The first single of 2019, "Endless Notes," is a commemorative interview with i☆Ris, which is the unit's first grand medium ballad!

Seiyu idol unit "i☆Ris" will release its 17th single "Endless Notes" on February 13, 2019.

Endless Notes", which is also the ending theme for the TV anime "Grimnotes The Animation" currently airing, is the unit's first epic single song. The title track, with its medium tempo and the members' voices echoing in a relaxed manner, gives us a sense of the girls' newfound ability.

So, we asked them to look back on 2018, a year in which they achieved great growth through a variety of experiences, and to share their enthusiasm for the new song!

First overseas concert, Anisama--a year in which they performed on various stages

--First of all, I would like to start by asking you what kind of year last year was.

Yuki Wakai (Wakai) It was our first overseas live performance as i☆Ris (we performed at "Anisong World Matsuri at Anime Expo 2018 - Japan Kawaii Live -" held in Los Angeles, USA), I was surprised that there were so many people who knew about i☆Ris. I felt that anime is an amazing culture that can be understood throughout the world. That was the most impressive thing for me.

--Wakai: Is the groove the same as in Japan?

Wakai: I was surprised to hear the same calls as in Japan. I was surprised to hear the same call as in Japan: "Culture! (laughs).

In Los Angeles, only Zuccchan ( Shibuya) and I had free time, so we went around the event sites together. We happened to meet a group of people who came to see i☆Ris' live performance and were cosplaying as Pripara! There was just so much enthusiasm, wasn't there?

Azusa Shibutani (Shibuya) Something like ...... (in katakana) "Haaah~! Mou chugoku, suki desu! It's like that (laughs).

Wakai You understood me. (laughs) (laughs) Wakai They understood that I was a voice actor for "Pripara.

Kubota Yes, they understood! They were both wearing no makeup! (Laughs)

Wakai That's amazing.

Shibuya: I have green hair, so you might recognize me if you see me on Twitter or something. But we were walking around normally, and they were like "Zuchan, Zuchan! Miyu-chan!" Like that. The intonation was different, but it made me happy.

Kubota Maybe it was because we didn't get a chance to see each other very often, but there was a lot of enthusiasm. I wonder if it's called a "call book. Like, "Look what I made! Like "Look what I made!

Shibuya: I wrote "IITAIKOTOGA ARUNDAYO" in Roman alphabet in detail (laugh). The love was amazing.

Wakai When I said "relax~" to the person in Leona's costume, he just said "Oh, thank you~" and passed me off. They probably didn't think it was me, but that I was someone who really liked Leona (laughs). (laughs) Even though we said it in the same voice!

All of them hahaha (laughs)

--Your last single "Changing point" was also the opening theme for the TV anime "Magical Girl Sight," and it was your first late-night anime tie-in, so it was a big hit, wasn't it?

Yu Serizawa (Serizawa): "Magical Girl Site" is a rather dark work compared to the image of "Pripara," so I think some people were surprised or had a different impression of it, but when I performed it at events such as Anisama, I was relieved that it was well received.

I think there are still many people who don't know about "Pripara" because it was aired on weekday evenings. I thought that the number of people who don't know much about i☆Ris but know "Changing point" has increased.

Shibuya: I think "Changing point" is a song that will appeal to those who like ani-songs. There are more and more people who know i☆Ris because of this song, and I met many creators because of "Changing point". At Anisama, during "Changing point", they had a performance where all the members were filmed by a camera. ......

--It was so cool.

Shibuya: That was made by Mr. Saito P (general producer of Anisama, Mr. Koji Saito who is the general director). I think it was the year when we could meet the music that made us want to put passion into it.

--Is this exactly a "changing point" for the group?

All of you Oh, wow!

--How did you feel as a leader of the group, Ms. Yamakita?

Saki Yamakita (Yamakita) When I monitor SNS as "i☆Ris police" (laugh), I feel that there are many people who got to know i☆Ris because of "Changing point". However, in 2018, there were fan club events, but surprisingly there were not many release events where we could meet new people directly, so we haven't been able to hear the real voices of those who got to know us through those events. So I am looking forward to meeting such people at the "Endless Notes" release event.

