The gap between the serious TV anime "Steins;Gate Zero" ending theme and the comical characters is a highlight! Interview with Zwei, who will appear on the May 17 broadcast of "Ani☆Ste!

Zwei, a unit consisting of Ayumu (Vo) and Megu (Ba), will perform in the studio LIVE on the May 17 episode of "Ani☆Ste," a ranking music program specializing in anime songs that airs on TOKYO MX1 every Thursday from 10pm.

Zwei is in charge of "LAST GAME," the ending theme of the TV anime "Steins;Gate Zero," which is currently airing to great acclaim. Their dramatic and serious sound and singing voice have colored the drama in every episode.

This time, we interviewed Zwei directly after the recording of the studio live! We asked her about her impressions of the recording and the music.

─ Thank you for recording "Ani☆Ste". How was the recording?

Megu (Ba) This is the second time for us to record for "Ani☆Ste". Last time we played a light song ("Eternity"), but this time it was a ballad, so I think we were able to express a different side of Zwei.

─ I saw the recording of the song, and I got the impression that you had a hard time singing it, retaking it several times.

Ayumu (Vo): I myself am a person who gets overly emotional, so "Last Game" is still a bit out of control. I like this song so much that I think my feelings are getting ahead of me. There is not a day that goes by that I don't get a little excited by this song. I realized once again that "LAST GAME" is such a wonderful song that it makes me run wild.

As for staging, I don't move much because I think it's cooler if you don't move at all in the image of the song. On the other hand, there are parts where I can't move (because I'm too emotional). I feel that if I move, I might fall down. So I would like you all to try singing it at karaoke or something and experience that feeling (laughs).

Megu Actually, when I heard "LAST GAME" for the first time, I was so moved that I couldn't stop crying. But as a performer, I couldn't let that emotion out too much on stage. In a sense, I feel that it is a song that is easy to get into, and it is also a song that we have thought a lot about how to express. As a performer, it is difficult to control my emotions, so I try not to cry during the performance (laughs).

─ ─ "Last Game" is the ED theme for the anime "Steins;Gate Zero.

Megu: "Steins;Gate Zero" is a dramatic work in which the main character, Rintaro Okabe, sacrifices himself in order to "save everyone" in an extremely chaotic world, while trying to reach the smallest glimmer of light and dreams. There is also a science fiction aspect to it, as the world line keeps changing. I thought "LAST GAME" represents such chaos.

Even in the few Japanese lyrics, such as "distorted sky," it has a great impact on my mind. The song itself is gray, but there is hope in it. It is a very sad ballad.

Ayumu: In life, there are some things that you can't change (......), but you have to change them. When that happens, it is easy to give up on the 1% of hope. On the other hand, "betting on that 1% hope" is easy to say from the outside, but when you actually think about Rintaro Okabe, the person involved in this project, you may ask yourself, "Would you really be able to do it? I think this question is also included in the "1% hope. There must be something you can do to avert tragedy, right?　I think this song is asking the question, "Is there something you can do to avert tragedy?

Steins;Gate Zero" is about "the world where Rintaro Okabe could not save Kurisu Makise," so when I sang "Last Game," I was filled with that painful feeling too much, and it was very difficult (laugh).

Megu I've been playing the game for a long time, and I love it.

Ayumu: I got so involved in the game that I went to ....... Even in my daily life, I always say to myself, "Oh, I just saw the world line diverge! The world lines just diverged! I'm so noisy (laughs).

Megu I'm really happy to be able to sing a song from a work I like so much.

─ ─ Zwei has provided songs not only for "Steins;Gate zero" but also for "Robotics Notes" and "OCCULTIC;NINE", what kind of existence does the "Science Adventure Series" to which these works belong have for you?

Megu: I think of the Science Adventure series as one work that continues on even if the works are different. I think that we, Zwei, exist as one of the characters in the larger "Science Adventure Series. Therefore, I hope that through the music and lyrics, we can find new answers (to the work). （Chiyomaru Shikura (the creator of the Science Adventure series) has always included lyrics about his works.

I am also interested in what Mr. Shikura has in mind next, and I would be happy to be involved in the future of the Science Adventure series.

Ayumu: Mr. Shikura told me that the title "LAST GAME" means "the last bet. So, although he says "last", I think "LAST GAME" is a song about a scene in the series that will continue in the future.

I really love the Science Adventure series, and I like "Occultic Nine" a lot. I recently started getting into the game version as well. Oh no, Shikura-san, it's good!

Megu Now that you mention it (laughs).

Ayumu I think there are many more worlds that Mr. Shikura has in mind, and I would like to see as many of them as possible realized, and I would like to be one of the people who can help make those worlds a reality.

─ By the way, the atmosphere of the "Ani-STE" show this time was quite comical when you recorded the eye-catchers, which was a complete change from the atmosphere of the music.

Ayumu Yesterday (the day before the recording), I was thinking about what to do for about 40 minutes while taking a bath (laughs).

Megu Last time, they put the eye-catching part in front of us, so the pressure was on this time. ...... As another face of Zwei, it seems they are putting their lives on the line (for the comical aspect as well) (laughs).

Ayumu The "2" in Aniste is also the "2" in Zwei! (Zwei is the German word for "2"), so I thought it would be perfect.

I was actually thinking of going for a more acrobatic style, but since I was wearing a black suit, I didn't want to tear or stain it, so it ended up the way it was recorded.

Megu The gap between that and singing "Last Game" is amazing (laughs).

Ayumu If "Ani-STE" didn't cut it, you should be able to see it!

─ ─ Watch out for the on-air performance (laughs). Thank you very much for your time today!

(Interviewer and photographer: Michiko Sugahara)

Program Information

Ani☆STE

Broadcast time: TOKYO MX1 every Thursday from 19:58, Sapporo TV every Saturday from 26:30, J:COM TV every Thursday from 22:00 / every Sunday from 23:30

MC：Daimao Kosaka, Ryoga