Koyugoe Yuuki's Connection to BOØWY Through His Father's Influence
This interview was originally published in Japanese on thefirsttimes.jp. Translated by VK Chronicle.
Tarot Guys Collaboration Interview Vol. 3: Yuki Ogoe
Collaboration interview series with the fortune-telling cultivation app ‘Tarot Guys ～22 Apprentice Fortune Tellers～’ (hereafter “Tarodan”) continues! This time, we’re featuring Yuki Ogoe, who plays 【Justice】Justice Lamed. The 3 songs he selected as “songs that represent me” form quite an eclectic lineup. Despite their range, these tracks enrich Yuki Ogoe’s life in unique ways. What are those songs?
INTERVIEW & TEXT BY Kana Yoshida PHOTO BY Nobuyuki Seki
[Vol. 1: Yuichiro Umehara] [Vol. 2: Shoya Chiba]
“I think I’ve managed to do a little good for my parents (laughs)”
Q: Under the premise that “what fortune-telling reveals is your true self,” we’re conducting this interview. Could you select 3 songs that represent you?
Ogoe: First, BOØWY’s “MARIONETTE.” My father absolutely loves BOØWY, so their music was always playing at home. We’d watch their live footage pretty often too. My dad’s close friends would come over, and we’d watch it together while having drinks. I listened to them a lot because of that influence, but when I was 20, I appeared in a stage production called “Psychedelic Pain” where I played a band member. The scriptwriter was Yukinojo Mori, who wrote the lyrics for BOØWY members’ songs, and the composer was Hotei Tomoyasu. I felt a deep connection to that, and I came to love the band even more.
Q: Your father must have been incredibly happy about that.
Ogoe: He was very happy indeed. I think I managed to do a little good for my parents (laughs). I also love “Friend Like Me” from the Disney film Aladdin. It’s the song Genie sings when Aladdin gets trapped in a cave. When I listen to it, I feel like I get so much energy from it. Even when I’m feeling down, it lifts my spirits, so I still listen to it often when I want to feel positive.
Q: And the last song?
Ogoe: BIGBANG’s “FANTASTIC BABY.” When I saw the music video, I was shocked seeing them dance in such cool fashion. Of course, the performance itself was amazing, but since I also love clothes, I was completely drawn in. I already liked Chrome Hearts, and when I saw all the members wearing Chrome Hearts accessories in this video, I got the courage to buy a necklace. Then when I saw them wearing GIVENCHY sneakers and thought they looked so cool, I found the same pair at a store. They were a bit bigger than my size… but I really wanted them, so I ended up wearing them with insoles (laughs).
“If I’m going to advance in my career, I have to overcome that fear”
Q: I was surprised by how completely different these 3 songs are. By the way, you’re trying voice acting in ‘Tarot Guys ～22 Apprentice Fortune Tellers～’. Do you believe in fortune-telling?
Ogoe: A little bit, actually. I watch blood type horoscopes on morning news programs and check what my lucky color is. I’ve had my fortune told before, but when I do hear it, I start changing my behavior slightly based on what I heard, which bothers me. So I try not to take it too literally (laughs).
Q: In this fortune-telling, you came up as the Siamese Cat Emperor. It says you’re the type who can’t give up on things just because you’re feeling down. How does that feel?
【Yuki Ogoe’s Personal Type: Siamese Cat Emperor】
You’re someone with big ambitions who deeply understands the importance of money. You have strong drive—wielding knowledge as a weapon while pushing forward physically. Your likes and dislikes are clear-cut; you invest time in people you can respect or who have practical value. You’re a realist who basically wants to succeed, so you don’t waste time on people without talent. When you can’t do something perfectly due to human error, you feel stressed. However, you’re not cold-hearted, just a bit high-minded. You unconditionally protect people and comrades you care about; you’re willing to fight enemies and eagerly respond when someone relies on you. You have a somewhat big-sister personality. In romance, you display strong possessiveness. You seek perfect relationships and tend to fall for people who are recognized by friends, acquaintances, and society.
—From Tarodan Fortune-Telling
Ogoe: That’s right. I don’t give up on things either. I’m basically negative and I’m the type who worries about what others think. But precisely because I can’t do something, that makes me want to do it anyway. The more responsibility I have, the harder I work.
Q: So frustration becomes your driving force?
Ogoe: Yes. That’s probably how I’m able to put in the effort. It’s been a while since I started this work, and I think that stance will never change throughout my life. As I get older, I can’t use the excuse of “it’s okay if I can’t do it” anymore. Because I can’t escape that responsibility, I feel a real sense of fear. I’m the type who thinks “I have to produce results,” so I have to overcome that fear.
Q: The Siamese Cat Emperor finds meaning in life precisely by feeling the weight of the mission placed upon them, and no matter what emotions arise, they ultimately realize they have no choice but to move forward. That’s exactly what you’re saying (laughs).
Ogoe: Really?! This is incredibly accurate!? I don’t think this personality will change, but I’ve become able to communicate my thoughts a little better than before. I’m not a perfectionist, but I’m the type who doesn’t want to fail. First, I want to understand something before I tackle it. Though I wish I could live more easily (wry smile).
Q: Do you think too hard about private matters too?
Ogoe: Yes. For example, I manage my weight by calculating grams of food, calorie intake and consumption, and writing it all in a notebook. I’ve been doing it for about 2 years now. When I really want to eat or have a drink, it helps me balance things out so I can indulge. I think it works really well for that.
“I wanted to find meaning in being given this role”
Q: Tell us about ‘Tarot Guys’ then. Justice Lamed, the character you play, carries the meaning of “justice,” right?
