A killer tune that tests Run Girls, Run! Interview with Run Girls, Run! New Single "Diamond Smile

(hereafter referred to as "Run Girls, Run!"), a voice actress unit consisting of Koko Hayashi, Yuka Morishima, and Nanami Atsugi, who were born from the voice actress audition "Wake Up, Girls! Smile" was released!

The single, released a year after their CD debut, is a pop tune that is currently airing as the OP theme of the anime "Kiratto Pri☆Chan" Season 2, and is a highly acclaimed work that not only features the cute voices of the three members, but also powerful live performances that will have you running at full speed from beginning to end. The song is an ambitious work that features not only the three girls' cute singing voices, but also powerful live performances that make them run with all their might from start to finish.

We spoke with the girls about their new single, which shows off their newest mode.

The lyrics of "Slide Ride," their debut single, are filled with a message of fulfilling one's dreams and then aiming for the next level.

--A little over a year has passed since the release of your debut single "Slide Ride.

Hayashi: Aside from the many CDs we have released, we have also had a lot of opportunities to perform on stage at live concerts and events, and to interact with our fans. The most memorable event for me was the 1st LIVE TOUR that we held from October to November last year. I had a lot of fun and I think it was an event that brought me closer to the audience. It was an event that brought us closer to the audience. I really wanted to tour again.

Five singles in a little over a year is a great thing, isn't it ......?　From now on, I think we need to think more about our performances and what we can do.

Morishima: Since our CD debut, we have encountered many songs that we are very attached to, such as theme songs for TV anime, and being able to sing them in front of our fans has been a great asset. As we performed more and more on stage, we felt that more and more people were expressing their feelings to us, and we were happy to be able to experience that.

Atsugi: During the recording of our debut song "Kakeru x Kakeru" (a song from the anime "Wake Up, Girls! A New Chapter"), I was so nervous that Satoru Kanzen, who was directing the song, came to the booth and asked me "Are you okay? I was so nervous that Satoru Kanzen, who was directing the recording, came up to me in the booth and asked me if I was okay!　I guess it's not surprising (laughs).

Now that same nervousness has changed to "how can I express the world of the work through song?" and now it has changed to "How can I express the world of the work in my singing? It has been a really good experience for me so far.

--How did you feel when it was decided that you would sing the new OP theme for the TV anime "Kiratto Pri☆Chan" (hereafter, Pri☆Chan)?

Hayashi: I was very honored that Ranga was chosen to sing again this time. I have sung the OP of "Kiratto Pri☆Chan" since season 1, and I also play a character in the show. My character, Mirai Momoyama, is very important to me, and I play her as if she were my own child. I am very motivated to support them in Season 2 with our songs!

In the opening video, there is a scene where Mirai pats a new character on the shoulder and smiles, and it makes me smile to see how much room she has for herself.

Morishima When I sang the initial OP theme song "Kiratto Start" (Single 2), I thought it would be great if I could sing it without forgetting how I felt as Shidou Meru, so I was really fired up that "the time has come again. I gave 100% of my all, both as Yuka Morishima and Meru Shidou!

Atsugi: In the "Pripara" series, i☆Ris has always sung the theme song. The songs that pushed girls' backs gave me courage, so by singing many theme songs for the "Pri☆Chan" series, I was reminded of my wish to "give dreams and hopes to the fans of the series".

--Do you have a favorite phrase?

Hayashi: The last line of the first song, "I believe in you, I'm sure you'll be a superstar, and I'll show you what I can do. I'll show you I'll go above and beyond." I like the way he says it. Kakeru x Kakeru" had the lyric "I want to catch up with you," so at that time I was still chasing my dream. But this time, I felt the lyrics conveyed the message of fulfilling one's dream and then aiming for the next step. I felt that the song was a test for Run Girls, Run!

Mirai became the top Pritchan idol by defeating Shirotori Ange (CV: Suzuko Mimori) and Nanahoshi Aira (CV: Kana Asumi), but I felt her determination to go further from there, and I felt she has become more dependable, so I wanted to show everyone how dependable we have become. So I sang the song with a feeling of wanting to show you how much we have improved.

Morishima The B melody of the first song is "Tobira kara korosudasuru kirakira no mukougawa" (Beyond the sparkles that spill out from the door). I like to try new things, so I sang the phrase "the other side of sparkles" as a challenge and put what I usually think into this phrase.

Atsugi: Like Hayamaru (Hayashi), I sang "I believe in you, I'm sure you'll be a superstar, I'll show you how it's done. The lyrics were very challenging this time, and I thought that my character Rinka Aoba and the others, as well as us, were able to sing this song because of the many experiences we have had so far.

