#And Enstars has so many hats

[s0ngsandstars]

Did you know I love hats so much

I love characters with hats, I love hats irl, I want a hat collection, hats are literally so cool, I want to learn how to make hats.

Hats.

I should learn how to draw hats better. Right now I hate drawing them with a passion because they're so cool to look at but angles are difficult.

[mishkakagehishka]

Why YOU should vote Mika in the @enstars-sexyperson-polls poll!!!

What makes a man "sexy"? What is that mysterious, ever-elusive quality that can turn adorable into attractive? This is, naturally, a question with no objective answer. But if one were to try real hard, a possible conclusion can be reached.

To start with, what makes a man "sexy"? The obvious answer is "sex appeal". A man who dresses well, elegantly,

where appeal is kept in this apparent tidiness, this put-together image he presents. A suit and tie, with a blazer draped elegantly over his shoulders, loafers and slacks, elegant shirt tucked in, added attraction levels in the form of suspenders, and a dog (to imply he is good with animals, a trait most attractive). For an extra point, a focus on the sole of his shoe, perfect to be stepped on. In the middle image, this elegance is added to in the form of a dated yet chic suit, layered and accessorised with pearls and a hat, the lapels giving off an aura of a man with a fortune to his name, his outstretched hand inviting and open. The same motif of an inviting outstretched hand is in the left-most image, the Valentine's event card. Of course, just in being a Valentine's card, his being sexy is a given. Gloves, suits, blazers and dress-shirts, the only skin we can see is a coquettish view of his wrists. Truly, the suit makes the man in this case. But that's not all there is to Mika's sexiness.

Perhaps sex appeal is a man who shows off skin in the most delicate of ways,

not unlike a fanciful bird who shows off its colorful feathers to impress a mate, Mika's FS2 shows his brightness, his identity. What is more appealing than a man sure of his style? Though colourful and bright, he accessorised with safety pins, DIY chains, little bears and rings, platform shoes with wings and a devil's tail. Can we say punk? Truly the little devil; different from the coquettish flash of the wrist in the previous images, in this he presents a bolder view: his knee and leg peeking from torn jeans, his jacket falls seductively to reveal the gentle skin of his shoulders, and, finally (and most importantly), his middle.

The way in which his tummy is shaded implies far more than one might assume at first glance. There is no roughness of hard abs, no unpleasant and uninviting cold. Indeed, it would seem that Mika's stomach is not flat, that a smidge of squishy fat is stored in it. Truly, I ask of you: what could possibly be sexier, than a man's soft tummy? And it's not just about his FS2.

Indeed, as we can see in the image above, Mika's casual spring-summer outfit has a certain detail to it one might describe as "slutty", which is to say, an extension of "sexy". That's right. Under that sleek black jacket, he is wearing nothing short of a sleeveless shirt with a high neckline. Now you, dear reader, tell me if you find that unsexy! His bare arms have even found their way into a 3* card,

And despite it not showing as much skin (though, as stated above, there is no need for a man to show skin to be sexy), the Antique Legend is also one exuding sex appeal. Simply look at that posing, the sultry, yet laidback appearance it gives him, the coy position of the wrist holding a fan, one of few cards to bring his full body into the picture.

And how could I ever hope to describe Mika's sex appeal without mentioning the Black-Haired Living Doll card?

What can be sex appeal? It can be a man with his hands covered in blood, a man dressed like an affluent and powerful figure, yet presented in a most debased manner. Decadence at its finest. With the blood decorating his collar and caking his fingers, Mika presents the image of sexiness through danger. It is almost mythological in nature, as many of the most dangerous beings have been presented as attractive to the point of being irresistible - from Slavic mythological beings "so beautiful that it was only natural they were evil" to Biblical demons "so beautiful to tempt you", to Oscar Wilde's Dorian Gray "so beautiful, oh, the horrors he must have done to achieve it". It is sex appeal through fear, through inhumanity.

