New Luce Twinkle Wink☆ releases 1st DVD single "Wonder Five"!　How will Luce change with the addition of new member Mio Sakimoto?　Special interview!

Luce Twinkle Wink☆ started to move forward as a new organization with the addition of new member Mio Sakimoto in February 2019.On August 7, a new song from the new organization was released as the first DVD single "Wonder Five".

The DVD single "Wonder Five" contains two kinds of music videos, making-of and SPOTs, and the music video was shot in Okinawa just like Luce's major debut single "Koiiro▽Thought Circuit". The fact that the music video was shot in the same place and under the same circumstances as their major debut single "Koiiro ▽ thought circuit" suggests that this album is a return to their roots and a new starting point for the girls.

We asked Ms. Sakimoto, who jumped into the high-level performance group Luce Twinkle Wink☆ as a newcomer, to talk about her past experiences, the new song, and the future of Luce.

How Luce's Mio Sakimoto was born

─ This is the first interview with Ms. Sakimoto since she joined Luce. How did you know that Luce was recruiting new members?

Mio Sakimoto: I always follow the Twitter feeds of all the members, so I found out about it on Twitter on the day the announcement was made. But I had a desire to become an idol, but because I loved Luce so much, at first it was hard for me to imagine myself joining the history that the five members, including Ms. Nishikiori (Megumi), had created.

─ ─ I think it is a difficult unit to jump into as a newcomer, both in terms of the high level of performance and the length of time you have spent in the group.

Sakimoto: When the audition was first announced, I wondered what kind of person would join that unit as a new member (laughs). But then I went to a live performance, and I felt more and more that I wanted to sing and dance with the group, so I decided to audition.

─ Were any of the members involved in your audition?

Yukino Usami: Before the final screening of the audition, we had a chance to see the actual performance, and we participated from that time. After that, we discussed with NBC and the agency what we liked about her and what we thought of her, and then we decided.

Saki Fukazawa When I saw Saaki-yun (Ms. Sakimoto), I thought she was very cute!　She was even prettier in person than in the photo I had received in advance. Was she a front ...... in the audition?

Sakimoto: It's a forward inverted rotation (handspring) (laughs).

Fukazawa: While most of the other contestants used words in their PR, I was impressed by the way they expressed themselves with their bodies.

───Have you always been involved in gymnastics?

Sakimoto: Yes. I had wanted to be an idol since I was a child, but I felt I had no special skills, so I took gymnastics classes. During the screening, I was given an opportunity to express myself in my PR other than singing and dancing, so I thought it would be more memorable than speaking in words.

Kaho Higaki The song for singing and dancing was "1st Love Story. In order to respond to such changes, it was important to be aware of the movements, such as whether the pinky finger was turned into a "goo" when the choreography was being performed with the pinky finger sticking out. In this respect, Saaki-kun understood the choreography more precisely than anyone else.

Fukazawa: The president asked Saaki-Ryun to do the name-roll for "Luce Twinkle Wink☆," but she did the original pose that we usually do, so I thought she must really like Luce (laughs) .

Itayama: For me, Saaki-Ryun was the one whose image changed the most during the audition. During the interview, I thought she was cute like a princess. But when we were taking lessons together during the final screening, she would correct perfectly by the next day what the teacher had warned her severely about. I thought, "I can't wait to be on stage with this girl," when I saw how she tackled her assignments with such intensity and seriousness, even though just learning the choreography was almost enough.

Sakimoto: For the final judging, where you had to learn the songs and take lessons with the members, there were some songs that you had to be able to dance to by the next day after the choreography. In order to get as close to the members as possible as quickly as possible, I rented my own lesson place and practiced on my own repeatedly, so I was confident that no one could beat me in terms of the amount of practice I had. I was able to directly feel the rigorousness of what is actually required when you become a member of Luce through the lessons, so I was able to really feel the high hurdles that are required of a new member.

Communication that gradually brought us closer together

I think it was even more difficult for you until you actually went on stage after passing the screening.

