Nishiyama Koutaro

[Interview] Animate Times – Omikuji Yon Kyoudai Cast Interview

Published: 2020/5/22
Original URL: https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1587624437

Features:
Hatano Wataru (Shuu in Omikuji Yon Kyoudai)
Saito Soma (Ayame in Omikuji Yon Kyoudai)
Nishiyama Koutaro (Aoba in Omikuji Yon Kyoudai)
Takeuchi Shunsuke (Shiki in Omikuji Yon Kyoudai)
Komada Wataru (Ogata Kouichi in Omikuji Yon Kyoudai: Fuyu no Tantei wa Roast Beef ga Osuki)

Mentioned:
Genda Tessyo

※This interview was to commemorate the series’ first-ever BD/DVD release, their Fuyu no Tantei wa Roast Beef ga Osuki event.

Omikuji Yon Kyoudai gained new potential with their first-ever guest member☆

Q: First, please tell us your impressions of the Omikuji Yon Kyoudai: Fuyu no Tantei wa Roast Beef ga Osuki reading theatre that was held last winter.

Hatano: Rather than a normal reading theatre, this one felt like a new form of entertainment. It was on a large-scale stage, so we had to run around a lot.

Kawajiri Keita-san’s script had me laughing just from reading it, and it took each of the actors’ characteristics into play. It was a reading theatre where I really had no idea what would come forth.

Omikuji Yon Kyoudai was originally only the four of us, but by inviting Komada-kun as our first guest, I feel like the series has taken a new step forward.

Takeuchi: This was the second reading theatre we did, the first being Haru wa Omusubi!. I wondered how it’d turn out, but we had Wataru-san as a guest and the script took on a different flavour, so it felt like a new wave of dialogues was born. It showed that Omikuji Yon Kyoudai had room for such new developments.

I wanted to act both the comedic and the heartwarming parts with everything I had, to figure out how to make it the most entertaining, for the sake of the next installment as well.

Saito: I really got tired from laughing so much *laughs*. As they said, I really felt like I’ve grown through these good brothers, good series, and good characters.

Our guest, Koma-chan was a key character in this reading theatre, and if you were to ask me to name an alternative actor for him, no one else comes to mind at all.

We created this stage with this amazing cast, and it was a wonderful event that gave me high hopes for the future of the four brothers… but, it was seriously exhausting. *laughs*

Ayame’s parts were long. I’d keep flipping and flipping the pages, but it’d still be on Ayame.

Komada: Don’t be like that. If we removed any more lines, it wouldn’t be interesting anymore.

Saito: I want to take this opportunity to state that I had the fewest ad libs. *laughs*

Hatano: Who had the most?

Saito: *immediately answers* It was you, Hatano-san.

All: *laughs*

Saito: You were doing that rigid dancing while the lights dimmed, and the evening session had a lot of ad libs, right?

Nishiyama: His movements were visually way more active than everyone else’s. *laughs*

Hatano: Before it began, Kawajiri-san said “The stage transition there is a bit long, so feel free to play around.” So I really did it, only to see that no one else was moving!

All: *laughs*

Hatano: It was so embarrassing!

Saito: It was so funny *laughs*

Q: What were your impressions, Nishiyama-san?

Nishiyama: Both sessions were held on the same day, but it felt like the day and evening sessions were quite different in tone. This was because after the day session, during the break we discussed changes we wanted to make based on the audience’s reactions. I think it was a day of utmost concentration for all of us.

Komada: Like Koutaro-kun said, the audience reactions between the day and evening sessions would make you think they were different shows. All of the cast members made things more entertaining, and it was a lot of fun.

I was participating as the series’ first guest, so I was really excited about that already. During rehearsal, I absorbed as much as I could of the four characters they’d been developing all this time, and went into the performance wanting to simply enjoy the atmosphere.

The gap formed from the powered-up characters is hilarious!

Q: In the after-talk, you talked about how this event was the culmination of what came before it. Regarding what you have in common with the characters you play, has anything changed since your first impression of them?

Saito: I don’t think I have anything (in common). *laughs*

Nishiyama: My first impression of Aoba was that he was the most cheerful and energetic of the four brothers. I also thought he’d be shy around people outside their family, but it turned out that he was unreserved towards Ogata-san in this reading theatre. I realized that he can treat everyone in the same cheerful way.

Komada: Just like you, right? You’re a milder version. *laughs*

Takeuchi: We make new discoveries each time we act as them, so I think every character has gaps like that.

Saito: I think they got deeper with this performance, like their facial expressions that are contrary to their lines. Like how Shuu-nii never fails to find the camera when he poses. The camerawork was excellent too.

Hatano: Shuu had a lot of lines that were directed towards the audience, so I guess it seemed that way. *laughs*

Takeuchi: From this video footage, I think you’ll understand what it means when we say “reading theatre isn’t only about reading.” 81 Produce should use this as teaching material in their training school!

All: *laughs*

Saito: Shiki also sang a lot more than usual.

Takeuchi: He was supposed to just be a karaoke enthusiast at first…

Hatano: It was like the technique of a wandering minstrel. Takeuchi-kun can sing about any theme.

Q: He had singing scenes with a variety of titles, right? I wondered if Shiki’s songs had lyrics and composition behind them.

Takeuchi: This is embarrassing to talk about. *laughs*

Saito: You should say it!

Takeuchi: It’s… Shiki’s mental state *nervous*. I’d prefer to leave it to people’s imagination, so I’m still not going to comment.

Saito: The fortunes are a matter of chance, after all. We don’t know what we’ll get until we pull them. On the other hand, that helped us grow.

Takeuchi: Indeed *laughs*. All of the characters have been powering up.

Saito: *immediately* Ayame was the same as always, though.

Hatano: He’s definitely powering up!

Saito: It felt like the script gave him the “entertainer” position. I didn’t expect there to be a red light overlaid on my face on the live camera… It shocked me again when I saw it in the footage *laughs*. Everyone broke character when it happened.

Hatano: That was something only you could do. *laughs*

Q: In the after-talk, Hatano-san said something along the lines of, “Did Shuu always like girls this much?”

Hatano: In the very first recording, I emphasized the character’s personality strongly, but was directed to keep him as an elegant young man, so that he wouldn’t come across as a philanderer. I’ve been maintaining that since then, but this time, the script made it seem like his pent-up thoughts exploded. So, I boldly went all-in.

But no matter what we saw of him here, that was only one side of his character. He has various sides to him, like how he cares for his brothers. It’s just that this performance made it clear that he loves girls more than he loves food. *laughs*

Saito: There was the part about green peppers too.

Hatano: “Girl pepper” was Aoba’s line.

Nishiyama: It was completely as written in the script.

Q: I see! I thought it was an ad lib. I’d like to compare with the script to see how much of it was ad-libbed.

Hatano: The part where I suddenly got excited about urban legends was completely my own ad lib. *laughs*

Komada: We naturally poked fun at it during the commentary, but Hatano-san was intent on expressing his love for urban legends. He went a long time without looking at the script.

