#like wherever that post is about Taking A Nap Together Should Be An Acceptable Activity

[butchhansolo]

i see a lot of brotherly sleep/cuddle pile art of the clones in this fandom but im curious how many of you guys like Actually do this with your siblings bc i ask ppl irl and they give me strange looks so:

and if your answer is "never but i would not" can you elaborate in the tags?

signed, guy who actually does this and is wondering if it's weird

[honeyabyss]

Different ways to say I Love You (minus Luke)

Lucifer:

Lucifer isn't the best at saying what he actually feels due to his pride getting in the way, but he makes it up with small gestures

he is very observant and often knows what you need before you know it

putting on the fireplace in his study when he notices you start to rub your hands or shift your legs to warm them subconsciously

refilling your cup/glass while he pours something himself

"You should have dressed better, I can see you're shivering..."

his snarky side comments might sound like he's annoyed, but he actually cares and worries

he will most definitely put his cloak around your shoulders and keep you close to him with a hand on your waist

he's conflicted between staying subtle and showing you off all the time

"Aren't they looking amazing today? Haven't you stared enough yet? You're making them uncomfortable!"

when you're in private he becomes more open and affectionate, but still tries to play it down

him moving with his work away from his work desk to the small coffee table, sitting side by side with you, just to have you close

when he's feeling stressed he tends to intertwine his fingers with yours, seeking the comfort and familiarity of you

Lucifer tries to give you the same he feels when he is with you comfort, peace, a place to hide from the rest of the world

"You are my save haven! I don't always have to be at my best when I'm with you!"

Mammon:

"Hey! Look what I've brought you home. Ain't I the best?!"

small gifts are a regular occurrence with the Avatar of Greed, which don't always have to be the most expensive, extraordinary or thoughtful ones

"I was on the way home when I saw this and thought of you...you needed this right?"

it could have been the most ridiculous thing like a single paperclip, but he'd be so proud to have noticed and remembered you were having troubles organizing your papers yesterday

him being a tsundere makes it hard for him to openly admit or show his love for you sometimes, his thoughts are full of you and he is constantly complementing you and how much he wants to hold you in his arms or kiss...but actually vocalizing or holding and kissing you seems to be way harder

though that doesn't hold him off to keep you close and hold hands in front of others, you're his human and everyone shall know, you're his and his alone, they'd be mad to try and steal you away

as his sin is Greed, hoarding stuff happens often, most of the times he sells them to be able to get money, but every single thing you'll give him will hold a special meaning in his heart, will show off your gifts to brag

but material love isn't the only thing he can give, he'll also gladly give you all his time

he'll randomly invite you to go take a drive with him, just get in the car and go, no set destination, just Mammon and you away from his brothers and all the others

when you're alone he'd still be nervous, but cuddling will happen a lot, though he is always blushing a bright red

"If I could choose to have one treasure in my whole life, I'd choose to only treasure you!"

Leviathan:

being the Avatar of Envy, he is quick to loose his temper when you're talking or even dare touch other people, he'd be rather alone with you, but that doesn't always work, so being open and mindful about his sin is a must

"Soo what did you two talk about? Not that I mind...but you can also talk about everything with me, you know that right?"

he knows that his social skills aren't the best and that he doesn't know about to many normie topics, but he'll try his best to listen to you and come up with responses and ways to keep the conversation going

he wants to make sure you know he loves you so badly, but all he knows about love is from animes or games, so he often tries to recreate romantic scenes only to get thoroughly embarrassed

"d-d-don't laugh! This i-i supposed to be ro-romantic...."

he tries to keep you close to him as much as he can when you're outside

he knows how anxiety inducing it can be for him, when someone suddenly touches him, so he always asks you first, as embarrassing it is to ask you to hold hands or kiss, he feels better knowing you want this too

when he is playing his games, he dislikes it when you disappear out of his vision, wanting to make sure you're still there and letting you know he hasn't forgotten about you even though he is currently concentration on his gaming, he'll keep you in his lap with a furious blush on his cheeks and he might see the game over screen more often but it's definitely worth it

"You make me overcome my weaknesses, just give me time and I'll make you happy!

Satan:

"The weather is nice...do you want to take a walk with me?"

Satan enjoys spending his time with you in any way possible, a simple walk, reading sessions, visiting your favourite places, discovering new cafés, exploring galleries and museums, as long as you're around he is open to try anything

lazing around in his room cuddled up next to you with a good book will stays his favourite though, he has you for himself and it feels reassuring to know you stay with him even on the normal and eventless days

Satan isn't too handsy, but he does keep your hand in his wherever the two of you are, even if you only making your way to the kitchen, he is not exactly jealous just happy to call you his and show it

the subtle intimacy of handholding speaks volumes to him, to others it may seem like the most ordinary couple thing, but he likes to experiment and if his stupid idea of only holding 2 fingers makes you laugh then it was a full success to him

no matter how much control over his sin he has sometimes he breaks too, after getting out all his anger, he tends to be exhausted and feels vulnerable, he'll just sit down with your hands intertwined and his head resting on your shoulder, seeking comfort and affection

"Have you smiled yet? I smile every time I think of you!"

Satan will leave small notes to make your day or send you messages on your DDD when he can't be around you

"Did I ever tell you that you feel like home to me? I hope I can be your home as well!"

Asmodeus:

so many praises and compliments, like you can just sit there looking at your phone and Asmo just coos

"You look sooo pretty!~ let's take a picture together to remember this moment!"

he will take a lot of pictures of you and him, just to look at for himself when he misses you, to show off to his brothers and Solomon, or to the whole Devildom through posting it on Devilgram

he simply enjoys to look at you, though it always ends in a warm hug , kisses and praises

he may not be very poetic or thoughtful with his touches, but he always gives it his all, some feelings he just can't describe in words so he just holds you close to show you his feelings

spa days, shopping tours and going into the club happen often, though he understands if you're not up to it some times, but he will whine and demand to spend you day differently with him

he can't help it he wants to spoil you and show you off, he's is almost never jealous, rather proud even when someone flirts with you, that doesn't mean he'll give you away

"Come here, let me just hold you. You fit perfectly into my arms..."

as the Avatar of Lust, physical touch means a lot to him, not only in the sexual way, but most in importantly in the way of craving affection, he wants to be hold and to hold you, give him all your attention and he'll be happy

"Thank you for staying and accepting me!"

