Gentleness and strength of heart. Arisa Takigawa's charm overflows in her new song, "Fading Eyes.

Arisa Takigawa's fifth single is "Irofuse nai Hitomi", the ending theme for the TV anime "The Seven Deadly Sins: Seisen no Yochi", and marks her second collaboration with "The Seven Deadly Sins", following her debut song "Season" released in March 2015. The song, with its gentle and soft tone and strong message, is filled with her current thoughts after her successful one-man live tour in Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka.

I was impressed by the strength of the eyes of the characters in "The Seven Deadly Sins.

─ This is your second "The Seven Deadly Sins" ending theme since your debut single "Season.

Takigawa: I was happy when they asked me to do the ending theme again. I wanted to make it as a way to repay the work that gave me the opportunity to make my debut.

─ Did you have a specific request for the kind of music you wanted us to write?

Takigawa: They liked "Season," and at first I was told that I wanted to make a second version of it. However, after submitting several candidate songs, the one chosen was a song with a completely different atmosphere from "Season.

───That was "Fading Eyes" this time. What did you think when this song was chosen?

Takigawa: It was a surprise. But "The Seven Deadly Sins: Omen of the Holy War" focuses more on the daily life of Meliodas and his friends than on battles, so I thought the song should be soft and easy to listen to, rather than strong like "Season". The lyrics were also to convey the thoughts and feelings of the friends.

─ After fighting together throughout the TV series, the bonds between Meliodas, Elizabeth, and the other Seven Deadly Sins have grown even deeper.

Takigawa: When I first came into contact with "The Seven Deadly Sins" to create "Season," what impressed me the most was the strength of each character's eyes. Every character had eyes that spoke something. Since that time, the theme of "eyes that never fade away" has been in my mind. That is why I was able to write the lyrics this time with a natural feeling.

─ Both the characters and the world of the work are very familiar to you, aren't they?

Takigawa: I think it was not only the work "The Seven Deadly Sins," but also the fact that I have experienced firsthand the strength of the eyes. Since my debut, I have performed many live concerts, and I cannot forget each and every one of the eyes of the audience. I felt that the sparkle in their eyes is something that will never change, and I wrote the lyrics with the message that I want people to always cherish the sparkle in their hearts in the same way.

─ The song has a gentle tone, but the lyrics depict the conflicts of the heart, which I thought was very typical of you.

Takigawa: As I wrote in the first lyric, comparing yourself with someone else or doing the same thing as others will not work. It is harder than you might think to find something that suits you and makes you happy. The more you admire someone and try to do the same thing, the more you are shocked at how small you are, but I wanted to convey the message that you should believe in yourself and not underestimate yourself.

─ ─ I was also impressed by the second lyric, "I'm not afraid to stand still. When I interviewed Mr. Takigawa before, he told me that before his debut, he had been in a "swamp" period of deep depression, and that he felt impatient that he had wasted his time. But now that you are able to sing this passage, do you feel that it is because your feelings have changed?

Takigawa: Yes, that's right. Before my debut, I was always in a hurry. But thankfully, we have been able to release a number of songs and continue to perform live, and I have come to think that rushing ahead is not all there is to it. It is the same when you are writing songs. If I get too involved, I can't write, but if I stop and take a break, I can start writing again. This passage contains the realization that there are many things that can be learned by stopping.

─ ─ Does that mean that you have become mentally relaxed?

Takigawa: I think I have become less self-conscious. This is thanks to everyone who came to the live concerts. For the first time, I felt accepted.

─ You say that the live performances have become an incentive for you.

Takigawa: Yes, it was. In the at-home atmosphere, I felt like my weak points were being told, "Don't worry! I feel like I am being told "It's okay!

───I felt that your unpretentious MC style brought you closer to the audience. I felt that you always say what you want to say (laughs).

Takigawa: I go on stage without thinking and honestly say what I think on the spot (laughs). (Laughs) The gap between the songs and the MC is quite large.