Sakimoto: We had lessons every day and choreographed one song at a time. The points to remember were different from when I was watching from the outside, and I had to understand the lyrics properly. The precision required was different, so I had to be prepared. But I had lessons every day, and I always had a goal that I had to achieve, so I didn't even have time to think about how hard it was (laughs).

(laughs) ─ Was there anything memorable from that period of training?

Sakimoto: I wasn't very good at talking to people on my own. In Luce lessons, the students who were ready first took their own space, and I was so embarrassed that I went to the end of the line. I was so embarrassed that I went to the end of the line. Then Ham-chan (Higaki-san) quickly came to my side, and I felt his kindness even though he didn't say a word.

Higaki: I am not the type of person who is good at communicating on my own, so I thought it would be difficult for me to jump in as a new member. I thought it would be nice if I could somehow be there to support them (laughs).

Sakimoto: I also remember how Saori-chan (Itayama) asked me to go to a café next time after practice on the second or third day of the first lesson.

─ ─ Overall, communication is like that of a wild animal.

Itayama: Everyone is not good at closing the distance (laughs).

─ ─ Which was harder for you during the training, the physical training or learning new things in your head?

Sakimoto: I think it was harder on my head. As I was learning new songs, the previous songs were getting fuzzier and fuzzier. So I had to look back and fix it, but I also had to play the next song, so I was confused.

Higaki: But I was impressed by the fact that they had studied the video I had given them before the lesson and had memorized the new songs. I could tell that they were so prepared for the lesson that I almost cried when I was talking to them at ...... (laugh). (Laughs) We were also inspired by their feelings and hard work.

Itayama: Saaki-kun is very good at presenting herself, and I am learning from her. Isn't it hard for you?　Are you okay? I asked him if he was okay, and no matter how hard it was, he would always reply, "I'm fine! I was reassured that even in the most difficult times, he would immediately reply, "I'm fine! I could see that Saaki-Chun's strength was contagious and the other members were also improving their performances.

─ In terms of the way they showed their performance, I thought it was amazing that they were able to smile so much at their first live.

Sakimoto: I am not sure if I was smiling during the first three songs of the first live performance, but as the second half of the show progressed, I really started to enjoy myself and my smile overflowed. It was a lot of fun.

Fukazawa: That's amazing. I was so stiff at the beginning.

Itayama: If you must know, I was much more nervous during the first song of Saaki-Chun's debut live.

─ ─ It is interesting that Itayama-san was so nervous at that time.

Itayama: I thought something was different from usual ....... But once I actually got on stage, the rest of the show was a lot of fun.

Usami: I think Luce as a whole has been reborn, not to mention the new members.

─ ─ I could really feel that. When you went to see the final live of Wake Up, Girls! before, you tweeted that your friend who played with you in your hometown when you were little has fulfilled her dream and is now standing on the stage of Saitama Super Arena. I was surprised to see that. Was that about Ms. Airi Nagano, who is from Sendai and from the same hometown?

Sakimoto: I used to play with Airi when I was in junior high school. A friend of mine was a dancer, and Airi was working really hard at dancing, so we became friends through that connection. That is why I was so happy when Airi made her debut, and I was inspired by her pop-up in front of Sendai Station. I hope I can be someone who can do something for my hometown, Sendai.

───There was an event in your hometown Sendai the other day, wasn't there?

Sakimoto: I have always wanted to perform live in Miyagi, so I was very happy to be able to bring Luce's songs to the people of Tohoku, and one of my goals was fulfilled. I am very happy to have been able to deliver Luce's songs to the people of Tohoku, and I have achieved one of my goals. I will try my best to deliver many songs and say "TADAIMA" (I'm home)!　I'll be there!

─ Did you have a chance to try some delicious food in Sendai?

Fukazawa: I was taken to a beef tongue restaurant recommended by Saakishun!

Usami It was so delicious that I went to ......!

Sakimoto: I went to Tsukasa. The spicy sauce is really good.

It was delicious !

The music video for the new departure song "Wonder Five" was shot at a memorable location.

─ ─ Let's talk about "Wonder Five," the first single with the five members. This time, it is in the form of a DVD single, isn't it?

