Emo rock is exactly the music we were looking for! --Virtual singer Yoshi Nanami sings the ED theme of the TV anime "The Sage's Son. Interview [Newcomers, welcome! Part 13]

With more and more anime being released every day, newcomers are appearing on the scene one after another. In this series, Akiba Research Institute will conduct in-depth interviews with "newcomers" of interest to Akiba Research Institute!　That is "Newcomers, welcome! The series is called "Newcomers, welcome!

The first ever "female virtual talent only" audition was held in October 2018 as a joint project between avex pictures and SHOWROOM. This time, we interviewed its winner, the nurturing virtual singer Yoshi Nanami. （This time we interviewed the winner of the audition, the nurturing virtual singer Nanami Yoshi.

As the winner of the audition, she was awarded the rights to be the ending artist and debut voice actress for the TV animation "The Wise Son. She sings the ending theme "Overwhelming Vivid Days" and plays the role of Miranda Wallace in the anime, which recently reached its final episode to great acclaim.

We interviewed Ms. Yoshinami, who made her shocking debut as an actress produced by Elements Garden. She boasts of her overwhelming singing ability. She boasts overwhelming singing ability and can be called a "Cinderella Girl" of the virtual talent world, so we asked her a lot about who she is and how she sang the songs.

I usually sing "Macross" songs a lot.

--Please introduce yourself first, as this is your first appearance at Akiba Research Institute.

Yoshi Shichimi. (Yoshi ) Nice to meet you. Yoshi Nanami. (Yoshi) How do you do? I've been active as a nurturing virtual singer since last September, mainly on Showroom, YouTube, and Twitter. I played the ending theme song and the role of Miranda Wallace in the TV anime "The Sage's Grandson," which is currently airing.

--In your profile, you mention "emo songs" in the "Hobbies" and "Favorite Things" sections. What kind of songs do you like?

Yoshi: I sing mostly Hikaru Utada and Ringo Shiina, and listen to Frederic. Also, recently, I've been listening to "It should be midnight all the time," by Utada Hikaru, and Mononkuru. and Mononkuru.

--Do you also listen to anime songs?

Yoshi: Of course I do. I like Nana Mizuki, and I like Hidekazu Tanaka's songs, so I listen to them often. I also love all the songs from "Macross!

--By the way, which "Macross" series did you watch?

Yoshi: I was watching "Macross F (Frontier)" and "Macross Δ (Delta)". I often sing "Macross" songs in my daily delivery.

--I also like "natto" (fermented soybeans) in your profile. Please tell us about your favorite natto.

Yoshi: I was born on Natto Day (July 10), so I really like natto. Recently, I like natto with aonori (green laver) or shiso (shiso plant) in the sauce, and I eat only those varieties of natto (laugh). The natto I had the other day in Kyoto with yuzu kosho (Japanese pepper and yuzu citrus) was also very tasty!

--Do you also make natto dishes?

Yoshi: I make natto omelettes and mazesoba noodles with okra, myoga, takuan (pickled radish), and natto. I also cook natto dishes (laughs).

--And you have an interesting way of wearing your costumes. How did you come to be in the third form*?

Yoshi: When I evolved from the second form, I decided to give it more individuality, and this is how it came to be (laughs).

*Yoshi: Seven flavors. is a nurturing virtual driver whose visuals evolve in accordance with the amount of support from fans. He evolved from the first form to the second form, and is currently in the third form.

--You can put your hand in this sleeve when you untie it, can't you?

Yoshi: Of course. It's just a normal cardigan tied up.

--So it is like a so-called "producer's roll"?

Yoshi: Yes, that's right. Yes, that's right. It's a "producer's roll" (laughs).

(Laughs.) -- Such is the case with Yoshi Nanami. You won the "Female Virtual Talent Only" audition and are now in charge of the ending theme of the TV animation "The Wise Son. Please tell us what happened when you were chosen as the winner.

