#Noriyuki Makihara

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Mothy RealSound interviews for Miku Symphony (2023)

A summary of the key points of two interviews for the 2023 Miku Symphony linked here and here

(September 22nd)

-Mothy is pretty chuffed (positively) that the series has lasted as long as it has. He began making songs in the early days of VOCALOID, well before it was profitable (people hadn't even done CD releases yet), so it was really just a hobby he did for fun. He cites this as the reason he's been able to go on for this long (as it was low-pressure for a while).

-He didn't have this huge story in mind at the very start, but he did come up with the characters' stories over time--part of this is because he noticed back in the day that songs with good illustrations tended to be more popular, so he also wanted something that could have good illustrations (talking about Servant of Evil specifically). VOCALOIDS were easy to use for his (and other people's) stories because they didn't have concrete stories of their own (he even cites how Rin and Len are weren't even strictly twins, but a lot of people think of them as such because of his series).

-He doesn't think Servant of Evil would have been as popular if he'd released it today, citing his success to it being the early days of NicoNico (and shortly after Rin and Len were released, when their popularity was high), as well as a lot of luck.

-Early on, mothy would come up with the songs first and make the story for it later, but around the time of Judgment of Corruption he began to make songs with the whole story in mind first.

-Mothy was in a metal band in college, and was also very influenced by the metal bands he was listening to the at time, a lot of them having fairy-tale and fantasy themes in their work (Scandinavian and melodic speed metal). He again also references Makihara Noriyuki, who he liked in highschool.

-For his stories and plot twists, mothy mentions inspiration from novelist Tsutsui Yasutaka, especially his short stories, saying that he's always liked the way they'll have a twist at the end. He also thinks it's more impactful for the songs as well, that they leave more of an impression on viewers of his videos on NicoNico. He's walked back on this a tiny bit though to keep it from becoming too overdone, so sometimes he will have things end the way people expect them to. He intends to make his new series a bit less dramatic along those lines, although it'll still be with the same tastes as his other work.

-mothy feels there's benefit both to mechanical sounding VOCALOIDS and ones that sound human--that each have their own uses in making music. He essentially views voice software as a type of musical instrument.

-He's gotten the impression that games like Prosekai have increased his audience, and that while most of his fans have been women, he's seeing more men getting into the series from it too. He's also seeing a lot more diversity in the age-range of his fans, seeing some people who were kids when they started and are getting closer to middle-aged now. This is a little complicated for him because he wants to appeal to both new and old fans alike. He's been thinking about re-releasing some of his old music, but it's tricky for him to do alone.

-While he doesn't currently let his fanbase influence him much, in the past he would usually take into consideration the fact that a lot of his fans were female when working on the story. As he's a man, though, this had its limits, and ultimately he decided to focus on what he wanted to do instead. He can do things as requested, but ultimately prefers his work to be free of limitations.

-He's excited for the Miku Symphony, thinking it's perfect for the tone of his work and that it'll get a large audience for the songs. It's also important because it's just about the music itself, rather than visuals or story.

-He considers the orchestral remakes a learning experience, since they sound nothing like the original music used to make the song. They also sound different depending on each performance, as well. Classical music is also considered a much more respected medium, so he was also happy to get that recognition as a songmaker. Essentially, he enjoys them a lot and it's a fresh take on the series.

-He also talks about the other symphony performances that have actual VOCALOID singing in them--he uses a lot of technical language I'm not familiar with here but essentially he was skeptical it would work and was pleasantly surprised by how it sounded.

-mothy feels that while those who like his work are often very devoted to them, he does not view himself as being or able to become popular. He's fine with that. It's not a matter of him disliking popular stuff, he's happy VOCALOID has become mainstream, but he doesn't desire popularity for himself. He just wants his work to be remembered after he's gone.

-More of him being humble--essentially he seems to view himself as filling a niche rather than being a great player in the VOCALOID landscape, and he encourages the interviewer (and reader) to see some of the other work out there that's been getting popular as well. There's so much content out there that someone's bound to like some of it.

