Interview with Rika Nagae, Hanabayashi Takahashi, and Misaki Watada of Onsen Musume! SPRiNGS" 1st single is a single full of individuality of 9 members!

Onsen Musume" is a project that transcends dimensions, in which characters based on motifs of hot springs all over Japan and voice actors who provide the voices of the characters perform "idol activities" to bring smiles and healing to people through singing and dancing in order to liven up hot spring resorts all over the country. The first single "Hop Step Jump!" by the nine-member group "SPRiNGS," which appears in this high-profile project, was released on November 15 (Wed.).

The members of "SPRiNGS" are Yuina Kusatsu (CV: Yuuki Takada), Sayaka Hakone (CV: Rika Nagae), Nanako Akiho (CV: Hanabayashi Takahashi), Rinka Arima (CV: Kana Motomiya), Izumi Dogo (CV: Minami Shinoda), Ayase Noboribetsu (CV: Natsumi Hioka), Mizuki Gero (CV: Yurika Endo), Kaeka Arima (CV: Yuki Kuwahara) ), Kanade Baden Yufuin (CV: Misaki Watada), and nine others.

We interviewed three of them, Rika Nagae, Hanabayashi Takahashi, and Misaki Watada. We asked them about the appeal of Onsen Musume, what they listen to in the single "Hop Step Jump!

We want to visit hot spring resorts, and we want everyone to visit hot spring resorts.

--Onsen Musume" is a very active project that has developed in a variety of ways since its inception. First of all, please tell us about its features and appeal.

Rika Nagae (Nagae): Onsen musume are low-ranking gods that reside in hot springs in various regions. The project is about their idol activities to enliven hot spring resorts.

We have recently held events in various regions, such as Kobe in October and Sendai in November, and it is our hope that you, the "Poka-masters" and "Poka-memes" (the names of Onsen musume fans and listeners), will visit hot spring resorts in various regions.

Misaki WATADA (WATADA): And then there is SPRiNGS, a group made up of the first nine "eccentric" onsen musume. The members have strong personalities, and each of them belongs to a different region from Hokkaido to Kyushu, and not all of them are from the same region.

--So you have the whole country covered? Your activities are expected by the actual hot spring resorts, how do you feel about hearing such feedback?

Takahashi: I am glad to hear their expectations!　The other day, the Arima sisters (Rinka Arima and Kaeka Arima) were appointed as special tourism ambassadors for Arima Onsen, and my personal goal is for all of us to become tourism ambassadors for our respective hot spring resorts. We would like to visit hot spring resorts ourselves.

--What kind of albums are the two mini-albums that "SPRiNGS" has released before this first single?

WATADA: The first mini-album "Yunohana Prologue" contains songs that let people know about Onsen Musume. In particular, the first song "Future Imagination! is a song that represents Onsen Musume as a whole. "We are going to bring smiles, energy and power to everyone! It is a song that represents Onsen Musume as a whole. The song "9 miracles in 7 billion" is about working together as idols, and "Ambition" is about not giving up even when faced with trials.

Takahashi: The second album, "Reminiscence Kaleidoscope," is a collection of cool songs, as you can tell from the jacket. The PV of "Junjo-SAKURA" includes not only dancing scenes but also scenes of daily life, which I think will give you an idea of what kind of girls the characters are. For example, Baden is in charge of writing songs for SPRiNGS, and it shows in the scene where she is playing the guitar.

--The lyrics are written by ani-song singer Miho Karasawa, a.k.a. TRUE, isn't it?

Nagae: That's right. Just looking at Ms. Karasawa's lyrics makes me wonder how they will develop in the future. She does a good job of bringing them out a little at a time in order. I have not met him yet, but I would like to hear how he writes.

--I would like to hear how he writes.

Nagae: I think it is an idol song that has never been done before, using Japanese instruments as well. Mirai Imagination!" includes the sound of a Shishio-doshi (a small wooden box) and the sound of a bucket being popped, and it's very Japanese culture-inspired, so you can tell it's an Onsen Musume song right away.

Hop Step Jump!" is a song that we were able to sing because we have built it up over the years.

--The long-awaited release of the first single is in this vein. What is the title track "Hop Step Jump!

Takahashi: It is an energetic and cheerful song that brings the "SPRiNGS" style to the forefront. There is a recitation part in the song where each member says a few lines, and the way they say them is very much in character.

