This time, I imagined Oichi's thoughts! Interview with Renka, the singer of "Nobunaga's Ninja: Anegawa/Ishiyama Arc" OP "Goldfish Tears. Interview with Renka, who sings "Goldfish Tears!

The "Nobunaga's Ninjas" series is a comical historical gag anime at first glance, but it is a story and characters based on historical facts.

The third season of the series, "Nobunaga no Shinobi: Anegawa/Ishiyama Arc," is currently airing to rave reviews, and its theme song, "Goldfish Tears. The single CD of the theme song "Goldfish Tears" will be released on May 30, 2018. The song will be sung by Renka, who has sung the theme song for "Nobunaga no Shinobi" throughout the series. We asked her about her thoughts and secret story behind the creation of this sad yet passionate song that seems to slightly anticipate the summer season!
⇒A wistful pop tune with lyrics sprinkled with famous scenes from the main story! Interview with Renka, the singer of "Shirayuki", the theme song of "Nobunaga no Shinobi: Ise/Kanegasaki Arc".

─ ─ This is your first single release in a year since your last single "Shirayuki".

Renka: I was a radio personality on the Hokkaido FM radio program "Renka Voice..." on FM NORTH WAVE. I also wrote many lyrics and sang in many songs, including a character song for "Nobunaga's Ninja", and did many other things in the past year.

Through such contact with words, or rather through studying them, my vocabulary has increased and I have come to understand the quality of words. ...... Words do not have only one meaning, so there are still times when I misunderstand or misuse words, but I think I have come to understand words better than before, one by one.

I think that in order to write lyrics, you have to study and memorize a lot of words to broaden your range, so I have started reading philosophy books, which I had never read before. I have started to read philosophy books, which I never read before, and not only the ones in the genre I want to read, but also those that I had no interest in. I think it broadened my view of the world and made it more enjoyable. I think it was a year of opening doors for myself in this way.

When you do that, you make new discoveries and learn about feelings you never knew you had before. So learning about things I am not interested in or genres I have never heard of is an important process. I would like to continue to do so in the future.

─ How was it writing the lyrics for the "Nobunaga's Ninja" character song?

Renka: I wondered if I would be able to write a character song, but I started by listening to character songs from various other anime and found that anime fans must be happy to hear words that sound like lines or lyrics that use lines as they are. I thought that anime fans would be happy to hear these kinds of things, so I incorporated them into the song. （It was very difficult, but on the other hand, it was a very new world, and it took a lot of time, but when I finished, I was filled with a sense of accomplishment. I am glad I did it.

─ You performed cover songs a cappella on the radio.

Renka: We started this project with the idea of singing nostalgic songs and the latest anime songs, regardless of genre. Usually in a recording session, I have the original sound and put the song on it, but a cappella is completely different, and I feel different when I sing, so every time is a fresh learning experience. Since I am performing on my own, I feel like I am being strengthened mentally, and I am taking the challenge very seriously. If I lose my concentration, the sound will instantly go out of tune, so I sweat while doing it every time (laughs). (Laughs.) Every time I sing, I sing with a lot of tension.

I always wanted to sing "Goldfish Tears.

─ ─ It has been a year of various challenges, hasn't it? What kind of music is your new single "Goldfish Tears. What kind of song is it?

Renka: If you were to ask me to think of the image colors of "goldfish" and "tears," I would say red and blue, and this song was born from the idea of what would happen if I mixed those two colors together. Ever since I was a little girl, I have always loved mixing colors when I did watercolor paintings, and I thought that the moment of mixing them together was very beautiful.

Especially when you mix red and blue, you get purple. I think that color is similar to human emotions. Purple is the lightness and darkness of human beings. I think it is the color of the human heart, a mixture of negative and positive emotions. I had a note in my notebook that said "goldfish tears" as a symbol of this, and I definitely wanted to write a song with this title someday. When the tie-up with "Nobunaga's Ninja" was decided, I decided to write a song with this title, and then I received the music and wrote the lyrics.

─ I gave the composer, Kazuya Nagami, the title of the song, "Goldfish Tears. and asked him to write the lyrics?

