Two songs become one!　Tatsuhiko Yoshida & Hitomi Yoshida, who sing the theme song for "Kaitai Sentai Lupinranger vs. Police Sentai Patranger," and DJ Hiroyuki Deguchi have a special talk!

Kaito Sentai Lupin Ranger vs. Police Sentai Patranger" is currently airing as the 42nd episode of the "Super Sentai Series.

The theme song "Lupin Ranger VS Poto Ranger" is a combination of two theme songs, "Lupin Ranger, Turn the Dial" sung by Tatsuhiko Yoshida and "Chase You Up! Pato Ranger" sung by Hitomi Yoshida.

To coincide with the March 14 release of the theme song CD, we interviewed Tatsuhiko Yoshida and Hitomi Yoshida! The interview was conducted by Hiroyuki Deguchi, bassist and special effects/anisong DJ. The interviewer was bassist Hiroyuki Deguchi, who is also a special effects and ani-song DJ. He told us about the appeal of each song and their thoughts on their music!

Hiroyuki Deguchi (Deguchi): "Kaito Sentai Lupin Ranger vs. Police Sentai Patranger," the latest in the Super Sentai series, is the first in the series to feature a double squadron. The theme song "Lupin Ranger vs. Patranger" is also a first of its kind, being two songs in one. I heard that Tatsuhiko Yoshida, who sings the theme song for the "Lupin Ranger" side, "Lupin Ranger, turn the dial", is making his debut with this song.

Tatsuhiko Yoshida (Tatsuhiko): Yes. I have been watching "Super Sentai" for a long time, so when I was chosen to sing the theme song, I was so happy. I was also surprised that the two songs were combined into one, and the music was cool too. It was just a series of surprises.

Deguchi: What was the Sentai you were most absorbed in watching?

Tatsuhiko When I was a child, I watched "JURANGER," "DAIRENGER," and "KAKURANGER," and I was most crazy about "DAIRENGER.

Deguchi: Were you interested in singing from then on?

Tatsuhiko I liked listening to them, but I didn't have any particular desire to sing at that time.

Deguchi You were watching the heroes as a viewer. And Hitomi Yoshida, you are in charge of the theme song "Chase You Up!

Hitomi Yoshida (Hitomi): That's right. Following Miyako Horie and Kumi Sasaki, I am the third.

Deguchi: How did you feel when you were chosen?

Hitomi: Up until now, there have been almost no female singers in the opening, and I think it is a miracle that a song with a female vocalist comes in an age group where I have the potential to sing, so I was surprised when I was asked to audition. I had not sung a duet song since the first "Goranger," so I thought that was unusual as well. If I hadn't had this opportunity, I don't think it would have come my way in my lifetime, so I was happy and relieved at the same time when it was decided. But as the broadcasts and events approached, I began to think that I wanted to be someone who would not be ashamed of my favorite senior, Mr. Horie, and that I would be able to sing with pride to the children. It is very easy to say that I have a heavy responsibility, but I have even heavier things and expectations in my heart.

Deguchi: Did you two meet each other after the audition?

Tatsuhiko: Yes, that's right.

Deguchi: What was your first impression?

Tatsuhiko For me, you are my senior. I knew Hitomi Yoshida from the theme song of the anime "Sora no Otoshimono" (The Sora no Otoshimono), so I never expected to sing with her! I wondered if it would be all right for me to sing with her, and I felt I had to straighten up.

Hitomi: I heard that Tatsuhiko Yoshida was making his debut (with this song), and I thought he was very calm, had a good vibe, and was very tall! I thought he was tall! I felt like I was looking up at him (laughs). People around me say that the difference in elevation is amazing. I want to do my best not to lose.

Deguchi: What did you think of each other's singing voice?

Tatsuhiko: Hitomi has a soft and straight voice, so I wondered how I could get on top of it.

