamura.
Shimazaki: Since Sawamura looks like this carefree, simple-minded guy (laughs), those little moments make you realize, “He’s been carrying all of this and fighting desperately too.” That’s what eventually leads Okumura to truly acknowledge him.
Sakurai: Since he grows without realizing it himself, someone else has to notice it and put it into words for him (laughs).
—What about Furuya?
Shimazaki: In a way, he’s probably the easiest to understand in terms of growth. He actually learned how to talk to people (laughs).
Osaka: He can call people by their names now (laughs).
Shimazaki: Exactly (laughs). He’s started paying attention to the people around him, caring about them, communicating on his own, and expressing his opinions. That growth “as a person” directly connects to his growth as a player, and honestly… I’m just so proud! It feels like watching your kid grow up (laughs).
—Earlier you joked about getting older, but after all this time, what’s changed the most? And what hasn’t changed at all?
Sakurai: I’m sure there are things about myself that have changed, but I don’t think about it too much. Miyuki Kazuya is built together with the other cast members and characters around him, so rather than overthinking things, I think it’s faster and better to approach the role with a simple mindset. Recording has always been fun for me. When I work with the others, I naturally feel things like, “Their acting has become stronger,” or “Their range of expression has grown.” We’ve shared performances in the same series for such a long time that we’re able to notice those things. Being able to feel that accumulation over the years is a huge joy for me.
Osaka: Even during the periods when Ace of the Diamond wasn’t airing, we were all working on other projects. So every time I come back to Sawamura, I want to bring something new I gained elsewhere into the performance and portray a slightly different side of him.
Sakurai: And those new expressions become inspiration for the rest of the cast too. We influence each other and continue evolving in good ways.
Shimazaki: Exactly. It doesn’t feel like there’s been any dramatic change, but little positive changes have definitely built up over time. That said, the biggest change I personally want to point out is how solid the younger cast members have become (laughs). Back when they first joined, Yuma Uchida and the others were still right before “taking flight.”
Sakurai: They were still newcomers back then.
Shimazaki: It’s similar to how Ryota, me, and Natsuki Hanae were when we first joined the series. Now they’ve completely spread their wings and flown off (laughs).
Osaka: I do feel that too. Compared to back then, even the way they stand in front of the microphone has changed (laughs).
Sakurai: They’ve gained confidence, and that sense of comfort probably shows up naturally in their performances. On the other hand, the one person who truly hasn’t changed at all is Yamada-san (Producer Yamada). Ever since I first met him, he’s been exactly the same.
Shimazaki: That’s so true…! His personality and the way he is as a person haven’t changed at all. His passion for the series hasn’t changed either—and honestly, neither has his appearance!
Osaka: He exercises too, after all.
Shimazaki: That’s part of it, but I think it’s also his heart. Maybe carrying that kind of passion inside naturally keeps you young. His sensibilities are youthful too, and he’s incredibly hospitable.
Even during the previous All-Star Game IV event, he brought unbelievably luxurious gifts for everyone (laughs). And the uniforms they prepared were the real deal—high-quality, authentic uniforms.
Sakurai: It’s been a while since I heard someone say “the real deal” (laughs).
Osaka: But they really were the real deal (laughs).
Shimazaki: They even brought in one of those convenience-store machines that keeps meat buns warm. The event honestly would’ve been perfectly fine without something like that (laughs), but all those little thoughtful touches made us feel, “If Yamada-san is going this far for us, then we’ve got to give it our all too!”
Osaka: I was doing another interview with Yamada-san recently, and he said, “As long as I’m around, I want everyone to eat good food” (laughs).
Shimazaki & Sakurai: That’s way too cool…!
Osaka: He’s basically like a dad (laughs).
Shimazaki: Seriously. He’d even stick heat packs on the backs of our necks so we wouldn’t catch colds. Though of course, there was the usual situation where Daisuke Namikawa-san got his clothes pulled off (laughs), and the camera happened to catch it at that exact moment. The whole venue burst into laughter.
