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kenmochi-toya-eng · 11 months

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ROF-MAO Spice Interview Translation (May 22, 2022)

ROF-MAO is a male unit consisting four members of VTuber group "Nijisanji": Kagami Hayato, Kenmochi Toya, Fuwa Minato, and Kaida Haru, the four have been active in a wide range of activities, mainly variety shows and music on YouTube. On April 13, they released a mini-album "Crack Up!!!!" containing 6 original songs. SPICE had an exclusive interview with the busy group, which is scheduled to hold another live concert in July. We asked them about their thoughts on their activities.

――ROF-MAO was announced on October 21 last year, and on April 21, it was just half a year since its formation. Could you share with us miscellaneous thoughts about your activities so far?

Kagami: “What kind of scene will it create when we as VTubers do something akin to a live-action entertainment show?” I think this is the concept and theme of each of the videos that are being uploaded now. I feel that it is becoming more and more familiar to us, to our fans, and to the public.

――Like you're getting used to it, or it’s starting to get well received?

Kagami: Yes, that's right. I think people are starting to look at us not because we are "unusual", but because "the four of them went there!", not just fans but also non-fans are gradually acknowledging this in the past six months or so.

――I see. How about you, Kenmochi-san?

Kenmochi: At first I was filled with the fear that I would be made to give "fanservice" because it is a four man group.

――Asked to do fanservice (laughs) How was it in reality?

Kenmochi: I think I managed to get by with just a little bit of that after the reveal (laughs), also, as Prez (note: Shachō–Kagami's nickname) said, there was a strong mood of ‘new movement’ when it first got unveiled, the viewer reaction gave a sense of "Are you going to start something that is not Nijisanji-like?” However, now I feel that we were able to greatly expand the range of what can be expressed without changing the form and groundwork of "Nijisanji".

Fuwa: Personally, I’m surprised that it has already been half a year. I have been enjoying our activities with the same excitement I had when we first formed the group, and I still don't feel like I have been "active for half a year," and that is honestly it.

Kaida: For me, too, the past six months have been very hectic, and my impression is that I have become more involved with many different people. When ROF-MAO was formed, the viewers and even the four of us wondered what kind of unit it would become, but from that point on, it has become known that "ROF-MAO is this kind of unit!", this recognition of ROF-MAO as a unit is now well established. I think the past six months have only been the "prologue" of the group, and it’s been a half year for people to get to know what kind of group we are.

――What are some unforgettable things that happened during the past six months of working together? This could be something from the shows, behind the scenes, etc.

Kagami: I have a variety of special favorite times on the show. One that I particularly remember is the day when we had three outside location shoots, which was a lot of fun. Maybe I didn't mention this, but the "Go-Karting," "No Plan Drive," and "Private Boat" sessions were all shot on the same day. On a day that gave out "Let's have fun in Tokyo all day!" vibes, I was thinking “It's great to have this kind of shooting because of our activities....” in the car that Kaida-san drives.

(No Plan Drive Episode) ノープランドライブ　墨田～お台場付近

――How would Kaida-san describe your most memorable experience then?

Kaida: The Private Boat episode was so much fun that I remember every detail of the shoot. To begin with, I’m not the type of person who enjoys going out for leisure, so I don't think I would ever think of taking on a private boat in my life. Besides, after being active as a Liver for so long, I don't get to see the outside scenery as much, so that time when we took pictures while enjoying the night view was really memorable for me.

(Private Boat Episode) 【屋形船貸切】初心者の一眼レフ写真対決！

――How is it for Fuwa-san?

Fuwa: Well...like you two, I am attracted to outside shoots, partly because I don't usually go outside. I think Go-karting is the first thing that comes to mind in terms of having fun with everyone. The guest times are also a lot of fun, but I do have to pay attention whenever it is with a guest......

(Go-Kart Episode) 【クラッシュ】ゴーカートで日和ってるやついる？いねえよなぁ！？

――When it comes to guests, that reminds of syudou's times as a guest (laughs)

Fuwa: I was quite nervous that time, but I had fun doing it...

(syudou as Guest Episode) 【過去最高の緊張感】絶っっっっ対に失敗できない戦いがここにある・・・！

Fuwa: If I had to name the riskiest/most dangerous episode ever, I would have to say the "Safari Park" episode. Actually, I had to record this episode early in the morning after not being able to get much sleep because we had the "Paranormal Spot Location” shoot late at night the day before, perhaps this was the one time I was the most listless. Kaida was driving and wobbled me around, so I became even more quiet... If you are curious, please do check the episode out.

