First collaboration between the Great King and the Emperor! School song for the radio program "Anison Academy" is released! Comments from Hiroaki Watanabe (composer) and Kohei Tanaka (arranger) also arrived!

On Wednesday, October 18, 2017, a CD of "Anison Academy" school songs broadcast on NHK-FM will be released.

Anison Academy" is a music program specializing in anime songs that has been broadcast on NHK-FM since April 2013. The program focuses on requests and covers a wide range of anime songs from the early days of anime to the present day.

The "Anison Academy" school song was created to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the program's broadcast, and the lyrics were written by Shoko Nakagawa aka "Shokotan" and Akira Abe, who are both personalities on the program. The music is composed by Watanabe Spaceaki, who turned 92 this year, and arranged by Tanaka Kohei, a leading figure in the anime song world. The two singers will be Isao Sasaki, the "Great King of Anime Songs," known for "Space Battleship Yamato," and Ichiro Mizuki, the "Emperor of Anime Songs," famous for "Mazinger Z" and "Masked Rider. This is the first time that these two artists will perform a duet together.

The CD jacket was drawn by Shoko Nakagawa, who also wrote the lyrics. The design features portraits of the staff involved in the production of the CD.

Comments from Mr. Hiroaki Watanabe, who composed the music, and Mr. Kohei Tanaka, who arranged the music, have reached the "Akiba Research Institute" editorial office, so let us introduce them to you.

Staff comments】 （*Titles omitted)
Spaceaki Watanabe (Composer)
I had appeared on NHK-FM's "Anison Academy" before, but I was surprised and very happy to be asked to compose the theme song for the program, which was a "school song".
In this case, the order was to compose a school song, but since the program focuses on anime songs, I thought it would be necessary to give it an ani-song feel, and I can't say that I was anxious about how to put it all together.
However, when I looked at the lyrics by the personalities Shoko Nakagawa and Akira Abe, the beginning of the song was in the style of a school song, but the latter half was in the style of an anime song, and it was very well written, so the composition went smoothly.
Fans call my melody "Chumei-busi," and I imagine that they are thinking of the heroic, battle-like songs in robot animation and heroic stories.
Of course, that is my own strength, but I also like and am good at lyrical music, so I am very excited when I receive an order like this one.
As a composer, it is a great pleasure for me to be able to complete the work, receive many words of appreciation from the people involved, and make it available on CD so that people can listen to it whenever they like.
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to all the people involved in the program and to the two personalities who requested the CD.

Kohei Tanaka (arranger)
I am truly honored to be a part of such a groundbreaking project and such a wonderful group of people. I am also happy that my arrangement was able to help in some small way with this wonderful music.

CD Outline] (*Honorific titles omitted)
■"Anison Academy School Song"
Release date: October 18, 2017 (Wednesday)
・Price: 1,200 yen (excluding tax)
Lyrics: Shoko Nakagawa, Akira Abe
Composed by: Hiroaki Watanabe
Arrangement: Kohei Tanaka
Songs: Isao Sasaki, Ichiro Mizuki

＜Contents
Anison Academy School Song
Anison Academy School Song (SASAKI Isao Solo Version)
Anime Song Academy School Song (Ichiro Mizuki Solo Version)
Anison Academy School Song (Original Karaoke)

Program Information
Animation Song Academy
Broadcast date: Every Saturday from 14:00
Broadcasting station: NHK-FM