Nagae: The direction of this song is a little different from that of the mini-album, and I feel that SPRiNGS has taken a step forward. The reading part is the same, and as the last part of the song says, "Bonding," it really shows that SPRiNGS has united and started walking in the same direction.

Watada: Up until now, most of our songs have been about being cute or cool as idols, or showing our good friends to everyone to cheer them up. This time, too, I feel like "I'm going to deliver this song to everyone! but I feel that the sentiments of the band members are expressed more in this song.

Takahashi: As the lyric "To the world with all the time we have accumulated," I think we were able to sing this song because we have released two mini-albums so far. At first, I was groping around, wondering "What kind of character am I? "What kind of connections do we have with each other? "Is this the way I'm going to sing next to this person?" I was worried about these questions. But because I had sung so many songs, I was able to understand the characters and sing about them, and I felt that there was a connection not only to the characters but also to us voice actors.

Nagae: If I had been given this song at the beginning, I think it would have sounded completely different from what it does now. Because of what I had built up, I could proudly sing this song as my character.

--Takahashi: So you had a hard time grasping the character at first?

Takahashi: At first, I only had the illustrations and the setting on paper, and the only dialogue I had were the three voice samples you can listen to on the official website, so I took on the songs for the first mini-album without knowing anything else. Future Imagination! I talked with the producer and director about how the characters would sing in the song "Future Imagination!

--How was the recording session this time, when you were able to grasp the characters more deeply?

Nagae: I still hadn't quite grasped what I wanted to add to "singing in a fresh way. The members around me are unique and easy to understand, but Hakone-chan is not so unique and ....... Then he said, "Refreshing and precise. The foundation of the song is what allows everyone to be wild, so in order to make the best use of everyone, Hakone-chan, please sing with a firmness", I was directed.

--Isn't it a bit of pressure to be told to build on that foundation?

Nagae: I am totally fine with that!　I sang strongly with the feeling that everyone should come at me.

--How about you, Takahashi-san and Watada-san?

Takahashi: Akimo-chan is a natural, carefree character, but when she sings cool songs like "Junjo - SAKURA-" and "Ambition," or when she wants to convey her feelings, she awakens. Before recording "Hop Step Jump!", I was trying to sing it in a cool way with the spirit that it was about to start, but I was directed to keep the fluffy feeling that Akiho always has, since this song is about SPRiNGS holding hands together. I tried to give the song an unpretentious, fluffy feeling, while at the same time expressing an inner feeling of "let's do our best".

Watada: I really imagined everyone in SPRiNGS. I wanted to show more individuality than before, but at the same time, I was conscious of everyone else!　Ping! I sang the song as if the nine of us were all standing in a line and jumping up and down.

--I felt the individuality of the nine members in the solo parts and other parts. Could you briefly tell us about the other six members and their characteristics?

Takahashi: Yuina Kusatsu is a character who energetically leads the group, so her solo parts "Yumemiru chikara (power of dreaming), no one can beat you" and "Let's go and deliver your dreams! have a strong power in her solo parts, "Yumemiru chikara, nando desu yo yo! This is what the center of the group is all about. Rinka Arima, the older sister of the Arima sisters, is a cool and tsundere girl, so she sings with a strong spirit. Kaeka, the younger sister, is a Lolita just as she looks (laughs), so she sings in a cute, soft, soothing way.

Mizuki Gero is a reclusive, internet-loving girl, and she too awakens when she takes off her glasses. She is cool when she sings strong songs, but when she sings "Hop Step Jump!" she sings in a cute way, and it's like the way she sings when she wears her glasses.

Nagae But there is also a sense of shyness, as if she is a recluse.

Takahashi: Senkai Dogo is the leader of SPRiNGS, the top student in her grade, and she keeps everyone together. I think she sings beautifully without being violent. Ayase Noboribetsu is the older and sexier sister (laughs). She sings the low parts quietly, and her breathy ending is also a feature of her singing. The songs of these members are well combined to form SPRiNGS.

Onkuri," a Christmas song full of Onsen Musume's character

--The second song is "Onkuri. When I saw the title, I had no idea what it was about, but it is a Christmas song that only Onsen Musume could sing.