Nishiyama: It was entertaining because it was purely ad-libbed.

Q: For the series’ first guest, Komada-san, what was your first impression of your character, and do you have anything in common with him?

Komada: My role was split into Kouichi and Kouji, who are complete opposites. Kouichi is calm and open-hearted, the type you’d expect to live in the western-style house that the story took place in. Meanwhile, Kouji is oppressive. Even though it was a dual role, it wasn’t particularly difficult to work with emotion-wise. Although, speaking in a mild tone followed by a sudden loud outburst was such a contrast that I’d have to hold back my laughter each time. I think it would’ve made the audience chuckle too, but personally… my attitude wasn’t as rough as Kouji nor as mild as Kouichi, so I was like a third person that was an average of the two.

All: *laughs*

Nishiyama: A third person that grew up watching Kouichi and Kouji, right?

Komada: Having both power and gentleness… That makes it sound like a good thing. Well, let’s leave it at that. *laughs*

Since it’s a video, the silent scenes are noteworthy too!

Q: You talked about the good camerawork as well. Unlike recordings for anime and whatnot where you stand in front of the mic, this reading theatre was like a stage play with visuals and props. What were your personal highlights, or things that can only be enjoyed because of the visuals?

Nishiyama: Everyone was aware that they could be seen at any moment, so I think it’d be interesting to observe our facial expressions. It was really neat how the footage switched between all of the different cameras showing us.

Komada: Since it’s a reading theatre, we naturally acted out the core lines faithfully, and mixed in some small, fun deviations in the non-important parts. Since there was a live camera, it was a unique reading theatre with many scenes that would make the viewers laugh unexpectedly. I think being able to enjoy that is the best thing about this BD/DVD release.

Saito: We were acting without being able to see what kind of footage was being shown to the audience, so when I watched the footage for this disc release, it made me want to draw attention to the silent parts, too. Since this reading theatre had movement involved, we were able to create “entertainment between the lines,” so the parts without dialogue actually seemed funnier. Komada-san in particular made great facial expressions this time… They really were wonderful. *laughs*

Takeuchi: Komada-san’s face was always there during the close-ups.

Hatano: Koutaro’s close-ups were also nice… and funny. *laughs*

Nishiyama: It didn’t feel like there were that many during the first half (which I commentated)…

Komada: No, there was definitely at least one *laughs*. It wasn’t just the two of us, though.

Nishiyama: Yeah, everyone was great! Koma-chan was good at finding the camera. He looked straight at it, as if he knew it was going to be released on disc. A lot of the things I didn’t know at the time because of the wide stage became clear thanks to this release.

Hatano: Everyone was competing with ad libs, so even the parts I did know greatly exceeded my expectations. The cameramen captured great moments, like when we weren’t speaking and turned to the side to hold back our laughter. Even though it’s in video form, it feels like you’re watching it live.

Hatano-san, the senpai who breaks through the sense of security with ad libs, and Takeuchi-san, totally the cute, spoiled youngest sibling♪

Q: By the way, was there anything you noticed about each other due to being senpais and kouhais at the same agency?

Saito: We were all friends to begin with, but when we’re on stage, it’s not about senpais/kouhais or being from the same agency—we’re all equal as “actors.” I always genuinely think, “Wow, they’re really good.”

For example, Hatano-san has an unwavering sense of stability, and even when the rest of us go off-track with ad libs, he’ll always bring us back to the main story. Or so we thought, but then he took the initiative to force ad libs in, making the rest of us go “Oh, fine!” “We’ll do it too, then.”

Takeuchi: It was like we were given the green light. *laughs*

Komada: Among all the chatter, in the end Hatano-san was enjoying himself the most. He also added things without telling us, making us laugh too. *laughs*

Nishiyama: He came out of nowhere. Despite that, Hatano-san’s presence kept the scene together. If he weren’t there, we’d get even more off-track, so I think he showed us the “logic” of acting.

Saito: On the other hand, Shun-chan laughed too much *laughs*. If you look closely, he’s hiding his laughter behind his hair.

Takeuchi: I really want people to watch the footage *laughs*. I couldn’t hold back my laughter, so I was trying to minimize risk and ended up looking down at my script the whole time.

Saito: That makes you like the youngest sibling; it’s cute.

Hatano: Right, when we see Takeuchi-kun during recordings, he seems like this cool, mighty character with a deep voice, but in this series he has the innocence of the youngest child. Seeing him suddenly smile brightly makes my chest tighten.

Nishiyama: In a way, it’s like his age is showing, and it feels like everyone’s doting on him.

Komada: Rather than the cool aura he gives off during work—please write “in a super low voice” here and make it bold—it constantly felt like he was approaching me like “(in a super low voice) Komada-saaan!” and I thought something like that was only possible because of this particular work.

All of us are from the same agency, we see each other regularly at various jobs, and we’ve known each other for a long time too, so we can relax around each other.

We also spent time making suggestions (including ad libs), and on the day of the show, rather than “It’s time for the real show!”, it felt more like “We finally get to do this.” I think Takeuchi showed that kind of cuteness.

What did the cast think was great about Saito-san, Komada-san, and Nishiyama-san?

Takeuchi: But when it comes to cuteness, it has to be Ayame…

Saito: …*peers at Takeuchi-san* Do you really think so? Look into my eyes and say that without hiding behind your bangs. *laughs*

Takeuchi: *laughs* Ayame really was amazing this time! Even during the picture drama recordings, Ayame’s always opening new doors. In response to that, Soma-san always “opens the doors for real,” not halfway.

Saito: Ayame was originally more normal, and had the impression of the second son that balances everyone out. Why did he end up like this? *laughs*

All: *laughs*

Takeuchi: But since you open the door all the way, it became convincing. The script was amazing too.

Saito: Yeah, I was generally acting according to the script.

Komada: Soma and I debuted around the same time and I know him well, so when I see the way he interposes lines during funny scenes and presents himself to the camera, I think “Well done.” *laughs*

Nishiyama: Soma made me laugh just from the picture. I think he also has the power to move us back on track when the conversation gets derailed.

Hatano: Honestly, starting from the rehearsal I thought each and every one of them was amazing. When I got the script, I initially imagined the stage and how it’d go, but when we actually did it, it greatly exceeded my expectations. And our guest, Komada-kun was excellent too.

Takeuchi: He has a sharp mind and a sense of humour.

Saito: During the evening session, Kouji evaluated the brothers’ costumes and adjusted them one-by-one, and that was all Koma-chan’s ad-libbing. The four of us did our own ad lib comments, and it was amazing how nothing missed its mark. It would’ve been impossible without considerable determination beforehand. I thought, “This guy’s amazing!”

