by Kari Lane
It may be summer, but it is time to get to class. Clevatess season 2 premieres July 8th with our heroes heading to school. At Anime Expo, Crunchyroll hosted a panel featuring an early first look at episode one of the new season with the director and producer. We sat down with Kiyotaka Taguchi (Director), Seiichiro Kuriyama (Lay-duce Animation Producer), and Kosuke Arai (Kadokawa Producer) to see how their AX experience was going, what Dark Beast Lord they would want to be and more!
This interview was conducted with an interrupter and has been edited for clarity.
KARI LANE: Welcome to Anime Expo. What does it mean for you to be here at AX with Clevatess season 2, and what have been your first impressions of Anime Expo?
SEIICHIRO KURIYAMA: I feel that with the anime fans, I could feel the passion, similar to when I went to a Bangkok event.
KIYOTAKA TAGUCHI: Of course in Japan there’s a lot of anime events, but I feel like coming here, there’s a lot more people and a lot more things going on and being able to come here, you know, very excited to be here.
KOSUKE ARAI: Since we started production with the anime, I think one of the goals we had was to really come to Anime Expo and promote this title. So I really feel happy that we were able to come and do that. And, I actually have been to Anime Expo, several times, and I feel like every time I come, I feel there’s like more people and more passion, more energy. As an anime person working in the field, I feel really excited to see that.
LANE: I remember when season one had a trailer during the Crunchyroll panel and it was very exciting. Fans were excited then, so I would think they’re even more excited now for season two.
KURIYAMA, TAGUCHI and ARAI: Thank you!
LANE: So you have a panel later today. What do you hope fans take away from the panel?
KURIYAMA: Of course, you know, we want the fans of season one to come to our panel and get excited, but also we want to show that Clevatess season two is much more exciting and much more fun. So we want them to take away that, and of course watch season two.
TAGUCHI: Season one versus season two, I think the first season was more kind of, more dark fantasy, versus season two, but of course in season two, there’s gonna be a lot more chaos, and I hope, the fans really take away that we’re gonna have more fun in season two.
ARAI: I will not be on the panel but what I hope fans take away is that of course the first episode is gonna be very good and very fun. And the World Cup is happening, it’s very exciting, but we think it’s gonna be more exciting than the World Cup, and so, and maybe even, you know, I like Stranger Things, so maybe more exciting than Stranger Things. So we want the fans to just really talk to their friends and tell everybody how great this season is going to be.
LANE: If you could be a Dark Beast Lord, which one would you be and why?
KURIYAMA, TAGUCHI and ARAI: (laughs)
KURIYAMA: Who I want to be is Laswell, and the reason being is, he can clone himself, and because of that he can, you know, do different little things, cover different tasks and for myself, I think if I can clone myself, I can get more work done.
TAGUCHI: I think, for me, of course, Clevatess, because of course he’s free, and I think if I were able to travel and I could do whatever I want, and because he’s strong.
ARAI: I think, of course, Clevatess for myself as well. I think he has an elegance to him. And even for maybe Instagram, you know, he’s like Instagrammable, like as a photo and also like for YouTube, I think I can get a lot of viewers and get a lot of subscribers, so that’s why I chose him.
LANE: I was getting an image of an influencer, but I don’t think he’s that friendly, so I don’t think he would like it. (laughs)
ARAI: Oh, maybe a tsundere influencer. (*everyone laughs)
LANE: Is there anything else you’d like to share about the show? What fans can expect, or your experience so far here at Anime Expo?
KURIYAMA: So actually we, maybe a few days back, we kind of walked around, but, I still want to absorb everything and look at everything, before kind of, making a decision or, you know, making, I am still processing the thoughts right now.
LANE: You gotta browse before you shop, you know.
KURIYAMA: If I feel good about it I will buy it.
LANE: Yeah, it’s one of those you gotta get it when you see it, otherwise it won’t be there when you go back.
TAGUCHI: Of course, there’s a lot of cosplayers at Anime Expo, and one of, the cosplays I wanna see is, of course, from, Clevatess, but I haven’t seen anybody cosplay the series yet, so hopefully we can meet somebody.
ARAI: So, for myself, I really want to, feel the excitement, from AX and, you know, I want for me to bring back, for the Kadokawa staff and to just tell them, you know, how successful the event was or how amazing AX was. I want to share with my team and also, give them motivation, give myself motivation for, for making anime.
LANE: And then last question, what would you like to tell the fans?
KURIYAMA: I think we want to let the fans know that season two, we really feel confident that the production was much higher than season one. We think the fans will really enjoy it. Please check it out.
TAGUCHI: Similarly, yeah, season two, we feel that it’s something that, it will leave a real impact on people. And if you had fun watching it, we just want people to tell your friends and, please, you know, spread the word around about season two.
ARAI: For season two, there’s gonna be a lot more different characters that come to the story, and we wanna see that, maybe you can find your favorite character, and then enjoy it that way as well.
LANE: Well thank you very much. Congratulations. Arigato goziamasu.
KURIYAMA, TAGUCHI and ARAI: Thank you very much!
Check out the trailer for season 2:
