Interview with the OP theme "Korekara! Interview with Machico about the OP theme "Korekara"! A cheering song from Machico with a positive outlook for the year ahead!

The TV anime "Rio no Oshigoto!", which started airing in January 2018 The OP theme of the TV anime "Bless This Wonderful World! series. The title song "Korekara" is an exhilarating cheering song, and "Gimme Love," which shows a new face, is actually an anthropomorphic song!　We interviewed Machico about her thoughts behind the song, her own memories of her youth, and "Korekara," which marks the 5th anniversary of her debut.

Korekara" is a type of cheering song that pushes you forward

─ ─ The title song "Korekara" is the theme song of the TV animation "Rio no Oshigoto! Was the song written to match the theme song of the work?

Machico: At first, I didn't know about "Oshigoto! I read the original story when I was asked to write the theme song. There are scenes with cute girls including Ai-chan, but as I read the story, I found that it depicts a passionate Shogi scene, and even if you are not familiar with Shogi like me, it gently leads you into the world of Shogi and you can enjoy it without hesitation. Recently, Shogi has been attracting a lot of public attention, and the long-awaited anime "Rio no Oshigoto! is also a long-awaited anime adaptation, so there are many fans of the original work. I am truly honored to be asked to sing the opening song for such a high-profile work.

───Please tell us your thoughts on "Korekara".

Machico As you can tell from the title, "Korekara" is a very positive and refreshing song. Also, since it is the theme song for a January cool TV show, I tried to make the song fit the title "Korekara" so that everyone would have a wonderful New Year and feel positive about the year ahead.

Ai-chan is a very cute girl, but she is very passionate about Shogi. If the atmosphere of the song represents Ai-chan's cuteness, the lyrics and the way she sings express her core strength, her dedication to Shogi, and her straightforward feelings. I would be happy if I was able to express these aspects.

─ ─ Could you tell us your impression of the song when you first heard it?

Machico: Since the theme of the song is Shogi, we first talked about giving it a Japanese taste, but in the end, the song itself became a pop and cheerful song while retaining the "Japanese" elements in the melody of the A melody and the Koto sound in the B melody. It is a song that makes you feel positive when you listen to it or sing it.

─ Speaking of positive, "TOMORROW," the opening theme song for "Bless This Wonderful World!

Machico: "TOMORROW" had a strong image of running together, and I think there was more roughness when I sang it. I think "KOREKAKA" is more of a cheering song that pushes you forward, with a strong but not rough image, and a straight feeling toward your goal as the point.

─ ─ In the lyrics, there are words such as "game," "legend," "victory," "single combat," "glory," "champion," and so on, which are tied to the work.

Machico Actually, the lyrics are completely different between the first and second drafts. At first, there was an interesting idea of a phrase "Fufufu," which is a combination of three "pawns" from the Japanese chess game, but from there, the lyrics became more positive, while retaining the chess-like feel.

─ ─ Is the title in katakana a reference to something?

Machico: This song is about taking action and grabbing something, rather than passively asking someone to do something for you and moving forward, so I used katakana to give a deeper visual impression when looking at the lyrics. I feel that the song is a cheering song that naturally pushes you forward with your feet on your back. It is a cheerful song, but the lyrics do not only cheer you up with positive words like "hang in there," but also express the negative aspects of the song. It is a song about overcoming a hurdle and moving forward, about being convinced of one's problems and moving on. In that sense, it is a refreshing pop song, but it also has a strong core.

─ ─ Are there any lyrics in "Korekara" that you feel particularly passionate about?

Machico In the second chorus, there is a lyric that says, "Because to go for something means to be young." For example, even if it is the same sport, there is a totally different level of enthusiasm between doing it as a club activity when you are a student and doing it as a hobby as an adult. There is a power that can only be generated by the enthusiasm of youth, and that is what youth is all about, which is why I think youth is so precious. As we get older, we tend to pace ourselves in order to do things without pushing ourselves too hard, without realizing it. I think there is a kind of passion that can only be expressed at that time. When I saw these lyrics, I thought, "That's really true," and I was moved by them. As an artist, I am always striving to achieve my goals, so I don't want to forget that kind of passion. It was the lyric that drew me in the most in "Korekara.

─ ─ Do you have any memories of your club activities as a student that you can relate to this feeling?