Ogoe: Yes. When I first got this offer, I thought it was a really well-crafted work. Not in a top-down way, but in how it cleverly uses subject matter that’s easy for everyone to be interested in. There’s interest in Tarot itself, but if the cards are personified as characters, I think people develop even more attachment by finding their favorite character. Among those, I play the card of “justice,” and I thought it was a really wonderful character.
【Justice】Justice Lamed ©2021 Tarodan
Q: It really suits you, doesn’t it?
Ogoe: Does it? Though I think there might be some similarity in how straightforward we both are. The visual design came naturally to me. I usually do stage acting, but I haven’t done much voice acting work. So I definitely felt the difficulty, and I felt the incredible skill of voice actors while taking on this challenge. In doing so, I wanted to find meaning in being given this role, so I observed the character and imagined “maybe the voice sounds like this” or “maybe the feeling is like this,” and created the character at the recording session.
Q: I hear this character is a good young man who acts as everyone’s protector. What did you imagine?
Ogoe: I definitely didn’t want it to come across as annoying or arrogant. I thought the voice should be easy to accept. So I wanted to deliver it sincerely and naturally.
Q: Was there a particular line that stood out to you?
Ogoe: I was imagining how it would sound when people played the game, and there was one English phrase. I wasn’t sure whether to say it fluently or use katakana English, but it seems katakana English was what ended up being used.
Q: What was the English phrase?
Ogoe: It’s like an incantation. It’s something like “you should keep your white justice hidden,” in English. I’d really like people to play and hear it for themselves.
Q: Were there any other characters you were curious about?
Ogoe: There are so many characters that each one has real individuality. I was particularly curious about the Grim Reaper. I’m looking forward to seeing how that character is expressed. I’ve had my tarot fortune told before, and “The Tower” came up. Apparently it’s a card that appears when there’s going to be a big change, so it made me nervous (laughs). But no big change happened after that, so I’m taking it positively—maybe being careful because I heard about it made the difference (laughs).
“I want to show respect while also finding something unique about myself”
Q: You’re taking on voice acting this time, but by challenging various things, what becomes more important to you?
Ogoe: Playing a role and acting is something that’s common to both voice actors and actors, but the techniques and methods of expression are completely different. I really respect that and feel in awe. By doing this work myself, I get more opportunities to hear advice from people around me, and I’ve felt the greatness of voice acting work more than ever. Since everything is expressed through the voice, it’s like an instrument, I realized.
Q: Has the way you watch anime changed?
Ogoe: It has changed. I listen and try to imitate the same lines (laughs). Because I get opportunities to do things I’ve never done before and dive deeper into things I hadn’t looked closely at, I want to think about how I can express my own individuality as I perform.
Q: Having learned about anime from the inside, it seems like your approach to stage adaptations of original works might change too.
Ogoe: Right. When you read manga, it plays out in your head and you think “this character probably sounds like this,” right? Then it actually becomes an anime, voice actors are cast, you hear the voice, and you go “oh, there’s this kind of expression!” The way of expressing and the voice that only that person can do is really wonderful. So I want to show respect while also finding something unique about myself.
Q: It sounds like a really great experience.
Ogoe: Yes, it really was. If I get the chance, I’d like to keep taking on new challenges like this.
“The feeling of running no matter what happens is amazing”
Q: For someone like you, who has such relentless pursuit of perfection, BTS’s ‘RUN’ is apparently recommended. The Siamese Cat Emperor type can’t give up on things just because they’re feeling down. They feel meaning in life by sensing the weight of their mission, and no matter what emotions arise, they ultimately arrive at the conclusion that they have no choice but to move forward. So encouraging yourself—”Don’t give up! Keep going!”—is apparently the best way to recover. Since you especially show “relentless pursuit of perfection,” we recommend BTS’s ‘RUN,’ which contains lyrics like the following:
Lucky Song Diagnosis: ace
Ogoe: This song really conveys straightforwardness. I think the feeling of running no matter what happens is amazing. The lyric “can’t stop” really resonates with me.
Q: Isn’t it quite refreshing to have a song recommended that suits you like this?
Ogoe: It is refreshing. Though there are too many things I can relate to, and it’s kind of scary (laughs).
Event Information
3/27 (Sun.) 1:00 PM～1:30 PM “Tarot Guys ～22 Apprentice Fortune Tellers～” AnimeJapan 2022 Special Stage
Appearances: Shoya Chiba (as Fool The Flyhight) Kousuke Toriumi (as Leah Izanami) Yusuke Kobayashi (as Thirteen Grimreaper)
https://youtu.be/03tEzWSlBZg
Profile
Yuki Ogoe / Born April 8, 1994 in Tokyo. Started performing at age 3. Holds the record for most leading roles in the musical “The Prince of Tennis.” Starred in both the stage and live-action drama versions of “Yowamushi Pedal.” Currently plays 【Justice】Justice Lamed in the fortune-telling cultivation app ‘Tarot Guys ～22 Apprentice Fortune Tellers～.’ Also appearing in “Odoñro,” the 14th WONDER production by dance entertainment group “Umebō,” starting April 8, 2022.
Yuki Ogoe Official Profile: https://tachipro.jp/members/#m218
App Information
Released: December 7, 2021
‘Tarot Guys ～22 Apprentice Fortune Tellers～’
Genre: Fortune-telling & Cultivation Type: Native App (Android/iPhone compatible) Price: Completely Free
©2021 Tarodan
Official Site: https://tarodan.com/