Hitomi: When I auditioned, I listened to Tatsuhiko's song once. I listened to it to practice singing with a man because I thought I might be matched with him, but at that time I thought his voice was perfect for "Lupin Ranger" or a sentai hero.

Deguchi: I felt that too, and I thought his voice was very thick, which is rare these days. It has a luster, or a Showa-esque quality to it. I think he has a voice that has not been seen in recent years. I feel that it fits the "Lupin Ranger" character of a righteous outlaw. I was surprised that this was his debut! I was surprised.

Tatsuhiko Thank you very much!

The opening theme song is full of interesting devices!

Deguchi: In "Lupinranger vs. Patranger," the melody of the Patranger follows the melody of the Lupinranger. The contrast is interesting, and if you listen to it, you can understand what it means that "two songs become one." It was my first auditory experience, and I thought it was well done.

Hitomi I really think so.

Deguchi: From the point of view of a band member writing a song, the arrangement is like threading a needle in a hole. Even the vocals, the position of the breath, the singing style, and the way the pitch is matched are all calculated, and I think the song has a very close balance, which is made possible by the skill of the two of you. What parts of the song do you feel comfortable singing and what parts are difficult?

Tatsuhiko: I think the songs are generally pleasant to sing, or rather, enjoyable to sing. The most interesting part is that both Lupinranger and Patranger are fighting for their own justice, and the lyrics show the justice of each of them. In particular, the phrase "Never give in" is what I want to convey the most. I think this is the most important part of why the Lupin Rangers defeat the gangsters, so I really thought about how to sing this part strongly. Also, singing my part is of course fun and exciting, but when Hitomi's song comes on top of it, I feel like I'm in trouble. It's also fun to feel a sense of VS, like "I have to do my best, too.

Hitomi: When I was recording, I threw away everything that made me feel good or happy. I was told to forget all of that. I was too excited to sing a song from the "Super Sentai" series (......) (laugh). Especially in the songs I have sung in the past, I have often been asked to be powerful and energetic, and I guess I subconsciously carried that feeling into this song as well. However, for this song, I didn't need such things. And since the main focus was to match Tatsuhiko's vocals, we had to find a balance between the two of us.

Also, this is something I had completely forgotten about, but heroes don't lose. You have to have that kind of composure, but if you put too much effort into it, you lose the composure in your voice. I have the feeling that I can win someday and that I will never give up, but in order to always have the confidence, composure, and gentleness that I will never lose, I have to relax myself. It is true that it feels better to sing as hard as you can, but it was very difficult during the recording to sing along with someone else's voice.

After the recording, we sang together for the first time at the "Super Hero Festival," and at that time, I thought that singing together was the best feeling. I am sure it is a very difficult song in terms of structure, but when our two voices came together and fit like a chorus, I thought, "Ah, the song is complete. I guess that's the beauty of this song.

Deguchi: You have sung the ending theme song for Pretty Cure before, and I have the impression that the key words of the song are "innocence" and "brightness," but I have the impression that "Chase You Up!

Hitomi: Yes, it was a great challenge. To be honest, it would have been easier for my character to be more aggressive or to make my voice thicker, but I sang the song with a strength of feeling even though I was relaxed. I couldn't grasp that at first, and I learned the difficulty and delicacy of putting feelings into the song even when I relaxed my strength through the recording.

Deguchi: It is indeed difficult, isn't it? Gutsy sounds don't necessarily come from just putting your energy into it.

Hitomi: There is a difference between how good you feel when you sing and how good you feel when others listen to you.

Deguchi In terms of expression, I think vocalists express themselves most delicately, so I think it makes a lot of sense not to overthink things, as you just said. On the other hand, Tatsuhiko's song was more aggressive and forward-looking because this was his debut, and I think that was a good contrast between the two. It is not that one is leading the other, but rather that the songs would not be complete without this balance.

Hitomi Yes, that's right. And actually, the first song is Lupin's main part and the second song is Pato's main part, so the vocals are a little different in size. I hope you will take the time to listen to the song.