And if, to you, sex appeal is less human, but more benevolent? Perhaps, sex appeal lies in animal features mixing with human. Mika has that, too.

Of course, when talking about Mika's appeal, one must also mention his defining feature, the very thing that sets him apart from the rest of the cast. As Keito Hasumi said when evaluating ex-Valkyrie, Mika's eyes are his defining feature.

His mismatched eyes pull people in, his visual charm lies in these eyes. But it's not just the heterochromia, although it is undeniably a core part of his design, it is their shape. Mika's face is designed to be sharp, and this includes his eyes. This is, of course, to contrast Shu's softer features. This is symbolic. These symbols, too, are sexy.

Not quite a Madonna-Whore complex, but Valkyrie is based on this opposition. Where Shu is soft, Mika is sharp. Where Shu represents the virginal goddess Astraea, Mika represents the base, the carnal, the filthy.

The sex appeal.

Furthermore, in the very story "Astraea's Atelier", this is corroborated, as Leo mentions that Mika's very art leans into the erotic. He knows what he is doing.

Beyond Mika's eyes, we must mention his other defining feature. Not as unique as his eyes, but important all the same - his singular fang that pops out at random.

Although as seen above, all four of his canines are emphasised, it is most often that only one is actually shown in cards and in the 3D models. This is, of course, charming, an almost teasing peak into his physiognomy, a hint to the fact that he could, should he wish, tear your flesh apart with his teeth. This, too, is sex appeal.

A natural progression from looking at his teeth is to look at his tongue. Though the common "blep" is certainly cuter than sexy, and Mika has plenty such cards, there is much to say about the way in which he sticks out his tongue in these, as if provoking, teasing. This is not just a playful or mocking gesture, and he knows as much.

Finally, what else can "sexy" be? Must it be tied to appearance only? Or does it go deeper than that? Is "sexy" not also the way a man carries himself? Is it not also his skills, his hobbies, his very personality? Is "sexy" not the sum of a man, but merely one trait, tied only to the visual senses? Is Mika not sexy in the way that he dances, spins and twirls, skilfully and gracefully? Is he not sexy in the way that he shows his intelligence in the weirdest ways, was he not sexy for reading the Mabinogion in Middle English? Is he not sexy for getting over his own shyness when it comes to speaking on television and radio shows because of Shu's own shyness? Is he not sexy for the fact that he collects creepy and scary posters to help him sleep better? Is he not sexy for the fact that he dumpsterdives, finds plushies, fixes and names them? Is he not sexy for being a weird little freak who likes eroguro and is suspiciously fine with murder and violence? Is Mika Kagehira not sexy?

Mika's sex appeal also lies in one very important aspect of his character, one very dear to me, and that's why I saved it for last. Mika speaks in a non-standard dialect, and his production is thickly accented. I have already ranted about the way this aspect subverts many tropes related to characters with audible "hick" accents, but this is not about design and tropes, this about sex appeal. Can you really listen to Mika speak, the way he sometimes slurs his words and speaks through a pout, the way his words blend and the way his production is impacted by his dialect, and say that this is not sexy? There is nothing sexier than a non-standard production. A vote for Mika is a vote against prescriptivism and linguistic chauvinism. Vote Mika. For your local linguist MikaP (me).

To sum up, while Mika very well could be described as "cute", this does not negate the fact that he can also be described as "sexy". Whether looking at it from a strictly visual point or looking at Mika as a whole character, he undeniably has a certain sex appeal to him. Present in all aspects of his character, from his sharp facial features, to his personal and Valkyrie-adjacent style, to the way he speaks, behaves and interacts with the world. "Sexy" is not a word with only one definition, nor is it a word limited in its usage, "sexy" is a word that merely aims to describe a person with sex appeal, who appeals to people, who draws people in, and it is my scholarly and educated opinion that Mika, in fact, carries these traits in his characterisation, no matter the fact that his sex appeal is interwoven and mingles with his cuteness. Mika is a character based on contrast and opposition, between his apparent harmlessness and freakish tendencies, between his soft-spoken and shy nature and his love for horror and gore. It is not, then, unusual to notice the contrast between his cute moments, his appearance made to appeal to the side of our brains that squeals at the sight of a kitten who can't do much on its own, and his moments brimming with eros, the sex appeal that lay dormant underneath his surface. Indeed, in a way, his sex appeal being a thing to be discovered only further emphasises his sexiness.