Komada: I suggested it after the day session. Since the four of them were posing, I figured the audience would want to see more of it, and I did too. Plus, it’s hard to put on the costume on stage without a mirror, so I thought I could straighten out their costumes while everyone else was enjoying their poses. Even though I suggested it, I didn’t actually think about what I was going to say, so I gave my honest impressions on the spot. *laughs*

Nishiyama: You did it so well; it was hilarious. *laughs*

Komada: That was my highlight of the day. The “Well done, Komada!” scene.

Hatano: It was incredible! Koutaro was crazy, too. I wondered what was going on with his mental state.

Takeuchi: My personal highlight was Nishiyama-san’s bow during the curtain call. Normally you have your hands at your sides when you bow, but Nishiyama-san alone had them in front, like he was reaching down.

All: *laughs*

Hatano: It turned into a diving posture. *laughs*

Takeuchi: It looks like the start of a match, so we’ll need the judges to take a look at it.

Hatano: With instant replay.

Saito: In slow-motion.

Komada: I think he did it on purpose. *laughs*

Nishiyama: I wasn’t! It’d be insane to do that on purpose by myself. *laughs*

Takeuchi: Nishiyama Koutaro-san really is different. He’s a genius. I don’t think I’m the only one who thought that, so please chime in. *laughs*

Komada: His bow was just one example of how it feels like he claims things for himself.

Saito: I think it happened because he wanted to make people smile. The video footage tells it all, so please pay attention to Nishiyama-san.

Nishiyama: *laughs* I don’t mind at all if you watch me!

The setting for the next show…?

Q: This is something you’ll have to check in the footage. So, the next reading theatre is planned for autumn. Are there any situations you’d like to try, or things you want to challenge?

Hatano: Autumn has a lot of possibilities, huh?

Takeuchi: It’s said that autumn is the best season for reading, too. When you think of autumn, you think of the arts, and when you think of the arts, you think of singing…

Saito: Can we make mascots again like we did for the first show? Then again, a monster was created back then.

Nishiyama: What about the food? We’ve had onigiri and roast beef, so for a taste of autumn, how about fruit?

Komada: That’s good, and baked sweet potatoes. We’ll have a veteran from 81 Produce sing the baked sweet potato song, like Genda (Tessyo)-san, and it’ll be like “You can’t pass by the food cart without stopping!”

Q: That sounds like it’d become an amazing reading theatre. *laughs*

Nishiyama: The original concept we heard for this series was that it was seeking to be bright and fun. Omikuji Yon Kyoudai is something that’s comforting no matter when you watch it, so I want to continue having fun with it.

Hatano: Indeed.

Takeuchi: Oh, how about another set of four brothers?

Saito: Themed after cards, like diamond, spade, et cetera?

Hatano: They come from America, and the oldest son is Genda Tessyo-san.

Saito: That sounds interesting. “YOU guys call yourself the fortune BROTHERS, but you don’t pull fortunes very often, huh? HAHA”

All: *laughs*

Back to the original intent, and look forward to Omikuji Yon Kyoudai’s future developments!

Q: I’m excited to see how much of this gets implemented *laughs*. Lastly, please give a message for the fans looking forward to the BD/DVD.

Komada: Since it’s the first disc release, the selling point is that if you wanted to see it again or couldn’t come on that day: “Don’t worry. Everything is shown.” *laughs*

The making-of also shows a little bit of our planning before the show, so you can get a candid view of how it was put together.

Omikuji Yon Kyoudai is bound to keep doing new things, so I really hope I’ll have the opportunity to participate again.

Please enjoy the BD/DVD from various perspectives!

Nishiyama: This is the first time our reading theatre is being released on BD/DVD, so those who came to the event will be able to see it more thoroughly, and those who couldn’t make it can expand on their enjoyment of the picture dramas.

This time, we had Koma-chan as a powerful helper, and I think we were able to put on a bright, fun show. I hope we can act with Koma-chan again, so please watch the BD/DVD a lot and show your support.

Takeuchi: Please enjoy the audio commentary on the BD/DVD too.

Also, Omikuji Yon Kyoudai began with the voiced fortunes on the website, so I’ll be happy if this reading theatre encourages everyone to pull their daily fortunes again.

“Don’t forget your initial intent.” I want to continue trying to create those opportunities.

Saito: Indeed. I’d forgotten because this time we were making roast beef and having a Christmas party. *laughs*

This series has gone on for about four years, and it’s uncommon to have the chance to voice a single series or character for so long. I hope we can continue doing this forever at a relaxed pace.

This time we had Komada-kun too, and despite all that was said, the four of us were able to let loose (in an extremely good way) and have fun while putting all our effort into the show.

Thankfully, the next show is already confirmed, although there are still things we don’t know, like what it’ll be about and what Omikuji Yon Kyoudai’s next developments will be.

It’s probably going to be an autumn full of laughs, huh…?

All: *laughs*

Hatano: It might be ultra serious for all we know. *laughs*

Saito: That’s possible. You don’t know what fortune you’ll get until you draw it, so I hope we get a “very lucky” story.

Please continue to support Omikuji Yon Kyoudai!

Hatano: Omikuji Yon Kyoudai began as voice content that was enjoyed through the website. When we had our first reading theatre, Omikuji Yon Kyoudai: Haru wa Omusubi!, I thought “This might be the first and last time,” but thanks to each and every one of the audience’s support, we were able to perform again, which I’m thankful for.

This series teaches me how it’s important to do your very best every time. There’s entertainment that can only be created during those instants, and I hope we can continue to work together creating that.

Please look forward to the BD/DVD and the next reading theatre!

※This interview was conducted before the COVID-19 state of emergency was declared.

[Interview] Seiyuu Grandprix 2020/2 Edition – my blue vacation

Tagline: Kimi-iro ni Somaritai (I want to be dyed your colour)

Released: 2020/1/10

※Soma was on the front page cover and had a 12-page feature. There was also a pin-up poster as well as several shop-specific bonuses (3 bromides and a poster).

(There are a lot of great Soma pictures in this magazine, but I won’t be posting scans because a digital version is available at sites like Bookwalker.)

An EP resembling what comes after the end of Season 1

Q: First, please tell us about how this EP came to be.

I released my first album one year ago and held a concert in Feburary, and at that point, I felt that I’d finished the “1st season.” After performing with a live band, I also felt that I really enjoyed making music with that team. Up until then, I’d constantly been outputting ideas, and I realized that in order to keep having fun with that team, I’d need time for input as well… so I chose to wait for a while.

Q: So, this EP is the start of the long-awaited 2nd season.

To be honest, I wanted to resume my musical activities sooner *laughs*. I had various structural ideas, like whether I wanted it to be an album or a single, but when I looked at how many songs I had in mind, I saw that it was the right number for an EP. Also… isn’t the word “EP” itself cool? *laughs*

Q: It does have a nice ring to it *laughs*

I’m a fan of the book Summer Vacation EP by Furukawa Hideo, and at first I was thinking of naming this CD “Blue Vacation EP.” However, I ended up settling on the current title for various reasons *laughs*. The tracks have a conceptual feel to them, but I think it’s only natural that they ended up this way.

