As reported previously, Nami is in charge of the main theme song for new anime “Brave Universe Sworgrader”.
A new interview about Nami’s new song for the new installment of the “Brave” series was released at the anime’s homepage today.
Please check out the translation below!
―― You just finished recording the theme song “あしたの勇気に陽は昇る” (Ashita no yuki ni hi wa noboru). How was it singing in front of the microphone?
Nami: I was challenged to sing in a genre I had never sung before. I was groping to see if I would be able to sing something like this or like that, but I think I ended up singing more powerfully than usual.
――What did you think of the song when you heard it for the first time? It was a perfect balance of a modern song with a touch of Showa-era robot animation.
Nami: The music has a nostalgic feel to it. But it was familiar to my ears, and it was a passionate song that resonated in my body. That’s why I had never sung it before and wondered “How do I sing it? (laughs). I came to the studio looking forward to seeing what kind of chemical reactions would occur when Nami Tamaki sang this song.
――What did you find difficult?
Nami: It has a Showa-era robot anime taste for boys, like the ending of the word “~daze”. However, I thought it meant something that they chose me for the lyrics, so I did my best to sing the song. Personally, I have a strong image of Masaaki Endo for songs with this taste, so I listened to Endo’s song many times and thought, “I won’t lose to this power! (laughs). I trained myself throughout the entire song, thinking “I want to emphasize the rhythm here” and “I want to make the power stronger here”.
――What was the most memorable phrase?
Nami: The first chorus of the B melody is “全知全能全身全霊” (Zen chi zen nou, Zen shin zen rei: Omniscience and omnipotence, complete devotion). It is a word that is not usually sung, so it is very impressive, and I enjoyed singing it rhythmically. I think everyone will probably want to sing this part (laughs).
――I understand (laughs). It is a dynamic word that is typical of director Yonetani, who wrote the lyrics.
Nami: That’s right, isn’t it? (laughs). I would love to sing it with you all here.
――I don’t think there is any discrepancy with the story since the director wrote the lyrics, but did you find any differences in interpretation when you actually sang the song?
Nami: It was just like the world of the work.
――The element that Tamaki has never sung before is the chorus, in which you yell, “異元合体!” (I MOTO GATTAI!). That part.
Nami: I had never experienced this before, so it was a lot of fun! When I did a tribute cover of Masahiko Kondo’s “Blue Jeans Memory” I used to yell “BAKAYARO!”, but this time it was a little different.
――Whether or not you actually yell “BAKAYARO!” in real life, it is very unlikely that you will ever shout “I MOTO GATTAI!”
Nami: I said it for the first time (laughs). The director gave me an image and asked me if it was something like this. I think I was able to say what I was capable of saying in terms of “I moto gattai”.
――The director, Toshiyuki Watanabe, who composed and arranged the music, and the staff members were all puzzled. When the director gave the OK on the second take, everyone nodded their heads in unison.
Nami: (Laughs) Really?! I’m glad to hear that!
――Speaking of lyrics, the word “ユウシャメシ” (yushameshi) is also a characteristic word of this work. Perhaps there was no explanation as to its meaning, but how did you interpret it?
Nami: I thought this would be a keyword no matter how you look at it (laughs).
――If you ask me, it’s true (laughs).
Nami: So I tried many patterns in my own rehearsals to figure out how to sing the song, and I found the one that fit the tune. I found a way to sing “yuushameshi” with a small “i” in front of the “yu” and to build the words with momentum, “(i)yuushameshi♪” I made sure to write a small “i” on the sheet music to check it (laughs).
――By the way, what was your impression of the “Brave” series?
Nami: I had the impression that it was a great series with a long history. I couldn’t follow “The King of Braves GaoGaiGar” every week because I was attending the Actors’ School for daily lessons at the time, but it was so popular that even I knew about it.
――What did you think when you received the offer to sing the theme song for the latest installment in the Brave series?
Nami: It was an honor and at the same time a lot of pressure. It’s the first new production in 25 years, and all the characters from the past appear in it. I had to sing a cool song! I was really fired up about it!
――Please tell us about the parts you would especially like us to listen to.
Nami: It’s hard to decide which part is better. I would venture to say that the A-melody, B-melody, and chorus each have a different impression: the B-melody is very rhythmic, but the chorus takes on a grand atmosphere. I really enjoyed singing this song, and I hope you will enjoy it too.
――Is there anything you want to try next?
Nami: I would like to deliver this song live to everyone. I hope that by the time I am able to do so, I will be able to sing this song more deeply into my body and enjoy its changes so that I will be able to continue singing it for a long time to come.
――Please give a final message to everyone who is reading this article.
Nami: I am pleased to be in charge of the theme song this time, and I sang it with a sense of history. I hope you will enjoy the melody, lyrics, and lines of the song along with the main story. And when we perform the song live, I would be very happy if I could shout out the lines with you. Please listen to it a lot!
