Debuted in the ED of "Shobicchi! Interview with pure new voice-over unit "pua:re"! Welcome, newcomers! Part 4]

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 interview is called "Newcomers, welcome!

This time, we are joined by "pua:re," a voice-over idol unit formed by four female voice actors: Yuki Yagi, Natsumi Yamada, Maru Mizutani, and Yayu Ogura.

As their unit name suggests, their voices are pure and fresh, and they made their debut on November 8 with "Koi no Himitsu," the ending theme song for the currently airing anime "Bokuno Kanojo ga Majime Toshi Shobich na Koto" (My Girlfriend is Too Serious to be True)!

We started off with a chat in a cafe!

───Please introduce yourselves to each member.

Natsumi Yamada (Yamada ): I am from Tokyo, my image color is pink, and I am the leader of pua:re.

Yuki Yagi (Yagi): I am from Osaka and my image color is purple. I am very nervous and excited to make my debut as a unit that sings the theme song of an anime.

Mizutani Mazuzu (Mizutani) I am from Kyoto Prefecture and my image color is light blue. I like light blue, so I am happy to be able to wear an outfit in that color. This is the first time for me to be an artist, or rather to sing anime songs as a unit and release a CD of them. I am currently in the middle of experiencing many things, and every day is full of new things, so I would like to continue to do my best.

Yayu Ogura (Ogura ): I am from Hokkaido, and my image color is yellow. The other members of the group are already working with senior members of the office, but this is my first job as a member of pua:re, so there are a lot of firsts for me. I am surprised, frazzled, but enjoying every day.

─ So you all knew each other from the same office?

Yamada: That's right. Each of us is usually active as a voice actor, but these four of us got together this time to form a voice actor idol unit. This is the first time for us to do something together, but we were acquainted with each other since we had taken classes in the same seminar class at the office.

───What did you think when you first heard that you were going to make your debut?

Mizutani: At first, I was told by surprise that we were going to be in this group. I thought it was about work, but then I was told, "Actually, the members who are going to form a unit have gathered here today" (laughs).

Yamada Yes, they were trying to surprise me to my heart's content.

Yagi When I entered the room, a video camera was set up, and I thought, "What in the world is going on? (laughs).

Mizutani So I was surprised because we were not informed in advance that we were going to do this unit, but were told by the members gathered that day that we were going to do it.

Ogura Yes. Surprise was the biggest thing.

Mizutani But I also felt a sense of security, and I was looking forward to working with my seniors, who I could rely on, and energetic girls like Yayu Ogura.

Yamada I am not good at interacting with other people, but the members of pua:re are calm and gentle, so when we decided to work with the four of us, I felt relieved or like I had a vision.

─ I could see the four of us standing on stage together.

Yamada Yes, that's right.

Ogura I am glad to hear that. I was very happy to hear you say that (laughs). (laughs) I was mostly surprised that I was the one who said, "I'm the one! I was mostly surprised. I was honored to be able to debut with my seniors, but at the same time I was worried if I would be able to make it, but now that you said that, I am glad I am here.

─ You have a very bright smile, don't you, Mr. Ogura?

Yamada: That's right. I am in charge of smiling! (laughs)

Yagi About a year ago, I had an opportunity to write a timeline of what I wanted to become, and I wrote, "In three years, I will sing the theme song for an anime. But I thought it would be difficult to achieve in 3 years, but my dream came true 1 to 2 years earlier than that, so I realized once again how important it is to write it down in words (laughs). I definitely want to continue with pua:re in the future, so I am thinking more specifically about my next goal.

─ ─ What kind of unit do you want pua:re to be?

Yagi: When we first decided on the members, we first went to a cafe together and chatted for a very long time. There we talked again about what we wanted to do in the future.

Mizutani Yes, we did!　I think we talked for about 3-4 hours.

Yagi Yes. About four hours passed quickly. Anyway, at first we talked about how we wanted people to get to know us.

Yamada I didn't want this to be a one-time project, and I wanted to make it a unit that would continue long after its debut. But I also want to keep the "purity" and "purity" in the group name.

Koi no Himitsu" - enjoy the charm of four different voices

─ What was your impression when you first heard our debut song "Koi no Himitsu"?

Ogura: I heard the song for the first time when all four of us were together, and my impression was that everyone was "cute. When I listened to the completed song, I thought it was a sweet and sour song that made me feel happy and sassy, even though it is a song that I also sing. It reminded me of when I was a student.

─ Indeed. I felt that "Koi no Himitsu" is a song that is filled with the charm of each member's voice.

Yamada: If I were to divide the song into two, I would say that Yagi and Asuzu have very cute voices with a hint of sexiness in them. On the other hand, Yamada and Ogura-chan have a strong or cool singing style. I think pua:re has a good 2:2 split between cute and cool. Furthermore, if I give you the "easy songs" that we usually sing, I think all four of us would come up with different songs. ...... Um, can I talk about the members' voices one by one?

Yagi Oh, I want to hear it!

─ ─ Go ahead! (Laughs)

Yamada: Yuki Yagi's voice is really, really cute and I love it, but it's also very sensitive. She puts her feelings into each word, and also puts the essence of her feelings into it, and I think she has a devilish charm. And Mazuzu Mizutani has a pure but mature voice that cannot be hidden.

Yagi: Yes, yes. Her voice sounds young, but it is very convincing.

Mizutani Wow (laughs)!　Really?

Yamada The last part of the song, where she sings "the secret of love," is Mizutani Mazuzu's part, but she sings it a little like a whisper, and I have her sing it over. That part is the best part of the song.

Mizutani I'm so happy!

─ ─ Is she like an adult in pua:re?

Yamada As a character, she is not like that at all. She is pure and natural!　But there is a hidden sexiness that sometimes comes out in Asuzu-chan's singing, so that's what I'm looking out for. And Yayu Ogura has a voice that makes me sad. She has a strong and cool voice, but she can also sing with the delicacy of a woman's voice, or rather, with the emotion that only a woman can express.

Mizutani I imagine her as a childhood friend who is very strong, but behind her back, she is a hurt girl.

Yamada I really hear her that way.

─ ─ Do you actually feel that way?

Ogura Not only in love, but I act intuitively. ...... For example, I sometimes think, "I said this at the time, but maybe I should have said that? (laughs).

Yamada I already felt that way when I was in kindergarten romance (laughs).

─ On the contrary, what do the members think of your voice?

Yagi It has a sense of stability, and it is the voice that is the mainstay of these four. I always think of her as a leader. Sometimes my feelings get the better of me and my technique is not up to the mark, but he supports me in that area, or rather, he is a good singer. ......

Ogura He is very good.

Mizutani Yes, yes.

Yamada Ha-ha-ha (laughs). (laughs) We are good friends like this!

Yagi I think it is really wonderful that we are in this environment where we can learn what we are not good at by watching our colleagues perform up close. I would like to continue to steal many things from Natsumi-san!

Mizutani: Natsumi called me mature, but from my point of view, I think your voice is sexy, and I have the impression that you are the sexy one in charge of pua:re.

Ogura Sexy, but also cute at the same time.

Mizutani Yes, the very first phrase "secret of love" is Natsumi's part, and it's really cute. But the solos in the A and B melodies of the first verse are very sexy, and I love how she can sing in such a different way.

Yagi I would like to hear more of Natsumi's voice in the future.

Ogura I like the phrase "I am enchanted by the magic of love" in the second verse. I think Natsumi sings as if she herself is enchanted, but I am also enchanted! I have been wanting to say that for a long time (laughs).