Q: The leading track “memento” is themed around the end of the world, and has parts that feel like they follow from your “quantum stranger” album.

Yes, that’s exactly right! This EP is more like a “Season 1.5” than a full-blown second season. In anime terms, it’s like the OVA that comes after Season 1. So, it’s thematically similar to “Kesshou Sekai.” In that song, I sang about a world where everything turned to crystal, and “memento” confronts that same phenomenon from another point of view. To be more specific, it’s a more upbeat perspective: “If the world were to end, wouldn’t the time until then be like a vacation?” It’s something I hadn’t tried until now.

Q: The song paints the end of the world in a vibrant light. Was the “suikatou” (watermelon sugar) in the lyrics influenced by Richard Brautigan’s In Watermelon Sugar?

Perhaps. But if I went too far in that direction, I’d end up at Season 2 instead of Season 1.5, so it’s a bit more reigned in than that. To put it simply, I’d already sung about sentimental situations in a mellow tone, and I wanted to see what would happen if I tried a more optimistic approach. So, the song was originally a lot more unsophisticated, but as production progressed, there were talks like “Should we put strings in?!” *laughs* and the final result was much grander. It was originally simpler, like “let’s all go on a drive until the world ends.” There were other ideas too, like the car being blue. The people in the song are awfully positive, so I think it can be interpreted in different ways.

Q: I see! Since the song is about embracing life when death is before your eyes, the title reminds me of “memento mori.”

I considered naming the song “memento mori,” but thought that might be saying too much. Then again, the “sono hi wo tsumi” (seize the day) in the lyrics means pretty much the same thing, so it’s already obvious. *laughs*

Q: How easy was it to sing?

When it was time to record, I found that the song was really hard to sing, and wanted to levy complaints against myself *laughs*. It’s an extremely difficult song, if I do say so myself. The hook uses a double track (layering recordings to produce a thicker sound), which is something like a self-collaboration. My singing technique has some holes in it, so I know for a fact that the arranger and sound engineer worked their magic to make it sound good.

Q: You said that you enjoyed making music with this team. Is that related?

Yes. Up until now I’d been creating songs that I could complete by myself, but after performing live, I was able to create songs that were the result of driving together as a team!

Q: How was the music video filming?

I feel like my requests are getting more abstract every time *laughs*. This time I didn’t ask for much at all from the filmers. Ever since I experienced the tremendous skill of arrangers and sound engineers, I decided to leave things to the experts.

Q: You must’ve trusted the video team a lot.

Yes. I did ask to make blue and gray the most prominent colours, but when they showed me the film set beforehand, all I could say was “Oh, this will be good as-is. It’s wonderful.” *laughs* They also included my request to make it band-style, and brought in a strings quartet and dancers. By leaving things to the pros, it became different from the world I’d wanted to construct, but that irregular feeling was enjoyable too.

Q: Is it similar to voice acting, in the sense of adapting to irregularities?

Perhaps. For the MV, it feels like I’m only one of the parts. I don’t know what the completed video is going to look like after they put everything together, and that’s part of the fun. But now that I understand that enjoyment, it might not be out of the question for me to direct my next MV all by myself.

Power pop and a hymn–a variety of themes

Q: Next, what was the theme behind “Paper Tigers”?

Even if you’re facing a tiger, it’s not scary if it’s made out of paper… “Paper Tiger” (as in paper-mache) is a historical Chinese phrase that describes an empty threat. The other inspiration for this song was Ken Liu’s The Paper Menagerie. The way it takes the negative idea of “as long as you’re confident, you can bluff your way through” and expresses it in an upbeat way is thematically similar to “memento.” As I was composing the songs this time, I realized that I liked taking concepts and words and shifting them away from their common meanings.

Q: The song is also rather up-tempo.

This song was actually completed last out of the ones on the EP. When we looked at the other four songs, we discussed how there wasn’t an up-tempo song, and I wanted a power pop song like something a band would come up with on momentum alone. So, I invited the producer Kuroda (Akihiro)-san and the arranger Saku-san to my place, where we had a band session and came up with the verse and chorus. The full song was completed after two days or so. In that sense, the song was created through “the wisdom of the crowd.”

Also, I just want to say that when Saku-san finished arranging the song, he even put his own temporary vocals in, and they were better than mine *laughs*. I think it’ll be a really exciting song to perform live too. It’s a song with a new perspective.

Q: What about the third track, “Waltz”?

I like songs in 6/8 time, but that rhythm always tends to become something delicate, so I wanted to make something bright and cheerful. Since it has whistles in it, genre-wise it might be considered toy pop, but the theme was “hymn.” The other image I had in mind was the anime Haibane Renmei.

Q: The original work of which was Abe Yoshitoshi’s famous work. It indirectly depicted the themes of “doomsday” and “salvation.”

Exactly! People say it was inspired by Murakami Haruki-san’s The Town and Its Uncertain Wall and Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, but at any rate, I love Haibane Renmei. You could say that this song is something like an unauthorized fan work *laughs*. But on the other hand, I also wrote the lyrics to have another possible interpretation.

Q: Which is?

This song is about a girl… in other words, an angel who can no longer fly, and it could be sung by the spirits who dwell in the atmosphere. However, they’re on different wavelengths now, so they can’t touch her anymore. Nevertheless, they say “We’ll always be close by, so it’ll be okay.” The concept of “sending your feelings to a higher plane” is similar to “quantum stranger.”

This song will probably shine if performed live with an acoustic set. I think this one was the one that took the longest to record. I shouldn’t complain about my own song, but there was so much chorus work… *laughs* But by not using instruments, I really wanted to push forward with the idea of a song that was completely sung by myself.

Q: Meanwhile, “Ringo” (Apple) is a jazzy song.

When I was first writing the song, the style I had in mind was the American singer-songwriter Fiona Apple. That’s why I named it “Apple.” But, the arranger Dewa Yoshiaki-san turned it into a really cool song. The first verse’s melody originally used a backbeat rhythm (accent on the off-beats), but Dewa-san’s arrangement used the on-beats in a wonderful way. So, I abandoned the melody and rewrote it in an unprecedented production process of Arrangement→Composition *laughs*.

Q: The lyrics have a dangerous aroma to them.

The song is about betting everything away in an underground gambling den and getting drunk in a run-down bar. It’s just that, the melody being what it was, it was difficult to write lyrics for it. Rather than the topics and so on, I prioritized how it feels when you hear the notes themselves. The verse is a repetition of the same melody but with an octave shift, and I like the dark mood that that gives off. This is another song that’ll probably change dramatically when sung live. I’m looking forward to performing it one day.

Q: What about the last song, “Tonight”?

The EP was planned to have a good balance of “realistic” songs and “fantastical” songs, and “Tonight” was designated as a realistic song. To be honest, I worried about how well it’d balance out something like “Waltz”, but I was fatigued from singing grandiose, difficult songs, so I decided to go with this.