2 (December 6th) (note, this interview was done alongside MitchieM, who was also involved in the symphony--I am not summarizing anything in here's strictly about MitchieM, focusing only on things that are relevant to mothy)

-MitchieM talks about how inspiring mothy's work is in the creative story genre, which is something they've been interested in doing more of lately. mothy talks about realy impressed with MitchieM's work as well, such as their tuning of Miku and the wide variety of musical styles they do.

-There's a bit of contrast between them, as mothy works on one story while MitchieM does multiple, but MitchieM points out that mothy also likes to experiment with genre a lot (which mothy insists is to keep himself from getting bored doing just one thing all the time)

-mothy talks a little about the making of his two new songs, how he wanted them to feel a little orchestral since it's on the symphony album, but since it's a digitally made song and not a live performance he gave it more of a rock-like feel. "Thousand Year Vow" is intended more as a series synopsis to capture its tone overall, while Grim the End is more of a nod to long-time fans who know more of the story. They're both intended to stand on their own without feeling like a continuation of the series, necessarily.

-They talk a little about the Miku symphony performances they like, their impressions of it, etc. Mothy mentions that it's not really something you listen to while dancing, but more something you listen to while relaxing. Also the importance of it being a performance with live instruments rather than being purely digital like a lot of music out there now (furthermore being a performance in a proper auditorium with all the acoustic benefits that provides).

-Also apparently the symphony this year is being recorded on an SACD, which is a super fancy CD that can record more nuanced and delicate sound than traditional CDs?

[putschki1969]

2023/12/29 Instagram post by Wakana

Here are some off-shots from the cover shoot for my fan club newsletter “Botanical Tsushin Vol.14” which is being shipped out this month📸 This time too, I once again wore a dress by ADELLY🥰 Each piece of embroidery is very intricate and beautiful, the volume of the skirt, the structure of the sleeves and the neckline all look very elegant. Strangely enough, ADELLY's clothes always have the perfect sleeve length, skirt length and shoulder width for me so I really love all of their outfits♥ The photographer in the background in the second photo is booro who always takes pictures for my newsletter and other releases. She is my favourite photographer who takes a lot of wonderful pictures which continue to surprise me😳🧚✨ It's always hard to choose which shots to use! 😆 Please take a close look at the photos taken by booro in the latest newsletter 🤗 (By the way, the dress photos in the December 15th concert pamphlet were as also taken by booro👗💕) [Source]

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2023/11/29 Blog post by Wakana 音楽が大好きで本当に良かったと思った夜〜冬がはじまるよ〜

A Night Which Made Me Realise How Lucky I Am To Love Music ～Winter Has Begun～

I went to Billboard Live Tokyo last night! ! The other day I went to see Shin Hashimoto and Yosuke Eguchi, but this time I attended a performances from Satoshi Takebe and Noriyuki Makihara! Earlier this year, I went to a live with Takebe-san and Ayaka Hirahara. This series of lives has been really impressive...😳✨ It was the second time in my life that I saw Mackey at a live event. When Mackey sings, I feel like the whole world is being gently embraced 😭✨ And I realised once again how wonderful singing is, I'm so glad I love music! ! That's what he made me feel😭✨ The performance together with Takebe-san was absolutely wonderful, I was happy to treasure each moment*･゜ﾟ･*:.｡..｡.:*･'(*ﾟ▽ﾟ *)'･*:.｡. .｡.:*･゜ﾟ･*

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

Attending all these live shows is like taking nutrients for me, so healing and empowering! Well, everyone! After surrounding myself with music like that, it's now my turn to share it with you all. I am looking forward to my performance of “Wakana Classics 2023 ~Winter Party~” on December 15th ♪ And to the FC-limited after-event♪ We are still accepting votes for the song you want me to sing during that section. If you haven't voted yet, please be sure to do so! The deadline is...tomorrow! Tomorrow! You can vote until November 30th! Once again, since it's really important to me. The deadline is TOMORROW, on November 30th! You know, two-thirds of people have voted already! Another third to go...! Please! ! (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) Click here for the poll＼(^o^)／Please let me know what song you would like me and the members to perform! ! I look forward to your votes! ! ! ＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／As I am writing about the deadline, I feel a little sad that November is about to end🍂 By the way, I am also looking forward to your messages for the podcast which is scheduled for December 10th! The theme for the next episode is: “Things I should do before the end of they year but somehow, I turn a blind eye to it.” To be honest, I have a lot of things I'm ignoring right now *laughs* I hope you are all the same! 😂 Well, that’s it for today! See you soon ☆( *'▽’*)/ Here's a final shot of me drinking something sparkly♪