Hasuhana: No. This time, I didn't give him the name of the composer. This time, I didn't reveal the composer's name, but first he sent me a demo song. I thought that way I could say "This is it! I thought that way I could say "This is it! Then we narrowed it down to just the melody. After that, I wrote the lyrics guided by the melody, thinking, "This is the worldview of Goldfish Tears.

─ ─ "Goldfish Tears. was completely different when I listened to the full-size version than when I listened to the animated version. In the TV size version, the most intense chorus is used, but when you listen to the full size version, the song starts off quietly and gradually builds up in intensity.

Renka: It's a great composition, isn't it? I have been wanting to release a song titled "Goldfish Tears. and at the same time, I had wanted to write a song with a summer theme, so I was very happy that I was given this opportunity to express my long-held wish.

───This time, the music was composed by Kazuya Nagami, with whom you have worked on "Nobunaga no Ninja" songs such as "Tsuchizakura" and "Shirayuki.

Hasuka: It really was a coincidence that it was Mr. Nagami again this time. Every time Mr. Nagami writes a song, it inspires me so much that many of the words come to me from the song. Sometimes words come to me after listening to a song, so I guess words are often guided by a connection with the song.

─ ─ Looking at the lyrics, I got the impression that the main character, Chidori, is the main character in this song as in the previous song "Shirayuki".

Hasuka: I have a habit of putting sticky notes on books, whether manga or regular books, and if I find a good line or a sad line, I immediately put it on the book. I put them together to form the lyrics of this song. This time, there are many scenes in which Chidori fights. Fighting is of course not a pleasant thing to do, but I am sure that Chidori is conflicted while cutting because it is his job and what he has to do. At first glance, it is a comical manga, but we worked to capture the scenes behind the comic.

In terms of the image of the characters, Chidori, of course, but this time it is Oichi. I wanted to express the feelings of those who wait, so I imagined Chidori's conflict and Oichi's heart as she waits. I wanted to express in the lyrics the feeling of wanting to say, "Don't go," but having to send her off to battle, and the feeling of wanting to put into words but having to say something different from what she wants. I wanted to express the darkness or shadow behind the brightness of the characters in the lyrics, so I wondered if I could write all of them in "Goldfish Tears. I think I was able to write all of the lyrics by incorporating that into "Goldfish Tears.

─ ─ When I hear you say that, I feel that it is a very sad song.

Renka: But I wanted the song to be sad, but also to make you feel refreshed after listening to it, so I recorded it while hoping that the sadness and refreshed feelings would come to mind at the same time.

─ What do you want people to listen to the most?

Renka: In the lyrics, it's about "cherish this moment, this 'now', this one and only life. It's the chorus. No matter what time period, "living in the moment" will never change. I believe that each life is precious, and if each one of us, including myself, could realize such a thing every day, the way we look at the world would probably change. I don't want to speak to myself or others from a superior perspective, saying, "Do this," or "This is the way it is," but I want to sing in a way that includes the fact that I am living in the present while suffering a lot of pain and suffering. In that sense, these lyrics contain the most passionate and strong feelings.

───The music video has also been released.

Renka: The music video is an image movie of the song "Goldfish Tears. The music video was made by the director, "Goldfish Tears," as an image movie for the song "Goldfish Tears. It was a very delicate video, and I watched it over and over again because I could feel that the director looked into my mind, or rather, that he understood my feelings before making it. I like the process of getting to know the artist's thoughts and feelings behind the scenes, so I was enthralled as I watched the movie. The goldfish are cute too (laughs).

I think this was a piece that was made with a live concert in mind.

─ The coupling song "Rainy Day..." is a song for the coming season, isn't it?

Renka: Yes, it is. The word "summer" also appears in the song, and I wonder if there is a link with "Goldfish Tears. I think there is a link with "Goldfish Tears. However, I was not conscious of that part at all. When I finished recording it, I thought, "What? I was like, "What? I think that the core of what I wanted to convey was the same, so even though the form is different, I think there are links.

─ ─ I sang the same message passionately in "Goldfish Tears. You sang the same message passionately on "Goldfish Tears," while singing it softly on "Goldfish Tears.

Hasuka: Yes, that's right. As the chorus says, "I can't say it...I want to say it...Rainyday...," I want to express my gratitude to my family, lover, and other important people, not only in love, but when I see them in front of me, I can't say it properly. I wrote this song in the hope that after listening to it, you will feel the need to meet and say it properly. I hope I could give you a little push.