However, I couldn’t sing it satisfactorily on the recording day. The next day, I asked to do a retake, but the sound engineer Hayashi (Kenichi)-san picked the best takes out of the countless attempts I did and put them together for me, and I was stunned at how flawless the result was.

Q: That’s what happened?!

There were many other ideas that transformed this song! It was originally supposed to feel like wandering around a park somewhere along the Chuo Line, but when Saku-san added a sitar to the beginning, I revised my impression of it, because the scope of this stroll was clearly much wider. Even though the lyrics hadn’t been written until the recording day, his arrangement accelerated the definition of this song’s world.

Q: It’s rare for a song to fade out at the end like that.

That was the universal decision of the entire team. It was never a question of whether it should fade out or not; the discussion began with how long the fade should extend for *laughs*. With this song, I really felt that they were all professionals, capable of implementing the ideas that I couldn’t put into words. The bassist, Ochi (Shunsuke)-san’s performance was truly splendid, so I’d like to take this opportunity to thank him.

Q: Finally, there’s a surprise secret track at the end of the EP.

This is only included on the physical CD, and its title “Epilogue” is only noted on the credits page. When we all got together to come up with the melody for “Paper Tigers”, it only took an hour to finish, so we started talking about making a song to keep in reserve, and I’d actually already been considering a song like this… so I let them hear the hook melody for “Epilogue”, which I didn’t even have chords for. Saku-san said, “This is good! Let’s do this!” and we made the short version right then and there. The concept was traveling to the end of the world in “memento,” finding an old record player there, and hearing this upon playing it.

Q: Is that why there’s a filter over it?

Yes. The lyrics are also extremely direct, and I’d like to be able to do a proper reprise of it one of these days…

Q: I’m looking forward to that!

Through this EP, I realized again that I want to create songs that don’t fit the j-pop formula, where you can’t tell where the hook is supposed to be. Right now, what I want to make isn’t an assertive, serious song that I’d want everyone to listen to; it’s unsophisticated music that blends into your daily life like ambient noise. “Waltz” might be close in meaning to that…

I still have a dream left undone for the 1st season (the “Epilogue” reprise), but after that’s done, I predict that I’ll be focusing on “subtraction” work. We’ve been “putting everything in” this whole time *laughs*, so now I want us to pursue a more lightweight groove together.

my blue vocabulation
(Saito Soma was asked to list 10 words associated with “blue”)

◼ Sky (空)
◼ Sea (海)

Now it reads like Master Kukai (空海) *laughs*. One of the greatest geniuses in Japanese history!

◼ Earth

*looking at a globe in the studio* I just had this thought; what if we’re on a globe right now, and some kind of transcendental beings are watching us from their own meeting room? That wouldn’t be hard to believe. They might be spinning us in the palm of their hand without us knowing.

◼ Blue Flames

The blue part has a higher temperature than the red part, right? It resembles the relationship between calmness and passion…

◼ Indigo (藍)

This is the name of a Sukima Switch song. It’s nice… I love that song. Ancient Japanese names of colours are beautiful. ((The Sukima Switch song is called Ai as in indigo, but the lyrics are about “ai” as in love.))

◼ Lapis Lazuli

I’m a fan of a Japanese rock band called Good Dog Happy Men, and they have a song called “Jewel Box” that has this phrase in it, which stood out to me a lot.

◼ Blue Paint

I’m used to the colour blue since I voice a lot of blue characters, but I don’t think I actually used it much when I was little. I feel like I was always drawing with green, and most of my clothes were red.

◼ Sports Drink

I’m waiting for a commercial offer! *laughs* ((This is a reference to Soma’s favourite drink Pocari Sweat, which has a blue label.))

◼ Springtime of Life (has the kanji for “blue” in it)

Maybe it was there, maybe it wasn’t.
I became a voice actor in search of it.

◼ Hydrangea

June in Kamakura. I prefer writing it in hiragana (あじさい) over katakana (アジサイ).

remarkable 2019

#1: I bought a guitar!
The guitars I played at my concert were borrowed, but I finally bought a guitar to use for work! In fact, the one I’m playing in the “memento” MV is my personal guitar.

#2: Moving
I moved! As part of the process, I got rid of all of my old humidifiers and the new ones just arrived yesterday. The vents are on the front, so you can stick them to the wall. It’s an excellent space-saving product. Very convenient.

#3: Matching Hats
A bizarre phenomenon has been occurring lately: Umehara Yuuichirou-san and I keep wearing the same hats. Neither of us usually wear hats that often, so why is this happening? *laughs*

I finally realized that there’s no benefit from trying to act alluring

Q: It’s 2020, and you’ve reached the critical 10th year as a voice actor. Is there anything special you feel?

When I started working, my senpais told me “Keep going for 10 years first, and that’s when it really starts,” and I had a vague idea of what they meant. But, after actually continuing for the first year and then the second, I understood the weight of their words.

It really does feel like I’m finally standing at the starting line now. And on a fundamental level, if I hadn’t worked as a voice actor, I think there’s a high possibility I would’ve stayed as a bitter, unsympathetic person…

Q: Does that mean it changed you on the inside?

Yes. When you’re serious about making progress in this industry, there are times when you’re forced to look at your inner self, and you’re not always going to like what you see. But, I feel that the process of understanding myself and thinking about what it means to care for others allowed me to give myself internal feedback, which had a major effect on me… To be honest, I used to be the type to think “I should’ve said _____ instead,” but now that’s not always the case.

Q: Your perception has changed.

This is going to be an awkward way of phrasing it, but I think you have to think about the fact that you have to change *laughs*. But as the years passed, my way of thinking became simpler. I can easily accept unsophisticated thoughts such as “I like this” or “My opinion is this.” Of course, there are still many times when I get arrogant or self-centred, but when I compare myself to ten years ago, it’s clear that those occasions are fewer than before. I think that’s not just because I’ve grown older, but also because I’ve been surrounded by the voice acting industry. I’ve also learned how to entrust things to other professionals, even in work.

Q: That reminds me of what you said about the “memento” MV.

Yes. You can only leave something in someone else’s hands if you trust both them and yourself. As for why…

Q: Is it because you’re responsible for making the decision?

That’s right. In the past, I only wanted to put out the “100%” I had in my head. I’m still not very broad-minded, but I’ve changed enough that I can vaguely understand that “my past self only thought about himself.” Also, even when I’m recording for an anime and think “Why isn’t this going well?” or “I think it should be like this, so why did they reject it?”, when I watch the broadcast version I’ll see that it was very well done. I learned that even if I can’t understand something in that moment, instead of getting hung up on it, I should be flexible and adapt my thoughts and acting.

Q: You’ve broadened your views.

I think I was too egotistical. First of all, that “100%” I keep talking about seems like a logical matter at first glance, but it’s actually ridiculously subjective. The number is manipulated to suit myself, so it’s seriously ill-natured *laughs*. I don’t think the past me ever tried to think deeply about my own senses, which is why I was completely biased to a logical approach. But sometimes, I inadvertently react to things based on feeling, before thinking. It’s something that happens all the time in daily life, and yet I’d detached it from my acting. In the end, I was just big-headed.