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

2023/12/10 Blog post by Wakana おしゃべりガーデン第４回目‼︎〜誕生日とサメまつり‼️〜

Talk Garden #4‼︎～Birthday And Shark Festival‼️〜

Wakana's Talk Garden #4 has been uploaded! 😉♡ This time it was even longer than previous episodes *laughs*🤣🤣 It's a birthday special I guess🤣🤣 Sorry it's so long 😂 I hope you will still take the time to listen to it ♪ The next talk theme is "Resolutions for 2024"! ! ＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／😂 I look forward to hearing about your aspirations! For those of you whose messages I read during the previous episode, I will send you one of these autumn-themed postcards along with a Shark-chan sticker, please be patient a little while longer! ! And everyone whose message I read this time will receive one of these Christmas postcards! They are all so cute😍 I think they won't be arriving until the new year but please look forward to it~☆

Today, I also held my "Wakana Winter Shark Festival Vol.3 ~Birthday Crosstalk Event~"! I was supposed to be joined by Yuuka Nanri but due to poor health, she unfortunately had to cancel the event at short notice (;;) I'm sure many of you were looking forward to it, I hope we'll get another opportunity soon! ! ＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／(I'm also looking forward to Yuu-chan's reappearance!) Yuu-chan, please get well soon! ! ･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+

I ended up holding the event together with “Yuu-chan" (temporary name for Shark-chan who kindly stepped in as Yuuka's substitute♪) It was so much fun playing the Ishin-Denshin Clay Art game with everyone! You know and understand me so well ! *laughs* I love how you all managed to come up with the correct answer even though I was making clay art that didn't make any sense. Thank you 😂 I brought home all the gyoza I ate today! Thank you again to the staff members who prepared everything! ! ＼(^o^)／And here are all the sharks that you could see on-screen! I brought all of them in a suitcase. There were so many *laughs*🤣Lots of little ones too. Most of them are gifts from fans! 😊♡ Thank you very much to everyone who tuned in today. It was the best and most wonderful birthday for me! ! I will continue to sing and pursue my passion for music during the next year. Thank you very much for your support✨

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

2023/12/18 Blog post by Wakana 浜離宮朝日ホール〜本当にありがとうございました‼︎〜

Hamarikyu Asahi Hall ～Thank You So Much!! ︎～

Last Friday, I successfully completed my "Wakana Classics 2023 ~Winter Party~"!! ️!! ️＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／ Thank you to everyone who came!! ️(These photos were taken at the FC event after the show♪ As expected, Shin-san stubbornly refused to change his pose😇 I managed to look straight at the camera almost until the very end 😎 Everyone looked great in blue)

For this concert, I wanted to include covers as well as songs from my 3rd album "Sono Saki e", there were so many songs I wanted to sing, it was really hard to decide...(￣^￣) Still, the final setlist was packed with everything I could squeeze in, it contained all the things I wanted to convey to you!