Himika Akaneya (Akaneya): Yes, that's right. In that sense, I think I was able to show a new side with this "Endless Notes", so I am going to do something different from the past on the upcoming tour (i☆Ris 5th Live Tour 2019 ~FEVER~). I have the feeling that we are challenging ourselves to new things, so I hope this year will be the year we can open up more and more, and I am looking forward to that.

Endless Notes" created with the newly formed music team

--Endless Notes" is the first grandiose medium ballad among your previous singles, isn't it? Could you tell us your impression when you first heard it?

Shibuya: It is almost the first time for me to sing a song with this kind of atmosphere. I think "ICHIZU" is the closest in terms of image, but I have sung songs with many guitars and synth tracks so far, but this song is mainly orchestration, and I felt this song can be expressed only by the current i☆Ris who have been together for 6 years.

On the other hand, I have my own image of "Azusaki Shibuya" that I have cultivated in i☆Ris until now, so I wondered if I could sing this song. I honestly thought "Can I sing this song?

Kubota: I have been involved in "Grimnotes" as a voice actor since the original game, and I heard that the music for the TV anime was going to be composed by a band from the future ancient orchestra, just like in the game. I was told that the music for the TV anime would be composed by the Ancient Band of the Future, just like the game. Since i☆Ris was going to sing the ending song, I personally thought that our music had to be of the same quality as the music by the Ancient Band of the Future, or fans would say, "Oh, the ending is different. But when I received the music, I was relieved and happy to see that the lyrics included the words "story," "destiny," and "future," which are elements of Grimnotes, and the sound included flute sounds and other musical instruments that I had not heard in i☆Ris' previous songs.

For those who like the original work, the anime adaptation is a great thing, so I felt that i☆Ris was able to be a part of the work and help people to know about the work.

WakaiThe lyricist for "Endless Notes" was the same person who has been directing i☆Ris recordings for a long time, and he was in charge of the lyrics for the first time. I think it is because he has been watching i☆Ris for a long time.

I used to sing in unison a lot, but this time, except for the chorus, most of the parts are solo parts. So I sang with a sense of mission. When you gave me the last part of the chorus, I was very determined to sing it well because you gave it to me. I was very enthusiastic about it, so I put a lot of effort into the recording.

Since we had a new music team, there were some people who did not know much about i☆Ris yet, so I sang the song while trying my best to introduce "this is who I am" to the staff.

Akaneya: As for my impression of the song, I thought, "I can sing it now. I have always been good at singing ballads, so when I sang cute songs, I tried to deform them to make them somewhat cute. So this time, I think I was able to make the most of what I am good at. The instruments playing in the background sounded very quiet, and the song left a strong impression on the singer's voice, so I was singing while my voice came back to me even more during the recording. So I was a little nervous while listening to it.

--Akaneya-san also sang a solo ballad called "Dear..." on the third album "WONDERFUL PALETTE". You also sang a ballad called "Dear..." as a soloist on your 3rd album "WONDERFUL PALETTE", didn't you?

Akaneya: Yes, I had always wanted to sing such a song. I have had a lot of experiences, sung many cheerful songs, and came back to the tune that I am good at. I think this song is one in which I can feel my growth.

Serizawa: This time, I was entrusted to sing the opening lines. When I sang the theme song for the "Pripara" series, I didn't often sing it out myself, partly because of my character, so it was a fresh feeling.

When I received the song, I thought the beginning of "Endless Notes" was very beautiful. Since the impression of the song is determined here, I thought, "Well, how should I sing it? Actually, I am better at singing in a cheerful manner, but I remember thinking about how to express emotions in a detailed way, which is possible only in a ballad or a mid-tempo song like this.

In the past, I used to be much worse at this kind of song, and I often felt frustrated after singing ....... It felt good when I was singing it, but when I heard the finished version, I sometimes thought, "Oh~...... the other members sang it better than I did. But this time, I took my own approach and I think I sang it very well.

Yamakita: Last time I sang "Changing point", there was a solo part, but I was more focused on harmonizing. But this time, the staff has been replaced, the tune is not so cute, and there are solo parts for each of us, so I thought I could bring out my own flavor in this song. I could sing the song with the same sacred feeling I had when I heard ...... the song. I usually have a bit of hesitation inside me before recording. In the past, I have often had to have that corrected in the direction, but this time, I am glad that I was able to sing naturally, without any unnecessary evil thoughts.

