Before the friendly match between England and Japan, the well-known "anime-loving" player Solanke was interviewed by the England official channel.
Talking about anime
Solanke said: "Anime is an important part of my life and means a lot to me."
"I think I started to get into anime during the pandemic. Most of my friends around me were watching it and often recommended it to me, but at first, I always said, 'No, I'm not interested.' But the first anime I watched was "Naruto," and I watched it all the way from the first episode to the last. I really liked it and was completely hooked. I watched it over and over again. Since then, I started watching other works."
"There are many things in anime that can be applied to daily life, and there are also many lessons hidden in it. Many of the characters start from a young or weak state and then overcome many difficulties to grow. Of course, this is the world of anime, not reality, but the life principles that can be learned from it are the same. The way they change from weak to strong, and the process of growth, is really inspiring."
Talking about visiting Japan
Solanke said: "I went there about two or three years ago, and it was one of the best places I've ever been to in my life. Not only anime, but I also especially like the culture and scenery of Japan. I also went to temples and learned a little about the history and culture there. Japanese culture is completely different from European culture. No matter which country you go to in Europe, there are many similarities, but Japan is really different."
"I also went to a local anime studio and saw how anime is made with my own eyes. I didn't know at all before that it takes so much time to make an episode, which was really interesting. Sometimes it takes several months to make a 20-minute episode. After seeing this, my respect for anime production deepened."