─ ─ "jewelry☆" is a bright band sounding song that sounds like it would be fun to hear live.

Renka: The lyrics of this song are a play on words. I made this song with a focus on the rhyming style, as in "Kakedashita, kono place wo kusudashita" ("I'm out of this place"). There are rhymes that are pleasant to listen to. I wanted to echo that. I chose the words with an emphasis on whether they were pleasant to the ear, so I wrote the lyrics in a slightly different way than I did for other songs. I think this is the first time I have done it that way. I think it shows a different side from my previous songs.

─ The lyrics sound like a message to the fans.

Renka: I think that's part of it. I wrote the song with live performances in mind, so I wanted to "deliver it to you" and "wrap you in my brilliance.

───And the fourth track is a remix of "Gemini" from the previous album "Shirayuki".

Renka: I remixed the song with a quieter feel, focusing on the melody and the song, to bring out the song. The lyrics are also a bit different.

The song is also popular at live performances. "I also have the conflict of being lonely if I am alone and suffocating if I am with someone else. It's hard for me to say those things, but I'm glad you speak for me." At first I wondered if it was okay to be so honest and expose myself. But I wrote the lyrics because I thought that if I sang my thoughts with the beautiful melody of "Gemini," I might be able to reach some people.

This song was also the first song I performed live, so it has a special meaning to me.

───This single also includes a pre-order serial for the 3rd anniversary live "Renka - Live Voice#1".

Renka: Yes, that's right. Live performances are the place where I can show myself directly, so I am very passionate about them. It has always been my theme when writing lyrics to choose words that I can convey to people at live performances, so I think this CD is a special one that I was able to express that properly.

───What kind of live performance do you want?

Renka: The venue is very close to the audience, and the time at the venue is unique, so I would like to make it a live performance where we can talk about various things and have a conversation through songs, even though the time is really short. I would like the audience to relax at the live concert and feel a little lighter than usual. I would like to create a live show that will lighten your step on the way home and make you want to do your best tomorrow. Please look forward to it.

What does "Nobunaga's Ninja" mean to Renka?

─ ─ By the way, the OP video of "Nobunaga's Ninja: Anegawa/Ishiyama Arc" starts with a goldfish.

Hasuhana: That's right. The OP starts with "Tears of a goldfish. I was moved by the staff's thoughtfulness. I was moved by the staff's thoughtfulness. I was moved and grateful to think that the lyrics were taken into consideration and drawn by everyone.

─ ─ What kind of existence does "Nobunaga's Ninja" have for you?

Renka: It's hard to put it into one word, but I have sung various songs such as ......, "Itsuzakura," "Shirayuki," and "Goldfish Tears. I have sung various songs such as , "Tsuchizakura", "Hakusetsu", and "Goldfish Tears", and I would say that it is a place that makes me grow or nurtures my voice in each song. The quality of my voice, the way I use my throat, my thoughts and feelings when I sing, and my emotions are all different colors depending on the song, but I feel like I am being allowed to climb up the stairs one by one. I think that "Nobunaga's Ninja" is a place where I can meet a new me, and it is also a place that lets me know who I am as an unknown person.

I think "Nobunaga no Shinobi" is a place where you can meet new people and find new things about yourself. If you were to sing the theme song for "Nobunaga" again next, would it be an autumn song?

Hasuka: Certainly! But (having a sense of the season) I might not have been aware of it until now. I usually like to walk outside or take a stroll and feel the seasons, so maybe that is what I include in my songs in the form of seasonal words without being conscious of it. ......It's what I usually see and like that comes out, isn't it?

Like "Rainy Day...," there may be many songs like that when I look back on them.

─ ─ It sounds like a diary.

Hasuka: That's right. I usually write in my diary, but when I read it over, I find that it is full of rain, snow, cherry blossoms, and tears. I think that writing words every day is also a process of getting to know myself. I sometimes quote lyrics from my diary, and some of the songs are about my honest thoughts, so maybe I can't lie too much (laughs). I wish I could wrap them in a little more of an oeuvre, but maybe it is my style to weave my true feelings and figurative expressions into one song like "Gemini".