Q: It’s a trap you fall into by thinking too logically, then.

Yes… I think ideally, you want to have the earnestness to prepare like crazy until the day before the job, and then on the day of, wrap it all in brackets so that you can be flexible with it. It sounds extreme, but that’s what I finally realized after ten years. Since I’m a logical thinker myself, ideally I don’t want to throw that weapon of mine away, and instead value my senses as an addition to that… So basically, I want to make my next theme “living through my senses.” *laughs*

Q: Is that your goal for this year?

Not just this year, but on and on forever. If you interview me again when I’ve reached my 20th year as a voice actor, you might be talking to a Saito Soma who has nothing left but his senses. *laughs*

If it’s a suspicious character, it’s gotta be voiced by Saito Soma! That’s what I want people to think

Q: It seems like your range of anime roles is getting much wider too.

It seems that when non-anime forms of content are supported for a long period of time and get an anime adaptation, activity soars even more. It’s not up to us how long we get to continue voicing a character for, so I really am thankful. Also, in 2019 I got more extremely unconventional roles, so I’m secretly happy about that. *laughs*

Q: You want to voice unconventional roles?

I feel an indescribable attraction towards characters that are twisted in some way *laughs*. Your voice changes slightly as you continue to use your vocal cords for many years. It’s the so-called “way of life” for an actor, and I feel happy when I can adapt my voice in my preferred direction.

Q: You’ve recently been making an impression in roles such as Kyougoku Fuyuto in Kabukichou Sherlock and Vinegar Doppio in JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Ougon no Kaze.

I’ve always loved the original JoJo comics, so I was incredibly honoured to play that role. Doppio had been voiced by Miyamoto Mitsuru-san and Ishida Akira-san in the past, so I knew that if I did it the same way, there was no way I could win against them. So, I prepared several variations for the audition. Later, I heard that I’d been chosen for the role right away, which was a surprise. When I asked why, they said “Because your Doppio’s phone voice was the most disgusting,” and I thought, what good fortune *laughs*. I actually wasn’t feeling well during the audition, and during the Risotto battle when Doppio vomits out razor blades, I actually did feel like throwing up, which might’ve worked in my favour. *laughs*

Q: That’s also fate. *laughs*

I loved the original work and I had several plans ready, but in the end, sometimes the result is determined by something that has nothing to do with the allure or desire I put out.

In Kabukichou Sherlock as well, I started out by ad libbing a lot based on the elaborate preparations I’d done, but in Episode 3 when my character was talking to Seki Tomokazu-san’s guest character, I sensed that “Oh, if I stop to think, I won’t make it in time” *laughs*. At some point, they started writing “(ad lib the rest)” in the script more often. As I was saying earlier, I’ve always been logic-focused, so ad libs are my Achilles’ heel. But on the other hand, I was grateful for that role because it allowed me to practice seeing how the things I’d prepared would change during the actual recording. I’m still not at the point where I’d say I’m skilled at unconventional roles, but I’d like to eventually make them part of my arsenal, to the point where people say “If it’s a suspicious character, it’s gotta be voiced by him.” I want this weapon, no matter how much I have to pay! *laughs*

Q: I’m sure you’ve been getting more kouhais at work too.

Indeed. Shun-chan (Takeuchi Shunsuke-san) has a good grip on himself, and I learn a lot from him regardless of our hierarchy. He’s a natural, and a good person.

Nozuyama (Yukihiro)-kun from Rush Style is learning under Hayami Show-san’s guidance, and it amazes me how well he’s got it together… We haven’t had the chance to drink together lately, but he has a humane philosophy while also having the cuteness appropriate for his age, and I think that’s amazing. We’ve been planning to go for sushi with Hayami-san, but it hasn’t happened yet. *laughs*

Q: You must be good friends for that to come up.

I’m a passive person, so I’m thankful for anyone who comes to me, not just my kouhais. I’m especially grateful for friends who’ll drink with me, like Hirose Yuya from Arts Vision. Although it’s a bit embarrassing when he calls me “Soma-nii” *laughs*. I’d like to continue expanding my circle of friends in my own way.

Q: Are you interested in mentoring the next generation?

If I get the chance eventually… but first, I have to develop my own ability more. As for what I’d teach, I think it’d be fun to make a place where we can all study the flexibility of Japanese, like the effect a single particle can have on the nuance of a sentence, or how a word’s tone changes based on whether it’s written in kanji or kana. It might be elementary school level content, but it’s valuable to us.

Q: I’m looking forward to your future activities!

I’ve moved past the era of being frustrated with myself for not being able to do something, and into an era where I can now think, “Wow, I didn’t know you could do that! I can’t do it! Yes!”

If you really don’t stand a chance then there’s nothing you can do about that, but if you can vaguely make out a path, then all you have to do is go for it. That’s how you expand your arsenal. In that sense, perhaps I’ve finally figured out the direction of my compass after these ten years. Now that I can look at the map and think, “What? The world is this big?!”, I’m looking forward to traveling to various places.

Behind the scenes of Saito Soma’s first front cover feature in Seiyuu Grandprix

Saito Soma-san makes his first front cover and opening feature appearance! His vivid blue outfit makes quite an impact. What did you think of it?

The internal theme for this photo shoot was “On an ordinary day, Saito Soma-san casually buys a bouquet and champagne on the way home and presents them to you.” It was only light acting, without being too conscious of the theme.

During the session, Saito-san talked about how his latest fad is matching Nishiyama Koutaro-san’s fashion. When we pressed for details, it turned out that they have similar taste in clothes, and that the trick to pulling off the Nishiyama-san look is wearing pants that go 70-90% down the leg♪ Thanks to Saito-san’s gentle aura, it was a relaxed photo shoot from start to finish.

During the interview, he talked in detail about his latest release “my blue vacation” and his 10th anniversary as a voice actor. It’s full of the most current information!

Shop-specific bromides:

Animate-exclusive poster:

Autographed Polaroids (raffle):

Off-shot from Soma’s stylist:

おふしょっと:)

雑誌の写真素敵だったので是非。
ブルーとグレーの調和って良いよね#斉藤壮馬　 #声優グランプリ pic.twitter.com/SbErSQZa2m
— yuuki honda（本田雄己） (@yuuki_honda_) January 10, 2020

Blog post from Soma’s stylist about the outfit (has a couple of other photos):

https://note.com/yuukihonda/n/ne4ab8e8cc961

(I won’t be translating it, because he doesn’t allow reposting/alterations of his content)

[Stream] Hatano Rururu #29 (Guests: Saito Soma, Nishiyama Koutaro, Takeuchi Shunsuke)

Broadcast: 2019/03/12 @ 9:30pm
Original URL: https://live.nicovideo.jp/watch/lv318900308 (no longer available)
Original Name: 【ゲスト：斉藤壮馬・西山宏太朗・武内駿輔】羽多野るるる29回
Archive:
Part 1: https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/1556168403
Part 2: https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/1556168463
(Requires channel subscription to view; expires end of April 2020)

Summary:

This stream was held the day before Hatano’s 37th birthday, and Soma, Tarori, and Takeuchi joined him as celebratory guests. All four of them are affiliated with 81 Produce, and they make up the cast of Omikuji Yon Kyoudai (a picture drama and readers theater series).

