Interview with Minori Chihara on the theme song for "Violet Evergarden Gaiden," a popular film whose screening period has been extended! Minori Chihara says "the song was written just for the film".

Violet Evergarden Gaiden - Eternity and the Automatic Hand Puppet -" ("Gaiden") has been showing in movie theaters nationwide since September 6, 2019.

To commemorate its release, we asked Minori Chihara, who sings and writes the lyrics to the theme song "Amy," about her thoughts on "Amy" and the new single that includes the song.

The film is a sequel to the TV series and tells the story of Violet, a girl who touches people's hearts through writing on her behalf, her new client Isabella, and Taylor. It consists of two parts, the first half and the second half, with the first half focusing on Isabella and the second half focusing on Taylor, and the stories of the first half and the second half are connected through Violet. ......

In addition to the title track, Ms. Chihara's new single "Amy," which was recently released, includes "Plumeria" and "Bika 爛漫ノ宴会ニテ" as coupling tracks, as well as off-vocal versions of each song. The full-size music video for "Amy" is available on the Lantis Channel on YouTube, so be sure to check it out.

I definitely wanted to include the word "knit."

--What are your impressions of "Gaiden"?

Chihara: I cried when I saw the completed story for the first time at the preview.

Gaiden" is the story of sisters Isabella and Taylor, who are separated from each other, and Violet plays the role of the link between their feelings. I was impressed by the fact that Violet is so reassuring and dependable, and that she has grown into such a mature woman since the TV series.

--You mentioned that "listening to the theme song "Amy" before watching "Gaiden" and after watching it, the feeling is totally different.

Chihara That's right. Each word in the lyrics has its own meaning and intention. Both the music and the lyrics were written with the assumption that the audience would listen to them in the theater.

--How did you frankly feel when you were first asked to write this song?

Chihara: To be honest, when it was decided that I would sing the theme song for "Gaiden" and write the lyrics, I was worried. I was under a lot of pressure to create something better than "Michi Shirube" since I was asked to do it.

--How did you go about the actual work?

Chihara: At the beginning of April, I had a discussion with director Haruka Fujita, director Taichi Ishidate of the TV series (who supervised "Gaiden"), and the main staff members about what kind of music we should use. It was there that we discussed the possibility of a waltz (three beats). There is a scene where Violet dances with Isabella, and we heard that Evan Call had created a waltz accompaniment for that scene, so we thought it would be wonderful if the ED theme song were a waltz as well, since it would be linked to the content. We also discussed with the directors whether a waltz should be a waltz with a slightly sad or warm feeling (......), and the temperature of the waltz.

--I was also discussing the temperature of the waltz with the directors.

Chihara: The number "3" is a key point in "Gaiden". The waltz has three beats, and so do Isabella, Taylor, and Violet, and there is a scene in the story where they tie their hair into a braid. --I was told by Director Fujita that this is where they put their thoughts and wishes. At that time, I knew I definitely wanted to include the word "knitting.

--After watching "Gaiden", I could understand the importance of "knitting". You also used braids in the key visual.

Chihara That's right. （I also thought that I should change the word "knitting" (used at the beginning of the chorus) a little in the 1st chorus, 2nd chorus, and the ending chorus. But every time I faced the story, I really wanted to stick to the word "knitting," so I decided to make all the choruses start with "knit (continued knitting).

-Did Director Fujita have any suggestions for the lyrics?

Chihara: I brought back the lyrics we discussed at our first meeting and wrote them in my own way, which Director Fujita then read to me. Then, Director Fujita gave me a retake in a handwritten letter. He gave me a lot of detailed suggestions, from questions to ideas, which made me extremely happy.

In this day and age, digital communication is the norm. I wanted to complete the lyrics in a way that would be close to his thoughts, even if only by a millimeter! I wanted to complete the lyrics in a way that would be close to Director Fujita's feelings, even if only by a millimeter!

--So that's how you ended up with these lyrics?

Chihara: Yes. In the process of adjusting the lyrics, including the parts that were retaken, the first person in the first verse was "I" and the second "I" - I changed the lyrics to be written completely from Isabella's and Taylor's point of view, just as close as possible to the story. I wrote the story from Isabella's and Taylor's point of view, hoping that Violet's wish for their happiness would be conveyed to them.

-The title "Amy" is also impressive. Your feelings about "Amy" differ depending on whether or not you know the content.