Koko Hayashi

Recording took more than twice as long as usual

-- "Diamond Smile" is a fairly fast-paced song, and I think it must have been very difficult to record. ......

Hayashi: It certainly took the longest time to record than ever before. This time we went into the studio and recorded in order, but when I arrived at the scheduled time, they said, "It's not finished yet, so wait a minute. It is hard for us to say, but we had been able to finish the recording within the allotted time in the past, so we were prepared for the fact that it was going to be tough this time.

Morishima The same person who directed "Kiratto Start" directed the song this time, and he gave us a lecture just as carefully as that time.

Hayashi: This time I received even more enthusiastic instruction than last time. ...... Especially since I had to sing many high note parts, I had to work so hard that I thought, "If I sing this much, I will lose my voice. I was so mentally and physically drained that I thought I would lose my voice if I sang so much.

Atsugi: I thought I was giving 100%, but I was told, "It should be more! I was told, "You should be able to get more out of it! (laugh). I went into the competition thinking to myself, "What can I do to get more out of it? (laugh).

Morishima As Hayamaru said, it took more than twice as long as usual to record the song. It was quite amazing that it took this long for my part and the chorus. When I awoke and said, "This is it! I was in a state of "Fly Fly Fly" of the big chorus when I woke up and said, "This is it! (Laughs.) Toward the end of the recording, I was so passionate inside that I started to cry uncontrollably. ......

Atsugi: Just in front of me was Mocchi (Mr. Morishima), and I was observing the recording of the big chorus. I saw him instructing me, "You can do more!　Is he going to be okay? I remember I was worried.

Yuka Morishima

--What were you told in particular during the recording of the song?

Hayashi: "You are technically better than you were in "Kiratto Start," but it sounds like you are singing in a one-note tone, so let's change the approach for the first and second numbers. I realized the importance of reading the meaning of the lyrics.

Morishima: Normally, before recording, I try to create a "finished product" in my mind, but in the studio, I was told that I should do it this way or that way. That made me want to expand my ability to express myself further, and I think it gave me hope that I can still grow.

Atsugi: When I recorded "Kiratto Start," it didn't really hit me when I was told to "try to make it emo," but this time I kind of understood. For me, that is where I could see the growth.

--Hayashi: This song has already been performed on stage, but what was difficult about singing it in front of your fans?

Hayashi: It's a very passionate song, so we enjoy singing it ourselves. As I mentioned earlier, there are many high note parts, so it became more and more difficult toward the end. ...... Also, the dance choreography had to be neat and clean step by step to look good, so I felt it was even more difficult to be conscious of that as well.

Morishima: The climax of the dance towards the end is linked to the scene in the anime where Mirai and her friends are rising higher and higher in a scene called "Jewel Chance". I would like to perform so that everyone can experience it realistically on stage as well.

Atsugi: I don't know if this is the right way to describe "Kiratto Start," but I have the feeling that we have been able to get through it with our spirits. But "Diamond Smile" is a song that requires more technical skills. Even for dancing, the three of us have to be in perfect coordination to look cute. ...... But since it is the theme song of "Pri☆Chan," I want to make sure it looks cute, so I am singing it with a lot of pressure on my shoulders.

Nanami Atsugi

--Please tell us about the highlights of the music video for "Diamond Smile".

Atsugi: On the day of recording, we shot the training and marathon scenes first, but the outside scenes were shot from 6 am and it was very cold. ...... It was as if we were really doing club activities.

Morishima I drank soup to warm myself up!　Moreover, after all the shooting was over, we shot the CD jacket photo and recorded the dance scene, so it was truly a "diamond smile" day (laughs).

Hayashi: Everyone was so focused during the dance scene that it seemed like we finished shooting right away. We shot the dance scene at the end of the "Slide Ride" music video as well, and I remember it was quite difficult at the time. Compared to that time, I feel that I have gotten better.

--By the way, what kind of club activities were you involved in?

Hayashi: When I was in junior high school, I was in the brass band. I avoided outside club activities because I didn't want to get sunburned (laughs). I was torn between the ping-pong club and the brass band, but when I saw the ping-pong club training their legs and backs by dashing up and down stairs, I decided to join the brass band (laughs). (Laughs.) But the brass band club was a very athletic club, and we had to stand on our feet for 20 minutes while holding cymbals, and we also played in a marching band, so I think we gained a lot of physical strength.