Further reading:

[nyaitsu-writes]

✧ enstars | winter/christmas dates ✧

sooo the new enstars event is really really cute and we’re so close to christmas that i couldn’t resist to think about everyone’s favourite winter activities. so i took a member from each unit! ଘ(੭*ˊᵕˋ)੭♡

includes: aira, arashi, hinata, hiyori, koga, madara, mika, nazuna, niki, souma, subaru, tetora, tori and tsumugi!

✦ hinata takes you to the nearest park to engage in the biggest, strongest, most splendid snowball fight of your entire life! 2wink’s leader is a strong rival for sure but if you can win against him you’ll get an awesome reward. so what are you waiting for~?

✦ it takes arashi just a couple minutes to whip up two cups of nice, hot chocolate and get you to cuddle on her sofa while watching some cheesy christmas movies. if don’t pay attention and get the cream on your lips worry not! arashi is here and will kiss off every little rest of chocolate from your lips ehehe

✦ koga won’t ever admit that he’s excited to see the lights together, blaming it on leon wanting to go on a walk at that exact time. but you can see him holding your hand when the big christmas tree in the plaza lights up. if you do as much as mention that he’s grinning, he’ll kiss you. heh, who’s making a funny face now?

✦ you weren’t expecting such an expensive feast when niki told you to come to his place for dinner but here you are, surrounded by every delicious dish you can even think off. he’s been working really hard on some new recipes to surprise you so be sure to tell him just how much you love him (and his cooking)!

✦ hiyori is practically dragging you down the road as soon as he finds out about a nearby christmas market. he’ll look at all the cute little trinkets and accessories and won’t stop until he finds the perfect matching snow globes for the two of you, together with some new decorations for his room!

✦ you can’t say no to mika when he pulls out a sleigh out of nowhere for your date. with the city covered in a nice layer of white, you’ll spend the whole day playing in the snow and going up and down every hill you can find, until your noses are all red and you can’t stop laughing.

✦ tsumugi knits the softest, fluffiest scarf you can ever think of as soon as the weather starts getting a bit colder. using it for the first time on your date together, you end up nagging him softly for not dressing warm enough. wrapping your new scarf around the two of you, you can’t even feel the cold anymore!

✦ much to your own surprise, souma proposes a visit to the temple in new year’s. he’ll grow bashful after realizing just how many couples have had the exact same idea as he did so you’ll need to take his hand and give him the nicest of the smiles. if you dress up in traditional clothes for him, he won’t be able to resist your charms…

✦ subaru is extremely excited to take you for a night date, finding a place high enough to the point you feel like you can touch the sky. he’ll cuddle you as much as he can, with a fluffy blanket over you shoulders as he shows you just how pretty the winter night sky looks!

✦ tori will complain that it’s cold outside even when he’s the one who proposed going out, but it turns out that it’s just an excuse to get to hug you. he’ll pull the cutest, most irresistible puppy eyes until he gets enough hugs to keep him satisfied. and tori is never satisfied!

✦ building snowmen with madara turns out to be such a nice experience. i’m sure you haven’t seen a snowman with a cowboy hat before! the kids in the neighbourhood love him and won’t hesitate to call out for big bro madara to help them out with their little snowmen, doing snow angels together and having a fun afternoon in the snow!

✦ aira has a whole list of christmas/winter couple ish things to do! he’s been reading a ton of magazines to find the hottest spots in town so the two of you can go hand in hand, to take the prettiest pictures together. like this, you’ll have something to look at when you miss each other, isn’t that awesome?