Machico: I was in the volleyball club in junior high school. It was in the countryside and not a strong school, so we were a group of kids who all started playing volleyball after entering junior high school, but we were all committed to the sport in our own way. At first, we were watched by a teacher who had no experience in volleyball, but in our second year of junior high school, we had our first experience of a training camp when a teacher with experience as a volleyball club advisor came to our school. I got up early in the morning to go running with the younger students, and when the gym floor was slippery from my sweat, they threw balls at me and I had to work hard to pick them up. The teacher who became my advisor was usually kind, but he was very strict during club activities, yelling at me like I was in a sports anime. Until then, it had been like an extension of my hobby, but after I got a new advisor, my one year of ballet life became an unforgettable memory in my student life. I didn't get any results, but I was able to push myself so hard for the first time, and I was able to push myself so hard for the first time ...... by working hard with my friends, encouraging each other, and being dedicated to one thing. It was really hard, but it was fun, and when I think about it now, it really was my youth. I still remember running around the island (laughs).

Anime tie-in song is one that the cast will love

─ ─ "Korekara" is a cheering song, but have there been any situations recently where you felt like cheering for someone around you or, conversely, you wanted them to cheer for you?

Machico One of my closest friends recently gave birth. She is a close family friend, so I really wanted her to have a safe delivery. Maybe I was thinking about her too much, but I had a dream that she was going to give birth, even though I had not heard her due date or anything. I had only heard the month she was due, so I was curious and called her up, and although she had not actually given birth yet, she told me that today was her due date!　It seems that I really wanted to support her in the birth of her child. I was surprised that I dreamed of that day even though I hadn't heard the due date, and I thought to myself, "I really thought about her that much! I was surprised myself (laugh), but I realized once again how much I was rooting for her. Later, I received a call that the baby was born safely, and she said, "Even if I can't call you myself, I will call you even if I have my husband type an e-mail" (laugh).

─ ─ That is a wonderful story. On the official website of the anime, there is a PV of your song playing, isn't there?

Machico I saw the PV and the Nico Live broadcast last year. Hidaka-san, who plays Ai-chan, said to me, "The opening was really good. As a singer, I always hope to make a song that is loved by the cast, so I was happy to hear Mr. Hidaka say that the song was good. I was happy that Mr. Hidaka said the song was good. I was nervous because it was the first time I performed "Korekara" on Nico Live, but I received comments saying "I'm curious about the song," which made me want to deliver the full song as soon as possible and sing it in various places.

─ The event where you were able to deliver the full song, a live event titled "Korekara☆Kuripa" was held in Ueno on December 23, 2017, wasn't it?

Machico This event itself had a strong Christmas flavor, but I also sang "Korekara. It was the most nerve-wracking moment for me because it was the first time I performed the song in full, but everyone got the hang of it and got into the groove.

─ After the release, you are going to hold events in Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, and Hiroshima to celebrate the release.

Machico: We would like to sing the coupling song as well, so we are planning to have a lot of events such as talks, live performances, and so on. At the release event, we will also have a hand-off event, which will be an opportunity to hear directly from our fans, so I hope to hear a lot of your impressions.

─ ─ What do you often talk about at the handover events?

Machico They give me their impressions of the songs and reports on what they have been up to. I don't think it's a good idea for me to waste time by talking, but I tend to talk a lot. And when the fans try to say something, my time is up (laughs). I think I will talk to them again this time, so please be prepared! (laughs).

(laughs) ─ I have the image that you like to talk during live performances.

Machico: I talk so much that sometimes the fans just sit there in silence (laughs).

───Then, could you tell us about the music video?　You have a room with impressive pink and light blue colors.

Machico Pink and light blue are the theme colors of "Korekara," and I actually painted my nails the same colors, so that's something you should pay attention to. the theme of the music video is "Tsubomi Splash," so flower buds and shining splashes of water appear. It is about me trying new things in the town I moved to, and is filled with the brightness of the song, with a pop finish. In the scene where I play the guitar, I was taught which chords would be cool to play and I tried my best to play them (laughs), and I tried my hand at catching marshmallows.

I was also impressed by the costumes.

Machico: I think the pop costume shows the true expression of the singer, but it also depicts the strength of her core. When I am wearing the same outfit in the artist photo, I look a little more mature and serious, so I think you can enjoy the various expressions of me in the music video. Since I have filmed several music videos in the past, I have recently become less nervous, so I think you will be able to see my true smile. I hope you will be able to see my true smile, and I hope that seeing my true expression will cheer you up as well.

─ I understand that the first limited edition includes a making-of featurette.

Machico In addition to the two songs "Korekara" and the coupling song "Gimme Love," the making-of feature includes a phrase from a song that was created by the director, who played the guitar on the spot and I improvised. The director played the guitar on the spot and I improvised with him. The moment I finished the song, there was a storm of laughter (laugh), but I hope you will check the making of the music video to see why there was a storm of laughter.