Welcome, newcomers! Yoh Kanade Tojo emotionally sings "Blue Bud Blue", the opening theme of the 2nd "NTR - The Fabricated Trap - NTR"!

With more and more anime songs being released every day, newcomers who sing anime songs are also appearing on the scene one after another. Akiba Research Institute is pleased to present a series of in-depth interviews with these newcomers!　That is "Newcomers, welcome! The second installment of this series will take place in November 2016.

In this second installment of the series, we are joined by Tojo Yoh Kanade, who made her debut in November 2016 with "Misty," the ED theme for the short anime "Kiantaro Shonen no Yokai Eki" and currently sings "Blue Bud Blue," the opening theme for the critically acclaimed anime "Kakuza Trap - NTR.

She is a very fresh high school student, but her singing voice is powerful and elongated. We asked this promising newcomer various questions!

─ Your previous debut song "Misty" had a gentle image, but I was surprised to hear a harder, more rock-oriented song this time. What was your impression when you first heard it?

Tojo: The first demo version I heard had a simpler band sound, with the guitar more forward than in the finished arrangement, and I thought it was more like ani-song rock, but in a good way.

─ Did you always like this kind of taste in music?

Tojo: Yes. However, I thought I was better at that kind of song, and I wondered if I could sing it well at first. ......Can you sing it? (Laughs)

─ ─ Of course I think I can sing, and I thought it suited my voice. But you are still not sure about it yourself?

Tojo: I think that my impression and other people's impression are different. That's why I'm glad to hear that kind of evaluation from everyone.

───This song is the theme song for the TV anime "NTR," but have you read the original story yet?

Tojo: I read it when I first heard about it.

─ ─ From the first page of the first volume, the content is quite extreme. ......

Tojo: I've seen yuri anime before, such as "YuruYuri," but this was the first time for me to see something this deep. ...... (laughs).

─ ─ Is this the first time for you to watch a yuri anime? (laughs).

Tojo: Yes. I was surprised at first to see a work like this. I thought the characters were very mature for high school students, but I felt that the way the girls were naturally attracted to each other, even though they each had boyfriends, was very realistic.

─ ─ You think it's realistic even from the perspective of an actual high school girl?

Tojo: Yes, it is.

───Did these feelings you had when you read the original story influence the music?

Tojo: Yes, they did. Blue Bud Blue" is a song I wrote based on the work, and I sang it with the image of Hotaru's feelings in mind. In terms of the lyrics, the phrase "You're afraid of falling, aren't you?" in the second A melody reminds me of what Hotaru is saying to Yuma.

───How did the recording go?

Tojo: "Blue Bud Blue" took a lot of time. After the first recording, I listened to the song and re-sang the parts that bothered me. As I was re-singing, the producer told me that the luster of my voice had improved, so I had to re-record it from scratch. ......

As a result, it took about 10 hours to record one song (laugh). I think the atmosphere in the studio turned me on, but I still don't really know why.

─ ─ The music video is a visual piece with beautiful light and shadow.

Tojo: This was the first time for me to shoot a music video. I was so nervous at first that the heels of my costume were wobbling (laughs). It is not a contrast of light and shadow, but it is a music video that represents human relationships. There are two costume patterns and three patterns of layered costumes. The white costume represents the image of an innocent child, and the black costume represents the image of a child who is playing around (laughs), and by wearing these costumes in layers, the image of the white child is dyed.

──How did you feel when you saw the music video in which you appear?

Tojo: The image I had of myself and the way I see myself through the camera are completely different, and in the scene with the light shining through the window, I was impressed that I could see myself like this. Whenever I checked the camera, I thought to myself, "This is how my face is going to appear.

─ It is a song filled with various challenges and new experiences, isn't it?

Tojo: Yes, it is.