Signature Present! Commemorating the start of "swing,sing", a new content of healing and music connected by jazz and cafes! The series of character relay interviews has started! Part 1: Violet Yaotome

A new project, "swing,sing", will be created under the concept of "Cafe x Music x Youth" with peaceful music and singing voices. To support the start of the project, we have started a series of interviews with the characters of the project!

swing,sing" is a graffiti of youth set in the cafe "Primrose" in the resort town of Karuizawa, Nagano Prefecture, amidst the aroma of jazz and coffee.

Violet Yaotome, a student at a music school in the city, transfers to a school in Karuizawa to escape the busy city life. When she arrives at her lodgings, the Primrose Cafe, she is asked by Momose Momo, the owner of the cafe, to help her save the cafe, which is on the verge of bankruptcy.

Violet and her friends take up instruments left behind by Momose's grandfather, the former owner, and play music as they aim for a loan on the café.

The original story will be written by Aki Izumi, who has worked on numerous contents; the music will be produced by Hirotaka Hayakawa, a composer who won the Record Award in 2018; the character design will be done by Aito Higashiyama; and the comic book will be translated by Toriyaro, who will make his commercial debut with this work.

Starting with an unveiling event to be held on May 29, 2022, the manga serialization will begin, and the entire song "Harmony" and character songs will be released digitally all at once. In order to support this work, which has various live events scheduled in the future, Akiba Research Institute has started a series of interviews with the main characters and a present project!

In this first installment, we interview the cool pianist Violet Yaotome.

Please enjoy the interview along with the character song "Yume no Nakaeru" (Into the Dream).

──Please introduce yourself.

Violet Yaotome (Violet) My name is Violet Yaotome. I am a sophomore at Shin-Karuizawa High School. My birthday is Christmas, December 25th. I just moved to Nagano this spring, and I am currently staying at Momo's house, Cafe Primrose.

─ I heard that you were in a music high school before you moved here.

Violet You know very well ....... It's a common boarding school for music students, which is becoming more and more common in the Kanto area due to the recent music boom. There is nothing particularly interesting about it.

How do you like Karuizawa now that you have moved here?

Violet: It's fresh and different from the city. I have to walk quite a bit even to go to the convenience store, and I'm getting a good workout (laughs). (laughs) Also, it gets dark very early! It gets dark very early (......). It's unbelievably dark after 8:00 p.m., and it's not easy to walk! But nature is abundant, and I feel like time is moving very slowly. I look forward to tomorrow. I am glad I moved here.

─ ─ Do you have any hobbies?

Violet: It's not really a hobby I can tell people about. I like smartphone games, and I play all kinds of games.

─ ─ For example, what kind of games?

Violet: I play a lot of puzzle games, because I can concentrate on my own world. Although I like them, I'm not good at playing against other people. ...... What's that? We haven't talked about music at all.

(Laughs.) Manga episode 1 door picture

───Now, please tell us about the instruments you play and what attracts you to them.

Violet: I play the piano in Primrose. I've been playing the piano for more than 10 years now, so it's like a part of me. Oh, personally, I think the charm is that I feel more relaxed than when I play other instruments.

───Please tell us about your encounter with jazz and why you were attracted to it.

Violet: Until a while ago, I listened only to classical music, but a few years ago, a friend took me to a small concert where a well-known classical trumpeter was playing jazz.

That person, who usually played in a hard-edged manner, seemed free in that space. He seemed like a completely different person in the small space, at one with the members and the audience. Maybe it was after that, but I often listen to jazz numbers during breaks.

─ ─ Do you have a favorite album you would like to recommend?

Violet: There are so many, I'm at a loss. ...... I like music that is relatively slow and soothing. One that readers may know is "Fly me to the Moon". Actually, the original title is "In Other Words. It was also the theme song for an anime, and the vocal melody is beautiful. Speaking of performance, I like "Autumn Leaves" (Kareha). From a piano player's point of view, there is a lot of playfulness and calmness in it, and it makes me feel enriched when I play it on ....... I personally like the chanson-like melody as well as the jazz color. ......Ah, am I talking too much?

─ I heard that various players gather at the Primrose Cafe to perform. How do you like playing at the cafe?

Violet: Performing at a concert or in a big hall certainly gives me a sense of accomplishment, but I prefer to play in places like this. I believe that music is never finished and no two pieces of music are the same, so ...... in that place, with the atmosphere and air there, new music keeps being created. Even if I play the same music every day, I believe that the atmosphere of the café, where you can encounter a different face of music every day, can only be experienced at "Primrose.

─ ─ Do you have any ambitions or dreams for the future regarding your musical activities?

Violet: Ambitions? ......For the time being, I'd like to rebuild the café, but that's very realistic. As a performer, the most rewarding thing for me is to see Momo's smile.

─ ─ Finally, do you have any comments for the readers of Akiba Research Institute?

Violet: In this day and age, there is a lot of rock and dance music and idols, and there is a lot of aggressive and pop music out there. It's energetic and fun, and of course I listen to a lot of different songs and ....... Oh, of course I also listen to anime songs. But it is because my days are so energetic and full that jazz music is precious and special when I listen to it over a leisurely cup of coffee. So, I hope that our songs will make this primrose special for you as well. Well, I will do my best in moderation.

Outline of the Giveaway Campaign

<Prize

One winner will receive an autograph card signed by Yui Ninomiya, who plays the role of Violet Yaotome in "swing,sing!

We are giving away a signed paper autographed by Yui Ninomiya, who plays the role of Violet Yaotome in "swing,sing" to one lucky winner!　The winner will be sent a copy with his/her Twitter name.

＜Entry requirements

Entry period: June 3, 2022 (Fri.) - June 10, 2022 (Fri.) 23:59

Number of winners: 1 person

Announcement of winners: Kakaku.com, Inc. will contact the winners.

Prize delivery: Prizes will be sent out sequentially.

How to enter:

　 Follow the Twitter account "[official] swing,sing project" ( # ) with your Twitter account.

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Enter your Twitter name (e.g. @akiba_kakakucom) in the application form.

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Winners will be contacted by Akiba Research Institute via email.

<Note

You need to register as a member (free of charge) to apply.

Only one entry per person is allowed.
If you do not follow the "[official] swing,sing project" ( # ) , your entry will be invalid.

We will not be able to respond to any inquiries regarding the lottery results or shipping status.

Transfer or resale of the winning prize or rights to a third party is prohibited.

Kakaku.com Group employees and related parties are not eligible to participate.

Prizes must be shipped within Japan.

We will take the utmost care in packaging the prizes, but please note that we cannot accept returns or exchanges in the event that the prizes are damaged due to an accident during transportation.

Please note that the prize will be invalidated in the following cases

　Multiple winners at the same address or in the same household

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