アニメ『最強の王様、二度目の人生は何をする?』OPテーマ「KINGSBLOOD」を歌うKALAさんインタビュー｜「KINGSBLOOD」は喪失を経験しながらも諦めなかった人たちへのアンセムかつ、生まれ変わって夢を追い続けられるという僕自身とリスナーへの励ましのメッセージです

Interview with KALA in English

──Please tell us your thoughts after reading the original novel of “The Strongest King: What Will He Do With a Second Life?”, and what aspects you found most appealing.

First off, I really enjoyed it! I loved the atmosphere and the characters. I'm a huge fan of high fantasy, and I think TBATE does a great job of building a unique world without leaning too heavily into typical isekai tropes. The character design and art style also stood out to me; they have a really distinct and memorable look.

──You are a member of the esports team "Cloud9 Esports." Do you find any similarities or points of empathy between the world of esports and the world Arthur lives in?

I think the biggest similarity is the relentless pursuit of greatness. That drive is at the heart of esports and at the core of Cloud9's values. Every single day is a chance to become a better version of yourself, and if you're not actively working toward that, you won't make it to the top. At Cloud9, we have systems in place to improve every part of our lives to level up in our sport, whether it's physical training, mental training, or nutrition. That well-rounded approach feels very similar to Arthur's mindset. He is focused on becoming the strongest version of himself, and every day is part of that journey.

──What was your impression after watching the anime's opening video?

My impression was personal. It’s impossible to look at the opening sequence as nothing other than the greatest thing I’ve ever seen, because of my bias. I have worked my entire life at the dream of having my music within anime. Turning on the first episode and hearing my song in the opening sequence was a once-in-a-lifetime moment that can never be compared. I’ll forever look back at that moment as a turning point in my life.

──How do you feel after watching the anime so far? Do you have a favorite episode?

It’s extremely difficult to put how I feel into words, a lot of my feelings are tied to my art being associated with this world. It doesn’t matter what happens in the anime, these feelings will always be beautiful because I’ve already read the story. If I were to explain how I feel, it would be extremely thankful and mega stoked every time an episode comes on.

──Please share your thoughts when it was decided that you would be doing your first anime tie-in and performing the opening theme for “The Strongest King: What Will He Do With a Second Life?”

I had just landed at Haneda and was in a taxi on my way to my hotel when I got the news. It was night, raining, and I was so happy to be back in Tokyo. When I received the text from my manager about getting the tie-in, I started crying in the taxi and immediately called my wife, who was back in Los Angeles, to celebrate. It was a lifelong dream come true. It felt like a decade of manifestation right there in my hands. It was one of the greatest text messages I’ve ever received. I’ll forever be thankful for the opportunity and the team that made this moment possible.

──When creating the opening theme, what themes or concepts did you focus on? (If there were specific requests from the anime production team, please share those as well.)

The song was originally called “Separation Anxiety,” and it was about losing my brother in Canada while I was in the United States during the COVID-19 lockdown. Not being there with him brought up a lot of heavy emotions. It was already a deeply personal song. The original version was too specific to my own story to fully match the world of TBATE, but the production company loved the song and asked if I would be open to adjusting some of the lyrics to better reflect the story in the novel. I found a way to keep the emotional message intact while also aligning it with Arthur’s journey, and my own, which became KINGSBLOOD. They also asked if I could translate about 30% of the lyrics into Japanese to better connect with the anime audience. I thought that was a really rad challenge, especially since my entire management and label team is Japanese, and I’ve been studying Japanese on my own for years. Aside from that, they loved everything I created, so it was a really smooth and enjoyable collaboration.

──Please introduce the opening theme song "KINGSBLOOD"—its sound, lyrics, and any favorite lines or parts you’d like to highlight.

KINGSBLOOD is an anthem for those who have experienced loss but haven’t given up. It’s a message of encouragement to both myself and my listeners that no matter what happens, you can be reborn and keep fighting for your dreams. The sound is emotional, uplifting, and hopeful, but also aggressive, angry, and sad. It’s a whirlwind of emotion for me. Sometimes, I even find myself unable to speak while practicing it because of how powerful it feels.
“And I still blame myself
I wasn’t strong enough
But I can’t keep suffering”
I don’t think I need to explain these lyrics much further, given everything I’ve shared about the song and my journey. My only hope is that you can connect with it in your own way and find strength through it.

──What did you focus on during the recording process? Are there any particular points listeners should pay attention to?

From a vocalist's perspective, I think the vocal takes themselves are what stand out most. I grinded every single word and syllable to make sure I expressed just how much this song means to me in the recording. I was meticulous with the vocal production and editing since I handled those parts myself. It was also the first song I ever recorded with Japanese vocals. Normally, it might take around 10 hours to record all the vocals for a song, but I spent nearly twice that on the Japanese sections because I wanted to do them right. Huge shoutout to my team for helping with pronunciation and being so diligent and supportive throughout the process.
From an instrumental perspective, I hope listeners hear KINGSBLOOD for what it is, a blend of North American and Japanese musical styles. My guitarist, drummer, and producer are all native Japanese, and you can hear authentic Japanese soundscapes throughout the production. That, combined with my own production work on the final mix, creates a unique blend that isn’t easy to find in most music today.

──Who is your favorite character in the series, and why?

Sylvie, because to me she represents the voice that’s always been present in my head telling me not to give up.

──If you were reborn as a baby like Arthur, but retained all your current knowledge and memories, what would you want to do?

That’s a difficult question, because that would be dependent on what type of world I’m born into. However, I’d like to think that my life mission would be to leave that world in a better place than when I found it.

──Which character in the series do you think would be good at or suited for esports?

Windsom 100%, this answer is both an esports inside joke and a literal truth, because his mannerisms are super well suited for a competitive gaming environment. He’s calm, direct, and authoritative, just like all good IGLs.

──Finally, please leave a message for all the viewers who have been watching the series so far.

The response to KINGSBLOOD has been unlike anything I’ve experienced in my entire life. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly beyond thankful for every stream, like, and share of any KINGSBLOOD related content. I hope that my song and my story has helped you in the way that my favorite songs have helped me throughout my life. I’m moving to Japan this week in what is the biggest career move of my life, it’s a little scary, but I’m extremely excited for this next chapter. I will be playing many shows, tours, and festivals starting soon, and if you have appreciated KINGSBLOOD or some of the other music I’ve released, I would love for you to come and check out our live performance. Don’t let the hero in your die. よろしく お願いします.

作品概要

あらすじ

史上最強の王様・グレイ。比類のない力・富・名声すべてを持つ一方、冷酷無情な彼に寄り添う者はおらず、彼もまた信頼できる者は誰一人いなかった──。
ある日、グレイ王は突然の死を遂げてしまい、無力な赤子・アーサーとして魔法世界に転生してしまう。

そこでは自身を愛してくれる家族や仲間に囲まれ、再び赤子から成長していく日々に、前世とは異なる喜びを覚えていくアーサー。そんな時、旅の途中で家族が盗賊に襲われてしまい……。

愛と冒険に満ちた“二度目の人生”が始まる──！

キャスト

アーサー・レイウィン：藤原夏海
グレイ：古川慎
テシア・エラリス：市ノ瀬加那
ジャスミン・フレームスワース：小見川千明
レイノルズ：金城大和
アリス：前田玲奈
ダーデン：高橋伸也
アダム：木村太飛
ヘレン：小倉弥優
アンジェラ：明智璃子
シルビア：井澤詩織
イライジャ・ナイト：佐藤元
ルーカス・ワイクス：千葉翔也

(C)「最強の王様」製作委員会

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