"Production! Unite! Anti-oppression! This is the slogan of the "Revolutionary Broadway League" formed by Sumire Uesaka, a voice actor known as the political commissar. It may sound overly lofty, but in fact, the "Revolutionary Broadway League" was launched when Sumire Uesaka began her career as an artist in order to build an environment where she could talk freely about what she loved. She has had a strong curiosity about the former Soviet Union since she was in high school, and she has used the language and knowledge of the Soviet Union in her musical activities. The League's "uprising rally" (concerts) also grew in scale throughout the year. At the same time, the slogan of the alliance has also caused controversy in all quarters. Why, then, did the political council have such a strong interest in the former Soviet Union? In the new song "Come on! Comrade Xiaozhi" and the video work "Record: The First General Uprising of the Revolutionary and White League on February 11" were about to be released, and some Japanese media interviewed her. Tencent Animation has excerpted some of the content here, interested friends may wish to take a look!

Q: First of all, could you please tell us about how you became interested in the former Soviet Union?

Uesaka: I've always been interested in military matters, and I've been researching about tanks and warplanes. One day when I was on YouTube, I accidentally saw the national anthem of the Soviet Union in a related video recommendation, and after listening to it, my soul was shocked. But the Soviet Union has collapsed and is now Russia, so I'm starting to wonder: what kind of country is the Soviet Union? That was when I was a freshman in high school.

Q: What touched your heart about the Soviet anthem?

Uesaka: In the overture to the Soviet national anthem, there is a heavy "Gong! Then the chorus began. From this expression, I felt a strong centripetal force that can be attracted to both men and women. This sparked my interest, and then I looked up the lyrics and found that there are really many great things in the short history of the Soviet Union. "The red flag of the Soviets, the red flag of the people, leads from victory to victory!" It's hard to imagine such lyrics these days. As a high school student at the time, I exclaimed, "How can such a country exist until recently!" ”

Q: You were also fascinated by the historical background of the Soviet Union. Speaking of which, do you have a keen interest in countries other than the Soviet Union?

Uesaka: The Soviet Union was geographically bordered by many other land countries, so it also had strong ties with Eastern Europe. So for those countries, I also looked into a little bit of something. But when I was watching movies in Japan, the Russians in the Soviet era always played the role of evil in the story. I sighed: It turns out that the Soviet Union has encountered so much hostility, and this sentiment has also been integrated into entertainment works. Therefore, when I look at those countries, I also care about how they perceive the Soviet Union. It's a lot of fun. Despite the many setbacks of communism, the Soviets persisted in implementing it. In short, no matter how you look at it, the Soviet Union has a very long distance from the world in which I live. But I think that's why I was attracted to the Soviet Union.

Q: You study history with a fantasy-like mindset?

Uesaka: That's true. As for the era of the former Soviet Union, there are now a staggering number of records. For example, Stalin made his subordinates drink until dawn or something, which is definitely not the type of good boss (laughs). These biographical aspects have been extensively documented. Of course, there were also many purges in the Soviet Union at that time...... And all of that piqued my interest.

Q: Speaking of which, when Ms. Uesaka was asked about her favorite historical figure, she once replied with the name "Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov". So what are the main reasons?

Uesaka: Molotov was a Stalinist until the last moment of his life, and even after Stalin's death, he remained conservative and acted unyieldingly as the number two man. Molotov's merit is that once he has established his ideology, he will carry it out until his death. On the other hand, people like Anastas Ivanovich Mikoyan who try to save their lives by changing their positions are too worldly for me to like very much.

Q: Just working hard for an ideal, this kind of inflexible way is what attracted Miss Uesaka? So did he have an impact on Ms. Uesaka's own lifestyle?

Uesaka: Yes. However, I don't deliberately want to let such thoughts affect my thinking, and now I bring this kind of communism melody to real life, and it has more of a "game" meaning. At the end of the day, communism is an ideology that is constantly tense, and I'm trying to have fun by softening it a little bit and changing it a little bit. I think that in fact, there are a lot of "co-hobbyists" in this sense.