--Yamakita: Did you have some idea of what the finished product would be from the beginning?

Yamakita: Yes, I had no hesitation.

Behind the adult-like expressions in the music video, what were the mischievous expressions of the members?

--Wakai: This time, the music video was different from usual, more mature, and I felt like I could see a different side of the members.

Wakai: This time, we shot the music video and the jacket in one day. I don't remember that we had a break at all! It was a pretty tight schedule, with the members shooting the music video and the jacket photo shoot next to them, but everyone was so focused and hard working all day long that I got the impression that it was over in a flash.

When we shot our debut single "Color," we did the jacket photo shoot and the music video shoot at the same time, but we didn't have the energy to do both at the time (laughs). When I think about it, 6 to 7 years have passed, and the way I approach my work has changed. I am glad that I could do my best as i☆Ris.

Serizawa There are a lot of dance shots in this music video, but the choreography is different from the previous ones and it has a more relaxed feel. It's not that we cut corners, but we relaxed a lot of the choreography. So Yuki was asking the teacher, "Should I relax more? (laughs).

Wakai: Hahahahaha! (Laughs)

Serizawa You always have a lot of power. Each of the other members was trying to find the right balance of flexibility without being too relaxed or intense. I also wondered, "How much power should I put in?" I also wondered, "How much power should I put in? I think that is one of the highlights of the performance.

Akaneya: This time, the costumes are much more mature, and everyone's skirts are fluttering. I think it looks better on stage.

This time, rather than individual dances, there are many choreographies in which everyone dances as one, so I hope you will enjoy it in full view.

Kubota: i☆Ris has a lot of songs that you can get into the groove of and the audience can dance along with the choreography, but I personally think that this song will be more for people to watch carefully rather than copying the choreography.

There are only a few parts at the end where you can copy the choreography, and the rest of the time you can just watch it quietly. I think that we also do the live performance with the awareness of "attracting" rather than "dancing" with the audience.

Shibuya: In the short music video on YouTube, you may feel that my solo is not included, but please don't worry. I'm singing (laughs), and I'm singing in 2A. You have to buy the CD to see that, I mean.

......No, I thought that too. I looked at the lyric split and thought, "Huh? This might be the one that doesn't include my part in the short version" (laughs). (Laughs) I thought, "Well, I'll just do my best as a harmonizer! And sure enough, the music video ended just as I was about to start singing.

They say that the leading role comes later, and well, I wasn't the leading role (laughs). Please buy the single with DVD and check it out!

Yamakita: There is a scene where the camera pulls out two members at a time and the other members are slightly out of view, and all six of us are in the scene, but didn't everyone try to make you laugh? Is it my imagination?

Shibuya: It's just like the place where there are steps and there are people lying down at the bottom or lying on the sofa, right?

Yamakita Yes. Zuchan and I were at the very back, and we started to take pictures in pairs from the front. Then, the other members who were not in a pair were playing around with each other, trying to make fun of each other. At the end, when Zuchan and I came to the camera, all four of us were like, "Yay! We were all like that. There were some funny scenes like that behind the scenes.

--Did you manage to do it all at once without laughing?

Yamakita: Yes. That's because I am an actress! (laughs).

--Could you tell us about the coupling song "Innocent Innovation" one by one?

Yamakita: I love the part at the end of the third chorus where they say "Haa~n. I think it's so cute when the sound goes down.

Serizawa The lyric layout is very detailed, so if you listen to i☆Ris a lot, I hope you can guess who is singing where.

Akaneya The lyrics are very cute, as if you can imagine a girl with this kind of feeling.

Wakai: The lyrics are very particular. Please listen to the song while looking at the lyrics card.

Kubota: This song is about the emotions of the main character, the girl, that go around and around and around, and everyone sings it together, so I think it would be a really fun song to sing at a live performance. The choreography is not yet attached to the song, but I think it will become even cuter when the choreography is attached, so please look forward to the live performance!

Shibuya: Including the roundaboutness of the lyrics, it is a song that makes me feel like it is Azusaki Shibuya herself, so I think those who like Azusaki Shibuya will feel like "Shibuya is almost like this" (laugh). I think girls, especially in their school days, often feel like this song, so I think you can sympathize with it. The cute songs up until now have been cute from a male point of view, but this song is a song that women can relate to and say, "I understand! I think you can relate to this song, so please pay attention to it. I hope you will pay attention to it and read the lyrics carefully.