M-00 そのさきへ Opening M-01  そのさきへ M-02 Butterfly Dream M-03 Rapa Nui M-04 殻 M-05 希望 M-06 Amazing Grace M-07 標 M-08 空色の椅子 M-09 storia M-10 光の旋律 M-11 もののけ姫 M-12 時には昔の話を M-13 Flag M-14 明日を夢見て歌う EC-01 Happy Hello Day EC-02 あとひとつ

Anyway, I've been looking forward to December 15th so much, I just couldn't wait to see you all and during the entire concert I kept thinking that I never wanted it to end...😭✨ Once again, thank you so much to everyone who came! ! Here are a couple more photos from the after-event exclusive to Botanical Land members😊♡ I wanted to take a photo with everyone! I wonder if you can all find yourselves in the pictures?😆 By the way! Here are the results of the song poll! 1st: 君をのせて 2nd: 夢のゆくえ 3rd: いのちの名前 4th: やさしさに包まれたなら 5th: Get Wild

How did this happen?🤣🤣I don't understand this at all. You know, I really wanted to sing “Get Wild” 😂 But for some reason, it ended up making the last place *laughs* 🤣 Next time I get a chance, I definitely want to sing it 😂 But still, I was happy to be able to sing “Kimi wo Nosete” for the first time in a while 😊💕 I will continue to do my best to understand everyone's thoughts and feelings! *laughs* Thank you for voting! ! ･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+ That's it for today's blog post♪ I am look forward to hearing your impressions in the comment section! ＼(^o^)／ Until next time☆( *'▽'*)/

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

2023/12/29 Blog post by Wakana 2023年も本当にありがとうございました☆〜衣裳とアニミル、そしてクリスマスの健康診断〜

Thank You Very Much For 2023 ☆ 〜Dress, Animeal and Christmas Health Check〜

Last year's Christmas was a dream-like day since I was able to spend it together with everyone at Kioi Hall. Well, speaking of Christmas, this year I actually went for a health check in the morning of December 25th! ! ＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／ When I called last month to make an appointment, they were pretty much fully booked, the 25th was the only available date before the end of the year... (´ω｀) Oh no! So of course I made an appointment for that day. My first health checkup in 2 years😇I was very curious about my body's condition. As for the results...(the doctor explained them to me in simple terms right after the checkup) I mostly had great results on about 90% of the entire check but there was just one thing, eh? Very frustrating😇Why... ? Anyway. The barium test was pretty rough😭 After swallowing the barium, the X-ray machine was moving around and I was desperately holding onto the pair of handles. It was wild 😭 I thought I was doing a great job following the instructions but halfway through, the nurse suddenly said, ``the areas don't really show up well in the X-ray...can you please take another dose so we can do the whole thing again?'' So that's how I ended up having to drink one more cup of barium🤣🤣 Of course I was like “What?!?! Really??!!” I told the doctor about my motion sickness, that I couldn't ride roller coasters, and sometimes I'd even get a little squeamish on trains so doing the whole test again would be difficult for me...😭 The doctor was incredibly apologetic and a little worried but ultimately we did it again...💦"😅Guess it couldn't be helped😅 And just like that, I was able to finish the test before the end of the year. Despite everything, I left the hospital feeling refreshed... Next, I want to go for a regular checkup with an ENT doctor! ! After my appointment, I actually had a voice training session!!! *laughs* What a busy Christmas! ! 😂😂🎄✨

The final mission of the day was a "Christmas party with my family" so I worked hard towards that goal😇 I safely arrived at my brother's home at the finish line! All my fatigue was blown away by the gorgeous home-cooked meals my sister-in-law had prepared for us...✨･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+✨(Her food is always really amazing!) My niece greeted me wearing a Harry Potter Ravenclaw uniform that she received from Santa! It was a proper cosplay with a cloak, tie, vest, skirt, cane, and hat 😳 It was so cute 😍 And look at that beautiful appetizer! What is this...? The prettiest appetizer I've ever seen in my life...? The basil was perfectly grilled... How did she do it...? Both the appetizer jelly as well as the chicken were very delicious...😭✨I was able to spend a fun Christmas with my brother's family and my mother ♡

Hello, this is Wakana (0￣▽￣0)／

I don't think it was a good idea to eat such a magnificent dinner after a health check! 🤣 But it's a reward for one year, so I should be forgiven, right?! 😂

