Hiroyuki Deguchi and Hiromi Samejima discuss the anisongs of 2018! Year-end special "Just Shut Up and Listen to Anime Songs! Long Talk!

2018 is just around the corner. Countless anime and anime songs have been created this year.

Following last year's event, "Akiba Research Institute's 15th Anniversary Grand Thanksgiving," Hiroyuki Deguchi and Hiromi Samejima will be discussing anime songs again this year!

Mr. Deguchi is a bassist and anime song DJ, and Ms. Samejima is the comedian of the comedy duo BANBANBAN and organizes the anime song DJ event "Anime Song Disco". The two DJs are in touch with a large number of anime songs on a daily basis, and it is only because they dig deep into them that they can talk about the anime song scene in 2018!

For this issue, we asked them to discuss the top 3 anime theme songs from each season that aired from winter to fall of 2018.

Are your favorite anime theme songs included in the list?

Let's begin, begin, begin!

Hiroyuki Deguchi

Hiromi Samejima.

Deguchi -- So today I would like to look back at the anisons of 2018. We did it last year and it's at ....... Did you do it last year at the end of November at an event?

Samejima Yes, that's right.

Deguchi It was at the launch of that event, and I heard Mr. Samejima talking about how he had quit drinking after making a wish, and I said, "Well, me too," and quit smoking the next day. It's been a whole year today.

Samejima Oh, wow!　What did you wish for?

Deguchi: "I will never smoke again. So please give me a job." "Please give me more work.

--Anyway, the fact that I'm still alive means that I'm getting some good luck, right?

Deguchi: Well, ......, yes (smiles).

Samejima When I quit drinking, I said, "May I continue to be a comedian. I asked to be able to live with my family in Tokyo. Actually, at that time, I was about to get divorced. At that time, I didn't ask him to make me a successful comedian.

Deguchi: I guess I didn't have enough humility. I was thinking, "Give me a job no matter what! I thought (laughs).

--I'd like to get down to the main topic after the pillow, but before that, I'd like to ask you about your selection criteria for this year's competition.

Deguchi: Last year, I looked back at it from the perspective of a DJ, but this year, I simply chose what I liked, or rather, what I thought was cool.

Same here. There are songs that I didn't play at all as a DJ.

Deguchi I think it will have a more personal feel this year.

Winter 2018 Cool

--Let's start with the 2018 winter cool!　This cool saw the birth of two big hit anime, "Yuru Can △" and "A Place Farther Than the Universe".

Samejima: "A Place Farther Than the Universe" was really interesting. It was supposed to be a bishojo or high-school story, but in fact it had a strong, robust style. The other two are "POPTEPIC" and "YURU CAN-△. I think these three are the best for winter. But they are not in this year's ranking (laughs). (Laughs) So, I'll go first. The third place goes to "Doraemon" by Gen Hoshino! I was impressed by Gen Hoshino's spirit in titling the song "Doraemon. Also, in the lyrics, there are references to "that girl who is too good" and "that quiet girl," and "fallen you" must be Nobita, and "his song will save someone" must be about Gian. Also, the beginning is "a little mysterious. Fujiko F. Fujio interpreted science fiction as "a little mysterious," and I liked the fact that he wrote the whole story with "Doraemon" in mind. It is a song that can only be used for "Doraemon. When I say I like Gen Hoshino, people usually think I'm a meek person, but I like him. ......I want to be like that!

Deguchi: Yes. Everyone wants to be like him.

Samejima The second place went to "Macross Delta the Movie: Gekijou no Valkyrie" (Macross Delta the Movie: Gekijou no Valkyrie). It's Valkyrie's "Dancing in the Moonlight". It was first released as a single called "Valkyrie ha Nairarenai," and I bought it for the title track "Valkyrie ha Nairarenai," but I thought "Dancing in the Moonlight" was the best.

--Valkyrie has many songs with a disco or soul music approach, don't they?

Samejima This is exactly that kind of song. Also, the structure of the song is good: A, B, chorus, then A´, C, A, B. I liked the fact that it doesn't go to the chorus first. In the movie, the song is played at the end of the movie, but because of the strange structure, I was able to watch it all the way through without getting tired of it.

--The part in the middle of the movie where the characters are talking to each other like they are saying lines is also very nice.