(Safari Park Episode) サファリパークで運転したら囲まれ舐められ大変なことに……

Kenmochi: If I could add a light story that hasn’t got caught on camera. But one time he fled from the shooting spot by boat at full speed, because of an urgent situation.

――By boat? (laughs)

Kenmochi: Looking back, surely it was a sort of dangerous situation, but I remember well everyone was enjoying the unexpected turn of events and it was a good time. I think it will eventually be made into a video in some form and get released. When it does, I hope you will enjoy it by all means.

Kagami: Actually that part is the one that definitely shouldn’t get released to the public.

Fuwa: Now that I think about it, we might got a little out of our mind too (laughs).

――I'll be looking forward to your weekly updates then, as it made me very curious about it. Now, on the mini-album "Crack Up!!!!" released a few days ago. Placed No.1 on the weekly album chart on both Oricon and Billboard, it was a great place to start off with.

Kagami: Honestly, there wasn’t much reaction from my surroundings to the fact that it got #1 position on Oricon and Billboard, which made me not feel special about it. Isn’t that the case with everyone? How is it?

Kenmochi: When I saw a big advertisement in front of the train station, or when I went into an anime-related store and heard our song being played, I still could feel the "Is this… for real!?”

Kagami: That being said, there were times when I avoided going to CD stores on purpose, so I may have been completely oblivious to that.

Fuwa: You could also find huge advertisements for the album on station platforms.

Kaida: For me, it's actually the opposite. When I got a call that we had reached #1 on the Oricon and Billboard charts, I thought, "Huh? Could it be that we're actually popular?” (laughs)

Kagami: I see. It feels like the initial Spirit Gun in Yu Yu Hakusho*, it wasn’t only us, but also all the staff involved in this work, who put everything they had into this at one blow, which is why we were able to get such great results.

*(霊丸 / Spirit Gun, Yu Yu Hakusho MC’s signature move as he concentrates his Spirit Energy into his right index finger and releases it as a projectile)

――When it comes to the four of you, it seems that all of you is someone who has shown your passion for music and been actively involved in music even before the formation of ROF-MAO. Can you name one musical artist who has had the greatest influence on you and whom you respect?

Kaida: For me, it was the composer ryo, I was greatly influenced by supercell and EGOIST, including their vocalist.

Kagami: There are many artists who have influenced me, so this kind of question is difficult, but if I had to narrow it down to one person, I would say Moto Fujiwara of BUMP OF CHICKEN. Fujiwara-san is the first vocalist of a rock band that I was into in my life, so I’ll have to mention him.

Fuwa: I also have many favorite artists, but if I had to name one, it would be TAKUYA∞ of UVERworld. One time, I had the opportunity to perform at a live house as a hobby, and I heard from a staff member that he "always gives his all". I learned a lot from his attitude and stance and grew a strong admiration for him.

Kenmochi: Even though I have more opportunities to be involved with many people in the music industry now, I would say it is FLOW, with whom I had the opportunity to perform live together at last year's "Nijisanji Anniversary Eve Festival 2021”. I was able to experience firsthand how these amazing people have been working in this field for many years. In the midst of feeling like I’ve been allowed to stand on a stage that is beyond my capacity, I was shown "how to be on stage" and "where I should aim to be”.

――How did the mini-album "Crack Up!!!!" proceed in the making? Did you record the vocals while the tracks were already in the works?

Kagami: The production itself starts around the end of 2021? That was as far as I could remember.

Kaida: Vocals were basically recorded by two people at a time, with one group consisting of me and Prez (note: Shachō–Kagami's nickname) and the other group being Mochi-san (note: Kenmochi's nickname) and Fuwa-san, and so on. We would proceed in such a way that the first person that records the song would be the one to do the harmonizing, and so on.

――There are a lot of duets and harmonizing in the song, it must’ve been quite difficult?

Kagami: It was difficult.

Kaida: That’s right.

――Kaida-san also had some comical duet parts with Fuwa-san, Isn’t it?

Fuwa: When you say "duet" do you mean that part?* (the talking part in Let’s Get The Party Started!)

Let’s Get The Party Started!

――It's that part for example (laughs), it gives off all over the place feeling.