Fukazawa: I thought that the DVD single would allow the audience to see the performance on video, so they could feel that this is the new Luce Twinkle Wink☆. The making of this DVD is also very rich!

Itayama: I think this is a great chance for everyone to see the current Luce. Not only the dancing and singing, but also the facial expressions of the members while singing are my favorite part of the show, so I want you to see this kind of facial expressions over and over again when they are singing this part. So I would like people who have never seen Luce live to see it, and I am very happy about that.

Sakimoto: I had longed to make a music video, so I was happy that we were able to shoot it well over the course of three days. It was a special time for me, both during the shoot and outside of the shoot, during transportation and makeup. It is a sad song, but I think it is filled with determination and hope that we will do our best in the new Luce organization from now on. The lyrics and the song are perfect for us right now, and it really gets us pumped up.

Usami: Mr. Yashikin is in charge of the lyrics this time, and it seems that he wrote the lyrics after reading a lot of Saaki-kyun's blog and twitter feed.

Do you feel that when you look at the lyrics?

Sakimoto: I do!　It seems he also read my blog that I wrote when I was graduating from college. I thought about finding a job, but I still wanted to be an idol. But I couldn't become an idol just because I wanted to. I think you can especially feel the frustration of staying at home, wanting to get closer to my dream but not being able to.

─ You shot the music video over a period of three days, didn't you?

Usami: We shot it in Okinawa. We shot it in the same situation as the music video for "Koi Iro ▽ Kougou Kikuitou". The composition and solo scenes are also the same.

─ ─ When did you shoot it?

Sakimoto: It was the end of May.

Usami: It was the beginning of the rainy season in Okinawa, and there were warnings of thunderstorms in the weather forecast, so I was very nervous.

Fukasawa: But when we arrived at the shooting location, it was clear and sunny!

Usami: It started raining just as we finished shooting. We were blessed with good weather throughout the shoot. The beautiful scenery is also an attraction of this music video, so please pay attention to it.

Sakimoto: I'm a sunny girl (laughs).

(laughs)!

───How was it to shoot in the same place as in the past?

Higaki: It was nostalgic.

Usami: At first, I exclaimed, "I missed it so much! I exclaimed at first.

Sakimoto: I was happy to experience the world I saw in the PV.

Usami: You sang "Koiiro o Kougou Kikuitou" at the karaoke session with your own video, right?

Sakimoto: Yes. That world had expanded, and I was able to learn about the behind-the-scenes of the PV shoot, which made me realize that I had become a member of Luce. I woke up very early to do my makeup, and I realized that the schedule was quite overcrowded and that it was not just glamorous.

Fukasawa: It was tough because we had to travel a lot.

─ ─ Do you have a favorite place or scene you shot?

Usami (raises hand vigorously). I have a scene that is more of a revenge scene than a favorite. Actually, there is a scene that was shot on a cruiser, which was not in the "Koi-iro" movie. Actually, the waves were too rough to use in "Koi Iro O Koukairo". It was frustrating that we couldn't use the boat we had prepared, so I love that we were able to take revenge this time.

Higaki: There is a scene in the chorus where we dance on the deck, and four years ago I was really nervous. So I wanted to do better this time, and I think I did a good job with my dancing and facial expressions.

Fukazawa: I like the scene at the end where the five of us jump into the sea, because it feels like the climax of the film.

Was it a one-shot OK?

Fukazawa: It was a one-shot OK!

Usami: I mean, we couldn't reshoot the scene, so we had to do it (laughs).

Fukazawa: We were told to shoot the flying scene out of the blue on the set, and we didn't have time to prepare ourselves, so we risked our lives to shoot it (laughs).

Usami: After the shoot, you said, "We're risking our lives to be idols! I was the only one who said "I'm going to fly after this" beforehand. Actually, I was the only one who was asked beforehand, "If I told you we were going to shoot the flying scene after this, do you think you could do it? I answered "I think so.

Itayama Leader (laughs)!

Higaki But if it comes to work, I will fly.

Itayama: I like the scene where all the members had a barbecue together. I felt it showed everyone's true expressions the most. I think I can share my memories of how much fun we had grilling meat together with everyone, and I think I can share those memories with my fans.