Now, I think by now you should all have received the latest FC newsletter, Botanical Tsushin Vol.14 ＼(^o^)／ I would like to use the opportunity to post all the photos that did not make it into the section [Join Wakana on an Animal expedition! ~Animeal Odaiba Store Edition~] ＼(^o^)／All right, let's go! I was excited even before entering! After carefully listening to the instructions, I went into the store! Inside, you can relax and interact with the animals while drinking some tea or coffee. 🐈‍⬛The cat is looking straight at the camera. Meow... You can buy snacks prepared in the store, they are very popular among the animals...They are all looking at me with greedy eyes😍 🐶 "Snack! Snack!" The cute little poodle on the right sits like a human😂 🐶 I fell in love with the white cat, Muta-kun, he was such a tsundere🐱…😍💕 🐱 He looked so regal. I was happy to be his servant 😂

There were also ducks and parakeets in a separate room (the ducks are usually taking a walk around the area.) Then there are capybaras and brown tortoises on the outdoor terrace! (I gave them some snacks while looking at the lovely view of Odaiba) Mr. Capybara is relaxing in the twilight while looking at the scenery of Odaiba.The others are taking a nice hot bath♪ The turtle was patrolling back and forth all the time😊 🐢"Busy, busy" I totally forget the time with all these amazing animals, sadly there was a time limit, I definitely wanted to extend it! *laughs* It was the best place! ! (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o))) There is a day and evening shift system, so in the evening there are different animals out and about than the ones during the day 😳💓 I want to go again~♡ Everyone, please come and visit♪ <Animeal Odaiba> https://animeal.jp/

Now, finally, I still haven't posted proper pictures of my dress from the concert on December 15th, so let me share them with you here♪ These photos were taken for official purposes during the interview before the performance♪ It was a wonderful dress with a sparkling front! This is what the back looked like ♪ (My manager arranged it for me!! It looked amazing 😭 Thank you very much!! 😭) In the last photo you see me backstage talking on the phone with the sound engineer who is located far away. It was kind of interesting.

So, today's blog was full of photos 😂💦 I’m glad I could share all of this with you😍 I would like to post various photos from my Gyoza Food Trip with Mana Ogawa in my next post. Please be patient a little while longer😊✨ I can't believe it's already December 29th! There's only a little more time left of this year... Whether you're going home and taking some time to relax, or you're still busy with work, please treat yourself kindly and say thank you to yourself for all the hard work you've put in over the past year 😊 In 2023, I was able to do a lot of things with everyone's support. I'm really thankful to you. I will carry all of my experiences into the next year and try to connect them with everything that awaits me. I'm still working hard to continue making music for everyone! I want to do so much more! I will do my best, so thank you for your support! ! Thank you again for this year. Happy New Year everyone⭐︎( *'▽'*)/ See you next year~⭐︎＼＼\\٩( 'ω' )و //／／

＊＊＊Wakana＊＊＊

[ameironisomete]

モネ展に行ってきた。わかっていたがモネってこんなにも人気なんだなぁ〜がはじめの感想。人の多さに圧倒されながらも色の使い方はさすがだなぁ、好きだなぁとか連作や最期の作品を観れたことは良かったなぁ。今年行った美術館の中ではマティス展が1番印象に残っている良かったなぁ。年々"自分の好き"がわかっている感じがする。　前髪作って、暗髪にした。イメチェン〜今はまだふいに映る自分の姿に少しびっくりしいるけどまぁ、なかなかいいんじゃなかろうかと満更でもない。私は定期的に縮毛をかけている。今回かかりがイマ��チで、それを連絡することがかなり億劫、、憂鬱だ。　月に1.2回の飲食店でバイトしている。食べることが好きだから飲食店でバイトしてみたかった。やってみたかった事をできているからか楽しいと思いながら働けている。他には本職とは違って稼ごうと思っていないこと、短時間であることだろうか。賄いは美味しいしシェフは優しいのが大きいのかもしれないが。　12月に入り1週間が過ぎようとしている。早いね。クリスマスソングを聴いて過ごす時間が増えている。クリスマスは仕事だし、クリスマスだからと一緒に過ごす人もいないけれどクリスマスの雰囲気はキラキラしてて好きだなぁ。部屋に小さなツリー飾って楽しんでいる。寂しい時に寄りかかれるような、安心感のある人が隣に居てくれたら嬉しいしそれに越したことはないが信頼している友達に寂しそ���に感じない、楽しく過ごしているように見えるよと言われた。たしかに今の時間は、1人なりに充実しているし、もっと魅力ある人になるために、もっと自分を好きになるための時間に当てたいな。