✦ you are so happy when nazuna invites you to his place for christmas’s eve. and you’re even happier when he takes out a tray full of gingerbread… bunnies? before you get a chance to ask about the design change, you two decide to put colorful frosting in the cookies, making the cutest (and sweetest!) christmas bunnies ever

✦ tetora is excited. christmas makes him excited. being with you makes him excited. being with you on christmas? he’s one step from screaming in happiness. he’ll want to show off a bit, taking you to some of his favourite places and acting like a total gentleman. he’ll protect you so don’t worry and have a fun day with him, okay?

[bethygauw]

Enstars: PASH! April 2017

Released in March 2017.

Thank you Nhi for the scans!! She translates Enstars stories on Dreamwidth. Check it out!

Special interview with Saori Kodama and Youhei Matsui, lyricists of Enstars unit song second series. The second half of this post includes more detailed comments on all songs they were in charge of.

They were in charge of: Saori Kodama: 2wink, Ra*bits, Switch, fine Youhei Matsui: Knights, Castle Upon Sand, Trickstar. Previously, he also wrote Enstars opening song.

Credit of lyric translations quoted in this post, references: - 2wink by PatriciaSelina - Love Ra*bits Party!! by Keru - Knights by Mike - Castle Upon Sand on wiki

Q: Both of you took part in the making of many Enstars unit songs as lyricists. What kind of impressions do you have on the game itself?

Matsui: In the beginning, the complexity of the story surprised me. The characters are divided not only by units, but also by year groups and classes. Each character has a lot of different interactions with various characters, which is something I don’t see often. I remember I got nervous thinking if I’ll be able to understand it (laugh).

Kodama: They have clubs too.

Matsui: Depending on the club, the senior-junior interactions also differ.

Kodama: There were a lot of things I couldn’t tell just from reading the main story, so when I read the event stories I got surprised by the relationship between some characters. It was worth reading.

Q: What were your impressions on the units you were in charge of?

Matsui: The units I was in charge of were Knights, Valkyrie, and Trickstar. Knights have a solid philosophy, which is “chivalry”, so they were the easiest to understand. As for Valkyrie… Say, Kodama-san, when writing lyrics, how do you read the original story?

Kodama: In my case, I’d firstly read from the point of view of all characters.

Matsui: I see! For me, I’d intentionally skim through the stories or read them from one character’s point of view, so that I can focus on that particular character who’s singing. But for Valkyrie, I properly and carefully read all the stories. They’re poor guys, I thought. If something goes wrong during my performance, I would firstly go, “Oh, come on…” (laugh) When it comes to how resolute Mika was when he started singing all by himself in that kind of situation…

Kodama: Mika had great resolve and determination, didn’t he? What about Trickstar?

Matsui: Trickstar is a unit that’s the truest to themselves. If I can say this, there’s no way they would’ve won against fine in the first place. But they did, so what’s going on there? I thought about things like that. For example, in sports, you can’t win if there’s a considerable difference between your abilities. But when it comes to idols, you can have a chance to win. When I was thinking about why that is, I thought maybe it was because of “the power of support”. I thought about the kind of people who would make me want to support them, who make me want to push their backs. So the feel I have for Trickstar is that they are important friends whom I’d root for. I could also consider about “who writes the lyrics”. For Trickstar’s songs, it seems that the lyrics would have been written by all of them. And that doesn’t mean that one member writes his own part, but it feels like a member’s part is written by the other members. I can imagine an exchange like, “Hokke, sing this part!” They are able to write others’ parts because they understand each other. I think those four are like that.

Q: What about you, Kodama-san?

