Column] On the Goal of the Greatest Detective in Yokohama - A New Look Back at the Story of Milky Holmes (Part 2) "Serendipity of the Sisters".

Continuing from the previous part, we will recount the history of the Milky Holmes unit based on the writer's memory and subjectivity. In the previous article, in 2010, "Find Ellie! I wrote that Mirai Sasaki, the Sendai representative who won the audition, won the role of Hercule Burton. However, there was another girl among the eight who reached the finals that day, a girl we know very well today. That girl was Aimi, who was representing Osaka.
⇒ Part I is here!

Find Ellie! I was personally surprised when I found Aimi in the video introducing the finalists of the audition. I remembered that the year before this audition, Aimi had represented Osaka in the finals of the 3rd Animation Song Grand Prix, a nationwide audition for animation songs held in November (Sasaki Saka won that competition). Hence, "Find Ellie!" I don't know how much of her determination in her words reached the audience, but I remember feeling that I wanted to support her emotionally.

Later, after Aimi joined the Milky Holmes family as Kazumi Tokiwa in "Futari wa Milky Holmes," I asked her about that time. I was very much impressed when Aimi replied with a smile, "I lost to 'Mr. Sasaki' twice. But you never know how the world will turn out. Aimi went into the audition determined to give up on her career in animation songs, and as a result, she would later make her debut as a singer with Pony Canyon. However, those who have been following Aimi on stage from time to time, from before her debut to the present, know the history of her steady improvement in her singing, stage expression, and performance skills. I believe that only those who believe in their own potential and continue to make steady and endless efforts will be able to grab the fickle goddess by the forelock.

Find Ellie!" There were many other dramas in the auditions that were not visible from the outside. At last year's Anisama, voice actor Nao Higashiyama collaborated with Milky Holmes, but Higashiyama's "Find Ellie! She had registered for the audition but was unable to attend because her audition coincided with an important exam. If Ms. Higashiyama had been at that final, what would have been the outcome? I think there were as many possibilities for such ifs as there were participants. I wonder if some of the people who are active in the industry today actually participated in the "Find Ellie! audition.

Among the many ifs, one of the most impressive is that of Yoshinoh Aoyama, leader of the voice actor unit Wake Up, Girls! Aoyama also participated in the "Find Ellie! audition. The judging panel at the time predicted, "Even if you don't get the role of Ellie this time, I'm sure we will meet somewhere in this world (content industry)," and that prediction came true. As two units that have gone through the same era, Milky Holmes covered Wake Up, Girls' song "Gokujo Smile" at "Road to Final in SENDAI," while Wake Up, Girls! HOME - PART II FANTASIA -" in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan.

Milky Holmes Sisters Member Scout Audition

Find Ellie! There was another girl who voluntarily participated in the audition and was narrowly defeated in the semi-finals of the Osaka competition. She was Ayasa Ito, a junior high school student at the time. Three years later, in 2013, she happened to find an announcement in a magazine. It was an announcement for the "Milky Holmes Sisters Member Scout Audition" held in conjunction with the "Futari wa Milky Holmes" anime. The content of the audition was to select the role of Alice Myojinkawa of Feathers, the sister group of Milky Holmes. I asked the Milky members, who were the ones to welcome the new members at that time, "What kind of girl do you want? The answer was, "A girl who likes to eat well! The answer was "a girl who has the same taste in food!

The final audition, held at Tokyo Big Sight on April 27, 2013, was once again a crossroads of destiny. The audition was once again a crossroads of destiny, with such outstanding talents as Yuka Morishima (currently a member of Run Girls, Run!, starring in "Girly Air Force") and Rimi Nishimoto (currently playing the role of Rimi Ushigome in "Bandli! ), and Rimi Nishimoto (currently starring in "Rimi Ushigome" of "Bandolier!"), the judges had a hard time deciding who to choose. There were three future Poppin'Party members on stage that day, including the host, Aimi.

After auditions, it was decided that Ayasa Ito would be Aimi's partner in Feathers. The first place nomination was unanimously chosen by the judges and the Milkyans in the audience. The schedule was extremely tight. On the day of the audition, Ms. Ito was very nervous and looked very fresh. By the time she performed in "Milky Holmes Feathers First Live: Seishun Hajimetemashita" at the now defunct Harajuku Astro Hall in January of the following year, she had become so dependable that she seemed to have no idea how nervous she was. It had been such an intense six months. I miss how Mr. Ito and Aimi pursued comedy together and were very particular about their manzai and comedy.

After that, Ms. Ito's "Bandolier! I don't need to tell you about her subsequent roles as Arisaki Ichigaya and Kako Hanayagi in "Girls☆Geki Revue Starlight. At this final live performance, Ms. Ito expressed her gratitude for being chosen to play the role of Alice over the past six years, but if fate had not smiled on her that day, there would have been no subsequent success. Aimi, Ito, and Sasaki are standing on the Budokan stage as a result of a number of coincidences and inevitabilities, and this has created ripples not only in this production but also in various other worlds.

Aimi and Ayasa Ito also performed as Feathers in "Milky Holmes Final Live Q.E.D.". What was very impressive on stage at the Budokan was that the two members of Feathers were in a sense more stunned than the four members of Milky Holmes, saddened and lonely about Milky's finale. I think some of the audience may have been saved by sympathizing with the two members of Milky, who were almost fading away, but clearly expressed their sadness and disgust, because they were strong enough to get through the final live with cheerful smiles on their faces. When Aimi confessed her regret of not joining Milky's circle six years ago at the Budokan, the seniors suggested that they form a circle together again on stage. Cute selfishness is the privilege of the youngest students.

The straightforward thoughts and words of these two, who had briefly returned to the position of Milky's younger sister, were an indispensable piece that formed the best final live performance. I think this live was also the graduation live of the six-member unit "Milky Holmes Sisters" who sang "Pinch ni Punch".

At that final live, Ms. Ito said that the four members of Milky Holmes "have always been my sisters. Ms. Nanjo and Ms. Akeisaka spoke and wished that their relationship with the four would continue unchanged. Ms. Tachibana said that when Milkyan was tired, she wanted them to cheer up by watching Milky Holmes videos, and sent them off with a "see you later. The many such unchanging relationships are a testament to the 10 years that Milky Holmes has spent together.

Even if this is the last live performance by the voice actor unit Milky Holmes, "Detective Opera Milky Holmes" will never end.

(Text by Kiri Nakazato)