The live scene reproduced the cast's movements in detail! Interview with Minami Shinoda (Haru Kasukabe), Yui Nakajima (Hime Nonohara), and Shiori Izawa (Momoka Serizawa) to commemorate the theatrical screening of the anime "Tokyo 7th Sisters - We Are Blue Sky.

Tokyo 7th Sisters -We are the Blue Sky", a completely new anime of the idol nurturing rhythm and adventure game "Tokyo 7th Sisters" (hereafter referred to as "NANASIS"), was screened in theaters from February 26, 2021 (Friday).

The theme that runs through "NANASIS", "pushing someone's back", is clearly felt in this work, and was introduced by Minami Shinoda, who plays Haru Kasukabe, Yui Nakajima, who plays Hime Nonohara, and Momoka Serizawa and Shiori Izawa, who plays Momoka Serizawa, talked about the movie and reviewed their past activities.



Cute characters and stylish music are the charm of "Tokyo 7th Sisters

Q: First of all, please explain what kind of contents "Tokyo 7th Sisters" is.

Shinoda: It was first released as an app game and has many stories, a rhythm game, and many attractive characters. The cast also performs live once or twice a year at large venues.

Izawa This year will be our seventh year! Just the other day, the final story of the main episode was released, so we are in a hot situation!

Q: What do you think is the appeal of this content that already has a large fan base?

Izawa The cuteness of the characters and the stylish music.

Shinoda The other thing is the story! I feel that the story and the music are linked. You can enjoy the songs alone, but knowing the story makes it even more enjoyable.

Q: The story is also quite dense, isn't it?

Izawa: The atmosphere is rather emotional, and we often say, "It made me cry! Nakajima: We often say, "It made me cry!

Nakajima The middle of each episode is often heavy, so we are often asked to "hurry up with the rest of the story" or "hurry up with hope! (laugh). The stories are quite realistic.

ーーPersonally, I think the real live performance is also wonderful.

Shinoda: Since the 3rd live concert ("3rd Anniversary Live 17'→XX -CHAIN THE BLOSSOM- in Makuhari Messe" held at Makuhari Messe Event Hall in April 2017), we have had a live band, and there are live performances and songs arranged in a way that only live performances can do. The live band and live arrangements of the songs were also added, so I would like you to see the live performance!

Minami Shinoda

Minami Shinoda

What was it like to play a moving character in an anime: ......

Q: What did you think when you heard that "NANASIS" was going to be made into an anime?

Izawa: I felt that it had finally arrived. It is a content that has attracted the attention of many people, so people have been asking me since the early days, "When is the anime going to start? I felt that the timing was finally right.

Nakajima I kept saying, "It's a lie, it's a lie" (laughs). 7 years into the project, when they said it would be an anime, I thought, "Really? I thought, "Really? So when I saw it (the video) with my own eyes, I finally felt it.

Shinoda: At first I couldn't believe it either, but as we recorded the video, I became more and more convinced that it was real. In the music video for the song "Harukaze," there was a scene of all the members of "777☆SISTERS" dancing, but this time it was a full-length animation. I wanted to see the characters talking and moving around as soon as possible.

Q: Could you tell us about the characters played by the three of you?

Shinoda: Haru (Haru Kasukabe) is the center of "777☆SISTERS" and is a girl who is always cheerful and straight forward and loves to sing. She loves cleaning and her signature line is "I feel like a mela mela! is her signature line.

Nakajima Hime (Nonohara Hime) is the daughter of a tofu maker, but she lost her mother and has younger siblings, so she has to do her best as the eldest daughter. She imitates her father and has a manly tone of voice, but in her mind, she wants to change and become more feminine. I think she is a girl who has her own axis as a human being.

Izawa Momoka Serizawa loves anime and video games. However, she has a lot of potential, so when she has to do something, she can do it, and I really envy her. He is a mood-maker who is not a lazy person, but he doesn't discourage everyone, and in a good way, he relieves everyone's tension.

Q: In the game, the story has already moved on, but did you find any changes when you played the role in the anime?

Shinoda: It was refreshing! In the game, you can (act) with your own breathing, but in the anime, you have to match the scale of the picture. So I was able to update my sense of the character's breathing, and after 7 years of experience, I felt a renewed sense of commitment. I felt like I had to face the characters and think about them one more time.