Watada: That's right. The lyrics, such as "Ishidatami naru warimasu" ("The stone drum is resounding"), "Yume wo kara otsukete" ("Decorate the steam"), "White hot water flowers are dancing down" ("The white hot water flowers are dancing down"), and "Champagne glass for milk after taking a bath" are all unique to Onsen Musume and show our individuality in a big way. This is Onsen Musume's first song with a seasonal feel, so I can see everyone enjoying singing along.

Takahashi: The title was decided by Minami Shinoda's words. Until then, we had received the tentative title "Onsen Christmas," but when I looked at the release information, it was "Onkuri," so I thought, "What the heck is this? I thought, "What the heck is this? As I mentioned earlier, Senkai Dogo is the leader of SPRiNGS, and I heard that the director asked her, "What kind of title do you like? I heard that the director asked her, "What kind of title do you like? I think "Onkuri" in hiragana is also perfect for SPRiNGS because it gives a soft and fluffy feeling. On the other hand, "Onsen Christmas" would be a bit different (laughs).

--How did you feel when you actually sang the song?

Nagae: As with "Hop Step Jump!", Hakone-chan is in charge of the hammory. The reason for the hammory is that there is a unit in SPRiNGS called "Setsugetsuka (snow, moon, and flowers)," which consists of Hakone, Rinka Arima, and Kanade Baden-Yufuin, and they sing songs in which the three of them harmonize with each other. There is that, and these three are mainly in charge of the hammory. The song "Onkuri" in particular is easy to understand and has a gospel-like "the hamori" part in the foreground, so please pay attention to that part.

--The live performance of "Setsugetsuka" had a big impact on me. Shanpu Hatto" and "SPicA," also units within SPRiNGS, also have distinct characteristics, and all of them are utilized in this single, aren't they?

Nagae: That's right. All of our past activities are connected.

Takahashi: I went to a Christian school and sang "Christmas Carols" and other songs every year, so I was happy to be able to sing Christmas songs. Akiho-chan sang the solo part of "Oba no Wanko wa" (The Dog in the Garden), and I was so surprised when I heard it myself that I felt like a natural (laughs). I thought it was great that it brought out everyone's happy feeling.

Watada: Baden-chan is in charge of the solo part of "Decorate the steam," and she sings it as if she is saying, "I'm going to decorate the steam with my mischievous spirit! I'm going to decorate the steam with my mischievous spirit! I sang it while imagining everyone dressed up as Santa Claus and reindeer and having fun, with presents on the Christmas tree, and milk in champagne glasses around the cake.

Nagae It has a party feeling, doesn't it?

Takahashi: The milk in the champagne glass is also very SPRiNGS-like. It's pretentious, but what's inside is like ...... (laughs).

WATADA That's right. That's what I imagined (laughs).

--From September to November, CDs by other groups were also released, adding to the depth of the project. Which of these groups are the three of you particularly interested in?

Nagae: That would be AKATSUKI. They are said to be our biggest rival. I was a bit intimidated by it, and wondered if SPRiNGS, which is still a lowly group, could stand up to AKATSUKI.

Takahashi: I am interested in Adhara. I especially like the look of Rairu Beki Tsukioka (laughs). She is a pink-haired girl who likes jewelry, and I think she is capacious and cute.

Nagae She is cute, but her Adhara jacket is very cool and mysterious, isn't it?

Takahashi: Yes. The other groups have their own charms, but Adhara is a group I am interested in because I have the impression that they are a collection of unusual girls with a different direction from that of SPRiNGS.

WATADA I would say LUSH STAR☆ I feel close to them because they are a group that is close to SPRiNGS and many of the girls I have worked with at events to delve into their characters. I also like Lolita characters, so I like Kaeka Arima from SPRiNGS, Honami Shirahama and Shinyuki Ginzan from LUSH STAR☆, and Momomoe Kompira from Adhara. I am healed by the cute characters while thinking that I cannot lose to the rivals (laugh).

--And another group is "petit corolla.

Takahashi: As you can see from the jacket, they are a very cute group full of pink and flowers. Among all the cute members, Tsubagetsu Ito is a little different in that she is a "salty character" (laughs). (Laughs.) But she is also cute in a salty way, which I think is a nice gap. I think the group is a collection of various cutenesses that are not all the same.

©Onsen Musume/Enbound, Inc.