Luce Twinkle Wink☆ 1st photo book "#Tokimeki" release celebration!　The members look back at the beginning of 2018 in a rage and talk about the secret stories of the photo shoot!

On January 10, 2018 (Wed.), they released their first album "LLTW☆" and successfully held their first live tour "Luce Twinkle Wink☆ 1st LIVE TOUR -LLLTW☆-~t*u*n*i*n*g~" with the album. Luce Twinkle Wink☆" (hereafter referred to as "Luce").

Luce's new challenge is their 1st photo book "#Tokimeki" released on March 16. In this interview, we asked her to look back on her 1st live tour and "NBCUniversal ANIME×MUSIC FESTIVAL" and talk a lot about the story behind the long-awaited photo book.

A look back at the beginning of 2018, a year of rage!

─ ─ In 2018, since the beginning of the year, Luce's activities have been incredibly dense.

Saori Itayama (Itayama) Yes, January and February flew by like a whirlwind, and now it's already March!　It's like March is already here.

Yukino Usami (Usami): I was so fast-paced that I thought I would be in a daze after the period of continuous live performances, but I didn't feel that way when I actually went through it. This is not the end of the tour, but we will be releasing a photo book, and tickets for Luce's regular performances have been sold out. I am glad that even after the tour is over, we can continue to be Luce, showing how we are moving forward toward our dreams.

Kaho Higaki (Higaki): My schedule allows me to have some time off, so I would like to watch movies, listen to music, and absorb various things.

Saki Fukasawa (Fukasawa): In January, we held our first live tour "Luce Twinkle Wink☆1st LIVE TOUR -LLTW☆- t*u*n*i*n*g-", and I received many people who said they came to Luce's solo live for the first time on this tour. I was happy to meet so many people who fell in love with Luce.

─ ─ "Luce Twinkle Wink☆1st LIVE TOUR -LLLTW☆- -t*u*n*i*n*g-" was one of Luce's biggest, most intense and fulfilling set lists. At the end of the Kawasaki show, you had a cramp in your leg.

Higaki: I was sweating profusely, so I got a little dehydrated and my legs cramped up, but it didn't seem to linger, so I'm fine (laughs).

─ ─ During the MC, I think you went offstage one by one to take some water.

Usami: We drink water at a high rate and come back to the stage, and also breathe oxygen (laughs).

Itayama: I don't eat sweets (like in curling) (laughs).

Usami: We used to put water in front of the stage, but the dancing was so intense that someone would knock over the water. So now, we have made it so that people can remove the water in turn.

Fukazawa: We don't have any snacks, but we had salt candy prepared for this tour.

─ It's like a water station in a marathon!

Fukazawa It really is like that!

Higaki: During the encore, we were given candy in tablet form to help us breathe as we absorbed it.

Megumi Nishikiori (Nishikiori ): After the concert, I have scars that I don't remember.

I have a scar.

Nishikiori: I get into the bath and think, "What, does it hurt?　What is this? I think.

Usami: Even if you bump something, you don't notice it by yourself. I often notice it when a member tells me.

Nishikiori: I think I have developed the ability to concentrate because I am concentrating on creating an enjoyable space and getting my adrenaline pumping.

─ ─ Toward the end of the live performance in Kawasaki, at a time when the promise is often made to say "I want to sing more and more," Fukasawa-san said something like "I can't dance any more today," which was completely honest and the best part.

Fukazawa: "I don't want the show to end yet! (laughs). (Laughs). But it was after we had reached the limit of what we could do, so the words just spilled out.

Nishikiori: It was a really intense show, and I was worried that the audience, who were left standing, might fall down. It was the biggest venue for Luce's solo concert, so it was a very special concert.

───And then came February. For Luce, Saitama Super Arena is a "dream stage," but you returned unexpectedly early to perform at the "NBCUniversal ANIME×MUSIC FESTIVAL.

Itayama: This time, we went from the main stage (at the front of the venue) to the center stage (in the center of the venue) via a flower path. When I have performed at Saitama Super Arena (SSA) for Anisama and other events, I sang only on the main stage, so I always said "I want to stand on the center stage of SSA! I always said, "I want to stand at the center stage of SSA! I was able to get close to everyone in the audience and could see their faces clearly, so I thought the festival was close to my heart.