Yoshi I received an e-mail in my SHOWROOM inbox, and when I opened it, it said "Yoshi Shichimi. was the winner. When I saw that, I cried.

--What was the process of winning the competition like?

Yoshi: At first, there was a preliminary audition with about 20 people, and a total of five people, from first to third place in the point ranking and two people who won the judges' special prize, were allowed to go through to the final audition. In the final audition, we had to go through a singing review, a dialogue review, and an interview.

--How did you feel about your confidence and response to the final audition?

Yoshi: I didn't have any confidence at all. My mind went blank during the audition, my hands were shaking so much that I couldn't even read the lyrics I was holding (because they were shaking), and I skipped one phrase of the lyrics, and I was like, "Oh, I did it. ......

--I was like, "Oh no, I did it. " - but it was a song by Elements Garden, so you really wanted to sing it, right?

When I heard that Elements Garden was going to provide the music, I thought, "Oh my God, I want to sing it! I definitely want to sing it! I definitely want to sing it! I really want to sing it! And since I have always loved anime, I thought, "I get to sing the ending of an anime? Oh my God! (laughs).

I was very excited to be in the studio for the first time, but I enjoyed singing the song during the recording!

-- What can you tellusabout the song?What was your first impression of "Overwhelming Vivid Days"?

Yoshi: The guitar sounded great, and the moment I heard it, I thought, "I love this song! I thought, "I love this song! I had originally told them that I wanted them to write a rock song, and I got the impression that they delivered exactly what I was looking for.

--I got the impression that the song was exactly what I was looking for.

Yoshi: The song is very exciting from the first half, especially the part before the last chorus, where the song gradually builds up to a roller coaster ride. I thought it was the most "emo" part of the song.

--I thought it was the most "emo" part of the song, especially the part before the last chorus where it gradually builds up to the last chorus and then goes off with a bang.

Yoshi: The chorus was pretty difficult, and I couldn't get my tongue around "Everything, Everything". So I practiced a lot. It was worth it, and I was able to enjoy singing on the day of recording!

--This was your first recording session, wasn't it?　You must have been excited to be in the studio for the first time, weren't you?

Yoshi: Yes, I was. I thought, "This is the studio! This is a studio! I can smell the equipment! This is the microphone! I was like that (laughs).

--(laughs) But the fact that you were able to enjoy singing means that you did not feel crushed by nerves.

Yoshi: The recording session itself was in a small booth like a private room, so I was able to get into my own world right away. You were singing right from the moment you entered the booth.

--I'm looking forward to hearing more of these words in the future.

Yoshi: The lyrics are also perfect for the debut single of Nanami. The lyrics were perfect for the debut single of Nanami, and it was easy to get emotionally involved.

--And this song was played on TV as the ending, wasn't it? How did you feel when you saw it on-air?

Yoshi: I was already embarrassed. ...... Every time I watch it with my fans while doing the sidelines, but I am so embarrassed that I scream out every time (laughs).

--I'm so embarrassed that I scream every time (laughs).

Yoshi: No, no, no. The ending is the same, but I think I screamed the most in episode 6 where I was the voice actor. I got tired of watching the animation (laughs).

(laughs) -- Even though it was decided at the time of the audition that you would appear as a voice actor, this was your first time acting, so how did you feel about doing the recording?

Yoshi: It really made me realize how great voice actors are.

--I guess you must have been very happy when you got the script?

Yoshi: I was very impressed with the "script. I thought, "It's a script! I thought. But when I looked inside, I thought, "Wow! What am I going to do! He talks so much! (laughs).

--Did you get any advice from your co-stars?

Yoshi: Everyone was very kind and taught me everything from how to use the microphone to how to make notes in the script. Yusuke Kobayashi, who played the lead role, also gave me some acting guidance and advised me that I was getting too much into the character and not acting naturally, so I should focus more on acting naturally within myself rather than getting into the character.

--I think you should focus on your own natural acting rather than getting into the character. How do you feel when you look back on it?

