Yukinobu Nishizawa x Ramen! What are the feelings of the girls hidden in the lyrics of "LOVE MEN HOLIC"?

Yukikane (Shiena) Nishizawa sings "LOVE MEN HOLIC," the ending theme song for the TV anime "Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san. The song is a light pop-rock song with lyrics written by Shiena herself, and is one of her favorite tunes. The lyrics include various ramen words, but another aspect of this song is that it is a love song. Moreover, the theme of the song is "love addiction. Nishizawa says he wrote the lyrics as if he were a different girl from himself. We asked him to elaborate on the content of the song!

LOVE MEN HOLIC" is a song about a girl with a carnivorous nature.

─ ─ How did you decide on the tie-up with "Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san"?

Nishizawa: Thankfully, we were approached by the director, music producer, and other staff members as we were discussing the project. Director Kenji Setou had sung the opening theme for the TV anime "Gakusen Toshi Asterisk," so I was very happy. I was excited to see what kind of song would be created by the unexpected combination of Yukikane Nishizawa and ramen noodles.

─ Did director Setou have any requests for the song?

Nishizawa: He said, "I think it would be great if it becomes a love song. He also listened to my first album "Break Your Fate" and told me that he was imagining a song like "Goodbye Graffiti," the fourth track.

─ ─ "Goodbye Graffiti" was a refreshing number in the album, and "Love Men Holic" also turned out to be a lighthearted song.

Nishizawa: The music was composed by West Ground, who has written many of my songs. I think it is the brightest and most pop song I have ever written.

─ ─ The lyrics were written by Nishizawa himself. What concept did you have in mind when you wrote the lyrics?

Nishizawa: After talking with the director and other staff members, we decided to make it a song about ramen noodles, and then we mixed in the elements of a love song that director Setou had mentioned. The title "LOVE MEN HOLIC" also reflects this, with "MEN" being both "noodle" and "men's." The lyrics are also about ramen. I was conscious of the double meaning of the lyrics, which seem to be about ramen, but also sound like they are about love.

───There are a lot of ramen terms in the song, aren't there?

Nishizawa: Yes, a lot (laughs). I read the original "Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san" manga and wrote down the words that appeared in it. It wouldn't have been interesting to use them as they were, so I played around with them, changing "soy sauce" to "Show You" and "noodles" to "masks.

─ ─ I also found the word "shio-support" in the manga, and thought it was a clever way of turning a ramen term into a romantic word.

Nishizawa: I used to try to avoid using such modern words like "shio-teki" when I wrote lyrics myself. I didn't want people to think that my lyrics were written by a young teenager. But recently, I've been feeling less self-conscious about having to write cool lyrics, so I decided to take the plunge and use them this time.

─ Do you mean that you have experienced a change in your mindset?

Nishizawa: I think so. The year 2017 was particularly intense. We released an album and had our first national tour. But personally, I think the biggest thing was that I turned 20 years old. As an adult, I feel like I have to take more responsibility for myself, but on the other hand, I feel like I have more freedom. I feel more confident now that I have overcome the challenges of making an album and touring, and I feel more at ease.

─ Since you had many opportunities to write lyrics, didn't you get used to spelling words?

Nishizawa: I don't know if I am getting used to it, but I am no longer afraid to put my thoughts into words. I didn't think too deeply about the lyrics this time, but just wrote what I thought was interesting in a spontaneous manner. I think the lyrics have become rock lyrics that are typical of Yukikane Nishizawa, even though there are ramen elements in them.

─ I think the fact that it is also a love song helps. When you get to the chorus, it becomes even more like a love song, doesn't it?

Nishizawa I'm glad you feel that way. I was always concerned about how to express "HOLIC" in my writing. Since it is a song about a love addiction, I wanted to make the main character a girl who is crazy about falling in love, rather than a boy who loves a boy. I wrote the song with the image of a girl who can't stop wanting to fall in love.

─ In other words, a carnivorous girl.

Nishizawa: Yes, a carnivorous girl (laughs). The first verse, "I'm crazy about you & I'm addicted to him," also expresses the feeling of being attracted to various boys.

───Then, "Daitama mo ichikko" also has a deep meaning.

Nishizawa That's right. It's like "even if you get dumped by one boy, it's okay because there is another boy.

─ I feel like the ramen-like lyrics are being turned upside down into a love story. What about "I just want to drown in the spicy soup"?

Nishizawa: It means that she wants to be immersed in the stimulation of love. What this girl is looking for is not to be tied to him, but to have a spicy everyday life. The song is cheerful and actually sings about great things (laughs). It was fun to write the lyrics as someone fictional.

─ You are the main character of this song, not Mr. Nishizawa himself or Mr. Koizumi, aren't you?

Nishizawa: Yes. But I think I have something in common with Koizumi-san in that I am greedy for something. Also, he is always salty toward Yuu (laughs).

─ Indeed, he is always salty (laughs).