Beelzebub:

sleepily walking through the hallways into the kitchen to keep Beel company while he has his midnight snack and just sitting next to him talking about your day

"Thank you for staying awake with me, do you want me to get you food as well?"

with Gluttony as his sin, food is big part of his daily life, but he doesn't just eat to satisfy his hunger, but also because he enjoys the food, no matter how hungry he is, he'll offer you even the last piece to make you happy

sharing new food and old favourites of his alike, Beel likes to share his food with you, as he feels less hungry in your company anyway

seeing you happy and full makes him happy and full as well, so he puts you first most of the times, letting you choose what you want and going along with your preferences

"Anything is fine with me, you can choose for us."

Beel is also very active, playing Fangol, training and etc, he often invites you to train with him or tries to teach you new stuff, if you don't want too that's fine as well, you can watch and he may try to impress you a little bit, but he won't train much when you're around wanting to rather spend time with you

bear hugs. just you walking basically anywhere and Beel suddenly hugs you tight against his chest, nuzzling your face and having a huge grin plastered on his face

his affectionate hugs and kisses come out of nothing, surprising but welcome, some times he forgets his strength and you'll have to remind him, he'll hold you very carefully then asking if this okay

"I feel complete with you, so just stay by my side!"

Belphegor:

"Lay down with me, I nap better with you at my side!"

obviously nap time with lots of cuddling, he just drapes himself over you, holding you close and sharing his warmth with you...if you're lucky you'll even get a small goodnight kiss, but only if he's in the mood

Belphie is a bit too straightforward with his words and sometimes ends up being a bit mean when he doesn't really want to, so in crucial moments with you he tends to become quiet and seek out to hold and hopefully show you his feelings

Belphie isn't handsy but he loves to cuddle, he may not always hold your hand when taking a walk but as soon as you two sit down he'll hug you close without saying a word

when he finds you sleeping somewhere without him, he is a bit hurt at first but he recovers quick, he'll make sure you're resting comfortably, the pillow is soft enough and that the blanket keeps you warm, even going to the length to bring you his own blanket if fell asleep anywhere but you're room, without a doubt he'll feel tired after taking care of you and will fall asleep right next to you

"Sleeping without me...unbelievable...I'll just have to squish myself next to you then.."

his other passion stargazing always ends up with him hugging you and telling you about the different constellations and it's stories until you fall asleep...only when he is sure you're dreaming he dares to run his fingers through you hair and lowly hum a lullaby into the otherwise silent night

"Let's dream our life together and promise to make it true one day!"

Diavolo:

as the prince of Hell, Diavolo only ever knew people who treated him with respect, always leaving him to feel lonely and out of place, but then you came and you weren't scared neither did you treat him like a prince, you made him your friend and soon more

with you he feels finally complete and he tries to show you his appreciation and affection any free moment of his time

he'd buy you anything you want not caring about the price, but please tell him that a small and thoughtful gift makes you just as happy as anything else

being with you always has him giddy and bursting with love, he can't hold back and will shower you in attention or at least watch you do your thing

"You're looking radiant my love! I can't believe you're mine!"

similar to Beel he has these affection attacks where he'll just suddenly have the urge to hug you and shower you in kisses

being prince requires a lot of paper work, which he dislikes, when you're around he'll indulge himself in a few more breaks than he should, ending in him having to work overtime much to his dismay

"Will you stay up waiting for me at home?"

He knows it's a selfish thought, but he loves the feeling of coming home to you and getting greeted, he feels at peace when you're there and wait for him

"I'll never have to feel lonely again, when I have you!"

Barbatos:

as a butler time isn't something he has much of, so he some times feels like he can't give you enough, he'll try to meet as often as possible but often it's only for an hour or so a day

"Do you need anything else? More tea? Anything?"

He'll probably be stuck in his butler role and try to serve, completely disregarding himself, just grab him and make him sit down

Barb isn't used to physical touch and feels less comfortable to hold you in public, handholding is the maximum for him, he probably needs some time to get used to the more affectionate things

but when in private gentle touches, soft hugs and small kisses are his thing, just small reassuring stuff while you two relax and talk about daily life

he is more of a listener and he enjoys listening to your voice, it's one of his comfort things, hearing your voice means you're safe and that helps him keep calm a lot...he may not show it, but on the inside he is always worried for you living in between demons, he's on of them he knows how dangerous it can get

phone calls while he works happen more and more often as your relationship progresses, the need to see you gets stronger, but he can't just leave work, so you'll talk over the phone

"I missed you so I had to call. How is your day?"

night-time is his favourite, no work, no on watchers, just you two and your love for each other, if only it could be always like this

"One minute with you feels like eternal bliss, imagine our happiness if you'd stay with me forever!"

Solomon:

Solomon has watched many people die in his life, so he got used to not getting attached too much, falling in love with you wasn't planned, but he can't help feeling clingy with you now

he'd play it down, aloof as he always seems, but on the inside he is screaming at you to not go at the end of the day, just one more hug, one more kiss, maybe stay over the night?

he'd never say it out loud and every time he does say something affectionate something teasing or a 'just kidding' follows, scared he might seem too clingy

"You're my everything, without you I feel like I'm suffocating...just a joke I'm breathing fine, see?"

he's always touching you in some way, holding your hand, arm around your shoulder, his hand on your waist, back or knee, whatever he just wants to feel the warmth of your skin telling him you're still there

he has lived through so many human lifetimes and experienced so much, he's happy to share all the good stuff with you and show you the most wondersome places in all three realms

the bad stuff though he keeps to himself, guides you away and hopes you'll never experience it

"Hey! Surprise I was close by and I thought we could take a walk?"

