

Graphic by TheRealHeroOfWinds​

takera shows off his newfound confidence in an impressive set vs. Lucario main Tsu.​

takera manages to take out Leonardo “MkLeo” Lopez at his own tournament series.​

This interview was submitted to the Smashboards team by Jucchan , a bilingual Super Smash Bros. for Wii U enthusiast living in Japan.I had the opportunity to speak with takera at Umebura 27, which was held in Tokyo on July 1st. takera, who resides in the Kanto region, is one of Japan’s premier Ryu mains. Here’s what he had to say:I only started competitive Smash with, though I did play a little bit of. I suppose that makes my history with the competitive scene only around 2-3 years.That is correct. Before Ryu, I mained Link.I had a weak mentality, but my performance at Umebura Japan Major gave me confidence. I feel that I finally have the ability to clutch out sets.I moved to Chiba prefecture in August two years ago. It was about half a year after that--February I think--that people really started to gather at my house.We are open to newcomers of course, it’s not like we only accept top players. I will say though that the event’s for people that want to play Smash. Other Smashfests sometimes dabble into other games, but we really only play Smash. I want the people that come to be motivated to get stronger.I started the tournament series because I wanted there to be more tournaments. At the time there were few tournament series in Japan, especially in terms of locals. Though coincidentally, the SUMABATOxCYCLOPS weekday tournament series did start around the same time. It was Ayuha that introduced me to [proplayers] Momochi and ChocoBlanka, as well as their STUDIO SKY venue.Well, the tournament is held on weekdays, so the players have other obligations during the day, such as work or school. As a result, it is often difficult to gather enough Wii Us. Also, venues in Tokyo are generally quite expensive.“My goal is to get 1st!” is what I would want to say. *laughs* I do have another goal, I want to defeat Locus. I want to show that I am the number one Ryu.I’ll raise a ruckus!takera went on to take 5th at Umebura 27, defeating KEN and Tsu in the process. At Evo 2017 he placed 65th, falling to K9sbruce and fellow Japanese player 9B.The following day, takera discussed Ryu with fellow players Locus, Chanshu, Jan, and REN (interpreter). You can find the Twitch vod here You can follow takera on Twitter and on Twitch . He is also on the compendium to be flown out to 2GGC: SCR Saga. You can support him on the event’s Smash.gg page