The guests showed up singing Happy Birthday to him, with Soma holding the cake. They also brought birthday presents for him. Takeuchi gave him a box of cooling eye masks (Soma comments on how the mood is becoming cold too) and wet face masks. Tarori gave him a package of coffee beans and a ceramic coffee filter. Soma gave him a fountain pen and ink set (to be specific, what appears to be a LAMY dialog, worth ~€270). The fountain pen is very futuristic (matching the theme of Hatano’s 2019 live tour) and Hatano offers Soma concert goods in exchange(?!).

Tarori reads out some birthday messages from listeners and Takeuchi reads out a listener mail about Omikuji Yon Kyoudai, leading to them talking about the series for a bit. Tarori calls Soma’s character the most dangerous, “because it’s Soma.”

The next mail asks the three guests to talk about a time when Hatano was a cool senpai to them. All of them struggle for a while, saying that there’s “too many to choose from,” and Hatano starts to worry about whether they’ll actually say anything. Soma says that some of the stories are things he wants to keep as his personal treasures.
Tarori tells a story about a time when he messaged Hatano on LINE asking, “Would you like to have a meal together sometime?” and Hatano replied with a short 「行こ」 (shortened “Let’s go”) and everyone bursts out laughing (Soma: “Cuuute!”).
Soma’s story is about a certain series they were in together as a three-person unit. They all eat yakiniku together at the end of the year, and it’s always Hatano that makes the reservation, with an amazing course for them. When the delicious marbled cuts come out, Hatano says “Go ahead and eat~” and it makes Soma like him.
Takeuchi’s story is about a time when he and Hatano were in the same series together, and after the recording, they happened to be going to the same studio next, and Hatano offered him a ride.

Next, they talk about the stuffed panda on the table and the story behind it (Tarori and Hatano got it when they went to the Phillipines).

The next corner is Word Wolf, a game where they all get a topic to talk about. Three of them get the same topic, and one person gets a different one. No one knows who has the different topic (it could even be themselves) so they have to keep up the conversation while trying to figure out if they’re the wolf (and if so, try to blend in with the rest of them).
(This… is actually kind of hard to summarize lol. I’ll try my best, but sorry if it’s hard to follow.)

~Round 1~
Words (hover to reveal): Hatano/Soma/Takeuchi: Mask. Wolf is Tarori with Glasses.
Tarori says he admired it, and Takeuchi says it’s something you admire as a kid, but maybe not as an adult… Tarori: “?” Takeuchi: “?” (The confusion is already beginning)
Soma asks Takeuchi if he admired it, and he says yes. Soma doesn’t really understand… Tarori clarifies that he thought it was cool, and Soma agrees.
Tarori asks Soma what he thinks of it, and Soma said he never really thought about it as a kid, and so he didn’t admire it.
Hatano tentatively says “It comes in different sizes, right?” and everyone hesitantly agrees. They agree that it comes in different types. Tarori says that there are specialty stores for it and Hatano says “Yeah, I think there are,” causing Soma to go “Hatano-san?” and Hatano clarifies that he hasn’t gone to one before, that he’s just an amateur.
Tarori asks Hatano if he owns it, and he says yes. Tarori asks how many he has at home, and he says an uncountable amount. Soma asks Tarori if he has it, and he says yes. How many? All together, probably less than ten. Soma smiles knowingly and asks Takeuchi, and he just says “a lot,” since he doesn’t really know how many and just puts them all together. Soma remarks that it sounds like everyone has a different word, and Hatano finds it hard to believe that three of them have the same topic.
Hatano asks them to say what colour they associate it with, and they all say it at the same time: Hatano/Soma/Takeuchi say white, and Tarori says light blue. But, Soma and Hatano say that light blue makes sense too. Soma adds that he also has a lot of them (since he didn’t mention it before when they were talking about it).
The viewer poll goes Takeuchi (41%) > Tarori > Soma > Hatano. As for the members, Hatano/Soma/Takeuchi all point at Tarori, and Tarori points at Soma.
After revealing the results (see above), Soma says that he figured out him and Hatano, but between the other two it was hard because Takeuchi was suspicious too. Takeuchi clarifies that the definition was vague, and at first he thought it might mean superhero masks because of how Tarori started with the admiration talk.

They take a break from Word Wolf to do announcements. Hatano talks about his live tour stops and how some of the goods will be sold again afterwards. Soma promotes Omikuji Yon Kyoudai’s first readers theater event, which will be held the next month. Hatano announces the date for the next Rururu stream, and that ends the first half.

~Round 2~
Words: Hatano/Soma/Takeuchi: Angel. Wolf is Tarori with Pegasus.
Tarori once again starts with “I admired this” and everyone laughs but agrees. Soma says it feels special, and Hatano has only seen them in drawings. They haven’t seen actual ones, but they’d encountered them through work because of the roles they’ve voiced.
Tarori calls it “cool” and “divine.” Soma remarks that it has wings, and everyone agrees. Takeuchi says that the number affects their strength, and Hatano says they have a sparkly image.
Soma asks Tarori if he’s been called one before, and Hatano asks who out of the four members seems the closest to one. Tarori says Hatano, and Soma/Takeuchi nod in understanding.
Tarori brings up the colour association again, and all four of them say white.
The viewer poll goes Tarori (50%) > Soma (32%) > Hatano/Takeuchi. Tarori remarks that while he expected himself to be doubted, Soma’s high percentage was surprising… it must be a popularity thing, or because it’s part of his nature. As for the members, Hatano points at Tarori, Soma/Tarori point at Takeuchi, and Takeuchi points at Soma. Hatano’s reasoning was that it seemed that Tarori realized he was the wolf early and was pretending to be a sheep. Takeuchi picked Soma for the same reason, and Soma picked Takeuchi because his comment about the number of wings seemed suspicious.
After revealing the results, Tarori said he actually didn’t realize he was the wolf, and Soma points out that that means Tarori thought Hatano was the most pegasus-like. Tarori says that it was because of the song “Pegasus Fantasy.”