Solomon loves spending his time with you in whatever way, just whisk him away to whatever activity you'd like, surprise dates are his favourite, he doesn't want to plan out his whole life

"Now is my favourite moment with you. Why? Because I'm with you!"

Simeon:

Simeon as an author has his way with words, being able to spin them just right so every moment will become perfect, but he's more used to writing than talking and he'll use that to his advantage

"Even in the darkest of nights, your beauty lightens the room!"

expect love letter, sweet notes and poems written by him, hidden your schoolwork, waiting for you on your desk in RAD, on your pillow at HoL, anywhere he can sneak them to he will

and trust me he'll get so happy when he finds out you kept every single one of his writings

he also loves cuddles but only in private, in public he'll restrain himself to simple handholding or guiding you through the streets with your arms linked together

he enjoys to spoil you with attention, doing whatever you want, often it leads to cooking where as Luke likes to join in too, long walks, reading sessions, late night movies and cuddles, or even just long conversations about everything and anything you two can think of

"My lamb, may you come over and help a poor author who has lost his inspiration to write?"

when he is stuck with his writings he likes to take a break with you and hold you tight in his arms listening to your suggestions until he feels inspired again, no pressure though he can keep writing any time he doesn't have to come up with something on the spot, just distracting him for a bit works too

"I may have found paradise in your arms tonight, do you think your heart may be so kind to let me stay?"

[mokkoriness]

Motto2 vol. 20 Saga Long Interview

Photo credit: Fantasy Alice9

Looking back on A9's activities in 2016, they showed us a cool world view through their 2nd EP "LIGHT AND DARKNESS", which was released this Spring, and also showed us a fiery live performance comprised of only songs from the band's 1st year at their 12th anniversary show on August 28th. Here and there, you can hear some people worrying about them, asking "Are A9 lost?". As they progress with activities, there is surely no mistaking that their approach and their feelings towards music have changed. Here, we will going along the timeline of events in 2016, and explore Saga's emotions at the time. As we do so, perhaps we can naturally start to see the future that A9 is heading towards.

It was a little unexpected. Since you and Ryosuke are pretty much from the same generation of bands, I thought that perhaps you have had a proper conversation with him before.

Saga: It was unexpected... Despite the fact that we had known of each other quite a lot from 12 years ago. It feels like we were finally able to interact at this point in time. I think that perhaps we were able to talk like this because we have both been in the business for 10 years, have our own thoughts, and have both experienced many things. It made me want to do even more fun things with him. I really thought that it would be nice if we could do something big together.

And on top of that, both of you have this common theme of "returning to your roots". Oddly enough, both bands are in the same mode.

Saga: That's right.

Since Lolita23q are resuming band activities, you can understand why that would be the case for them. But why is A9 in that mode now? I would like to find the answer to that while reviewing this exciting year.

Saga: Sure.

First of all, I think that this was a year where A9 participated in many event lives, something that was not seen until now.

Saga: That's right. To go in chronological order, we first did a 2-man show with Plastic Tree. We had played with Plastic Tree before on an NHK TV show, but it was our first time playing a 2-man show with them, so it was profound. Plastic Tree have had a long career, and when we had started our band, there were many other bands that had been influenced by Plastic Tree's sound. Even members from the band I was in before A9 were influenced by Akira Nakayama's guitar playing. Of course, I also listened to their songs. So I played on stage while thinking about how deeply emotional it is to play a 2-man show with such seniors. Also, actually having met them, they were really friendly people, and will tell you anything if you ask them.

That's right.

Saga: And after the live that day, we also went celebrating afterwards, which is a rare thing, and even talked about our personal lives (laughs). I thought that they were really great older brothers. Of course, I really learned a lot from the way they presented their live show. I was really stimulated, like on how to make an impression at live events or how to use curve balls. And above all, I thought it was amazing that they have always been consistent with their unique world view for a long time now.

That's right. Not only did you play with senior figures in the industry, you also played at events of younger bands.

Saga: The event we played at for another magazine, Cure, at Shinkiba Studio COAST, was during the A9 Tour 2016 "TRUTH IN LIGHT AND DARKNESS". Around that time, we had a killer schedule (laughs).

You also played at "Nico Viju LIVE" at Makuhari Messe on the same day, right?

Saga: Right. We played at two events on the same day (laughs). On top of that, the day before, A9 had a solo live show in Kooriyama. So we arrived at Makuhari in the middle of the night to do a sound check, then went back to the hotel to shower, had a nap, and played live at Makuhari Messe during the day. Then we went to Shinkiba to play at the event. Right after that, we headed for Kanazawa because we were playing a solo show the day after.

That is a chaotic schedule (laughs).

Saga: It was chaotic. But even though we were pushing ourselves, I am glad that we did it. Although a majority of the bands playing at "Cure" are our juniors, there were many cool bands. The feeling that we were out of place there was amazing (laughs).

Out of place?

Saga: How should I put it... All of the bands were hitting hard (laughs). They're all young, they were wearing enamel costumes, they had feathers attached to their costumes, and they were wearing really heavy make-up. Naturally, the kind of audience there was completely different. And then there was me, who went out to play on stage wearing a simple t-shirt... It was like "Sorry for being out of place" (laughs).

(laughs).

Saga: That was the kind of feeling (laughs). But at the same time, I was really curious about how we appeared in the eyes of fans from the younger generation.

Were you worried that even if you played at an event with young bands, A9 wouldn't be accepted?

