A perfect balance like Nadeshiko and Lynn!　Theme song for TV anime "Yuru Can△ SEASON 2", double interview with Asaki Hana & Sasaki Eri

It has been three years since the last episode of the TV anime "Yuru Can △ SEASON 2". The opening and ending themes are sung by only these two artists!　The OP "Seize The Day" sung by the energetic Asaki and the ED "Haru no Tonari" written and sung by Eri Sasaki are two songs that depict the new world of "Yuru Can△" from both sides. The interview was a fun one, with stories about their dogs and the town of Minobu popping up!

On the train to Yamanashi, I got to know Eri-san better (Asakika).

─ Akiba Research Institute had a chance to talk with the two of you when "YuruCan△" started airing. That was exactly three years ago.

Asakibana: I remember that!　We didn't have a "YuruCan△" pose yet, so we just kind of made a triangle and had our picture taken together. Three years have passed since then, and I have had the opportunity to work with Eri many times at "YuruCan△" events. We often traveled together and talked for two hours on the train (laughs). We naturally became friends through that.

Sasaki: It is usually like that when we go to events in Yamanashi.

Asakana: The wonderful thing about "YuruCan△" was not only that I got to sing the theme song, but also that I got to interact with so many people at the events.

Sasaki I was happy to sing the Minobu Town song "Welcome Home, Boys" and I was also appointed as a tourism ambassador. I am from Kyushu and had never even been to Yamanashi Prefecture before I met "YuruCan△," so I really feel a connection (laughs).

Asakika: Me too. Before "YuruCan△," I had an image that the fruits were delicious, but I had never been there (laughs). (laughs) Now that I have made connections not only with Minobu Town but also with other cities and towns, I would like to hold a one-man live concert in Yamanashi Prefecture someday.

Sasaki There is a good hall in Minobu Town (laughs).

Asakika: As expected of a tourism ambassador (laughs).

─ ─ What do you two talk about when you are together?

Sasaki: Recently, we often talk about dogs. I've always had a dog, and since Asaka-chan started having one too, we show each other pictures of our sons (laughs).

Asakika: "How cute!" we say to each other (laughs). Eri-san is my senior as an artist, but he is also a senior dog owner, so he gives me a lot of advice. We seriously talk about music, like, "How do you write songs, Eri-san? or "This one is really good! And so on.

Sasaki: I also listen to what Asaka-chan has to say about the songs she wants me to write.

─ ─ "The Sunshower", the theme song of "Heya Can△", was written by you and sung by Asaka, wasn't it?

Sasaki: At that time, it was purely a competition. Asaka chose the song with the writer's name hidden, and it happened to be my song. I sang the tentative song, but you didn't notice, did you?

Asakika I didn't notice it at all because the way you sang was different from usual. I just thought you had a good English pronunciation. I was very happy when I found out later that it was Eri's song.

Sasaki: I was also happy that they chose me based on the quality of the song. I also went to the recording session and directed the song. After Asaka-chan finished recording, I added the chorus. You can hear a lot of voices overlapping, but I did all the background singing.

Asaka: I was happy about that too. I thought it was very sweet.

─ ─ It is truly a collaboration between the two of you, isn't it?

Asakika: Yes, that's right. Speaking of co-writing, there is another song we wrote last year during the period of self-restraint, "YuruCan△" home camping theme "In this place. I wrote the lyrics and Tateyama wrote the music. I wrote the lyrics, Akiko Tateyama composed the music, and Eri sang. It was the first time for me to have a lyric I wrote sung by another artist, so it was a lot of fun. I would like to continue providing lyrics to other artists in the future.