Sakimoto: I like the pool scene after the barbecue. If the barbecue scene was just my true facial expression, the swimming pool scene was a lot more elaborate. It is not often that I get a chance to go into a pool wearing clothes, so I thought the unrealistic feeling of the scene made me feel like an idol. The coldness of the pool was something I couldn't see in the video, so I was happy and enjoyed it.

─ ─ Do you have any memories from when you were not shooting?

Sakimoto: I ate pork.

Usami It was delicious!

Sakimoto: On the first night, we all ate agu pork from Okinawa. I felt we got to know each other better by spending time together outside of the shoot. I really like umi budou (sea grapes), and even now I eat them once a week.

The first recording session after the new organization was really ......?

─ ─ Let me ask you about the performance of "Wonder Five". First of all, this is your first recording at Luce, isn't it?

This is my first time . I didn't know how to divide the parts, so I practiced through the whole song. Then, I was assigned to the B melody part, "You don't have to do anything, no one will judge you, even so. We had to re-record it many times. I think it is an important part, so I put my heart and soul into singing it live.

───What are the highlights of "Wonder Five" and what are you particular about it?

Higaki: In the chorus, there is a part where we make a "W" with the fans. We are uploading a video of us giving a lecture on Twitter, so if you are thinking of going to a live concert, please take a look.

Fukasawa Each singer's part is long, so there are many parts that make you listen to the song. I like the way the feeling and tension builds up toward the chorus.

Itayama: My favorite part is the part before the last chorus, "I'm so happy, I'm so sad. The four members up to now sang four different emotions, and Saaki-kun sings firmly in the middle. This is the new Luce, and I feel that Saakishun is creating a new wind. It is also the part where the five of us confirm each other's feelings. It is a highlight of the song because every time we sing it live, I feel that everyone's feelings become one.

Sakimoto: Before the last chorus, every time the members' eyes meet, their expressions are different and their feelings are conveyed.

─ ─ I have the image of Luce developing new songs through repeated live performances, but are there any changes in "Wonder Five"?

Fukazawa: The more we play it, the more emo it becomes. I can feel the members' feelings in the song as they play it more and more.

Usami: More and more people in the audience are getting into the choreography of the chorus "W." Sakimoto: At one venue, there were children with their families.

Sakimoto: At one venue, I was very happy to see children with their families doing the choreography together.

─ ─ Lastly, please tell us about your goals and what you want to do in the new Luce organization.

Sakimoto: To put it in a very big way, we would like to achieve the goal of performing at Saitama Super Arena, which Luce has dreamed of for a long time, as a dream of the five of us. I want to make the group a place where the dreams of each member and the dreams of our fans come true, so I want to find what I can do to make that happen.

Fukasawa: The concept of this music video was for the current Luce to visit the places that were once Luce's memories. That is why I would like to perform at Yokohama Arena, Saitama Super Arena, and other venues that Luce has experienced in the past, even with the new group. I also want to sing anime songs again!

Higaki: I have experienced the feeling of watching an anime and falling in love with the theme songs, so I also want to sing ani-songs under the new group, and I have a great desire to deliver them to the audience.

Usami: I would like to do a solo live performance as Luce on a big stage other than regular performances and birthday festivals. My goal is to perform solo live and tour live on a bigger stage than ever before and make a full house there.

Itayama: I think Luce is attractive for its synchronization rate, so I want to work hard in my daily lessons to show synchronization that is second to none. I think it is also important for us to have a strong connection with each other in order to synchronize well, so I hope the five of us can share various experiences together and feel the same feelings of enjoyment and frustration.

(Reporting and writing by Kiri Nakazato)

DVD Information

Wonder Five/Luce Twinkle Wink☆" is now on sale.

Now on sale

Price: 1,667 yen (tax not included)

＜Contents

01. Wonder Five MV

Lyrics : Yashikin Composition/Arrangement : NAMI ( I've sound )

02. Wonder Five MV -Dance ver.

03. making of MV & SP interview

04. spot

<Bonus for the first production