Morishima I was in the track and field club and ran the 200-meter race. Usually in school, the distance is limited to 100 meters. I had to run twice that distance as fast as I could, so it was very difficult. I kept thinking "I want to reach the goal as soon as possible" while running (laughs).

Atsugi: I did not join any club activities, but took classical ballet classes from the time I was 3 years old. When I entered elementary school, I also started playing tennis and inline skating. They were rather popular in Nagano Prefecture, my hometown!

Toward the 2nd anniversary live and 2nd live tour!

--The coupling song "Seishun Algorithm" is a different number with a gentle mid-tempo melody line. How did you feel when you sang it?

Hayashi: When I was recording the song, I pictured myself driving along the beach. I think it is a refreshing song that suits the blue sky. The lyrics about running toward one's dreams through trial and error are very much in tune with our current situation, so I sang the song carefully and tenderly. We sang the song with a lot of sadness, so we hope you will listen to it!

I hope everyone can enjoy the song at the live performance while waving their hands and singing along with me.

Morishima: It felt really good to sing. The lyrics are very moving with a comfortable tempo, so I think I was able to sing the song with natural feeling and care. It is the kind of song that I feel will grow with me as I spend more time with it.

Atsugi: I think this song is one of the most refreshing songs I have ever sung. I sang it gently and sadly, remembering my school days. Diamond Smile" is a song that will give you strength to do your best, and I hope this song will be a song that will help you when you are tired of trying a little too hard.

-By the way, Hayashi, you won the New Actress Award at the recently announced Seiyu Awards 2019. Please tell us again how it felt to receive the award.

Hayashi: I received the award while I was at school. I was in class when I saw several calls on my cell phone from the office and thought, "Oh no, did I do something wrong? ......" (laughs), and then I heard about the award, which surprised me at first. At the same time, I am grateful to my family, friends, the staff who always help me out, and everyone who supports me for the award. I realized once again that I have the support of many people.

It may be a bit presumptuous of me, but I also felt that I received this award because there are so many people who have high expectations for my future. I feel as if I have been given some "homework" to do in order to make a big leap forward in the future, and I will continue to do my best to live up to the name of "Best New Actress!

--On August 4, the 2nd anniversary of their formation, "Run Girls, Run! is also scheduled to be held. Is there anything you would like to do at the live?

Hayashi: I think I had so much fun on the first tour that I suggested to the staff to have a morning show, a noon show, and a night show! I think I was having so much fun on the first tour that I suggested to the staff, "Let's do morning shows, afternoon shows, and night shows! I hope the second anniversary live show will bring us closer together, and I would like to show how much we have grown.

Morishima: During the last tour, we participated in the web radio show "Run Girls, Radio! (where we improvise lines for a live performance). (a corner where we try to win the hearts of listeners with impromptu lines), and it was great to see the reactions of the audience at the live. I hope we can plan something for this live concert as well.

Hayashi: I remember we were talking about doing a reading performance or a comedy, maybe a duet corner with two people singing at a time!　In summer, I would also like to do a "goldfish scooping" event (laughs).

Atsugi: Fans have also asked to see us in yukata, so that would be great!　As for me, I wasn't sure if I would be able to sing all those songs on the first tour, but after finishing the tour, I felt frustrated that I could have done more and positive that I want to do more, so I want to go out there with the intention of retrieving what I have forgotten.

--By the way, what is the secret of your three "diamond smiles"?

Morishima: I think that by finding the diamond smiles of my fans, I can become a diamond smile myself. I will discover everyone's "diamond smile" (laughs)!

Hayashi: Yuu Serizawa, a senior member of i☆Ris, said, "I don't like people who say they are tired. I tend to say "I'm tired." ...... I try not to show it no matter how tired I am. On the contrary, I try to smile at them.

Atsugi: I have heard that "when you are nervous, you will feel happy if you laugh even if you have to force yourself a little," so I try to put that into practice before going on stage. Also, laughter is contagious. So when I see someone who is nervous, I laugh first and hope to help them relax. I will do my best to bring a diamond smile to everyone!

--Lastly, do you have a message for our readers?

Hayashi: "Diamond Smile" is a song about Mirai and her friends' growth, and I think it is a number that will give a boost to those who have never seen "Pri☆Chan" before!

Morishima We, the singers, are also energized by this song. We will continue to perform to the best of our ability so that we can discover everyone's "Diamond Smile" with our singing voice!

Atsugi: "Diamond Smile" has a lyric "Any wish, even a miracle, will come true," which is a very positive phrase. We will do our best to embody these words by standing on stage and singing.