Interview with Yuiko Ohara about "Egao no Mahou," the first OP theme for the anime "Hanakappa" in three years!

After making her major debut with "Magic Parade," the ED theme song for the movie "Little Witch Academia: Magic Parade," she has sung theme songs for many popular TV anime titles, including "Little Witch Academia," "Jewel Land," "Mr. Takagi the Karakajite," "Hanebado! Singer-songwriter Yuko Ohara has sung theme songs for many popular works, including "Little Witch Academia," "The Land of Jewels," "Karakajite no Takagi-san," and "Hanebado!

All of her songs are great songs that fit the atmosphere of the works, and she continues to gain more and more fans with each release. Her 7th single "Egao no Mahou" is the theme song for the anime "Hanakappa," which has been broadcast on NHK Educational TV since 2010. Although the song was intended for a completely different audience than in the past, her songwriting was consistent with her respect for the work.

Writing songs for "something" is fun!

Q: This is the opening theme song for "Hanakappa," but the previous theme song "Su-ma-i-ru" was on the air for a very long time, wasn't it?

Ohara It's been more than 3 years, so everyone seemed to be in shock that the song they were used to had been changed, and they were all like, "U~~". ......

Q: Since I have only listened to "Su-Ma-I-Lu" for the most part, it was indeed a shock. Was there a lot of pressure from that aspect as well?

Ohara: Yes, there was a lot of pressure. Moka Kamihiraishi, one of my seniors in the office, used to sing this song, and I also loved singing "Su Ma i lu," so I was anxious about how "Egao no Mahou" would be received. However, there are not many opportunities to write an opening song for an NHK educational TV animation, so I wrote it hoping that it would be a song that would be unforgettable even after a long time.

Q: The show is played almost every day, right? What did you look for when writing the lyrics and music?

Ohara: I grew up loving anime such as "Doraemon," "Sazae-san," "Chibimaruko-chan," and on NHK, "Oshidama Rantaro! I wanted to make a song that had the main character's name in it. I wanted to use a lot of "kappa" in the song, because "Hanakappa" makes me want to say "kappa" (laughs).

Q: So that wasn't a request from the anime side?

Ohara: There was no request for lyrics, so I wrote freely. We just asked them to keep the tone of the song bright and fun.

I see. In terms of songwriting, do you enjoy writing songs for something?

Ohara I love it! (laughs) I also like to write songs about my own feelings, but it is actually not so painful, and I can often do it easily. On the other hand, writing a song for a work of art or for something I saw is a painful process, but the sense of accomplishment when it is completed is immeasurable, so it is a lot of fun.

Q: Is it a different kind of work?

Ohara It is totally different. I feel that because I am tied down, there are things I can squeeze out of myself. When I am a singer-songwriter on my own, I usually write about love or things that happen in my daily life, but with "Little Witch Academia," for example, it is an imaginary world. That's why I have a lot of trouble with lyrics. It was like drawing a picture in response to something given to me. However, when I am able to complete the song, many people listen to it, and I get to know how they feel about it, so it is a different kind of fun.

Q: On the other hand, being given something can expand your world, can't it? I wonder what it would be like if I were to translate my imaginary world into sound. I feel like I can make use of that in my own work.

Ohara I would like to make the most of it. It is not a song about myself, but the coupling song "Seisei Senbei! is not an anime song, but an official tie-in song with Iwatsuka Seika, and I was able to easily and happily write it from the perspective of a rice cracker. I think it was because I had the opportunity to write a lot of songs for the anime.

Q: Because you write songs based on orders, I think that you also include your own challenges in the songs you write.

Ohara: I wanted to make lyrics that both adults and children would want to hum. I usually have a strange belief that I should write lyrics using only my own words (that I usually use), but this time I used a lot of onomatopoeia....... Normally, I would use "seisei seisei senbei! or "pariparipariparinai," but I thought it would be fun to say them in a song. The same goes for "Raran raran raran raran" and "Rururururunrunrunrunrun" in "Egao no Mahou.

Q: How did you feel when you actually sang the song?

Ohara: At first, I wondered what I was saying. I thought there might be some resistance. But that was not the case at all. I really enjoy singing it (laughs).

(Laughs.) Children seem to enjoy it, too. But musically, I felt that it is not just for children.

Ohara Actually, it's a rather difficult song, and surprisingly, adults can't sing it. The melody is monotonous, but when adults listen to it, they tend to think of it as complicated, and children swallow it more quickly. I think the reason for this is because manzo's arrangements are really cool. I think the reason for this is because manzo's arrangements are really cool. He even plays the trumpet live, and he makes the song happy, which I think is the magic of manzo. The interludes also have a very adult-like feel to them.

Q: Did Ohara-san give you that kind of order?

Ohara: When I send him a demo melody, he always takes it into consideration. So I don't really have to say anything.