Samejima That part is also good. It was a great song. And the song by ......TRUE, "Sincerely," the opening song of "Violet Evergarden," comes in at No. 1.

Deguchi That one was great.

Samejima The anime made me cry from the very beginning, from the very first episode. The lyrics are in line with the growth of the main character, Violet Evergarden, and when the chorus starts, "I started to write, but then I stopped," my feelings are suddenly set ablaze. I really wanted to play this song at the DJ, so I put the lyrics on the screen so the audience could sing along.

--Is the audience singing in chorus?

Samejima: It was a chorus, a big chorus! I think it was a good song with a Queen-like, theatrical feel, so I'm giving it first place.

--Now, Mr. Deguchi, please.

Deguchi Yes, third place goes to "Flashback" by MIYAVI vs Kenken. Looking back on 2018, one thing that struck me was "Western-style music. This year, I think there were a lot of "Western-style songs" paired with rather orthodox and easy-to-understand ani-songs. Last year, there was more of a 90's Shibuya-style sound, so I thought this year would be more in the vein of that, but there were also songs with English lyrics and Western-style music. This "Flashback" has a very strong rhythm ......, or rather, it has nothing but rhythm. I thought it was interesting that their song would be used as the opening theme for an anime.

Samejima There is no chorus, is there? I didn't know how to listen to it at first, and even the DJ didn't know where to turn it off, so I ended up playing it all the way through.

Deguchi: The fact that there's no cutoff point means that you can cut it anywhere, or loop it anywhere.

--By the way, the ending is by the genius "Boku no Norikku no Boyomi," isn't it?

Samejima Both the opening and the ending are very unique, aren't they?

Deguchi: I was very impressed by the fact that they are not anime-like. Second place went to "Mutual Universe" (JYOCHO) from the "Ito Junji Collection. This is already a ...... winner!　It's a song that goes off rhythm, or rather off beat, and I don't know what to say about ....... The melody is beautiful and very detailed, but there is a sense that something is off, and I like that.

Samejima The animation itself also has an off-kilter feel, doesn't it?

Deguchi I was afraid to look at Junji Ito's drawings in the middle of the night (laughs). But if you read it as a manga, it's half a gag, so it's fun to read it with a laugh or a "Oh! But when I read it as an anime, or through a different filter, I thought, "This is really scary. It was scary.

I think this song really fit in with this damp and scary atmosphere. It's beautiful and dreamy, like a ...... nightmare. That's why I put it at No. 2, because it doesn't sound like an anime song. And No. 1 is "Tonari Dake", the ending song of "DEVILMAN crybaby" episode 9.

Samejima Oh, it's about when Miki died. ......

Deguchi It's a song by Takkyu (Ishino) and Tabito Nanao, and at first it's just guitar and singing. The melody was very short, and the rhythm was added as it went along. It's not a flashy song at all, but a very gentle song. It's a great song.

--It's a song that probably wouldn't appear in a terrestrial anime.

Deguchi: Yes. It doesn't appear in terrestrial anime. Episode 9, when this song was played, was the climax or peak of the episode.

Samejima That episode was scary, wasn't it?

Deguchi: They were saying that they were going to do it right, and that's why they were going to do it on Netflix, so I was paying attention to how far they were going to go. I was wondering how far they would go with it, but they really got it right.

Samejima It was exactly as in Go Nagai's original story, wasn't it?

Deguchi: Yes. And the ending song that came with it was so well matched that I thought, "Oh, they must have been working backwards, anticipating this. I felt it was symbolic of the recent anime. I ranked them for convenience, but I think they are all No. 1.

Samejima: I would also rank them all No. 1 if I had my way.

--I think that the year 2018 has been quite intense from the very beginning.

Samejima Winter was intense.

Exit "POPTEPI" was a hot topic, both in terms of the music and the artwork. I was also impressed by that kind of playfulness, the range, and the fact that everyone seemed to be amused by it (......). I don't think anyone would be offended by that.

--I think the opening song "Shiny Days" (Asakibana) of "Yuru Can△" is another example of "Western music-like" music.

Deguchi: Speaking of which.

Samejima "I Want You Back" by "Jackson 5" is exactly the same. There were a lot of people playing "I Want You Back" at Anikura.

