Interview with i☆Ris! What is i☆Ris' idea of a good guy?

i☆Ris' 15th single "Memorial", the OP theme song of the TV anime "Idol Time Prettypara" in its 4th cool season, has been completed. It is no exaggeration to say that i☆Ris has walked together with "Pripara" up to now, and the song is also a moving piece of music that describes the path they have taken together. We asked the members about the meaning and message behind the song.

The "emo" jacket features a lineup of past OPs!

─ I heard that the six of you don't get together very often these days, but what kind of tension do you feel on mornings like this when all six members are together for an interview?

All of us.......

Yuki Wakai (hereafter referred to as "Wakai"): Nothing, you know?

─ ─ "I can meet everyone! Isn't there something like that?

Saki Yamakita (Yamakita): No.

Yu Serizawa (Serizawa) Not at all.

(laughs) Wakai.

Wakai: Because it's like meeting my family. When you go home, you don't think, "I'm going to meet my family! It's just like that. It's just like that.

Serizawa Yes. Tasteless! I feel like that (laugh).

But I'm looking forward to meeting everyone because I'm being taken care of by them. Today, too, the first thing I did was to look at them! Look at me! I was thinking that they would be annoyed with me. I thought they might be annoyed, but I went on and on. But if they laughed at me, it made me happy, so I was fine with it. I'm a simpleton (laughs).

─ How about you, Mr. Kubota?

Miyu Kubota (Kubota ): Me?

Serizawa I guess I am the most "nothing. They don't even notice that I've "joined" the project (laughs).

Kubota: When I go to other sites, I feel like I have to be a little more enthusiastic, but I don't have that feeling, and they accept me just as I am.

─ ─ Once the tour starts, I will be with you even if I don't want to be.

Shibuya: (Looking happy) That's right!　I'm looking forward to it.

─ Well, "Memorial", the OP theme of "Idol Time Prettypara" has been released, and the jacket of the CD is very emo.

Shibuya: The jackets of previous OP themes are all lined up in a row.

I was wondering why Yamakita-san's speech balloon on the CD only version looks like he is angry (laughs).

Yamakita: I'm not happy about this!　Everyone else has a title or a star or a heart, but only you are exploding!

─ ─ Well, if you were to put a word here, what would it be?

Yamakita: "Wow! I guess.

─ ─ (laughs).

Yamakita But we were talking earlier about how Tomoki's expression is also very funny.

Wakai Is she a little screwed up? (Laughs)

Serizawa When we were taking this picture, the photographer told us to smile with a big smile and bare our teeth. But only one of us had a "huh" look on his face. I wondered (laughs).

WakaiI don't even remember why he had this expression (laughs).

─ ─ And this star is exquisite, isn't it?

Nika Akaneya (Akaneya) She looks silly (laughs).

Wakai I look like an idiot (laughs).

Memorial" is a song that graduates send to current students

─ ─ The fact that i☆Ris is singing the OP theme of "Idol Time Prettypara" has become a very hot topic. I know that this is a tie-up with a work that you all have strong feelings for, so I would like to start by asking you about your thoughts on the title song, "Memorial".

Yamakita: "Pripara" itself doesn't end, but for i☆Ris, it's like a break, and I feel like I'm sending a message from the graduates to the current students on the day they leave for the future. So I thought it was a song for future idols. I have sung many OP themes for "Pripara" and both i☆Ris and myself have grown together with the characters, so I sang the song with my honest feelings, and it seemed to come naturally. Serizawa

Serizawa I want to say to everyone who listens to this song, "I won't be lonely. There have been various announcements, and I have received various reactions from fans. There were many who said, "I'm lonely," but I really hope that when they listen to this song, they will feel that "I'm not lonely, I'm with you. The first chorus of the song, "No matter what the future brings / memories are in my heart / sparkling and shining," also says, "I'm a little sad, but it's okay. I think you can feel that "I'm a little sad, but it's okay, Pripara will be with you from now on.

Akaneya: This song was written by the same lyricist and composer as "Make it ! which was first sung as a tie-in song for "Pripara," and the lyricist and composer wrote this song. The lyrics are reminiscent of the time of "Make it! I think the song "Memorial" was born from the love that various people have had for "Pripara" since that time. It's already playing in the anime, and I'd like to thank the staff who always set the wonderful pictures to music, the cast members in "Idol Time Prepara," and of course the fans who listen to this song ....... This song was born from the love of so many people, so I sang it straight from my heart, feeling the love of so many people, and feeling the excitement and honesty of a dream that will continue to shine brightly.

Wakai: As the title "Memorial" suggests, the theme of the song was well defined, so when I looked at the lyrics, it was easy for me to imagine the feelings of the "Pripara" characters, and I could relate to many of them when I applied them to myself. So I was able to sing the song with my feelings without thinking too deeply about it.

Kubota: The lyrics of the "Pripara" OP songs I sang often contained "Pripara," "tomochike," "pakiru," and other "Pripara" terminology. But this time, only the first verse, "Pripara Dream," contained any Pripara terminology. But from the A- and B-melodies, the characters come to mind. It's because we have been singing along with "Pripara" that it's so convincing. That's what Saki-sama said, that it's like singing to your juniors. That's the impression I got.

Shibuya: I recorded the song after listening to the other members singing, and everyone's singing style was warm, so I put my love and gratitude for "Pripara" while feeling their warmth. That's all there is to it, really!

─ ─ "Memorial" is also characterized by its dance, isn't it? What do you especially want people to see?

Yamakita: I think it's the interlude!

Yamakita: The legendary scene where SoLaMi♡SMILE and DressingPafé (see note) split up into three and cracked tomochike is incorporated in the dance in its entirety. Also, at the beginning of the dance, I choreographed the second hand of a clock with "Idol Time Pripara" in mind.

(Note: SoLaMi♡SMILE is the name of the unit that appears in "Pripara", and the characters played by Akaneya, Serizawa, and Kubota belong to it, and the characters played by Yamakita, Wakai, and Shibuya belong to DressingPafé)

Shibuya: Also, it is nice to end with everyone facing inward in a circle at the end!　Pinky means promise, and it is truly "Memorial"!

─ ─ At the live at the fountain plaza, I thought you were smiling when you were facing Mr. Yamakita.

Serizawa: She gets embarrassed. When our eyes meet for a moment, he smiles! And then, he would make a move on me. And then, Mr. Yamakita starts to play on me. ...... Yamakita-san's back is turned to the audience, so it's fine, but I can see his face subtly, so I have to struggle to hold back my laughter.

Yamakita: In the middle of the song, they put their hands on each other, and the order of the hands is also good, Raara (Akaneya), Mirei (Serizawa), Sofie (Kubota), Sion (Yamakita), and Dorothy (Shibuya) and Leona (Wakai) put their hands on each other!

Shibuya: I always feel like flying there (laugh).