Saga: To be honest, I was. But once we started playing, they actually grooved along. How should I put it... the mood at the venue was that they would groove along simply if the live was good, or rather, they had a good feel for what good sounds were. It did made me think that if the live show is a good one, you will get a reaction right away, and that there was a good response. When you have been watching lives for a long time, you have the tendency to watch bands that you are seeing for the first time calmly. You think "That groove is something new". It actually made me feel that I wanted to win over the fans of the young bands.

What was the song that got the biggest response and feedback that day?

Saga: "Yami ni Chiru Sakura", a song from the band's early days. From the line-up of performers playing at the event, we guessed what the mood of the venue would be. When we played it as our first song, people really got into it. I had a lot of fun once I saw the reaction from the crowd (smiles).

Like "We guessed it right!"

Saga: Like "This is going exactly as planned" (laughs).

So then in July, you had a 2-man show with Takuto Nakajima. Speaking of him--

Saga: It goes without saying that he is good at singing and his live performance was cool. What left the biggest impression on me from that event was his advice.

What did he say to you?

Saga: What made me go, "Oh, you're right!", was when he said to us "Not flattering the fans is also important". He said "Sometimes, it's also important to just leave the fans behind, express yourselves, and make it a point to not align with them". I thought "Oh, I see".

Did you ever have such thoughts?

Saga: No. Because lately, we have been conscious of doing things like going together with the fans, or taking the fans somewhere, or doing a live show looking at the faces of the audience members. But I only realized that I didn't have that kind of feeling only until Takuto had given us that advice. Also, he was very persuasive, because it was Takuto, who has had a career of continually bringing good songs to fans.

That's right.

Saga: Although at this point in time, it is quite difficult for A9 to directly adopt his advice... Somehow, his advice has always stuck with me. I've been thinking about where to make use of that advice going forward. That approach is alo important.

That's true. Then in Summer of this year, you also participated in V-NATION at Yoyogi National Gymnasium Second Gymnasium. Wasn't the line-up this year a little different from that of last year?

Saga: Right. This year, there were more of our senior bands.

Were there interactions between the bands backstage?

Saga: Yes, because Hiroto is a puppy. He just goes wherever he wants (laughs). Hiroto himself is actually Mogu (name of Hiroto's pet dog) (laughs).

Puahaha. He is certainly like a pet dog...

Saga: If I had to say, he has no concept of national borders (laughs), and he just goes wherever he wants. If I had to say, it's like every band we play with is his owner, and he just goes wherever while wagging his tail (laughs).

You better put a leash on him (laughs)!

Saga: No, we purposely let him run wild (laughs). It's like if leave Hiroto like that, A9's diplomatic relations will be fine (laughs). I'm the exact opposite of him, so I'm just like "Go and do what you're best at!" (laughs).

You'll make full use of his adorable younger brother (puppy) character (laughs).

Saga: On top of that, Hiroto himself knows what his special characteristics are (laughs). Like "I'm a dog. No matter where I go, people will fawn over me" (laughs). Unlike Mogu, he acts like this fully aware of the fact. How scary~ (laughs).

(laughs).

Saga: Because of Hiroto's character, whenever we play at events, we get more acquaintances. It was the same this time too.

Also, at a men's beauty event in Kobe, you played with your former brothers, D=OUT.

Saga: The last time we met D=OUT was when we were still in the same management company, so it had been a while since we last saw them, but they seemed happy. They had just gone independent too, and said they were working hard. We talked about many things in the dressing room. Real talk (laughs).

(laughs). Then in Autumn, you participating in "PARTY ZOO~Ken Entwines Naughty Stars~".

Saga: This really was an event tour full with the feeling that we were a family.

Even during the live performance, you played together on stage.

Saga: We were family on stage, family in the dressing room, and even until the post-show celebrations were over, we were family (laughs).

Did you celebrate after every show?

Saga: It was a must.

Didn't your generation also have post-live celebrations?

Saga: We did, but barely. Our generation is where there are traces of that. So our generation ended that custom (laughs). So we were brought back into those times (laughs).

(laughs). But it was fun, right?

Saga: Yes, the post-live celebrations for PARTY ZOO was. The day after the event in Kobe was the day of PARTY ZOO in Osaka. The second we arrived in Osaka, we got a message asking "Are you in Osaka?". When we responded "We're here", the next message we got was "Let's drink" (laughs).

The day before PARTY ZOO?

Saga: Yeah. When we said "But tomorrow is the day of the live...", they responded "So then let's drink!" (laughs).

That doesn't make sense (laughs).

Saga: So I ended up drinking until 4 in the morning and got a hangover (laughs). The craziest person there was SID's Aki (laughs). At the celebrations, he would always say "We're drinking until morning!" (laughs). Well, I like drinking, so I did drink with him until morning (laughs). And as one would expect, I got a hangover (laughs). But the event itself was very good.

You guys were wasted on stage. You got the order wrong (laughs).

Saga: (laughs). Even rehearsals for PARTY ZOO was fun. Even during dress rehearsals, Ken was there, and he gave us plenty of advice on our sounds and our playing. However... during dress rehearsals, I really didn't like how we was holding himself back while playing at a really low volume from behind my amp (laughs). I was like "Can that Ken (from L'Arc~en~Ciel) not act like a roadie? It makes me even more self-conscious" (laughs).

(laughs).

Saga: But Ken was really nice. Or rather, he was like an older brother. He gave us plenty of advice, like his impression of A9, or his thoughts on our live performance, and how to present our band. I was deeply moved, like "He is giving us all this advice while looking at all these things. Amazing!".

He is a very detailed person.

Saga: He is. To us, Ken is someone you see on TV, he is someone above the clouds. So we are extremely grateful that he gave us very detailed advice. To the point I want to make a book out of his advice (laughs).

Let's do that (laughs).

