Six identical brothers, no jobs, no girlfriends, no problems. Actually, lots of problems. Emotional ones, financial ones, social ones—the sky’s the limit, problem-wise! But that’s not getting them down, they take one day of ridiculousness at a time. When you’ve got no skills, no future and no clue, life’s a ball! A ball that keeps hitting you in the head.

A show this wild is not easy to localize and we’ve got two of the people responsible for unleashing this madness upon the world, David Casipit, Senior Localization Manager and Keith Kelly, Associate Project Manager. Here are their excuses!

* Warning: The interview is almost as crazy and outrageous as the show. It contains silly answers, insults and possibly offensive language. *

This series is totally bonkers! Does it take a totally bonkers person to localize it? Can you tell us about the pains and joys of delivering this six-headed baby?

Dave: Is it bonkers, though, or a mirror? A mirror, or a cipher? A cipher, or just plain bonkers? The show defies labels, like my underwear.
Keith: Was it a good idea to localize this show from a hyperbaric chamber? Maybe. But maybe that lack of oxygen is what made it so funny in the end.
Dave: As for delivering a six-headed baby, I mean, as long as I’m not the one in the stirrups...
Keith: You’re forgetting about that time you asked us to put you in the stirrups.
Dave: Yeah, but that was method producing.
Keith: Like Jared Leto?
Dave: Right, but for producing. Next question!

Is it true you bought six hamsters, named them after the Matsuno brothers, and used them to act out scripts before sending them to actors?

Dave: I have to be fully transparent here: there were more than six hamsters.
Keith: A lot more. Like, a lot more. Only the strongest made it.

The Matsuno brothers live at home, rarely have jobs and almost never girlfriends. What life lessons have you learned from this show?

Dave: I never really realized the full power of a NEET (no employment, education or training) before this show. 
Keith: It’s like the first time you meet a Great Old One. You expect eldritch knowledge from beyond infinite space and time, but Cthulhu just teaches you about weird stuff. But that’s cool. The gates are wide open now. They can’t be closed.
Dave: What exactly are you talking about?
Keith: You know, I have no idea. Lets move on. 

What was it like casting for this Mr. Osomatsu? How did the actors take to such an insane show?

Dave: I have a rule when casting to try and find some newer actors to give a shot to, as the voice actor community is so small and listening to the same actors in each production I do makes me feel like reality is empty and about to come crashing down at any moment.
Keith: I told you to delete your Facebook, Dave.
Dave: But for Mr. Osomatsu, I was like, “I want to destroy something beautiful.” So I brought down these six fine gentlemen’s careers.
Keith: Like Edward Norton? There’s more to it. Don’t hold out.
Dave: FINE, KEITH. Look, each actor is different, and required different leverage. Billy Kametz (Osomatsu) was easy. We found him passed out under that on-ramp, remember? Took like two seconds and a case of Miller High Life to forge his name on the contract and get him in the booth. Kyle McCarley (Ichimatsu) just needed an excuse to wear his spy wigs and monocle again. We told Sean Chiplock (Choromatsu) we were going to play the dub at Cannes. But Michael Sinterniklaas (Jyushimatsu) was the worst--remember how we had to listen to him prattle on for hours about all those Rube Goldberg machines he built in his house before we could even pitch him the role?
Keith: Ray Chase (Karamatsu) and Max Mittelman (Todomatsu) insisted on being paid in Beef Wellington and cognac. They’re really about that Beef and Yac Life.
Dave: Yeah, they’re all really good kids.

What event in the show truly made you realize that this show is operating on a different level than other anime?

Dave: It was actually the times when they don’t go for the humor. Like, you can see how the writers and producers in Japan could have gone for some cheap joke to finish off certain skits, but every now and then they don’t. Instead, they give you a sucker punch to the jugular and your cold, iced-over heart cracks and actually feels something for the first time since you had that last great kiss all those years ago. Those are special--you can’t find that in any other anime.
Keith: Mostly I was surprised Dave was excited about something that wasn’t hentai. I knew it had to be next-level.

Who is your favorite Matsuno brothers and why?

Dave: Karamatsu is my fave. He’s just awful and completely superficial, but I swear I love his confident, smarmy ass. Plus, he does actually try to help his brothers occasionally, which is more than I can say for the rest of the brood.
Keith: Karamatsu for sure. He’s an edgelord, but seems to genuinely care about his brothers. Which makes it all the better when they dump on him.

Do you think this show has the potential to cross over into non-anime audiences?

Dave: [Interview transcriber’s note: At this point VIZ Marketing Head Honcho {NAME REDACTED}, who has been monitoring the discussion, audibly cocks the hammer of her Sig Sauer P320.] Oh, for sure, man! Crossovers, cross bearers, David Cross, Cross-by Stills Nash & Young, you name it! I can’t think of anyone who would not relish the chance to see a bunch of lazy-ass post-teenagers wasting the best years of their lives!
Keith: It’s universal, infinitely relatable.

This show seems perfect for Rick & Morty fans. How can we get them onboard?

Dave: Mr. Osomatsu is the kind of show that you’d stop and watch if you found it playing on Interdimensional Cable, because the people in it are giant testicles.
Keith: Which Rick & Morty fans? The ones who can spot intelligent writing and irony in the silly humor, or the ones who hang out on 4chan all day?

Thanks for your “insightful” answers about this one-of-a-kind show! Mr. Osomatsu Season 1 is loaded with special features! Own it on Blu-ray and digital HERE!