Kodama: I’ll start from 2wink. From the stories, I could see that they are twins who are shouldering a heavy burden, so I figured I couldn’t write songs that only sound cute. Ra*bits also seemed easy to understand and there is truly a variety of characters in this group. I had all the intention to read the story from a character’s perspective, but Mitsuru-kun would jump in out of nowhere and go, “I’m gonna dash dash!” (laugh) I think Ra*bits gives off the feeling, “We are working hard even if we have things we worry about. This is a declaration of our determination.” I wrote the lyrics based on a collection of phrases they would want to sing.

Matsui: It’s like they asked you to write it.

Kodama: That’s truly how it felt like. For Switch, the unit wasn’t even announced yet when I got the offer. They weren’t in the main story, so I suppose I got to know them gradually at the same time as everyone else. Then, for fine… Firstly, I didn’t know what to do with Hibiki-san (laugh).

Matsui: I like Hibiki-san the most.

Kodama: Because you guys are silk hat buddies*, right? (laugh) I think it must be hard work to continue being rulers.

[*Note from PASH: The silk hat is Matsui-san’s trademark. TL’s note: yes, there are pictures if you search 松井洋平.]

Matsui: Being perfect is hard, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be a great pressure to them? I had the opportunity to write fine’s song for Enstage, but I thought a perfect unit must have perfect lyrics. But I’m not perfect, so how do I create perfection? It was something I worried about, and at the end I gave the song title “Perfect World”! (laugh) It’s like, I just have to say it myself, don’t I! (laugh)

Kodama: That’s a good way of thinking! (laugh) But if you put it that way, there’s also a genius in Knights. Didn’t that become pressure as well?

Matsui: Indeed, Knights has Leo. I don’t know who writes the lyrics in Knights’ songs, but I bet Knights’ songs are what were born within them.

Q: Is there anything that makes you think, “Now that’s what makes it Enstars”?

Matsui: If I can say this being prepared that it may cause misunderstandings: they’re not pro yet. I think their real work starts after graduation. That amateur feel is very much like Enstars, I thought. That naivety connects to “the feel of wanting to root for them”, and that feeling is the strongest for Trickstar to me. But fine doesn’t have that kind of naivety (laugh).

Kodama: I think I can understand that. I think after I’ve understood the units or characters in my own way, choosing the words that I’m going to give them is important. Even if a character’s way of thinking doesn’t match the meaning behind the lyrics, I would wonder about how the meaning would become. Does this sound difficult? (laugh)

Matsui: No, no! I listened while thinking you’re amazing. That happens, doesn’t it? In Knights for example, there’s this line, “Just being friendly will not hone this bond.” They don’t seem to be the type to say “bond” so thoughtlessly, right? But accordingly, it seems to hold a special meaning, different from what it would mean to other units. So if they’re going to sing these words, I would start asking, how would they say it? Why would they say it?

Kodama: That’s it. For Sora-kun from Switch, he’s using slightly difficult words that he wouldn’t use normally. But I think it’s because it is Sora-kun there’s a meaning behind giving him those words. Careful examination of every character perhaps, as a result, connects to “what makes it Enstars”.

Q: What do you think about the songs you didn’t work on?

Matsui: It’s amazing how fine and Trickstar became “the end” and “the beginning” unintentionally. In the lyrics, to fine’s “Finale”, Trickstar answered with “Raise the curtain!”*

[*Neo Sanctuary’s bridge: Bokura no Finale ni fusawashii maku o orosu / We shall bring down a fitting curtain to our finale; HEART→BEATER!!!!’s beginning: Maku o hirake]

Kodama: Yes! We didn’t even discuss over it.

Matsui: It’s purely coincidental. This is truly the power of the story, I thought.

Kodama: Others like “recollection*”, a word that both of us used, is a vocabulary in Enstars that holds a powerful meaning, so it comes out naturally.

[*Recollection/memories = tsuioku = 追憶, which is in Neo Sanctuary (Kodama) and Castle Upon Sand (Matsui) for example]

Matsui: Yeah, that’s right! That kind of thing really happens, doesn’t it.