Saga: Also, I was allowed to play in a session band with Ken, and Ken also played with A9, and this was a wonderful experience. I was really moved at the fact that Ken joined us on stage to play "Hana" on the first day a Toyosu PIT. Also, the crowd there watched every band, and the event itself really went off. BAROQUE also said that since PARTY ZOO, more people have been coming to their shows.

That's what I heard.

Saga: I think that that's perhaps because the bands playing there were motivated by that light that is Ken, and we had a new kind of charm brought out. In that kind of venue, I think we were also able to show even more of the strength that we have.

Were you also a little bit interested in the band Made in Asia, who was a little bit different from the other bands playing?

Saga: That band was awesome, right?

They were.

Saga: On top of that, we played right after them. I wanted them to change the playing order (laughs). Also, Made in Asia's playing time changed depending on the day (laughs). Since each time it's a session performance. I was told this in advance. Like "Depending on the day, the length of our songs changes with our mood. Sorry" (laughs). When they told us that, I was like "Oh, that's something new!" (laughs).

And when the live show was over--

Saga: Having post-live celebrations was a must (laughs).

Were there lots of dirty jokes being told (laughs)?

Saga: We were actually having quite heated and serious talks about music. That was actually quite refreshing. We were drunk off our faces and joking around, but what we were talking about was music (laughs).

Can you joke around when talking about music?

Saga: That was the weird thing (laughs). They were like "My bass is shining. Yay!" (laughs). That was actually funny.

That was surely Ken's way of setting the mood...

Saga: That's right. Even when drinking, Ken had completely set the mood. When I got drunk, I even came clean with MUCC's Miya and said "I don't want to play with MUCC. Never. Because they're so cool" (laughs). It really was fun being able to communicate beyond the boundaries of junior and senior, and it was only possible because of Ken.

Many session bands played at the event, and you participated in many session bands too, didn't you?

Saga: Yes. Together with MUCC'S Tatsuro, we played The Blue Hearts' "TRAIN-TRAIN", and at the PARTY ZOO After Party, I played X's "Kurenai" with Miya. Even though at first, I heard we would only play "Kurenai", right before the show, he said to me "We're also playing "X"". I was like "Huh?" (laughs). I was like "I know the song, but still... We're on soon, crap...", and so we played it without having rehearsed it. And this was a 4 in the morning (laughs).

(laughs).

Saga: We played it without having rehearsed it, and while drunk (laughs). Well, that included, it was fun (laughs).

Was it as if you were kind of playing at a school festival?

Saga: That's right. It kind of took me back to the days when I was a student. But since Ken was there, I wasn't able to completely go back to being a student. It was as strange feeling (laughs).

Seeing it was a crazy tour both on and off stage... it's only natural that we would hear people here and there saying they were missing PARTY ZOO when it was over.

Saga: As expected, we felt a little sad after it was over...... Having done the tour, I severely feel that it was a good event. And that I wanted to play more.

There never was such a fun event tour before.

Saga: It was fun, but to a certain extent, it was tough. But every day on tour, I was hungover (laughs). The dressing room was also always in an uproar, and it really was like a zoo. In terms of whether it was tough or not, it was tough (laughs).

(laughs) And then in Autumn this year, you also played at the "Visual Festival 2016" in Osaka.

Saga: This was our first time playing here, but I heard it was an event that has been running every year for quite a long time. I like "Oh really?". Since playing at the event in Spring with the young bands, there was this feeling in the band that we wanted to play at more events that that young generation of bands played in too. Our outfits on this day were the ones we wore at our 12th anniversary live on August 28th, and not just a t-shirt (laughs).

And you also played at "VISUAL JAPAN SUMMIT 2016", what could be called the biggest Visual-kei event of this year.

Saga: Originally, Hiroto had been a live support member for X-JAPAN's Toshi, and I also heard that he was on good terms with SUGIZO from the guitarist meeting. Although it was our first time meeting them as a whole band, we were allowed to play at the event.

Quite a lot of big names were playing at the event. Were you scared?

Saga: Of course I was, but on the day, there was a message from YOSHIKI, saying "A member from KISS is also here, so we can't show him a lame live. Please do your best". That was where we got the first blow (laughs).

(laughs) You performed quite early in the day, didn't you?

Saga: We were the first act to perform on the main stage.

Like, "We're going to warm up the crowd for our seniors".

Saga: That's exactly what it was like (laughs). It was in the afternoon and still quite bright outside, and it was a really long event, so when the timetable was announced, we had imagined that there still probably wouldn't be that many people there yet when it was our turn to play. But when we actually went on stage, there were already over 10,000 people there. I thought "Whoa, what is this? It feels like we're playing a stadium. And it's only midday too". There wasn't any rehearsals and we couldn't do a sound check either. There were so many causes for concern, but it was like "We have no choice but to do this!".

So how was it?

Saga: It was really fun. If I remember correctly, GLAY and X JAPAN were going to play after us on the main stage, and many of their fans were there, I think. But people who clearly were not our fans watched our performance, and they even jumped along with us when we asked them to. I was really glad.

It must have been incredible to see such a large venue full of people responding to you.

Saga: That goes without saying. I think it might have even be the first time for A9 to give a live performance in front of that many people, in terms of the size of the crowd. At Budokan, it is 360 degrees, and you get the feeling that you are surrounded, but at Makuhari Messe, it's like a sea of people spread out in front of you. It's a feeling we've never experienced before in the live performances we had done up until then.

Did it feel good playing at a large venue?

Saga: As one would expect, it did. Because there was a song that really shone for the first time in such a large venue as that.

And that song is?

Saga: Actually, we have many songs that were written with the image of it being played in a wide, open space. So when we decided to bring out "the beautiful name", which is a song that we haven't been able to play recently, I was moved, like "Yes, it has this kind of feeling". I was kind of moved, being able to play a song that was written imagining a wide, open area in a wide, open venue.

Even though it was an event, did experiencing such a large venue make you want to play at Nippon Budokan again?