Kaida: That was me summoning "Imaginary Fuwa Minato" inside me and thinking, "Is this how he would act?"

Kagami: Ah, I see, now that I think about it, that was recorded on a different day, wasn't it?

Kaida: That song was recorded with me and Fuwa-san in a separate group. I remember we recorded that song at a time when our schedules were quite tight.

――You have assembled a very splendid team of creators, including Q-MHz, KEYTALK's Shuto, syudou, Maeyamada Keniichi (Hyadain), Noi, and MONACA’s Keiichi Hirokawa. Did you get a chance to meet them in person for the actual recording and be given any direction?

Kaida: Everyone was present during the recording. I think it turned out to be a good recording session because they could clearly convey the passion in "this is how I would like it to be”.

Fuwa: Maeyamada-san's direction was so memorable because it’s so fast-paced. “OK!” “OK!” “OK!” It proceeds just like that. That was very interesting because the speed was totally different from the others.

――It looks like everyone was getting on board with what Maeyamada-san was seeking from the start. Now, this is not meant to be demeaning at all, but on the other hand, what song took the longest time to record?

Kagami: For me, it was “Shitteiru Tegami/Familiar Letter”.

Kenmochi: That was the same for me.

Kagami: In a sense, this song is a literary composition that placed particular emphasis on the singing expressions. We each had our own views with Hirokawa-san's view laid out about the song, and then asked each other, "How should we do it?” We started the recording by singing the same phrase in several different patterns, using different voices and nuances, and the process ended up taking quite some time.

Kenmochi: While the other songs are energetic, this song has a slightly different flavor, so I tried various approaches to the song, such as emphasizing expressiveness in the way I sing it, and it took me a long time to grips the song.

知っている手紙

――I see. Now, please tell us one recommended song for each of the four of you from the songs included in "Crack Up!!!!".

Fuwa: I would recommend listening to any of them depending on your mood, but if I had to pick just one, I would pick "Shitteiru Tegami/Familiar Letter"

It may seem like a follow-up from their answer (Kagami and Kenmochi's previous answers), but the interplay between the instruments, especially the guitar and bass in the second half, is really cool, so please do give it a listen!

Kenmochi: I would also choose "Shitteiru Tegami/Familiar Letter". I think this song has the "The ROF-MAO you can't grasp unless it’s through music" in it, that can't be conveyed only through ROF-MAO Cram School where we appear. I hope you will give a listen to it.

Kaida: I would have to say "Lack Hack". It is a song composed by Vocaloid P, Noi, with a very catchy intro and powerful grip in it. There are parts of the song where the notes go very high and the structure of the song was also difficult, so I practiced a lot for it at home. On the recording, I felt quite the sense of “I sang it well!”

ラックハック

――Kaida-san in “Lack Hack” is remarkably good (laughs).

Kaida: When we were recording together, Prez praised me so much that I left home with a big smile on my face (laughs).

――How about Kagami-san?

Kagami: I think it's "I wanna! You wanna!”. I simply love the song. The person who wrote this song was Shuto-san of KEYTALK, and of course I knew that he was known to be a band member with a lot of energy but I was surprised to find out later that he used to be a member of “the cabs”, and in that sense, I was deeply impressed.

ROF-MAO "I wanna! You wanna!"

――Shuto-san is well known for KEYTALK, but his work with “the cabs”(note *1) is also great, too.

Kagami: While the song is not something like the cabs, the bass right before the last chorus plays a ridiculous phrase, almost like it’s Billy Sheehan (*2).

――the Mr.Big bassist? (note *2)

Kagami: Yes, that's right (laughs) the part feels really wild as if messing around. During the recording, I was barely able to keep up with the music, and I was doing aggressive shouts from the top to the bottom, to the point where I thought, "Can I really go this far?” It was fun to record the vocals.

the cabs: A three-member post-rock band that belonged to Zankyo Records from the mid-2000s to the early 2010s and was active with ‘te’, ‘cinema staff’, ‘mudy on the last night’, ‘highsinonasa’, ‘3nd’ etc. After the disband, Shuto focused on KEYTALK, and Kunimitsu Takahashi, who was also a member of the band, is currently working on a solo project "österreich”.

Billy Sheehan: American bassist active on the rock scene from the 1980s to the present. After playing in the Talas and David Lee Roth bands, he made his big breakthrough with Mr. Big and became the center of attention for his super plays. He is still active with various artists and is one of the greatest rock bass heroes with one of the best techniques of all time.