~Round 3~
They eagerly move on to the next round, and Soma asks if he can go buy beer. He also looks at the stream comments and laughs at “Nishiyama-san admires pegasuses, huh?” Hatano is impressed that Tarori was able to keep up until the end with pegasus as his word.
Words: Soma/Tarori/Takeuchi: Onigiri. Wolf is Hatano with Sushi.
Takeuchi immediately starts by asking Tarori if he admires it, and he says no. He says it has a warm, nostalgic feeling though. But even now, he still comes in contact with it around three times a week. Soma says he does around three times a week too. Hatano says he probably doesn’t as often, but he does see it a lot. Soma asks, “When you were a kid too?” and Hatano says yes. Takeuchi says he has it maybe four times a week even.
Soma interjects to say that the last time he ate it was yesterday. (Dramatically revealing the fact that it’s a food item.) He likes it.
Tarori says he ate a really unusual one the other day, that cost ¥700 for one, which was “extremely expensive.” Hatano says it has a wide range of prices, even for the same thing. (Soma starts laughing at this point, prompting the staff in the background to burst out laughing too.) Hatano goes “Wait, did I say something weird?” and everyone is still laughing, but Takeuchi asks Hatano when the last time he ate it was and he struggles to answer. Takeuchi says he ate it for lunch today, and Hatano eventually says it was about two weeks ago.
Soma asks Hatano, “There’s specialty shops for it, right?” and Hatano enthusiastically agrees and Soma says he wants him to take him there next time (at this point he’s clearly figured out what’s up).
They do the colour association again, and everyone says white.
Hatano looks at the stream comments and laughs at the people saying “Hatano is weak.”
The viewer poll goes Hatano (87.9%) > everyone else.
When it comes time to make their guesses, they count “1, 2” and Takeuchi accidentally says his topic (in a really strong voice) instead of pointing towards the wolf. Everyone dies laughing and Takeuchi walks out of the frame in embarrassment. Hatano says “No matter who the wolf ends up being, that’s going to be the most entertaining thing that happens today,” and Takeuchi just continues to be mortified.
Finally they say their actual topics (Takeuchi in a quieter voice this time). Soma accidentally says sushi for himself instead of onigiri, and goes “I can’t do this anymore!”
Hatano says “If you guys said black because of the seaweed, then I would’ve been all alone,” and Soma responds, “I think you were already all alone halfway through.” Soma also says that he asked Hatano to bring them to a shop next time because he already knew that Hatano’s topic was sushi.

~Round 4~
Words: Hatano/Soma/Takeuchi: Kimono. Wolf is Tarori with Suit.
Soma starts by saying that ever since he started doing this work, he’s seen it a lot, and that it’s something he likes. He then asks Tarori if he admires it and Tarori says he does, but not so much when it’s on him. He doesn’t feel much connection to it; he sees it often but rarely has it himself. Soma is starting to laugh at this point, probably because he’s thinking about Somakimi, and Tarori goes “It might be over for me…”
Hatano says it’s “difficult” and Tarori says it requires an aesthetic sense. Takeuchi says it’s also a matter of figuring out where to start from, and Soma says you have to budget out how much the whole thing together would cost.
Soma points out the stream comments saying “Onigiri Yon Kyoudai” and they all laugh.
Everyone says they’ve used one before, and Tarori says he wore one recently. Takeuchi asks what for, and and Tarori says “That kind of time” (everyone laughs) and Tarori clarifies that it was for an event.
They agree that it’s not something you’d wear every day, although there are people who would.
For the colour association, Hatano says red, Soma says white, Tarori says navy blue, and Takeuchi hesitantly says pink.
The staff asks if they own it, and Takeuchi says, “I don’t… actually, I wonder if there’s one at home somewhere,” Soma says he wore one just the other day (but didn’t buy it), and Tarori says he owns it.
The viewer poll goes Tarori (53%) > Soma (35%) and they wonder why it’s always between Tarori and Soma. As for their guesses, Hatano/Soma point to Tarori, Tarori points to Soma, and Takeuchi points to Hatano but switches to Tarori, saying “I’m switching to this” to which Tarori responds “Who’re you calling ‘this’ >:(“
Tarori says he figured out early on because he had no idea what Soma was talking about at first.
Soma remarks that Tarori keeps drawing the wolf, so they decide to do one more round to try and see someone else as the wolf.

~Round 5~
Words: Hatano/Tarori/Takeuchi: Dolphin. Wolf is Soma with Sea Lion.
Tarori starts by saying it’s a classic example of something cute.
Soma says it’s not really something you encounter up close, and Takeuchi adds that its size doesn’t help with that.
Hatano asks if they’ve seen it up close before, and everyone says yes. He then asks if they’ve touched it before, and Tarori says he did before for a program. Hatano says he’s seen it before, but hasn’t touched it. Soma says it’s hard to get close enough to touch it.
Soma says he’s lacking knowledge about the topic, and everyone agrees.
Hatano imagines it as being slippery, aerodynamic. Takeuchi says it travels in a pack, its voice can reach very far, and it has mutual understanding. The staff bursts out laughing because he’s making no sense, but Hatano says he gets what he’s saying, and Soma says they’ve achieved their own mutual understanding so it’s okay.
Tarori says that there’s light-up toys of it and everyone struggles to think. He says “at gift shops” and everyone goes “Ohhhhh!” Soma adds that there’s ones that make sound too.
Soma adds that they’re considered smart, and everyone agrees. Takeuchi says they get emotionally attached, and Soma says they communicate in ways that humans can’t understand. Hatano says there’s an occupation that involves raising them and everyone gives dubious responses.
The staff asks where they saw it, and everyone says the aquarium.
Instead of colour association, Tarori suggests they guess what sound it makes, and they laugh because they can’t tell what anything is when they all do it at the same time.
The viewer poll goes Soma (60%) > everyone else. Hatano wonders why, and Soma says that Tarori’s votes must’ve gone to him.
Their guesses: Hatano/Soma point to Takeuchi, Tarori points to Soma, and Takeuchi points to Tarori. Tarori says it felt like Soma was probing around more than the previous rounds, and making surprised expressions.
When the answers are revealed, Soma says it took a long time for him to realize too. He got a hunch when they were talking about its shape, and thought it might be sea lion vs seal.
Takeuchi asks wtf the light-up toy was, because he had no idea and was just playing along with everyone else (and thinking he might be the odd one out). Tarori says it’s a toy that glows in the dark, and Soma adds that there are ballpoint pens that go “EHEHEHE” when you press them.

Finally, they read another viewer mail (and apologize for spending the whole time playing the game). The mail asks for some behind-the-scenes stories from the concerts they co-performed at (Hatano/Tarori/Takeuchi for A3, Hatano/Soma for IDOLiSH7).
Soma says that before the concert, they talked about how they trusted each other, unlike the game they just played where they all doubted each other.
Tarori says that Hatano had a video of the rehearsal that they all watched, and Hatano would point out the parts he liked and it made Tarori really happy.
Hatano says that they were staying in neighbouring hotel rooms the night before, and Hatano was about to go to sleep when he heard a singing voice coming from somewhere. He mentioned it the next morning, thinking it was going to turn into a scary story, but Tarori said “That might’ve been me.”

There was a bonus video uploaded afterwards, but I forgot to grab it before it expired (it expired earlier than the actual stream did, for some reason) so… if you saved it and would like to share, it would be very appreciated 🙂