Saga: That's right, I do want to play there again... Because we are in the mode where the band, in its 12th year, has reset it music activities too, and with the feelings we had when we first formed the band, are running towards a new goal. I talked about it briefly in the talk session earlier, but since the show on August 28th, where we celebrated our 12th year anniversary, it feels like we have started a new term. We want to do our activities aiming for a new goal... Personally, I think it doesn't matter what the goal is, but I think that a goal that is easy to understand, like Nippon Budokan, would be better.

But you have already played a solo show at Budokan, right?

Saga: Yes, once. But the show had this strong feeling that our previous company was allowing us to play there. Rather than it being like "Yay! We played live at Nippon Budokan!", the feeling that we were allowed to play there is stronger. That's why next time, we want to play there with our own strength. So now, we are running forward again towards that goal.

And that is another kind of returning to your roots, which came up in the talk session.

Saga: That's right. Returning to our roots is A9's theme since the live show on August 28th. To provide additional information on what I talked about in the talk session, when the band name had changed to A9, we thought about changing our image a little and to do the kind of music we've never done before, and that resulted in us releasing our 2nd EP "LIGHT AND DARKNESS" in Spring of this year. So as a result of various discussions, we tried making an EP that had black music and R&B elements in it, and adopting non-distorted guitar cutting.

It is a really refined release.

Saga: As you rightly say, as a result, it ended up being a really stylish release. For the band, it was an album that was made with a new musical approach, and I am glad that we were able to make such a release.

And the shows on the tour for this release was comprised of two parts, with the first part of the show was focused around the new release, and you performed facing each other, as if it were a jam session. In the second part of the live, it was more like the regular way A9 presented themselves. I watched the show thinking that it had very strong experimental elements.

Saga: Yes... For the band, it was a very experimental live tour. To make the decision to actually do that kind of live show required courage, as one would expect. But we don't have that feeling whatsoever right now.

Even though you took the time to create that kind of world?

Saga: Everything was reset at the 12th anniversary live. How should I put it... We have this path that we have continued to walk down for 12 years. It's a path we walked along always doing trial and error and experimenting.

Yes.

Saga: So in light of that, when we thought about what we should do next, the only musical approach that we could come up with was like that of you see in "LIGHT AND DARKNESS" of this Spring. Rather than saying that we chose this direction from a variety of musical directions, it was more like we had no choice but to go in that direction. But as expected... by doing an experimental live show on the Spring tour, where the show was comprised of two parts, all the feedback that we got from different points of views were all over the place, such as with what kind of thoughts the audience was watching us with, or what it was they wanted from us, or some of our seniors saying to us "Isn't A9 this kind of band?".

There was a mixed reception.

Saga: For better or for worse, there was a variety of opinions. Also, we had played at many events this year, so we had many opportunities to consider once again what kind of band A9 is. Of course, there are things that we want to do and ways we want to present ourselves, but there is also the A9 that the fans want to see, as well as the A9 that our seniors advise us to be like... To be honest, that became a very difficult thing for us (awkward smile). As we listened to the varying opinions, we were confused about what exactly A9 should do.

Just going back to the Spring tour, after playing the first show, did you have this feeling like "Huh? This is kind of weird?".

Saga: We did. I was like "Huh?".

Certainly, during the post-live celebrations, you all had these blank faces.

Saga: Yeah... At the time, we didn't know if A9 could pull off what we wanted to do. How should I put it... For example, we had this kind of concern that perhaps the feeling was similar to that of someone who liked metal to force themselves to play fusion music. We racked our brains over this. To be honest, we played each show on the tour while still being lost.

Personally, I was watching the show quite closely, thinking it was an important thing for a band of this stature to play this kind of music and sounds.

Saga: Oh, is that so? But this led us to "completely starting from scratch".

"Completely starting from scratch"?

Saga: Up until now, we always did our activities while thinking "We did this last time, so let's do this next time". In other words, we considered our next approach in light of our past. In terms of both visuals and sounds. That is how we arrived at this point. But we decided to reset all of those restrictions and restraints at the live on August 28th at Shinkiba Studio Coast.

It was announced at final of the Spring tour that the anniversary live on August 28th would have the concept of 2004 - 2005. Were you able to hear the loud cheers from the dressing room?

Saga: We did. The way it was announced, from a fan's point of view, they would be like "Are they going back to that time?".

Was the decision to return to your roots perhaps related to the feedback you got from the Spring tour...?

Saga: No, it wasn't because of the Spring tour, but it was decided since before then. I was the one who said that we should do this kind of thing for our 12th anniversary live. That is why we decided to do everything we wanted to do on the Spring tour. We thought to clear away our past and return to the time when we first formed the band. We thought that it would probably make the fans happy, and the people watching would surely find it interesting. Since every anniversary live, we kind of play our greatest hits, we thought that we shouldn't just have a repeat of that. So we tried putting on a live show comprised only of the songs that we had written in our first year. And when we did it, it was really amazing, both the reaction of the audience, and for me too.

For yourselves too.

Saga: I discovered many things. Actually, we pretty much don't play those songs at live shows these days. Even if we did, it would only be about the same five songs. So when we played all of those songs for the first time in a while, of course they were different from our more recent songs, but the songs didn't feel old.

I see.

Saga: Thinking about it, it's not like those songs were composed with the thought "Since we have already done this kind of song in the past, this time, let's make it this kind of song". I think that is a big difference from the way we have been writing songs recently. We had put what we were thinking as is into the song. But along with carving out the band's history, we kept on writing songs where we had adjusted the band's course while comparing it to the past, like "It was like this in the past, so we should do it like this now", or "Let's do this, because this is how people view our band", or "This song was too aggressive, so let's do this".

So you wouldn't write similar songs or you were moving towards improvement.

Saga: Right. But now, where it feels like we've come full circle writing songs in that way, I want that feeling that we had at that time.