Sakurai: He really did an incredible job there (laughs).
Shimazaki: Yamada-san’s thoughtfulness ended up helping make the event even more fun.
—It really sounds like Yamada-san’s kindness has become part of your cherished memories too.
Sakurai: Ace of the Diamond is an anime about high school baseball, and Miyuki Kazuya, the character I play, is a third-year high school student. Even during the All-Star Game events, we participate as “players,” but in reality I’m a 51-year-old man. I’m practically the age of a coach (laughs). For an out-of-shape voice actor like me to stand on the mound at Jingu Stadium is an incredible honor. There are so many experiences I could only have because I was part of this series, and I really can’t thank Yamada-san enough.
Osaka: If I hadn’t been part of this series, I definitely never would’ve had the chance to throw ceremonial first pitches.
Sakurai: Exactly! I want Osaka-kun to throw the first pitch for every single team.
Shimazaki: I want to see him achieve it!
Sakurai: How many teams are left now?
Osaka: Since I have the chance, let me promote them here too (laughs). The Yokohama DeNA BayStars, Chiba Lotte Marines, Hiroshima Toyo Carp, and Orix Buffaloes. Those are the four teams left. We’d love to receive your offers!
Following this interview, a collaboration with the Orix Buffaloes was officially announced for June 21.
Shimazaki & Sakurai: Please support us!
Shimazaki: And of course, to all the teams who’ve already worked with us, we hope to continue working with you too (laughs).
—Besides “fun,” are there any Ace of the Diamond memories that were especially nerve-wracking?
Sakurai: First pitches are always fun memories, but the nerves standing on the mound are unbelievable. I personally love both professional and high school baseball, so throwing the first pitch at Koshien Stadium especially made me nervous because of how much respect I have for the place. I still clearly remember seeing Atsushi Kataoka, who was the batting coach at the time, and being shocked by how huge he was (laughs). And Alfredo Despaigne was enormous too. Honestly, I’m happy just getting to be there—Ryota Osaka’s the one who’ll do the hard work during the real thing! He’ll throw around 130 km/h!
Osaka: No way, impossible (laughs). I’m actually not nervous about throwing at all. What really makes me nervous is the talk before it starts, especially since there are plenty of people there who don’t know Ace of the Diamond.
Sakurai: There are also a lot of people who don’t know who we are, after all.
Osaka: One time I was asked, “Could you explain the story of Ace of the Diamond for everyone here who might not know it?”
Shimazaki: Oof… (laughs)
Osaka: Isn’t that an insanely difficult question!?
Sakurai: That’s really hard… Maybe we should decide on an answer right now.
Osaka: Right now!?
Shimazaki: You’d want to include words like “baseball,” “Koshien,” and “ace.” It should be short and interesting enough to grab people’s attention without losing them. …This is way too hard! (laughs)
Osaka: Right!? And because the series has gone on for so long, I end up wanting to say, “Please just watch the anime and read the manga!” (laughs). But I really hope even more people discover the new season, so if I ever get asked again, I’ll make sure to think of a proper answer.
Shimazaki: Isn’t saying that basically setting yourself up for it to happen again? (laughs)
—Lastly, please share a message for everyone watching, along with what fans should look forward to in the upcoming story.
Osaka: From here on out, every match is going to be an intense battle no matter who we face. Every team that’s made it this far is incredibly strong. I think the challenges now are very different from when they were first-years or even from last year, and I really hope viewers pay attention to how each opposing team confronts them.
Sakurai: As for us, we fully intend to keep winning. Ah, that’s not a spoiler, by the way! (laughs) We’re aiming for the championship, so we’d be happy if everyone continues cheering for us.
Shimazaki: Just like Sakurai-san said, no matter how strong the opponent is, we’re going in with the intention to win. We’ll fight each game with the entire team united and give everything we have no matter who we face, so please continue supporting Seidou!