Q: Maybe it's like going back to the beginning. But in terms of the story's timeline, it seems to go back a bit beyond the story currently being developed in the app, doesn't it?

Shinoda Yes, that's right. The Hal in the app has already overcome one obstacle, and the story in the anime was at the same time, so I was conscious of bringing the Hal that is a little fresher than in the app.

Nakajima: When I saw the character in motion, I thought she was cute. That's also why I was told during the postrecording that "Hime is too cute. In my mind, I had intended her to be the usual Hime, but when I was told that, it meant that she had become a different Hime than in the game. I had a bit of a hard time with that part, and I was surprised at how different it was in the anime.

Izawa I was also surprised at how many beautiful girls there were! I had always known that they were cute, but when they move, they are even cuter. I thought about the characters' hairstyles and heights, and how they look like when viewed from a 360 degree angle. I had a lot of new discoveries, and I really enjoyed playing the role.



What memories do you have of the three of you through the activities of NANASYS?

Q: Since "NANASIS" has been around for 7 years and you have been doing real live performances, I'm sure the three of you have your own memories together.

Izawa: When Ai Kakuma (who plays Rona Kakumori) joins the three of us, we become "WITCH NUMBER 4" (a selected unit), so we certainly spend a lot of time together.

Nakajima: The four of us often play together in private.

Q: Many of the lessons for live performances are given by each group. What kind of atmosphere do you practice in?

Izawa Shinoda-chan is a good dancer and learns quickly, so she is usually the center of the group.

Shinoda: Thank you very much! The atmosphere among the four of us is very friendly, and it seems like there is always laughter going on somewhere, so I love this atmosphere while taking lessons.

Nakajima Izawa-san and Kakuma-san are my seniors, but they don't make me feel that they are my seniors at all; they are really friendly with me.

Izawa: That's why there is no stress in our work.

Q: Do you have any episodes that are unique to the four of you?

Shinoda: I still don't know how to say "We are WITCH NUMBER 4" (laughs).

Izawa Our signature pose is a bit awkward! (Laughs)

Nakajima People don't really get it, do they? (Laughs) Nakajima You don't really know, do you? (laughs).

Shinoda It's a little different from last year, isn't it? Shinoda It might be a little different from last year.

Q: Maybe the members are all pretty out of the loop (laughs).

Izawa That may be so. There is no one type of person who says, "This is the way it has to be! There is no one type of person who says, "This is the way it has to be!

Nakajima That's why we don't get into trouble at all.

Yui Nakajima

Yui Nakajima

Do you have a review meeting after the show?

Izawa We never do that (laughs), do we?

Nakajima I think we are at our best when we are performing live!

Izawa That's right. I think we are at our best when we are live. I do make mistakes, though.

Shinoda Even if we make mistakes, that's part of the flavor! It's like that.

Nakajima I made a mistake! That's how I feel.

We are all positive people, aren't we? I have an image of other units such as "SiSH" (a selected unit consisting of Ayaka Shimizu (Sumire Usuda), Asatsu Imai (Shizuka Kuonji), and Yu Michii (Sui Kamishiro)) being very stoic.

Izawa: We are more like loose characters (laughs).

You have experienced a lot of real live performances, but could you tell us about your most memorable one?

Izawa: I remember the one at the Budokan ("Melody in the Pocket" held on July 20, 2018 at the Nippon Budokan) because it was something that was not in my life plan.

I have not lived my life with the intention of becoming an artist, so when I was told, "Congratulations on your Budokan," I did not really feel it at all. But I gradually came to understand how great it was to be at the Budokan, and it gave me an experience that I would never have had a chance to have if I had not done this kind of work.

Nakajima I am very proud of that!

Shinoda I also remember the Budokan, where I think the bond between the "777☆SISTERS" cast members grew even deeper. I vividly remember Izawa-san saying to me, "Keep up the good work, Chairperson," which made me so happy that I almost cried.

I was a newcomer in "777☆SISTERS" and I had been somewhat unsure about standing in the center of the stage as the character Haru-chan! I have to do my best.