To compare the song-writing method you had used over the last 12 years to a box of 12 coloured pencils, when you had used your favourite colours while trying not to use the same colour twice, all that was left over was the grey pencil, which is the hardest to use. And what you drew with that grey pencil was "LIGHT AND DARKNESS".

Saga: It really is like that. Like "This is the only colour we have left".

So now that you have used all 12 colours, are you putting the coloured pencils away and going to draw with the drawing tools that you want to use?

Saga: That is the point we have reached. Doing the Spring tour and then doing the 12th anniversary live with only songs from the band's early days. To me, it's all connected. To put it another way, it actually feels like we have come full circle. Putting aside the variety of views that people have about us, we'll start again from scratch to write songs without thinking about the past and not being self-conscious. We'll put our thoughts into the songs as they are. I noticed that if we were to write songs in that way without any restrictions, when we give form to the things we want to do, perhaps we will see the real A9.

Oh, I see.

Saga: Having starting over from scratch and going back to the same feeling we had in our early days, we're currently writing new songs. And it's almost strange that we are writing good songs one after the other. So now, I really do think it was a good thing that we did that live. Now, before even knowing it, we have welcomed our 12th year anniversary, and it really feels like we have truly gone independent. At the same time, I was also in the state of mind where musically too, we went back to the start.

And that from here on, you're going to build up a new history.

Saga: That's right.

So now that you have come full circle to start from scratch, which direction will A9 go in now?

Saga: Hmm... I can't say anything just yet, but I am proud of the song that we are writing now and will release next. There are no experimental elements whatsoever, and it captures everything that A9 is right now. We already know what we want to do next, and we are writing songs to our heart's content. There are no out-of-bounds areas this time. Nothing like "This aggressive beat is not allowed".

So if the members all write their own songs, is it possible that songs with varied tastes will be chosen?

Saga: That is possible. But thinking about it, that's what it was like in our early years. Originally, we all roughly wrote the same number of songs. When we were writing an album, Hiroto, Tora, and myself would write three songs each, and then Show would write one song. Over the last few years, I ended up writing more songs. So I want everyone to write a lot of songs to get the balance that we had back then. Up until now, all we used to think about was if we could express ourselves with a different approach, or if we could draw out a different kind of charm.

Perhaps by doing so, you were able to find some originality?

Saga: Maybe. But I believe that going through to the very end with the things that suit you and the things that only you can do become your individuality, and they become something that can't be so easily imitated by others.

That's true.

Saga: I think that by going through to the very end of it, it becomes something that sets you apart, and that it naturally turns into your individuality. So I think that doing what suits you and seeing it through to the very end is perhaps very important. This is what I strongly feel, as I work on A9's new songs.

Be it clothing or anything else, there are things that suit you and things that don't. There are clothes that fit Saga's slender figure, and if a band from another genre with a nice body were to put on A9's clothes, it might not suit them.

Saga: I think it goes both ways. Doing the things that suit you ultimately leads to it being your individuality.

All that being said, I think at the core of A9 is something beautiful. I don't think there is a need to go out of your way to destroy that. Because that's your individuality. I think that all you need to do is just stand their naturally.

Saga: In terms of the band, that is exactly the kind of thing we talked about. Now that we are in our third year since becoming A9, we should wear the clothes that we feel are just right, and to make the sounds that we want to make the most. That's the mode we are in now.

I am looking forward to the next release. So you are right in the middle of song-writing for that release. Personally, for the song-writing, do you refer to any of the experimentation you did with "THE ALTERNATIVE", the project you do with Nao?

Saga: I do.

I watched one of the shows, and I was surprised. You're good at singing (laughs).

Saga: (laughs) Well, as expected, singing is difficult. I also talked about it in the talk session earlier, but originally, I had liked composing songs, and I aspired to be a singer-songwriter. It was a normal thing for me to listen to Masashi Sada or Miyuki Nakajima CDs, which was what my mum had listened to. What made me want to play the guitar and compose songs and sing them was that it was how I was introduced to music itself. To put in modern terms, I looked up to the singer-songwriters that are like Motohiro Hata. But when I was in middle school, I was poisoned by that thrilling thing called bands. So I dyed my hair, and even my soul was dyed with rock music (laughs).

(laughs).

Saga: So I had made this huge misstep in my life (laughs), but originally, that was what had introduced me to music. I had played the guitar, sang, and wrote songs at home. Actually, I only write songs that I can sing.

There are many occasions where guitarists write songs starting with a cool riff, right?

Saga: That's exactly right. The way I write songs is different from that. Our guitarists write songs with riffs as the main thing. But for me, I won't hand the song over to Show if it's a song that I myself cannot sing. I think that it's because I write songs like that while singing along to them at home, I've naturally come to be able to use my voice. Probably (laughs).

No, no, it's not about being able to make sounds or not. It's about your nuances and that it feels like you've mastered singing. You're not like most bassists (laughs).

Saga: (laughs) As a person who has written the song, when I am communicating to Show the nuances, I also sing it to him, like "Do it like this".

Now, it seems that rather than being a bassist, you're more like an multi-instrumentalist. Why are you so greedy when it comes to music?

Saga: The first instrument I played was the guitar, and at the time, I wanted to form a band as a guitarist. But people told me that they didn't need a guitarist. Thinking that I'll never be able to be in a band at this rate, I had no choice but to become a bassist (laughs).

What?

Saga: But because of that, I was able to form a band, and now I am able to do activities as A9. So it's not as though I wanted to become a bassist, and I'm not so fussy when it comes to the bass. Regarding the keyboard, I learned it because it felt like it was necessary, so now, I can play it a little. I think that coming into contact with instruments and being able to play them to a certain extent is actually extremely important in writing or arranging songs. What I mean is that you can write songs looking at the band as a whole.

I see.