--I think they are doing it intentionally to some extent.

Deguchi That is very healthy. You are openly stating that you have the original material. I think this kind of literacy or way of enjoying things has permeated the world of anime songs as well. I think there was a lot of that in the winter season. I think it was connected to a lot of things.

2018 Spring Cool

Deguchi: Spring was a lot of fun. As for works, "Megalobox" was the best. In this context, the third place goes to the opening of "Beyblade Burst Chozetsu", "Chozetsu Muteki Braider! is.

Samejima Hahaha! I didn't check, sorry. It's a 5:30 p.m. cartoon, properly watched by kids.

Deguchi: That's right. The singer of this song is Ryosuke Sasaki, vocalist of "a flood of circle". A rock vocalist. I was so surprised to see him, and I was like, "Oh, isn't that Mr. Sasaki? I didn't expect to find you here ......" (laughs). The song itself is totally for boys. It's a proper evening anime song.

SamejimaIt 's like "Butter-fly".

Deguchi Yes, that's right. And he sings it in that husky, cool rock voice! I thought.

Samejima When I played this at Anikura about 15 years later, people would say, "Wow, that brings back memories! It might be like "Butterfly" for us today.

Deguchi: People don't often have a chance to see this slot, so there are not many people who are aware of it. In the late night, you can watch it after you get home, but in the evening, you are definitely not at home.

What I really like about this song is that when the little kids who hear it and think, "This song is so cool," become junior high or high school students and start listening to music, they may think, "What?　I remember the singer from the anime I was watching at that time! And that's how it could happen.

--In our generation (late 30's), it would be like hearing that Kageyama Hironobu sang in Lazy Lazy. And then there are those who have turned to the roots of Western music. I think one of the roles of anime songs is to open the door to the world of music for children.

Samejima Yes, it is a gateway.

Deguchi: That's why I think we should actively watch more and more of this slot. There are many interesting songs. The second place goes to "Megalobox. Bite" (LEO Imai). This is the winner without any complaints!

Samejima Another winner!

Deguchi: This song has LEO Imai's typical word play, and the rhythm is quite raw or masculine. I wondered what was going on and thought, "This is Isao Ofuji! I thought, "This is Isao Odo!

--It's the "Ashita no Joe" connection, isn't it?

Deguchi: Oh, it's connected to here. I don't know if it was intentional or not, but I could definitely see the way he sings, the nuance, and the direction he is trying to take with .......

Samejima "Megalobox" itself is the 21st century version of "Ashita no Joe.

Deguchi: Yes. I think that you are trying to update a former masterpiece in today's style, and you are doing it with music as well. I probably didn't write this in the series. I wonder why I didn't notice that at the time.

Samejima When you write an article, do you write it before watching the anime?

Deguchi Yes, I do. I would watch the anime first, or if I wanted to, I would just listen to the song first, and then watch the first episode if I became interested in it. So I felt like I had finally found the essence of this song. ......It would be funny if it was completely different. I was told that they didn't mean it that way.

The first place goes to "Diver's High" (SKY-HI), the opening song of "Gundam Build Divers," featuring Kosuke Saito of UNISON SQUARE GARDEN. This year, SKY-HI collaborated with many people, and I had the impression that I had many opportunities to see him in various works. I wonder if there is a sense that rap music has been properly incorporated into anime songs. Moreover, I think it is quite interesting that he is doing this in the context of a major "Gundam" work. The track is really cool, too.

--Speaking of rap, "Hypnosis Mike" was very popular this year.

Samejima That's right. I thought it might even make it to Kohaku (red and white) if it was bad (laughs). (laughs) It's amazing that it caught on so fast even though there is no anime or game.

Deguchi: The rap battles in "Hypnosis Mike" are like BEEF in the context of rap. It is very musical and based on the history of music. I try to introduce such things to the generation that does not listen to Western music in an easy-to-understand way, saying, "It's fun if you look at it this way.