Izawa: At NANASIS' live performances, Hal, or rather Shinoda-chan, has a lot of calories! Hal usually does the opening remarks, and the titles of the live shows are always titled with something like, "Wow, what a great horizontal letter! The titles of the live performances are always something like this: "Today's live title is 'Today's live title'. I never want to say something like, "Thank you for coming to (live title) today! I have to do things that you would never want to say! And there is always a camera on us for the video recording, so we can't make any mistakes, so it's a lot of pressure!

Shinoda I have to make a decision in one shot, so I practice over and over (laughs)!

Izawa When I think about that pressure, it is immeasurable, and I wonder how such a little girl can work so hard.

Shinoda That is why I was so happy to hear your words!

Izawa She is an amazing chairperson! She is.

Nakajima She is working the hardest!

Shinoda I'm so happy. I'm going to cry.

How about you, Ms. Nakajima?

Nakajima: I think I have been able to cooperate with everyone better since the 3rd live. I have a little bit of leeway now, and I feel like we can all have fun together! We all have fun together, and if we all do it together, we'll be fine!

Still, looking back, it is amazing to see how everyone's level of perfection has improved at every live performance. Every time we perform live, I can feel firsthand how amazing it is to see how much we have improved.

Izawa It's amazing that you never feel that the previous show was better!

Nakajima It's better than before.

Shiori Izawa

Shiori Izawa

What are the highlights of "Tokyo 7th Sisters -We are the Blue Sky?

Q: Did you have some thoughts on the live performance scenes in this movie?

Izawa It was amazing to think that the girls were "acting like that" during the time before the live performance! (laughs). (Laughs) I thought they had a lot of leeway.

Shinoda Indeed!

Nakajima They are so wai-wai, aren't they?

Izawa That is absolutely impossible! I thought, "That's absolutely impossible! That's why I felt that these girls are idols in their own right. I guess this is the difference between professional idols and those of us who are allowed to play idols. They have different experiences on stage.

Shinoda They were professionals. In reality, we were so nervous that we didn't have time for that.

Nakajima Also, the choreography for the live scene was exactly the same as ours, so I thought, "We can dance this! I thought, "We can dance this! I was impressed by the fact that they did all the details together.

Izawa I didn't know I could do such difficult moves (laughs).

Shinoda I was impressed by how well the three Harumi sisters moved. They move so smoothly and smoothly! When I saw them moving in the animation, I was surprised at how busy they were.

Nakajima Especially Sawara-san (CV. Sakura Nakamura) (laughs).

Shinoda Sawara-san was just so much fun, so I want you to see the movements of the three sisters in the theater. I could feel their love!

Q: Could you tell us what to listen to in the new song "Departures -Tomorrow's Song-"?

Shinoda: The key was a little high, so I was worried if I could get the sound right. But the person who recorded the song, who had been involved in the project for a long time, helped me relax and said, "Don't worry, let's have fun singing. Thanks to her, I was able to hit high notes and it felt good to sing.

The lyrics are positive, so I felt that the song encourages me to do my best tomorrow and to decide my own path without blaming others.

Nakajima I was told, "Mr. Nakajima, you really like this song," and I thought, "How can you tell just by singing it once? I thought, "You were singing quite pleasantly. It was the first time I was told such a thing.

I am like this song, where I say to myself, "I'm going to do my best! I thought that I like songs like this one where I say "I'm going to do my best! I also love the lyrics. There were very few retakes during the recording, so I was able to go home feeling really good about singing it (laughs).

Izawa: Of course the melody is wonderful, but the lyrics really stuck with me. Especially, the lyrics at the end of the first verse, "the music that praises the start of a new journey," were so good that on the day of recording, Mr. Mogi (Shintaro Mogi, general director of "Tokyo 7th Sisters," who also writes lyrics under the name "SATSUKI-UPDATE" and "Kanaboshi Tsukumo") was there, so I thought, "Mr. Mogi, you're a genius! Mogi-san, this is genius! I said, "Mogi-san, this is genius! He said, "I'm glad you said that, because that is the place where I was really struggling and thinking about what to do until the very end. ......

I thought that was wonderful, because Mogi had poured his heart and soul into creating those words. There is an overall emotional atmosphere in "Nanasis," and I think this is already apparent from the word selection stage. Words like "precious" and "praise" are not usually used, but they are beautiful words. I am happy to be able to sing such beautiful words.

Q: Lastly, do you have a message for the fans who are looking forward to the movie?