Q: Then lastly, please leave a message to PASH! readers.

Matsui: These unit songs may be performed at Dreamfes or listened by other characters. For example, what kind of feeling would Wataru Hibiki have when he listens to Silent Oath? I think you can find many ways to listen to and approach every unit song. For that reason, please listen to all of them! (laugh)

Kodama: As of current, there isn’t a lot of voiced content in the game. But when you listen to the songs, you can see that each unit is singing. I think that’s amazing.

Matsui: It’s the power of the voice actors. Like really, you can see Yumenosaki is just over there. I realized unit songs have a role to make Yumenosaki closer to us. I’m looking forward to its world expanding further from now on too.

More detailed comments on each song

2wink (Kodama)

Heart Prism Symmetry: The theme is the twins having different views. When I read the story of the event Snowflake＊Street Performance of the Falling Stars, there’s a dialogue line, “It’s hard to maintain a self-image in front of a cracked mirror.”*  The way one can treat someone like a mirror and see themselves in them left an impression in me, so I implemented that phrase. In the chorus where they sing together, I intentionally made the persona all mixed up, such as with “my soul” and “Just be yourself”. I think each of them can see the other as both “your soul” and “my soul”, so by mixing up the subject both of them can blend into one. That’s the image I’m trying to depict.

[*Paraphrased; the original article didn’t quote the story dialogue exactly either. Dialogue line is from Star Chart 4, TL by Rain]

2winkle Star Beat☆: The theme is, “when these two stop feeling reserved with each other and combine together, they become the strongest!” When they sing believing they can be free, well, they’re just sparkling all over and no one can hold a candle against them. That’s what I thought, so I added lots and lots of sparkles (laugh). Moreover, Souma Saito-san sang each part perfectly, so it was truly wonderful!

Ra*bits (Kodama)

Hoppin’ Season♪: Shortly after their unit formation, it may have been a fortunate thing as well, but a strength typical of a young man is sprouting within them. That’s the image I have. I would also think about how they may have requested someone to write the lyrics to this song. Perhaps, they brainstormed the phrases themselves and showed it to them, “Right now, we are this kind of people!”  It can make you feel like they surely want to write the lyrics themselves one day. This song is exactly this developing phase of theirs. I also hope you can feel the increasing intensity from “Spring days” to “and now”, and “and now” in the last chorus. I’m sure all of you players know what happened to them in spring. Works that have an original story has strength, where it provides information that we can share just like this. It adds depth to the words.

Love Ra*bits Party!!: The theme is having a slightly grown-up party, so the lyrics are bold, just a little bit. But even if there’s a line, “Escorting you”, when Ra*bits sing it, you can really tell that they must be the ones who are getting nervous instead. I think that’s Ra*bits’ charm. But the last line, “Your heart is unprepared / because we’ll put you in a trance” may give your heart a big thump. I think it works that way because of the way the voice actors express it.

Knights (Matsui)

Silent Oath: For Knights, I was asked to treat their worldview with great care. “With story-telling style, a world of fantasy,” they said. It’s a story of a knight and the person they swore their loyalty to. This song probably has a stronger knight feel rather than idol feel. Knights is a unit that is accommodating with their fanservice, so I think they also show kindness not to destroy the worldview their fans are asking for. I thought of bringing that side of them forward. Also, the title suggests that their “oath” is not something to be put into words. If it’s set in the medieval world, where you can see a forest and a castle… I think the feelings that are concealed within their hearts would spill under the moonlight, rather than the sunlight. So the phrase “Dear Moon Light” was the first thing that came into my mind. I attached the word “Dear” to “Moon Light”. I think the dearest moonlight would affect the knight and the person they swore their loyalty to differently depending on each member. Each member would also hold different feelings regarding the phrase, “Don’t shine your light upon me” which comes up several times. Moreover, the reason why some members don’t sing certain lines… I think it’s something interesting to imagine. The choruses were done comparably quickly. The part “an eternity of purity” is referring to the title “Silent Oath”. It means to swear to an eternity that is clean of impurities.