What are your aspirations for 2019?

--Then finally, what do you hope to do in 2019?

Shibuya: Before the tour, there will be a live performance in Shanghai, and I think it is the year when we will have so many chances as a group like that. I would like to broaden my knowledge of music, especially ......, so that I can ride on the good wave of it. De gozaimasu (DJ style).

Kubota: I'm very happy to have a tie-up with "Grimnotes The Animation" this time and to have more opportunities to let people know more about i☆Ris than ever before. I think this is a chance for people who know the name of the group i☆Ris but don't know much about the songs or have only heard them at festivals to get to know us better and listen to our songs, so I want to do my best! As for me personally, I'm going to take care of my health, and I'm going to keep running, or rather, I'm going to run away.

--You are going to run away?

Kubota: I will run through! I'm going to run! I'm going to run like a wild boar! (laughs)

--Is there anything you would like to do?

Kubota: If it has nothing to do with my job, I want to go to a yakiniku restaurant by myself (laughs). (laughs) My goal is to start with a restaurant that specializes in yakiniku by myself and work my way up, and eventually go to a super high-end yakiniku restaurant by myself. You can go there with friends as much as you want, but I want to challenge myself to go there alone.

WakaiI want to become bigger as i☆Ris. i☆Ris has been in this business for 7 years, so people say that everyone knows about i☆Ris! That's not true! I think there are still many people I haven't met yet. I'm looking up to the next level. This year, I have many chances to be known by many people, and I have many live performances, so I want to make sure that each one is not a waste of time, and I want to make sure that I captivate everyone. As an individual, my goal is to become a voice actor who can be invited to perform in various productions.

Akaneya: As a group, I would like more and more people to know about ....... I think there are many people who like anime who know us, but I would like to make more people know us! Personally, ...... I have been losing things since the beginning of the year. I've lost ...... some pretty important things...

--I'm sad to hear that.

Akaneya: I haven't gotten it back yet, and I'm sad.... So, I would like to reduce the number of lost items to zero, as if I have no choice but to improve my luck from here. The inside of my house is too dirty, and I lost something in the house. So I have to start from the clean-up and so on (laugh).

Serizawa As for i☆Ris, I think I will enjoy it. I am also allowed to release solo songs, but I have to do everything by myself in my solo activities, so there is a part of me that feels self-conscious about it. On the other hand, I have a lot of fun because of that, but in i☆Ris, I have the reassurance of the members, so I don't have to be so self-conscious. I want to do my best in terms of tension and spirit in i☆Ris, and prepare myself in various ways so that I can enjoy myself with all my heart and soul. Personally, I used to lie about my "hobby/cooking," but I recently moved to a new house, so I want to make it true this year. ......Ah, why did you snicker a little? I can do it!

--sorry (laughs). What kind of food do you want to cook?

Serizawa: Hoisin roux! First, I want to cook huiccolo with Cook Do, and next, I want to cook huiccolo with seasonings.

--I'm going to make a two-tiered hoi polloi.

Serizawa No, it's just that ...... Chinese food is a man's heart, or rather, everyone loves it. Everyone loves Chinese food, and if I had to choose between "chinjaolo roast" and "hoi co lo," I would choose "hoi co roe. Because I love it. Hahaha (laughs).

Yamakita As Himi (Akaneya) said, I really want many people to know about i☆Ris. Eventually, I want to perform in Kohaku with i☆Ris, so in order to do that, I want to convey our charm to more and more people. Recently, I've seen many of the members going to TV taping, so I think it's a good chance for us.

Personally, in 2019, I am trying to live a life of seitai. I want to have courteous relationships, courteous work, and courteous personal life. Among them, this year, I am going to "Bwah! I am going abroad as i☆Ris, but I think we are a group that can be more "wow! I think we are a group that can make people go "wow", so I would like to work on the underground activities for that. I also want to stay in good physical condition.

--What made you want to do this?

Yamakita: When I went back to Hokkaido at the beginning of the year, I felt that time was passing very slowly. When I am in Tokyo, I feel rushed, but when I am in Hokkaido, I can do each thing properly, and my mind is stable.

--I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to get the most out of your time in Hokkaido!