Nishikori: Since this was a festival for NBC as a whole, there were songs from works that were broadcast before we were born, and seeing everyone so excited by those songs made me realize once again how great anime songs are. It was a very warm space, and I felt that the audience loved the works and the songs together. At the opening of the concert, the screen displayed all the CD jackets from NBC's history, and Luce's jacket was one of them.

─ ─ Were there any songs you sang or saw at the NBC Fest, or any stages that left a lasting impression on you?

Itayama: Yes (raises hand)!　I "Gochiusa" (the anime "Is Your Order a Rabbit?") is my favorite anime work. So this time, Saki and I got to sing two songs by Chimame-tai together with Minase Inori-san, who plays Chino!　It really was like a dream!

It was a dream come true!

Itayama: It was like a dream to hear Minase-san's voice coming out of the earpiece in my ear. I was so happy.

Usami The members were like "I-chan (Itayama-san), I'm so happy for you!

Nishikiori: When I first heard that I was going to sing with Mizuse-san, I-chan was so happy that she cried. So we watched the rehearsals and the performance, thinking that one of Ee-chan's dreams had come true (laughs).

Fukazawa: There was a slight difference between the dance video and the actual choreography, but when I asked about it, Mizuse-san explained it to me very carefully.

Itayama: (Mizuse-san) was very kind. ...... All the seniors of NBC were kind to me, and Aino Nanjo even gave me feedback on the live tour.

Higaki I sang "Mahoro DE Mambo" (ED of the anime "Mahoromatic") with Ryuta Project, and I was very nervous to shout "I think it's wrong to be naughty! I was very nervous to shout "I think it's wrong to be naughty!

Nishikiori I was very happy to sing "Yumeji Rabirinsu" (OP of the anime "Urara Mazecho") with Aya Harada and Kaede Hondo. As I sang with the voices of the voice actors who played the roles, I felt that I had to deliver Luce's presence as well, so that she would not be defeated by their presence. I sang with all my heart.

Usami: I covered Ray's "Rakuen Project" (OP of the anime "To LOVE-Ru -Toraburu- Darkness") as a solo. At first, I thought it was impossible for me to sing a song by a respected senior to sing alone at SSA! I thought, "I can't sing a song by myself in the SSA," but Luce has been very supportive of me, with Ray's lyrics and encouragement, so I decided that I had to be prepared to sing it. I practiced a lot, and I think I was able to show my matured self on stage, so I did it without any regrets!

If Luce had been my classmate...... this photo book is full of such "what ifs"!

─ ─ Next, let's talk about your first photo book "#Tokimeki" released on March 16, 2018. What kind of places did you shoot the photos?

Usami We shot in a studio and in a facility that was originally a school.

Higaki: The shoot took place over two days, with the first day at a house studio and the second day at a school.

Nishikori The house studio was quite far away, so we worked hard from early in the morning (laughs). (laughs) If I just brought my body for now, the stylist and makeup artist would take care of the rest... (laughs).

─ ─ What was the image of the shoot at the house studio like?

Usami: The stylist prepared plain clothes for each of us. Then we put on aprons and had a photo shoot where we all looked like we were cooking together, and then we changed into pajamas and had a photo shoot.

Nishikori The set was cute, wasn't it?

Usami It was cute!　I had the image of Luce going to the same school and getting together at someone's house after school.

Nishikiori It was like cooking dinner together and having a slumber party after dinner. It was a fresh experience for me to wear the costumes prepared by the stylist, and I was very happy. The costumes were quite colorful, but the stylists had made sure to include the colors of the members.

Fukasawa: I thought the stylists were great because the clothes were not the kind of clothes the members usually wear, but they looked great on them.

Higaki: It's really the first time I've seen such a coordinated look, but it suits the members. I really like the beret on Mametan, and the clear shade of pink in Yukino's costume gives it a bubbly look.

Fukazawa: When Yukino wears it, it looks more bubbly.

Is it bubbly?

Usami: I am often told that I have a Showa face (laughs). (Laughs) The flashy earrings, which I don't usually wear, and the color of the clothes match perfectly, and I thought the use of accessories was stylish as well. At first, I was a bit more subdued, but when I tried it on with everyone else, we decided it would be better to be a bit more flashy. I felt more comfortable with it!

Nishikori: It was the first time for me to have someone coordinate my outfit from head to toe. My foot size is 21 cm, and I was happy to see that they had the perfect size for me.

─ ─ The photos taken at the school are impressive in the sailor uniform. How was the shoot?