Kaida: When I heard Prez's chorus, I had a feeling that he really had fun recording it.

――Is there anything that you have become more conscious of or pay attention to in your daily life as you work in ROF-MAO?

Kagami: We have a regular ROF-MAO meeting about once a week, we and the staff have to come up with ideas to the point where we are all heaving with frustration to squeeze it out. It would be great if we could come up with various projects from our own ideas, so we start to look at our daily lives and think "This might be useful" or "This might be interesting”.

Fuwa: One thing I have learned in ROF-MAO is that I have to be very careful to get a good night's sleep the day before a recording session. Since the recording sessions sometimes start early in the morning and last until late at night, In fact, I have become much more conscious of this during other on-site recording sessions as well.

――You mentioned the same thing before. (On how the Safari Park episode was shot when he lack asleep)

Kagami: I think it really is such a huge deal for him. There was one time he slept really well, and he mentioned it maybe 13 times that day, "It totally feels different!!”, he kept saying it over and over (laughs).

Kaida: I get that (laughs) When Fuwa-san is listless, he looks like he could actually fall asleep in the middle of recording, so I can see it in his eyes.

――Haha (laughs) Kaida-san, do you have anything to add?

Kaida: I, the same as Prez, have started to look for ideas everywhere, and become more conscious of the video contents uploaded by creators. I also try my best not to get injured. ROF-MAO Cram School involves a lot of physical activity, so even a slight injury can prevent us from doing it at full strength. Of course, we take safety precautions during the recording, but I am very careful not to sprain or injure myself because I am the type of person who is careless and prone to it.

――How about Kenmochi-san?

Kenmochi: Something I become more conscious of, huh… I wonder... If I had to put it bluntly, I'd say that I try "not to be too conscious" of anything. I think being in this kind of showbiz industry sometimes makes you feel like you should give away your own true self for fame, but I’ll still make sure not to act too idol-like, flirty/giving fanservice, and push myself too much.

Fuwa: Like ROF-MAO’s last frontier?

Kaida: The one who wants to keep his beliefs intact and unwavering, right?

Kenmochi: Yeah, just like that.

――To wrap it up, Kuzuha & Kanae & ROF-MAO Three-Man LIVE "Aim Higher" is scheduled to be held on July 27th. I know it is still early to prepare for the event, but we would like to hear your feelings toward the live performance such as "I want to do something like this!” or “I want it to be this kind of live performance!”

Kaida: The strongest image of what I want to do is to show everyone who has supported me so far that "I can now do this!" This will be my first time performing at a live concert, and I am very excited to be able to sing on stage. I would like to experience the heat of the moment, which is something you can't understand unless you are there.

Fuwa: We ROF-MAO, Kanae, and Kuzuha are going to perform as three separate artists, so I imagined this concert as a battle of live performances. I’m really looking forward to seeing what kind of performance we will have, and I hope we can give a performance that won’t lose to the other two.

――Thank you very much. Kagami-san?

Kagami: One thing I keep in mind is that it’s my defeat if the audience thinks, "It was good this time, too."

――Defeat? Why is that?

Kagami: I think we are at the point where holding live concerts in Nijisanji is now becoming the norm, in a sense. Except for Kaida-san, if the members who have the opportunity to perform on many live stages cannot excite the audience with something brand new and fresh, there won't be next time. Personally, for me, it’d be better not to consider "It was good this time too." as a passing grade. I want to aim for the live performance holding a certain sense of risk in order to go to a higher level.

――I see. And finally, how about you, Kenmochi-san?

Kenmochi: I have participated in various live performances since the early days of VTuber, and I feel that VTuber live performances have progressed rapidly. This is because not only the performers, but also all the staff behind the scenes, such as the one in charge of lighting, sound, and producers who plan the events, share the same attitude that I can sense from Prez's talk. Even the way we set up this 3-man live concert was quite aggressive, and it was the first time for the four of us to perform in a live concert. We are trying to present something new in terms of performance, and we hope to make it a new experience for the audience as well.

――Indeed, and with that, I'm sure to look forward to the July live concert! Thank you very much to all ROF-MAO members for your valuable stories today!

ROF-MAO: Thank you very much!

Interviewer ・Transcript＝草野虹

#ROF-MAO #Interview Translation #agoen_twt #Kagami Hayato #Kenmochi Toya #Fuwa Minato #Kaida Haru

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