Izawa: I think it is a wonderful film that will satisfy both the managers who have been supporting "NANASYS" and those who are new to "NANASYS". It is filled with so much love from the people who have been involved with it. I am not usually the type to casually say "watch it again and again," but with "NANASYS," I hope that you will watch it until it reaches 30 billion yen at the box office (laughs). (Laughs.) I would be happy if many people see the movie and if it leads to a TV series or something else.

Nakajima: For those who know "NANASIS," I think they will enjoy the episodes even more after watching this movie because they will be able to look back on the episodes. I hope that you will recommend this work to those who don't know about it and go see it together. If you get hooked on it, I hope you will install the game, read the story, and connect it to ......, and so on.

Shinoda In this animation, not only "777☆SISTERS" and Connie, but also new characters Hakkaku-san and Namekawa-san appear. I would like you to see how they interact with the girls. I also hope that you will see what the "777☆SISTERS" will receive from them and what they will choose.

The songs are also very good, so I hope you will listen to them a lot!


(Interview, text, and photos by Junichi Tsukagoshi)

Production Information

Tokyo 7th Sisters -We are the Blue Sky

Limited time offer at Shinjuku Wald 9 and other theaters from February 26, 2021 (Fri.)

<Cast

Haru Kasukabe (Minami Shinoda)

Tendouji Musubi︓Yuki Yamada

Rona KakumoriAoi Kakuma

Nonohara Hime︓ Nakajima Yui

Momoka Serizawa︓Shiori Izawa

Sumire UsudaAyaka Shimizu

Kamishiro SuiMichii Yu

Shizuka Kuonji

Alessandra Suess︓Saori Oosui

Harumi Sawara︓Nakamura Sakura

Kajika Harumi︓Mai Yamai︓SoHan_2FB9↩ Shinju Harumi︓Po_FE13

Shinju Harumi Yuki Kuwahara

Connie Rokusaki / Nicole Nanasaki ︓Inori Mizu

Kozo Hakkaku︓TomomomichioHan_2EC4↩Noriyuki Namekawa

Noriyuki Namekawa Tomoyuki Morikawa

<Staff

Original Story︓Donuts

Original story and screenplay by Shintaro Mogi

Character design draft︓MKS

Planning︓Atsushi Suzuki / Yoshihide Moriyama / Kazuo Kato / Shintaro Mogi

Producers︓Hisashi Matsuura / Motohiro Kohda / Koji Suzuki

Line Producer︓Takahiko Sakagami

Director︓Takayuki Kitagawa

Assistant Director︓Masakazu Sunagawa

Animation Character Designer/ Supervising Animation Supervisor Yosuke Kikuchi

Art Director ︓Ayumi Sugimoto

Art Director ︓Masayuki Niizuma

Color Design︓Kanna Terabu

Theme Song︓777☆SISTERS "Departures -Ashita no Uta-" (JVC Kenwood Victor Entertainment)

Music Producer︓Shintaro Mogi

Music Producer︓Shintaro Mogi

Music ProductionJVC KENWOOD VICTOR ENTERTAINMENT

Production︓Toei Animation

Animation Production: LandQ studios

Production: Project_t7s_A Production Committee

<Story

--Hey, what do you want to do?

In the year 2034, the year of the "idol ice age," Tokyo-7th is a designated international entertainment city. While many idols and studios have become "obsolete" and disappeared, the next-generation idol theater-type studio "777 (Three Seven)" (commonly known as Nanasta) is home to the newly debuted idols, the "777☆SISTERS". The "Three Seven Sisters" were working hard today.

One day, an unexplained equipment problem threatens to cancel their live performance. Instead of the manger who is on a business trip, the crisis is saved by Kozo Hakkaku, the manger of HAKKAKU, a huge box office that has dominated in the past.

When Haru and his friends visit him later, they learn that the Hakkaku studio is in danger of closing due to a takeover attempt by Namekawa Konzern. Hearing that their financial support will be continued if they can perform live and fill the seats, Haru and his friends, the "777☆SISTERS," decide to come up to save "HAKKAKU," which is filled with memories of their many idols and fans. However, unexpected obstacles stand in front of them. ......

What is the answer that the 12 sisters will give "to push someone's back"?

(C)Project_t7s_A

Recommended Articles