Q: Leo’s singing “Because I will disappear myself” left an impression.

I put it towards the last chorus because I wanted to give it a meaning, because of the game’s story plot and also to make you wonder who wrote this line. Similar to this, there’s also the line, “This world filled with struggle”. While it stays within the idea of a fairy-tale, it also reminds you of the war era in the academy.

Fight for Judge: Conversely, this song perhaps brings out their true side. It can make you feel their determination in intentionally using the phrase “Fight for Judge”. I think it’s a song that audibly declares what kind of unit they are. “Nobly” is sung by Leo, but it’s not like he’s singing it thinking he’s a noble guy, but perhaps what he refers to as noble is actually his unit. He may seem to be someone who would say, “I’m noble!” (laugh) but maybe the fact that he won’t is what defines Leo. But when he’s with Knights, perhaps something like a resolve was born within him, that there’s no way he can walk away without saying the line.

Q: I was mesmerized by the line sung by Izumi, “Then once you’re prepared to struggle for it, come.”

It’s the part, “Come,” isn’t it? (laugh) If Izumi tells you to “come”… well, you would go, wouldn’t you? (laugh) There are times when I’d fling a word at a character precisely because they don’t look like the type to say it. But the amazing thing about voice actors is they’re able to make you approve of it. They grasp the intention of the song properly. They themselves are Knights, so if they’re asked to sing something, no matter what song, they’ll surely do it in this way. I think it’s something that will not change.

Valkyrie (Matsui)

Castle Upon Sand: First, I thought about the meaning behind Nazuna’s participation. From there, I thought that the theme, “coming apart” was necessary, and I started my work from creating an image in my mind perfectly and then smashing down the emotions. There are no specifics in what scene this song was sung in, and I didn’t give it a limit either. I think it’s okay to interpret the meaning behind the three singing this song in any way you like. But all of you know what happened, right? Maybe it’s when Mika started singing acapella in Marionette, maybe it’s when the three of them sang together in StarFes. After you come up with that, your imagination may start to expand, “What would the meaning of the lyrics become…” I chose the title “Castle Upon Sand” with the meaning of what seems to be perfect at a glance is something that crumbles so easily. But to me, this idiom also applies to “time”. Nazuna’s voice change also depends on “time”, and reconciliation perhaps depends on “time” as well. Also, there’s the line, “The key to the showcase is now covered in rust.” Perhaps “to rust” doesn’t have the nicest connotation, but if you think about the passage of time, antiques look more wonderful the more they rust. It’s a song that packs a variety of elements that can be seen as both good and bad.

Switch (Kodama)

Temptation Magic: Firstly, to inform more about the unit, we have the keywords “magicians” and “entertainment”. These are Switch’s first songs, so they would be introductory songs. On top of that, both songs share the theme, “We will attract your hearts with our magic, and make everyone happy!” Although, I approached both songs from different angles. To be specific, Temptation Magic uses the unit’s motif “lightning” and pierces through everyone. You can see a cool side of theirs that’s slightly more assertive.

Q: In “We’ll etch it in your heart …Switch,”* the part “Switch” is breathy and it had a great impact.

At first, I imagined that part to be a bit more machine-like. I already thought that would’ve been impactful enough, but I was surprised with how it turned out! It surely will be etched in your heart (laugh). It went beyond my imagination. It was truly amazing!

[*End of chorus: Kimi no HEART ni umekomu...Switch]

Knockin’ Fantasy: The picture I had is that in this song, they are showing their more natural selves than they do in Temptation Magic. While you don’t know if they’re expressing their true feelings, while you can feel the song’s insecurity and be entranced by it, they’re going all out with the happy feel to fill up the concert hall with smiles.

fine (Kodama)

Fortissimo of Fluttering Wings: I was given a request to reveal Eichi’s feelings. But I can’t make it into Eichi’s solo—it had to be a song sung as a unit. I started from there. So rather than Eichi’s own feelings, I kept in mind things like the burden that is shouldered by the unit fine that Eichi formed. Maybe, depending on the time period, both this song and the second track Neo Sanctuary would’ve been sung by different members. But I thought about fine’s purpose at a particular time period, and wrote the lyrics.