Chihara "Amy" is the magic word that connects Isabella and Taylor forever. From the time I read the original story, I thought "Amy" would be a good title. However, Director Fujita had also mentioned that he wanted the story to be about calling each other by name, so I wondered if just "Amy" would be too biased. ...... But when I looked at the story as a whole from a bird's eye view, I felt that the foundation of the story was Isabella's love for Taylor. That is why I chose the magic word "Amy" as the absolute title.

--The word "Amy" also has the etymological meaning of "love" or "beloved. By the way, what did Director Fujita write in his letter?

Chihara Eh, that's a secret!　That's a secret (laughs).

--(laughing) - It is a very "Violet Evergarden" episode to express your feelings in a letter, isn't it? The recipient also feels differently.

Chihara That's right. Yui Ishikawa, who plays Violet, told me that at the beginning of the recording of "Gaiden," Director Fujita wrote letters to everyone, and she read them before we started. I was not able to listen to the letter because I started from the latter part of the episode, but I could feel his love for me.

Mr. Ishidate directed the TV series, and Mr. Fujita directed the "Gaiden" series. I feel that directors Ishidate and Fujita are like Violet's father and mother. Both of them are really kind and warm, and they have passion in their hearts. Through "Gaiden," I felt once again that Violet must have been able to grow up because of her father and mother.

In the music video, I danced as if I had a 500-yen coin between my buttocks.

--Is there anything you kept in mind when you were recording the song?

Chihara: I pre-produced the song before the lyrics were completed to get a sense of direction, and then brought it back home to solidify the image, so the recording itself went rather smoothly. I felt that I had to make sure the words of the song reached the heart, so I sang the song with that image in mind, as if I was "talking about the song" rather than "singing the song".

--The song itself is like a letter.

Chihara That's exactly what happened with "Amy. But I think that's what singing is all about.

--The first time you performed "Amy" was at the "Violet Evergarden Orchestra Concert" in July.

Chihara: I was very nervous about performing with an orchestra for the first time. We only had a few rehearsals together, so I had to do a lot of image training for the performance. It was a very difficult time for me to sing mentally, but that is why I thought that singing was the only thing I could do at that time. Amy" saved me, too. I just prayed and sang "Amy. That's how I felt.

--How do you want to continue to sing this song at live performances and festivals?

Chihara: This song has become a special song with a meaning for me. So I would like to keep singing it, wishing for people's comfort and happiness.

--I think the music video for "Amy" is the same in that sense.

Chihara: I wanted to link the music video to the story of "Gaiden," and I suggested that I wanted to dance to it. But after I did it, I could understand how Isabella felt. （Just as Isabella was worried that she might step on Violet's foot, I was dancing while stepping on my dance teacher's foot (laughs).

--(Laughs.) Still, I was surprised that Violet was able to dance so well.

Chihara: She looked so cool! She was beautiful in her pure white pants style costume, and I wished I could dance with Violet and be protected by her! I wanted to dance with Violet and be protected by her!

--I thought, "I want to dance with Violet, and I want to be protected by her!

Chihara: I have no experience in waltzing. I thought that if I learned to waltz, I would be able to do it, but it was ridiculously difficult. My teacher always told me to dance as if I had a 500-yen coin on my hip and not to drop it, so it was very difficult.

--I understand what you are trying to say, but you are using it as a metaphor (laughs).

Chihara It was easy to imagine what it would be like if a 500-yen coin was stuck in my butt (laughs). It was another good experience for me.

--I was able to have a good experience again. Of course, it is also your song, but I have the strong impression that it is a song about your work.

Chihara: I am glad to hear you say so. I made it only for "Gaiden," forgetting that it is my song. It really is a song just for "Gaiden.

It is really thanks to everyone that I have been able to walk for 15 years.

--I would also like to ask you about the coupling songs. The songs included in this album are unique and varied, aren't they?

Chihara: Yes, they are. （The third song, "Bika 爛漫ノ宴宴ニテ" was written as the theme song for this year's "Summer Champion 2019 - Minori Chihara 11th Summer Live," and it was decided that "Amy" and "Bika 爛漫ノ宴宴ニテ" would be included. However, we agreed that these two songs were too extreme (in terms of tone and content), and that there was too much of a gap between them (laughs).

(Laughs) -- After "Amy," the song is full of a summer festival feel, right?