Q: In other words, Ms. Uesaka thinks like this, and she is called a "co-hobbyist". By the way, did Miss Uesaka choose to major in Russian at Sophia University because she wanted to find a "co-hobbyist" who shared the same values?

Uesaka: Of course, that's also a reason, but the main thing is that I just want to learn Russian. After all, if you can't read Russian, you'll have to read translated versions of Russian music and literature. On this basis, we Russian learners gradually shifted our interest to some details, and each of us wanted to study different things, and this aspect of the matter is the most enjoyable to investigate alone. In this way, when I see some people on the Internet, I can understand their "co-Ao-style jokes" and feel happy.

Q: You started working as a voice actor when you were in college, right?

Uesaka: That's right. Actually, when I was a child, I joined my current studio as a child actress model. However, for a long time, I have always had a dream of becoming a voice actor one day.

Q: Do you have a voice actor of your dreams?

Uesaka: The first thing that sparked my curiosity about voice actors was the anime "Magic Nurse Wheat (**)" starring Haruko Momoi. While I was very interested in the world of work, I was very envious of the fact that voice actors could "exist" in that world. Then I naturally changed my house and went to Nakano Broadway, a mecca with a lot of otaku culture. Nakano kept a lot of old anime, so I became interested in works like Babylon II, Demon King, and Black Salesman.

Q: As you can see from the names of the works listed above, Ms. Uesaka seems to like works that satirize the real world.

Uesaka: That's right. Although the story mentions reality, it has a two-dimensional character, so there is a special amount of power. However, in the world where there is no way to express it in reality, there is such a thing as a "voice actor", so I think the voice actor is very stylish.

Q: Whether it's the Soviet Union or anime, Ms. Uesaka has a strong interest in what happened before she was born. So can we also understand it this way: Miss Uesaka feels that the era in which she lives is very aggrieved and difficult to survive?

Uesaka: It's true that when I was a student, I didn't think anything was interesting, and whether I was going home or at school, I would think, "Why am I in this place?" "Of course, I don't think there are 10 people in Japan who think it's super fun every day" (laughs). As a result, I had a strong longing for the world of animation and books, and so on, and the so-called "not in reality, but in a different world". It's just that, at the end of the day, I'm just having fun as a "spectator". Also, when it comes to lolita fashion, it's similar to cosplay.

Q: In other words, the joy of making yourself a different person from yourself?

Uesaka: That's right! Aren't clothes just things that tell us about our existence? If you wear Lolita's costume, you will tell people through your clothes, "That's the kind of girl I am!" "So I tried to put on makeup and make my hair neat, thinking that it would show off the girl's charm. On the other hand, if you put on a military uniform, you will feel like "I'm a soldier." Then you have to salute your boss. "So, in a sense, Lolita fashion is a kind of military uniform for girls. The message conveyed through the clothes expresses the spirit of the girl's dedication to this fashion.

Q: By conveying information through clothing, you can also increase your awareness of this. It seems that this theory can also be applied to Ms. Uesaka's musical activities. And after all, what kind of music does Ms. Uesaka like so far?

Uesaka: Sure enough, I listen to music that was born before I was born. In particular, there are a lot of songs that I like from the old metal music, Japanese songs from the 80s, and idol songs. So, I'm not very familiar with the songs that are currently on the Oricon charts. Maybe my interest is still in the royal works of the past.

Q: I see.

Uesaka: Also, I listen to some game songs, but I prefer things from the past rather than high-end games today. Everyone played games on GAMEBOY and PC because "It's amazing! A sound has appeared from the game console! "The music that was born out of the era that was moved by me is the genre I like. And when I listen to this kind of music, I think to myself, "There must be a lot of people who spend the whole night listening to this kind of music, right?" "This guide, it should be published in a game magazine, right?"

Q: It's really interesting to use music to associate the background of the times? So does this also have something to do with the music you publish yourself?

Uesaka: That's right. Although the new song released a few days ago is in European beats, I deliberately made it in the style of the 90s. IT'S SIMILAR TO SUPEREUROBEAT, A COMPILATION OF 100 SONGS FROM THE 90S TO THE PRESENT. The works of the past are now considered classical, but if you touch them again, you will find something new. I also had the idea of digging into this area.