Neo Sanctuary: For this one, I thought about a way to make the listeners think that it might have been fine consisting of different members. Depending on how you see it, Eichi’s strong determination to open up a new world may be “evil”, but for some reason you can’t look away. Eichi is Yumenosaki’s top idol to those who don’t know him, but those he hurt wouldn’t be able to see him that way. Eichi and fine stand on top of such despair, all alone. That’s the image I have. Midorikawa-san’s “fine -the end-” was recorded more times than I expected…! For this part, I was asked to make it impactful, but I was surprised when I listened to the end product. Also, I thought the meaning of “Hibiki wataru/resounding” would waver if Hibiki himself sings that line, so I had the juniors sing it. In the chorus before the climax, Tori-kun’s “For eternity”* was so cool, and it left an impact. If Tori-kun can hit it off with a line like this, I couldn’t think of anything else but, “He’s really going to be the next emperor!” I could feel that all of the voice actors truly did a good job in making the character theirs.

[*“Towa ni ataeyou” | The whole line: We shall bestow you order (Yuzuru) for eternity (Tori)]

Trickstar (Matsui)

HEART→BEATER!!!!: What I worried about was if it’s going to overlap with the main theme, ONLY YOUR STARS. In the end, I decided that ONLY YOUR STARS expresses the excitement the [boys] have towards themselves, while in HEART→BEATER!!!! the four are going to get the audience excited. Regarding the title, there are two Trickstar members who are part of the basketball club, right? The term used in the sport, “buzzer beater” became an inspiration to the title, which means that “they are going to make your heart beat [loudly]”. You can feel that it’s something that the four would come up with after discussing with each other. You can imagine a good-natured conversation, like, “There’s this thing called ‘buzzer beater’, so what about ‘HEART→BEATER!!!!’? Sounds cool, right?!” “I like that!” Also, I added four exclamation marks, with meaning that these four are going to make a surprise together. For the lyrics, I also chose the words, as best as I could, so that it wouldn’t be surprising if Trickstar members were the ones who wrote the lyrics. There are parts where I wanted to emphasize that this is what they want to convey, rather than considering if it’s easy to sing. In that sense, the lyrics are something less technical than ONLY YOUR STARS. That’s why some lines seem like something I wouldn’t write. Youhei Matsui won’t write, “The spotlight will turn even sweat into light,”* but if it’s Trickstar members they would write it, I thought. It’s like they would put down how they feel as it is into lyrics. The line, “We can’t wait,”** expresses their feelings of wanting to sing on the stage right there, right at that moment. I didn’t have much trouble writing this song, and it felt like I wrote the lyrics after listening to conversations among the four of them.

[*Chorus of second verse: Spotlight ga ase sae hikari ni kaeteku **Beginning: Machikirenai no sa]

Rainbow-Colored Seasons: This song may not have been made by the boys in the present time. When they’ve become a bit more mature, I think they would have this kind of worldview. Perhaps, this is an expression of Trickstar members from one step ahead in the future. Firstly, Subaru’s “The changing seasons”*… it’s not something you would’ve imagined coming from Subaru so out of the blue (laugh). But that’s exactly why, if he’s singing something like this, he wouldn’t be the Subaru from “now”, but it would be Subaru who has slightly matured, has had and digested a lot of experience. Perhaps, it’s a song of Trickstar members who are aiming to stand on an even bigger stage.

[*Beginning: Utsuri kawaru kisetsu no]

[s0ngsandstars]

I should draw all of the character ever but in hats. They should all be wearing hats.