(Staff) The previous song "Su-Ma-I-Ru" was also arranged by manzo-san, and he used more sound effects to give it a fun feel, but this time the concept was to use only instrumental sounds and make it a fun song that children can enjoy.

Ohara I see. I appreciate that. But there are also some organ sounds and other details, so when you listen to the instrumental, I think you'll think, "Wow! I think you'll be surprised.

The story behind the production of the music video, which was shot with preschool children

Q: The music video was shot at a preschool.

Ohara: I don't usually have contact with preschool children, so I couldn't sleep at all the day before because I was afraid they wouldn't accept me (laughs). (Laughs) My mother and sister are nursery school teachers, so I took their advice and went. They told me that if I went there timidly, I would be rejected, so I should just go as I was.

Q: But since Hanakappa came, you didn't have anything to worry about, did you?

Ohara When I left, I wondered who it was. But when Hanakappa-chan came, everyone was smiling, so I thought it was a great animation. Also, Hanakappa-chan is a very good dancer, so there was a lot of pressure on me to make sure I didn't make any mistakes (laughs). (Laughs.) There were children there, so it was a one-shot competition! It was tough, but it was a valuable experience that I don't know if I will have in the future.

Q: Isn't the audience for the live show completely different?

Ohara: We performed at the HANAKAPPA Character Show, and I was very happy to be approached by children after the show, a demographic that I had not been able to reach before. I felt like I was a member of the Hanakappa Yamabiko Village. Also, some teachers came to the concert after being recommended by the children, and I hope this song will spread more and more.

Q: That makes me happy.

Ohara And there were also fans who always come to see the show, but they were very considerate and watched us from behind (laughs), which I thought was really kind.

Incidentally, after "Hanakappa," you were also chosen to sing the OP theme song for "Karakaje no Takagi-san 2.

Ohara: I put a lot of effort into the song I wrote for the first season, "I Won't Tell You," so it was a battle with myself to see how I could rewrite that song. However, I have created a song that I really like called "Zero Centimeters," and I would like to have everyone listen to it as soon as possible.

Q: What do you want to do as a singer-songwriter in the future?

Ohara: I want to write more songs and I want more people to listen to my songs.

Q: Is there anything that is changing in your mindset?

Ohara: My thoughts about songwriting and live performances are getting stronger every year.

Q: In that sense, I am looking forward to the joint live concert "YUIKO OHARA & YURiKA 'LIVE THE MOVE'" to be held on June 15 (Sat.) and 16 (Sun.).

Ohara We have done tie-ups on the same films many times in the past, but our genres have been changing rapidly, and here we are doing another joint live performance with Yurikashi (YURiKA's nickname), and I am personally looking forward to seeing what the live performance will be like. This time, as the title suggests, it will be a live movie concert, so Yurikashi will play a different film in the session he hosts (15th) and I will play a different film in the session I host (16th), so I hope you will look forward to it along with the live performance.

Q: Are you going to show the movie at the live concert?

Ohara: We each made a film for this concert. Mine is titled "It was prettier than the moon," and it's a romance movie, and I'm making a set list based on it.

Wow!　I'm not sure about the part about making a movie. ...... (laughs).

Ohara: The office and label are part of the Toho Group, so I think this is something that only Toho can do, but the lead role was played by Kamihiraishi Moeka, who is also a senior at the office. It was something I could only do here, and it was something I wanted to do, so I was very grateful.

I'm really looking forward to it. What kind of person is YURiKA to you?

Ohara: She is my closest peer, but I am not good at many things, and I was never good at performing in front of people. But watching Yurikashi, I have been absorbing what I think is great about her for the past three years or so. But I have also been able to recognize my good points because I have walked with Yurikashi. I recently realized that it is a good thing to be able to realize that I have this in me, and I am thankful for that because the two of us are so different. If we had been the same, we probably would have clashed, but we didn't have that problem at all.

A: It is true that our musical styles are completely different. That is why we can appreciate each other's strengths. Finally, do you have a message for our readers?

Ohara: We have a new song coming out in the summer, which I really like. I would like many people to listen to it, including "Egao no Mahou" this time, so I hope to sing it a lot at live performances and deliver it to you.

(Interview, text, and photos by Junichi Tsukagoshi)

CD Information

Egao no Mahou" by Yuiko Ohara

On sale now!

Price: 1,300 yen (tax not included)

＜Contents: 1.

1. "Egao no Mahou" (New opening theme for TV animation "Hanakappa") Lyrics and music by Yuiko Ohara, arrangement by manzo

2. seisei senbei! (Official tie-in song for Iwatsuka Seika) Words and music by Yuiko Ohara Arranged by Minoru Yoshida

Egao no Mahou -Instrumental- (Official Tie-in Song for Iwatsuka Seika) Lyrics, Composed by Yuiiko Ohara, Arranged by Minoru Yoshida

4. seisei senbei! -Instrumental