Usami: We wear school uniforms quite a bit for events and music videos.

Nishikori: We also wear the early seifuku costumes in our regular performances, so it has been a while since I last wore them! It has not been that long. I am happy that we can all wear the same uniform. We all wear the same uniforms, but the sweaters are different colors.

Fukazawa Yukino and I look good in sailor-fuku, don't they?

Usami I am happy. I guess long black hair suits them. In my opinion, when they are in seifuku, they wear less makeup. I like the way Saki is the only one wearing a hairpin.

Fukazawa: I had my bangs cut and lightened for this photo book, which was very popular among the members, so my bangs actually changed after this book (laughs).

───What was your school uniform like when you were in school?

They were all blazers!

Itayama: Only in junior high school we wore sailor suits.

Fukazawa That's nice, I have a bit of a longing for sailor uniforms.

Itayama: That's why I felt comfortable in the sailor uniform this time.

Usami: I went to a school with very strict school rules. Skirts had to be below the knee, and any infractions would affect my unofficial report. So I was a little happy to be able to wear a uniform with a slightly shorter skirt at school (laughs).

Fukasawa: I and Kaho Ham (Higaki-san) went to the same school, and we were pretty free with our uniforms. Kaho Ham had a different color skirt each time and a different sweater to match the color.

Higaki You remember it well!　I was often told that the uniforms were fashionable.

Fukazawa I remember that!　I always wore the same uniform, hand-me-downs from my sister, so I always thought I was fashionable in many ways.

─ ─ Do you have a favorite shot among the photos you took?

Usami: Yes, I do!　I have a favorite shot by far. We shot the cooking part with the image of me and Takahamu making a cake.

Fukasawa: That (team) was cute. ...... (laughs).

Usami: We were divided into a pasta team and a cake team (laughs). (laughs) And I really wanted to be in the situation in the photo where we put whipped cream on each other's faces. It's a classic idol scene!　I was happy to be able to do that, but we got carried away and put too much whipped cream on each other, and the makeup artist got mad at us (laughs).

Itayama: The other three members looked at us and thought we were cute, so we were allowed to do the same kind of photo shoot. It probably won't be in the photo book (laughs).

Fukasawa We just did it for the time being (laughs).

Itayama It was fun!

Fukazawa I really like the picture of the five of us returning home from school. I love the atmosphere as if they are really returning home from school.

Usami: We don't usually take pictures while talking like that.

Nishikiori: We were having a normal, everyday conversation. I imagined them walking to and from school with their bags, so I wondered if it would have been like this if Luce had been in the same class with the other five students.　I wondered.

Higaki I like the picture of the middle of the school stairs.

─ ─ The landing of the stairs?

Higaki: That's it!　It's a landing (laughs).

Usami: Please put the "middle" as it is (laughs).

Higaki: It's my favorite because it's full of the school-girl atmosphere.

Usami We had a lot of false love stories in an all-girls' school setting (laughs).

Nishikiori: It's like a real school life, with the five of us being normal people in the school. I hope that the people looking at the photo collection will also feel like students, and I like these photos.

─ ─ Lastly, please tell us about the highlights and points of interest in the "#Tokimeki" photo book.

Usami: What I want people to see is the expression on my face. In the past, when I have had my picture taken, I have often had a very composed expression on my face that I thought was cute. This time, however, I was able to break free of that stereotype and have my photos taken with a variety of facial expressions. So I think they will think, "Oh, I can do this kind of expression.

Higaki: I think that having a professional photographer take photos for the photo book allowed us to take a variety of photos that are different from what we have done in the past. I thought about the balance between cuteness and facial expressions that show emotion. I think the photos on every page are wonderful!

Itayama: I discovered many new ways to express myself. I am sure that there are expressions in the photos that fans like. Many of the photos show her emotions and personality, so I think it will be a good opportunity for people who are unfamiliar with Luce to like her.

Nishikiori: I may have a different expression from my usual face as an idol (laughs). For example, I asked the photographer to take pictures while imagining what kind of expression I would have if someone I liked tapped me on the head. I think this photo collection is full of Luce's charms outside of live performances and music.

Fukasawa: This photo collection allowed me to see a side of myself that I did not know existed. I think I gained something from the experience of shooting the photo book, and I am looking forward to seeing the new Luce in it. I look forward to seeing this new Luce!

(Reporting and writing by Kiri Nakazato)