Q: Your new song "Come on! Comrade Xiaozhi" is also a song that expresses the concept of the "Revolutionary Broadway League" activity. And I think it also contains the meaning of military songs.

Uesaka: That's right. It's just that the name of the alliance was born by mixing the lengthy feeling of the Soviet Union with the homely flavor of Nakano Broadway, so it doesn't have a particularly deep meaning.

Q: That said, the lyrics of this song include the words "Production! Unite! Anti-oppression! So is this the slogan of the "Revolutionary Broadway League"?

Uesaka: It's just a formality, but after all, an alliance still needs a slogan (laughs). "Production!" It refers to absorbing something from the things you like, creating and spreading it, and thus gaining happiness. "Unity!" It refers to bringing together like-minded people to have fun together. And "Anti-oppression!" It refers to the hope that people can remove the obstacles on their bodies and the mental shackles such as "I am not such a character". In other words, there is nothing oppressive about the slogan itself. Although the name "Revolutionary Broadway League" sounds hard-hitting, the content of the event is actually no different from that of ordinary clubs.

Q: So, I hope we can get involved with a relaxed mindset (laughs).

Uesaka: That's right (laughs). In terms of lyrics, if you chant this slogan at a concert, it will make people feel very happy! Everyone usually shouts something like "Hmmm! "Hey!" Something like that, then use "Survive!" Unite! Anti-oppression! "It's going to be more fun instead of screaming (laughs).

Q: This can be said to be "unity!" "With "Anti-Oppression! "Well. But then again, I think of Miss Uesaka's listless student days, and now I feel much more surrounded by comrades.

Uesaka: Yes. I'm used to being alone, but I'm happy to see people with the same interests coming together. They understood what I was saying, they thought it was funny, and I think it's the happiest time of my life.

Q: On the other hand, Ms. Uesaka's expression is also prone to controversy. In other words, there will definitely be some people who will be disgusted by the fact that you have included content about communism in your activities.

Uesaka: It's true that I'm often sprayed with very bad words by some people. But I think that the idea of communism as a fun "joke" is also an expression of peace. If we can't treat such "jokes" rationally, then Japan will not be a peaceful country anymore. (omitted)

Q: In other words, even if some people want to eliminate the history of communism, they can't avoid it. Speaking of which, Miss Uesaka must have been to Russia a few times herself, right?

Uesaka: Yes. Sure enough, if you look at it for yourself, you will understand a lot of things. The Russians I saw in the books and videos were completely different from the Russians I actually met. I've only been to Moscow, but it's an ordinary place, and many Russians are very fond of Japan. I've had some exclusive events there, too, and people who came to see the show said, "It's great to be a voice actor in Japan!" Others shouted desperately in Japanese with few words. I really didn't expect myself to be so popular as a voice actor. And when I tell them: "I like Russia", they are surprised: "For what?" Unbelievable! ”

Uesaka: Russians seem to be very fond of blackening themselves. They will say, "It's not good to have a country that doesn't even have the same way of bathing depending on the day" (laughs). But, in fact, they really love the motherland. I feel a little bit similar to Japanese people, so I feel a sense of closeness to me.

Q: In other words, Russians and Japanese people have a similar atmosphere. So did Miss Uesaka's "joke" of communism also pass on to the Russians?

Uesaka: Absolutely. The original little story of political satire was invented by the Russians. From the Russian translator of Mr. Mihara's novels, it is natural for every Russian to know some political satire. Therefore, Russians are very good at describing something in exaggerated terms. And no matter how difficult life is, they will use such jokes to express their emotions. Perhaps this is the essence of expressiveness.

Q: Jokes are a weapon. Speaking of which, Japan may have stricter restrictions on speech performance in the future. Even so, won't Miss Uesaka change her approach?

Uesaka: I don't think that's going to change. I hope to be able to continue to praise something, adapt it in my own way and show it. I also think that the environment in this area may become bad in the future, but I think that if we express it thoroughly, we will definitely be able to understand it. Even for the rights of the few Communists, I'm going to work hard.