Saga: For example, if all you can do is play the guitar, you can only use the guitar to write a song with all your playing habits, and for the parts other than the guitar, you have to imagine it and write the song that way. But if you were to come into contact with all instruments, you'll be able to write a song with more dimension. Even with the drums, I actually try playing it myself, and I write the song with the image of me playing it. The same goes for singing too. I think that in that respect, it's a good thing to do. However, I also do think that writing a song without knowing about any other instruments apart from your own is good in its own way.

What do you mean?

Saga: For example, when there is a kind of bass phrase that I myself would not have thought up of in the songs written by the other members, there are times when I think "Oh" This is new", and get motivated that way.

Are there times where you go "I can't play this"?

Saga: There are such times too. But I think that is still good in its own way. So it's more than okay for different people to have different approaches to writing songs. It's just that I'm the type of person who wants to know about every instrument. With regards to sounds, I've come to be fussy about the cleanliness of it, or rather, I am getting more particular about it... I want to create a demo that is perfect, in my own way. From there, while listening to the member's opinions, I start tearing it down.

So adding Hiroto and Tora's guitar and Nao's drumming to the completed demo that you made, you get A9's sound.

Saga: That's right.

Hiroto seems like a guitar artisan.

Saga: He is a kind of person who lives based on feeling. He is a true guitarist. His heart is also a guitarist (laughs).

I feel like there is some scorn behind those words (laughs).

Saga: It is really difficult, because Hiroto is a free spirit (laughs). How should I put it... If I were to put it in terms of arithmetic, in the 1 + 1 = 2 calculation, he first thinks about the answer only. He is like "A 2 is good here!! But I don't know how we get to the 2". Here, I would teach and explain the process, like "We should add 1 and 1 together here. But making it 2 costs too much, and is a bit too difficult". In the end, the idea gets rejected (laughs).

(laughs).

Saga: Then Nao makes his appearance here. He is very serious when it comes to the drums, but he has always been a very smart and scientific person. Since going independent, he has been enjoying hitting the abacus, in particular. To the point he breaks calculators (laughs).

There you go exaggerating again (laughs).

Saga: I'm serious. He often says "I broke the calculator~" while smiling brightly (laughs). It surely must be because he is hitting it as hard as he hits the drums (laughs).

Then you should talk to him about hitting it with dynamics (laughs). That reminds me, Tora has been working on videos since you went independent.

Saga: He was probably always interested in it. He had originally made the storyboard for the "Shunkashuuto" music video. Actually, the original demo for the song "Shunkashuuto" was something that Tora brought because he wanted to do a song based off the music video. So he has always liked making footage and drawing. So he has been making videos on his computer... But the thing with Tora is if you ask him to do something, he'll do his best to do it, but if you don't tell him anything, he won't do anything (laughs). So it should be fine as long as you keep asking him. Like "Please do this, Tora!!" (laughs).

(laughs) So while leveraging your various characteristics, A9 has returned to their roots, and you are heading towards a new goal.

Saga: That's right. We are writing songs now. It's like as though we are getting ready for an album.

So regarding recent news, you will hold "WHITE Christmas Live with A9 CHANNEL" at Differ Ariake on December 24.

Saga: Just as the title states, in addition to the live, we'll also do a live broadcast for Nico Nico.

That legendary Nico Nico live broadcast will be back (happy)! There are many fans who love it since it was funny.

Saga: Rather than being funny, it was an awful show (laughs). Well, personally, because of that show, I got a lot more fans, and I'm also grateful for the show. Until we did the show, apparently, many fans had the impression of me that I was a cold person who didn't talk much, but on that show, my parent’s house was exposed, and my mum and dad even appeared on the show (laughs).

Your mum was eating quite a lot of pizza (laughs).

Saga: She was (laughs). Tora went to someone else's house without any sort of appointment, and he even took a bath there (laughs). Well, as revenge, I went to his parent’s place (laughs). His mother had even shown us the mandarin gown that Tora used to use as a stage costume (laughs). While saying "Oh, what should I do~♪", she showed us his childhood photos. From Tora's point of view, she must be a terrifying mother (laughs).

I watched that show thinking that he was raised in a good household, like a young master.

Saga: Tora was raised well. Despite being raised so well, he went off the rails hard (laughs).

(laughs).

Saga: Oh, this is just additional information, but on the day of the live, we ask the fans to wear white clothes, if possible, since it's a "WHITE CHRISTMAS". During the tour at the start of the year, "BLACK PERIOD", it will be all black (laughs). We will play for two days at each venue, with one day being a solo show, and the other day being a 2-man live. The solo show will be pitch black (laughs), and I think we will try and mix in some new songs there. For the 2-man show, we asked some young bands that we had met during the the events and festivals we played at this year, so we will be playing with them. While receiving power from the young bands, we will do activities next year remembering that fresh feeling we are starting to forget (laughs).

You're still fine. You aren't losing to the young kids (laughs).

Saga: No, but really, the young bands these days are really good and put on quite good performances. They are quite formidable. We were really trembling, like "They are so much better than our generation...".

All you can do is not worry about the senior-junior relationship and go all out.

Saga: That's right. So we have the tour that we announced, and there are still some things we haven't been able to announce yet... So I am really looking forward to next year. Or rather, I am really confident in the A9 of next year. I don't think we will stray from our core activities.  We were a little flustered this year, though, taking on many challenges, doing trial and error, getting lost, and appearing at many events, which was a first for us. But as we received many opinions and advice, while referencing that, the answer that we came up with on our own is to "return to our roots".

That's right.

Saga: Although it's not manifested yet, we ourselves have a clear understanding of what A9 wants to do, both in terms of activities and sound. So we're not lost anymore, and we're going to move forward.

Fans should be able to relax and go along with you.

Saga: Right. Continuing on from participating in many events this year, we would like to interact with many bands next year too. Since I've been given the opportunity to talk with Ryosuke today, it would surely be fun if we could do something together... I can't wait, even though it will happen next year.