Samejima I see. Then, let's look at my top three for spring. From the gangsta rap to the gang connection, "Salmon, Salmon roe, 893 and my daughter" (Yoshifumi Nitta/Yoshiki Nakajima), the ending song for "Hina Matsuri. Yoshiki Nakajima sings as the 893 character named Nitta in the anime. I like the fact that he sings with a bit of a down-to-earth or in-your-face feel. I like the way he sings in a badass way, or rather in a snooty way. I like the way his naivete goes together with the gag atmosphere of the anime. The ending of "Tensai Bakabon" also has a lonely ending, and I think it's a royal anime song to play a lonely song after a lot of gags, so I chose it as No. 3.

--I think that's why I chose it as No. 3.

Samejima It was very lonely. The ending song of "Gamba's Adventure" was lonely, scary, and dark. The second place goes to "Le temps de la rentrée", the ending song of "Hizune and Masotan". This is Western music, too. It is sung by the voices of the characters featured in each episode. It was interesting to hear each of the main characters sing, and I liked their unique dance moves. Everyone imitates it at the Anikura. But why was this song chosen?

-I think I heard at the event that the song was brought in by director Shinji Higuchi. Moreover, I heard that it is not one of the major songs among the French gals who sing the original song.

Samejima Oh, this is not such a major song, is it? There is something strangely erotic about "Hizimaso," isn't there? The lines of the characters' bodies, especially the line of their hips in the ending dance, are very nice. It's not an erotic picture, but you make it erotic.

Deguchi: It's like you can see their sexuality.

Samejima When she rides the dragon, D-Pai is on all fours. That was good, and I also liked the way she came out of the dragon so smoothly. It was an erotic ending to an erotic anime.

--French pop music has a coquettish charm, doesn't it?

Deguchi: I think so. French pop music is ennui and somewhat aesthetic. It's not a flashy, bright erotic music.

Samejima Yes. There is an eroticism that can't be told to others. I feel that "Hizumaso" contains all the "I like this, but if I tell you, you'll think I'm a pervert" kind of stuff.

Deguchi: That's you, isn't it? In a way, I feel the element of being slimy is similar to the way you wake up in tokusatsu.

Samejima The part where he is all snug in his body suit?

Deguchi Yes, that's right. For example, Yuriko Hishimi who played Captain Anne in "Ultra Seven". The squad uniform that Hishimi-san wore was only available in a small size. The reason for this was that another actress was originally chosen for the role, but she dropped out of the cast, so Hishimi stepped in as the understudy, but there was no time to fix the costume. So I had no choice but to wear it! I had no choice but to wear it, and when I put it on, I was so plump that the lines of my body were completely exposed. It became very erotic. That may have led to the eroticism of "Hizimaso" in a roundabout way.

Samejima: Eroticism like special effects. That's good. And the first place goes to "Start Dash!" from "Captain Tsubasa" (Johnny's WEST). (Johnny's WEST). I think the power of the animation and the power of the song are perfectly combined in this work. It was a great PV video. The production was outrageous, switching from the ball's point of view to Tsubasa's point of view, but the angle changes were so smooth that it was natural to watch. Scenes like the pass from Tsubasa as a child to Tsubasa as an elementary school student were amazing. If you look at it cut by cut, there is a lot of discomfort, but I liked the way it was all neatly connected and pulled together until the end, and then there was a sense of exhilaration.

Deguchi: Do you often play it at events?

Samejima Well, I don't get a lot of response when I do. I like to play it, but I'm the only one who enjoys it. Well, "Burnt Hero" (the opening song of the old "Captain Tsubasa") is easier to understand, isn't it?

--I'll make the letters bold here. Listen more! You guys!" I'll bolden the letters here.

Samejima That's right, listen to it! Watch!

Summer Cool 2018

Deguchi: Come on! Next up, summer.

Samejima Okay, I'll go first. Third place goes to "Dawn Requiem" (Linked Horizon), the ending song for "Shinkage no Kyojin. Shinkage" has been broadcast on NHK since this season, right? When you are watching the anime, this song is rewound suddenly in the visual expression with "Kyokyokyokyokyokyokyokyo! and the song suddenly rewinds and goes to a past story. It was great that the ending also expresses this. Of all the "Marching In" series, I like season 3 the best. I ranked it third because it focused more and more on the human drama, which was interesting in terms of anime expression. The way time stops reminds me of "STAND PROUD" (Hitoshi Hashimoto) in the third part of "JoJo," which is also interesting. I like that it is linked to the anime.

--I like that it's linked to the anime.