CD Information

Endless Notes" by i☆Ris

Release date: February 13 (Wed.)

Initial production limited edition: Grimnotes The Animation disc] 1,404 yen (tax included)

[CD] M1.

M1. Endless Notes

M2. Innocent Innovation

M3. Endless Notes -TV ver.

M4. Endless Notes (Instrumental)

M5. innocent innovation (Instrumental)

Grimnotes The Animation" newly-drawn jacket

©SQEX/GNA/TBS

CD+DVD 1,944 yen (tax included)

[CD]

M1. Endless Notes

M2. Innocent Innovation

M3. Endless Notes (Instrumental)

M4. Innocent Innovation (Instrumental)

[DVD]

Endless Notes -Music Video

Endless Notes -Off Shot Movie-.

CD 1,296 yen (tax included)

[CD]

M1. Endless Notes

M2. Innocent Innovation

M3. Endless Notes (Instrumental)

M4. Innocent Innovation (Instrumental)

Blu-ray and DVD information

i☆Ris 6th Anniversary Live ~Lock on♡ Don't tell me you can't do it! ~~~ First Limited Edition DVD2 DVD2 DVD3 DVD4 DVD5 DVD6 DVD7 DVD8

Limited First Edition 2 DVDs + Live CD 8,500 yen (excluding tax)

Normal Edition 2 DVDs 6,500 yen (excluding tax)

Limited First Edition Blu-ray Disc + LIVE CD 10,000 yen (excluding tax)

Normal Edition Blu-ray Disc 8,000 yen (excluding tax)

Limited First Edition DVD 2 discs + LIVE CD

Includes luxury sleeve

＜DISC1

01Special Kiss

02Ready Smile!

03i☆Doloid

04Miracle☆Paradise

05Gensyoku WONDERLAND

06Vampire Lady

07Believe in (Saki Yamakita, Azuki Shibuya)

08Love Magic (Yuu Serizawa, Miyu Kubota)

09Meteor (Himika Akaneya, Yuki Wakai)

10Mirror Labyrinth

11Raspberry night

12Memorial

13Color

14§Rainbow

15Dream Parade

16Happy New World

EN1Make it!

EN2Amekoi

EN3Goin'on

＜DISC2＞

i☆Ris 6th Anniversary Live -Lock on♡ Don't tell me you can't do it! ～ Off Shot Movie

＜DISC3: LIVE CD

01Special Kiss

02Ready Smile!

03i☆Doloid

04Miracle☆Paradise

05Gensyoku WONDERLAND

06Vampire Lady

07Believe in (Saki Yamakita, Azuki Shibuya)

08Love Magic (Yuu Serizawa, Miyu Kubota)

09Meteor (Himika Akaneya, Yuki Wakai)

10Mirror Labyrinth

11Raspberry night

12Memorial

13Color

14§Rainbow

15Dream Parade

16Happy New World

17Amekoi

Tour Information

i☆Ris 5th Live Tour 2019 ~FEVER

＜Schedule/Venue (Open/Start)

April 13 (Sat) Saitama Prefecture / Misato City Bunka Kaikan

　14:00/ 14:30 18:00/ 18:30

April 21 (Sun) Fukuoka / Zepp Fukuoka

　14:00 / 14:30 18:00 / 18:30

May 4 (Sat) Miyagi / Hitachi Systems Hall Sendai Theater Hall

　14:30 / 15:00 18:30 / 19:00

May 6 (Mon) Osaka / Zepp Namba

　14:00 / 15:00 18:00 / 19:00

May 11 (Sat) Aichi / Nihon Tokushu Toryo Shimin Kaikan Village Hall

　14:15 / 15:00 18:15 / 19:00

May 19 (Sun) Hokkaido / Zepp Sapporo

　14:00 / 14:30 18:00 / 18:30

May 25 (Sat) Kanagawa / Kannai Hall Main Hall

　14:15 / 15:00 18:15 / 19:00

June 1 (Sat) Tokyo / Nakano Sun-plaza

　14:00 / 15:00 18:00 / 19:00

16 performances at 8 venues (2 daytime/nighttime performances at all venues)

＜Tickets

All seats reserved〉 6,800 yen (tax included)

Elementary school students and older are required to pay. No admission for preschool children.

Zepp show: 500 yen for drinks.

Limit 4 tickets