Winter anime "Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju," Megumi Hayashibara and Ringo Shiina sang the OP theme song!　The song is sung by Megumi Hayashibara and Ringo Shiina!

The opening theme song for the TV anime "Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju," which will start in January 2016, will be sung by the splendid tag team of Megumi Hayashibara and Ringo Shiina.

Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju" is an anime work based on Haruko Unda's manga serialized in ITAN. The TV anime version shares the same staff: director Mamoru Hatakeyama, series composition by Jun Kumagai, character design by Mieko Hosoi, and rakugo supervision by Mieko Hayashi. The director is Mamoru Hatakeyama, series composition by Jun Kumagai, character design by Mieko Hosoi, rakugo supervision by Shinpei Hayashiya, and animation production by Studio Deen.

The opening theme song artist for the TV anime version has now been released. Megumi Hayashibara, who is not only a voice actress but also a radio personality, lyricist, and essayist, will sing the song, while the multi-talented Ringo Shiina will write the lyrics, arrange the music, and produce the vocal direction. Megumi Hayashibara will play the role of the mysterious Miyokichi, and Ringo will also appear in the film as a voice actor. This is the first time in history that the same artist has written and arranged all of Megumi Hayashibara's music, and it will be very interesting to see what kind of music it will be.

The music CD "Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju Ongaku Banashi其の一", which includes a collection of anime BGM and newly recorded Rakugo, will be released on October 7. The latest PV was also released. In addition, an event will be held at Hibiya Public Hall on December 12. Tomokazu Seki (Yotaro), Akira Ishida (Yurakutei Yakumo), Yuu Kobayashi (Konatsu), Koichi Yamadera (Sukeroku), Megumi Hayashibara (Miyokichi), and others will participate in the screening and talk show with voice actors.

Comments by Megumi Hayashibara
Ringo Shiina

I met this fruit that is ripe for sale. There was no reason not to be excited.
I went to the recording place (studio) to calm myself down, even more so, because I was so elated.
There has probably never been a recording session that made me more grateful that the recording of the TV series had been completed.
The "other Miyokichi," born through the flesh and blood of "her," attacked me. With a steady, sure footstep....
The "Miyokichi" in me and the "other Miyokichi" melted together loosely, and a new life was born to express the work "Rakugo Shinju" as a piece of music.
I took her order...answered it, worried about further orders, took them, chewed them, and made them into a "meat voice (koe)".
This slow but precise rally was a very erotic process.

I can change as much as you want if you ask me to.
(From "Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju," Vol. 4, p. 35)

The intertwining of the two actresses.
It is a treasured time that they will never forget.
It was a time to appreciate all the past.

Ms. Ringo...every time you said to me, "Here, I dare you to do it this way...", I was so moved that I had to do my best to answer you....
Thank you for your happiness.
Thank you for your happiness, and I hope you will try it too.

Ringo Shiina Comment
I am very happy to write the theme song for "RAKUGO SHINJU.

　The famous Ms. Megumi Hayashibara. As a writer, it is a dream come true to be able to touch her seven-colored voice, and I would like to let Ringo know that when I was a high school student, I registered my pen name with JASRAC for the first time. The production of this piece was a series of moments that made me realize how lucky I am to have continued composing music. I was almost floating in a fever to the marrow of my bones, and I worked on it, going back and forth between heaven and hell while trying to keep the fever at bay.
　First, I received a voice recording of Ms. Hayashibara uttering Miyokichi's lines, and began by taking the key. I began by taking the key from the voice of Miyokichi that Ms. Hayashibara used to speak his lines. I wanted her to speak as naturally as possible, maintaining the tone and rapidity with which she spoke as Miyokichi. It was my first experience with the approach of weaving a melody and ensemble within the range of her spoken voice.
　This piece is a number in which the second hand moves forward one bar at a time. It depicts three minutes of Miyokichi's life. When I told him about Miyokichi's situation as depicted in the song for the first time when he finally sang the song, he said, "Well, I am not going to tell anyone. I would like you to listen to the song once if you would like. Anyway, the quintessential Ms. Megumi Hayashibara is a true genius. I have no regrets.
　This is an anime adaptation of such an interesting original work to begin with. The musical accompaniment, which I listened to earlier to check the consistency of the sound, was also wonderful. It was a wonderful site where I could clearly see that everyone was working with great care and devotion at every step of the process. Thank you very much for allowing us to participate in such a project. We are very grateful. I look forward to seeing the finished product.