Samejima: Good! You mean ......? (laughs) And second place goes to the "Hataraku Cell" opening "Mission! Ken, Kou, Dai, Ichi" (Kana Hanazawa, Tomoaki Maeno, Daisuke Ono, Kikuko Inoue). This is a graceful song that can only be used for this work. The choice of this song was a bit different from that of Mr. Deguchi. You might choose a Western-style song here, but this time, I chose a song that is more like "This is ani-song! I think this song is just like that. This song is exactly what I was thinking of. It was fun to see them all come up to the stage when we played this song.

--It was a hit as a work of art.

Samejima: I learned a lot about cancer. In fact, it's used by medical and educational institutions as well.

--You can look at it in the same way as Gakken's learning manga "Secrets of XX", right?

Samejima That's right. I was reminded of Osamu Tezuka's "Wonder Beat S," which used to be around a long time ago. And No. 1 is No. 1, which is also really neat. It is "Dashing and Running Tonegawa-kun" (Gesu no Kiwami Otome), the opening song of "Chuenchu Kankeiroku Tonegawa. Even if you play the song in full, it only lasts two minutes; it doesn't even go to number two, it ends with number one. I liked the cleanness of the song.

--It's an ani-song in the sense that it's a song for an anime.

Samejima I think it is a very current trend that Gesu no Gokyoku and Gen Hoshino have made anime songs. There are more and more creators who are making ani-songs with a solid understanding of the work. And they are well known in the J-POP industry. So I guess it has become normal to like anime. Here are the top 3 songs of the summer.

Deguchi The third place of this summer's ani-song list goes to "Futari no Hane," the opening song of "Hanebado! The third place here goes to "Futari no Hane" (YURiKA), the opening song of "Hanebado! This is for the same reason as "Cap Tsubasa" that Shark-san mentioned earlier. The music and animation are very much in sync. The interesting thing is that the song starts with the chorus, and after the chorus, there is a flat song, and then another chorus. The same animation is played in the two choruses. The chorus at the beginning and the chorus that comes after the chorus are exactly the same picture, so I thought, "What is that? Am I dreaming? When I saw the first episode, I thought, "What? (Laughs) When I saw the first episode, I thought, "What? But the pictures move and slow down to match the development of the melody, and the slow and steady images are synchronized with the sound, so it's very pleasant to watch. The quality of the drawings is extraordinary, and the rest of the animation is just ordinary. The rest of the animation is just normal, but that's the only part that stands out. I can't help but wonder if something is wrong⁉.

The second place went to "Vital" (Masaaki Endo), the opening song of "Killing Angel". ...You didn't include this one in your summer column, did you?

─ ─ Yes, I didn't write it.

Deguchi: At that time, I thought, "In a good way, Endo-san is just Endo-san, right? And when I listened to it again, it's just great! It's so cool! It's so cool! Endo-san is in full force in this song. It was so refreshing to hear him go this far with Masaaki Endo's verses. His voice is also very cool and high, which is something that other artists don't have, so I put it in second place. And No. 1 is "Mayakashi Yokocho" (Aiko Okumura), the ending song of "Yami Shibai.

Samejima I don't think so.

─ ─ But somehow I can tell that this is a song you like, Deguchi-san. It's a little jazzy.

Deguchi It's jazzy. It's the kind of music that makes me think, "Wow, I like that! I like that kind of music.

Samejima It's totally different from monobright.

Deguchi With Monobright, there were bright songs and there were slow songs, too. And this "Yami Shiba" is the sixth season! That's right.

─ ─ I don't think there is any other late-night anime that has lasted this long. I think the next one will be "Natsume's Book of Friends," which has continued through its fifth season.

Samejima I see! It must be very popular.

Deguchi The singer is Aiko Okumura. She has done songs for "Pretty Cure" and others.

─ That's true. She wrote songs for "Doriface," "Happiness Charge Pretty Cure," "Wizard Pretty Cure," and so on.

Samejima That's amazing!

Deguchi But "Mayakashi Yokocho" has a totally different atmosphere from those songs. It is truly a professional writer ...... professional. I like the fact that this song has a bit of a retro smell to it, like a song. The melody is really good too. Very good! Winner! I feel like a winner.

Samejima Another winner!　Three people have already won (laughs).