Chihara: So we decided to put a soft song in between to provide a cushion, and "Plumeria" was written for us. （I have never met both TSUGE (composer) and shilo (lyricist), but I think this song is a new type of song with a bossa nova style, and it is perfect for the summer sunset.

--I think it has a very mature atmosphere.

Chihara That's right. I imagine an adult woman who knows both sweet and sour, with a glass of wine in her hand, gazing at the setting sun by the sea.

--I don't think you have sung many songs like this before.

Chihara: If there are some similarities, it might be in the song "Natsu wo Koronara" (from the album "Contact"). But this is the first time I've recorded a song with such a relaxed attitude. It was like, "Let's see how much I can relax. I let my mind go and surrendered myself comfortably to the music. ...... I was actually dancing and singing (laughs). (laughs) I was so excited that I had a little bit of alcohol in my system.

(laughs) -- In a way, I think I was able to sing the song because I was in the present.

Chihara That's true. In the past, I wouldn't have known how to relax. Minori Chihara's songs tend to be all-out "100%! so this kind of song was fresh and fun. I really want to sing it in the sunset someday.

--I am looking forward to it!　And what kind of song is "Bika 爛漫ノ宴会ニテ" again, which you mentioned earlier?

Kayahara This is a song that was written for live performance, and only for live performance (laughs).

--The first line of the lyrics, "Make noise! The tension is at its highest" is the very phrase of this song.

Chihara Mr. Shunryu wrote a really wonderful song. There are all kinds of songs that get people excited at live performances, but there are only a few that pack a real punch. I was hoping to add to that group, and this song exceeded my expectations. The lyrics are also innovative. In the demo stage, Shunryu sang the song with tentative lyrics, but I was really into it, so I left all the lyrics to him.

The last phrase "Vivid Vivid Japan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to make sure that everyone would say it, so I repeated it 11 times since this year's Kawaguchiko (Samachan) was the 11th time (laughs).

(Laughs) -- Songs like this, where anything goes, are very exciting, aren't they?

Chihara That's right. We have many opportunities to perform at overseas festivals, so we had the song arranged with a Japanese flavor, keeping in mind that it might be sung in various situations. I have more songs that I love.

--And you celebrated your 15th anniversary this year. Congratulations! Looking back over the past 15 years, how do you feel?

Chihara: When I made my debut, I had no idea what the next 15 years would bring. After my debut, it was not smooth sailing. There were very few auditions for anime, so it was hard to get chances, and music jobs didn't lead to the next step. I was always on the edge, wondering what would happen next. I did my best to do the few jobs I was given, one by one, and somehow I was able to move forward by the skin of my teeth. But looking back now, I think it was all very enjoyable.

I was truly blessed with the people I met. I am truly grateful to the staff, managers, and above all, to the fans, without whose support the past 15 years would never have been possible.

--I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you, and I would like to ask you what kind of live performance you would like to give at the "15th Anniversary Minori Chihara Birthday Live ~Everybody Jump! 〜What kind of live do you want "15th Anniversary Minori Chihara Birthday Live -Everybody Jump!

Chihara: I am really happy to be able to celebrate my 15th anniversary with my fans on the day of my birthday. I would like to express my gratitude to all the fans, and since the title of the concert is "Everybody Jump! so I want to make it a live concert where I can jump high and energetically with everyone toward the future. I hope that even those who have never seen me perform before will come to my concert.

--I'm sure there are people who know the name Minori Chihara and have seen her at major festivals, but have never attended a solo live performance before.

Chihara After 15 years of performing, I think it takes a lot of courage for a newcomer to come. But Minori Chihara has many varied and easy to groove to songs, her band members are the coolest in the universe, and her fans are unconditionally kind. My live performances, which I have spent so much time building up, are a very warm space, so please jump in without fear!

--I hope you will not be afraid to jump in! Lastly, please give us your enthusiasm for the future.

Chihara: As we celebrate our 15th anniversary, I am more forward-thinking than at any other time. I still have many things I want to do, and I hope I can show my fans a view that they have never seen before. I would like to continue such activities both as an actor and a singer, so please continue to support me.

(Interview, text, and photos by Kenichi Chiba)

Minori Chihara autograph card will be given away to one lucky winner!

To commemorate this interview, we are giving away a signed autograph card autographed by Minori Chihara to one lucky winner! Please apply for the prize by all means!

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Minori Chihara's autograph card

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