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So I was bored and skim reading IRON ATTACK!'s Power Push interview from natalie.mu, and I ended up translating a few parts. Not much of what I translated is about music, but I think IRON-CHINO's weirdly upbeat, macho brand of nerdiness is super charming, so I thought I'd share anyway. Original article: http://natalie.mu/music/pp/ironattack ... Q: Aside from CHINO and minusiyon, your other vocalist Yuma is the member who has been in the circle the longest, right? Yuma: That's right. I joined about three years ago. But I've known CHINO-san for longer than that. CHINO: It started when I saw Yuma performing live and I thought "It's gotta be this person!". At the time, he was shirtless, singing enthusiastically. He was really macho, and his high range was also really powerful, so I thought he was an amazing vocalist. Yuma: That brings me back! The only time I used to take my clothes off while I was singing was when I first came to Tokyo, so we're talking about a really long time ago. CHINO: So at the time, I tried to invite him to join the other band that I play in, LIGHTNING, but... Yuma: At the time, I was in another band, so I had to say no. But when he asked me again around the same time that my band broke up, the timing was good so I joined LIGHTNING. CHINO: When he turned me down the first time I started to think that he might be a bit moody or difficult, but when I asked him again he gave me a cheerful "I'll do iiiiiit!". I remember sighing with relief and thinking "Ah, he's that kind of person. That's good." Q: So how did he join IRON ATTACK! ? CHINO: I was already working with Yuma in LIGHTNING, so I wanted to find a different person for IRON ATTACK!, but I really just couldn't find anyone else. Basically as a last resort, I asked him to try singing and he was perfect and fit right in. So he became a regular member of the band. ... minusiyon: You could say that, but as you would expect CHINO-san is like the father in the band. I think I'm probably like the mother. I think IRON ATTACK! is a circle that's bonded together like a family. Yuma: If they're the father and mother, I'm definitely the oldest son. And then Saka-than is the second son, calmly watching the rest of the family. And Kira☆ is the third son who acts like an idiot with me. ... Q: There are drawings of the military commanders from Romance of the Three Kingdoms on the cover of your new album "Tetsugeki sangokushi ~SANGOKU ATTACK!~", but they also represent the band members, right? CHINO: Yes. I thought about various things, but we ended up with the Five Tiger Generals (Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhao Yun, Ma Chao and Huang Zhong, from the Shu Han state) drawn on the cover...(**something about how he decided that minusiyon would be Zhao Yun**) Q: You're very attentive to the details of the scene, aren't you? (laughs) CHINO: It seems like Zhao Yun was originally a very beautiful young man, so it seemed like he would work for a woman. But if you really pressed me, I'd say minusiyon is the strategist type. Since she's the band's brain and she's also on the front line as a vocalist... I think someone like Sanada Nobushige would be a good fit. minusiyon: And now we're not even talking about Romance of the Three Kingdoms anymore. (laughs) CHINO: Since Saka-than is always playing bass with his legs spread wide in these wide-leg pants, he has an imposing stance, so I think Guan Yu fits. Plus sometimes he plays seven string bass, and I think the size of that instrument fits the Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Q: The cast really does fit. CHINO: Yuma is totally Zhang Fei. Yuma: Even though I totally thought I was a perfect match for Ma Chao. (laughs) CHINO: But you're totally like the Zhang Fei that appears in the game Dynasty Warriors 8! Because he's so macho! Q: He certainly does seem to have that kind of image. CHINO: And, even though Gensui-kun is the youngest, he's the old veteran general Huang Zhong. It's basically just because the arrows kind of look like drumsticks. Q: Kira☆-san is Ma Chao, isn't he? CHINO: Inside I feel a little conflicted because I don't know if it's really a good fit, but of the Five Tiger Generals only Ma Chao was left. But I think the illustration of him on the album jacket looks the most accurate. Q: If you weren't restricted to the Five Tiger Generals, what kind of miliary commander would Kira☆-san be? Yuma: He'd be Guan Ping. CHINO: Since Saka-than is Guan Yu, because of where he stands on stage I think he should be someone like his son Guan Ping. Because sometimes he has to pay attention to Saka-than's rhythm while performing. But I think Guan Ping would have looked too plain on the jacket, so he became Ma Chao. Q: And so, CHINO-san is Liu Bei. CHINO: Yes. Because if I wasn't Liu Bei the story wouldn't be able to progress. (laughs) Q: If you weren't restricted to the Shu characters, which miliary commander from Romance of the Three Kingdoms would you say you're most like? CHINO: I think I would say Sun Jian from the first generation, or Sun Quan from the third one. I originally liked Wu. I thought the way that they were always fighting with their backs against the wall trying to take over more territory overlaps with my continuing obsession with metal. But it seemed like everyone was telling me "No, CHINO-san is Liu Bei." (laughs) Even though I don't really get it.