Yoshi: I felt that my nervousness came out in my lines. I have to be more diligent.

--I have to work on my lines more... - Even though there are issues, it is still a moving experience to hear your voice on TV as your lines.

Yoshi: No, that's ...... "Noaaaah ！！！！！" I was screaming (laughs). It was so embarrassing that I think it will be about 6 months before I can see it properly myself.

--Well, you can hear the ...... ending song played on-air, right?

Yoshi: Somehow. But it's still screaming, isn't it? I'm watching it with everyone on the sideline feed, and I'm like, "Stop it! I feel embarrassed (laughs).

As a virtual singer, my dream is to do a solo live performance at the Budokan!

--The coupling song "Heart x Nexus" is a refreshing and very familiar song. What is your impression of this song?

Yoshi: "Heart x Nexus" is a cheerful song that everyone can wave their hands together at the end of the live for an encore. I felt myself becoming happy when I sang it.

--I think the rock of the title song makes it stand out even more.

Yoshi: That's right. I think it's a good song that can change the flavor of a live performance.

--What kind of songs are you originally good at singing?

Yoshi: Rather than quiet songs, I am good at really rock songs and songs with strong vocalists such as Superfly and Ayaka.

--In terms of live performances, you will be singing at the CD release event in July, right? How do you want to sing?

Yoshi: I want to bring out the realism and power of the live performance, which is different from the soundtrack in the anime.

--I am also a live streamer on SHOWROOM, so I guess you are not that nervous about singing in front of other people?

Yoshi: Not really, because with SHOWROOM, no matter how many people show up, they can only see me on the screen. But when I sang at AnimeJapan 2019 the other day, I was nervous because there were so many people in front of me.

--I think you are asked "I want to hear you sing live" even in your daily delivery, aren't you?

Yoshi: That's right. I'm often asked to sing, but I think I'll save singing this song until the launch event (laughs).

--I'm looking forward to it. By the way,who is your favorite character inthe TV anime "The Wise Son"?

Yoshi: It's Strom (Oliver Strom/CV. Tomoyuki Morikawa). I have always liked villains in anime, basically because they are tasteful.

--Do you like works in which you fight a lot?

Yoshi: I love them. I like battle scenes. The battle scenes in "The Philosopher's Grandson" are a lot of fun to watch. It makes me feel great.

--What are your goals and dreams for the future?

Yoshi: In the future, I would like to deliver my works to many people, while increasing the number of rock songs I have. I would like to perform more live shows, and my goal is to do a one-man live show at the Budokan. I would also like to perform overseas in places like Shanghai and Hong Kong.

--By the way, what kind of activities do you want to be doing or what kind of artist do you want to be in a year from now?

Yoshi: I would like to be able to perform on a big stage! I want to be an artist who sings the theme song of a novel I wrote that will be made into a movie!

--By the way, as you mentioned in your profile, do you speak Chinese?

Yoshi: I'm studying now (laughs).

--I am currently studying (laughs). My specialty is detective.

Yoshi: Oh, that's a bit of a dark side of ...... for me (laughs).

--I'll leave that part out then. Thank you very much for your time today!

(Interview and text by Kenichi Chiba)

CD Information

Ending theme song for the TV animation "The Wise Son
Overwhelming Vivid Days"/Yoshinami.

Now on sale
CD+DVD 1,800 yen (tax not included), CD 1,200 yen (tax not included)
The back jacket of the CD+DVD Ver. is a newly-drawn illustration in collaboration with Shin, the main character of the TV anime "The Wise Son"!

Event information
■The Wise Son ED theme "Overwhelming Vivid Days" release commemoration event
The release commemoration event will be held at Sofmap on 2019/7/6 (Sat)!

Location: Sofmap AKIBA ④ Store Amusement Center 8F
Date: Saturday, July 6, 2019, 13:30 Doors open / 14:00 Concert begins
Performer: Yoshinami.
Contents: Talk & Singing + Privilege event (Talk session, 2-shot photo session)