私は私のペースで行こうね。( ◠ ◠ )✌️

[9w1ft]

i post this like once a year into the void, it’s niche, but i think about noriyuki makihara and how he was closeted for a great portion of his career and how he released songs like “cowboy” and it went unnoticed—partially because of the language barrier because it’s an english track—but like.. the lyrics…

idk i just think about it sometimes when i listen to cowboy like me. like how obvious it is. the themes.

[hrrraandm]

Tagged by @stonedpiece teehee

rules — shuffle your “on repeat playlist” and list the first ten songs, then tag ten people

1. NEON -YUKIKA

2. Homage - Mild High Club

3. Luka Luka☆Night Fever -Samfree

4. Dance With Me -Sir, Please

5. Masculine Artifice -G.L.O.S.S.

6. Mama - My Chemical Romance

7. Mou Koinante Shinai -Noriyuki Makihara

8. 想见你想见你想见你 -831

9. 1999 -Prince

10. Just Like Heaven - The Cure

I'll tag @kdreader02 @offendedbydjinns @ovyy-pvcure @fizzytastic @boydykez @magentas-dystopia @kitsuneheroes @minghau @sewingyoukai @scallioncreamcheesebagel if you guys want to do it lol

[edenkai]

SMAP / 槇原敬之(Noriyuki Makihara)

-世界に一つだけの花

(Sekai ni Hitotsudakeno Hana /

The only flower in the world)

cover / session

with Ayumi Ueda & Mika Erickson

Thank you Ayumi-san & Mika-san for the fun session😆🎶

名曲ですね✨

あゆみさん、みかさん、楽しいセッションをありがとうございました🌴

[yosamama-piano]

ピアノ【僕が一番欲しかったもの / 槇原敬之】ドラマ『ラストプレゼント 娘と生きる最後の夏』主題歌 

Piano「What I Wanted The Most / Noriyuki Makihara」

[ferios-favorite-styles]

Yomigaeri - with 槇原敬之 & 絢香 / ビッケブランカ, 槇原敬之, 絢香

[jinghestation]

the urge to learn japanese so i can really get the full sadness experience from listening to Noriyuki Makihara

[kidanoia]

【公式】槇原敬之「どんなときも。」(MV)【3rdシングル】 (1991年) Noriyuki Makihara/donnatokimo　【1位】

[pricechecktranslations]

Seven Crimes and Punishments Interview (2015)

There are a lot of interviews that mothy has done over the years that aren't published in official Evillious material. I can't promise to find them, and I have very little desire to translate them, but if people point them out to me I'll try to make a quick summary of their contents like I've been doing for his blog.

This one's from the Japanese entertainment website "Natalie", linked [here]

Content summary under the cut

basic info on mothy, that he's a song producer who's been there since pretty much the beginning, a pioneer of VOCALOID novels, etc etc. Ichika is also present for this interview, as his main illustrator. At this point it's been 7 years since Daughter of Evil came out.

-He had no idea he'd be going this long. mothy had no intention or expectation of making money off this when he first started, viewing it instead as a hobby. He admits that he still feels that way even now that he's successful.

-Seven Crimes and Punishments, however, was planned in advance. He'd figured that he wanted to release something that compiled the Seven Deadly Sins songs at the 7 year mark, and was conveniently approached by a major record label to do so (even if they hadn't reached out to him he would have done so anyway).

-He really likes being able to concretely show the songs are connected.

-This isn't new information but mothy didn't originally have all of Evillious in mind when making Daughter of Evil. All he'd conceived of was the setting for Daughter of Evil. It was only later that he started making things connected (this is another thing he likes--having stories that seem to be unrelated at first and then revealing they're in the same world). He got the idea around the time he was making Evil Food Eater Conchita.

-mothy has always liked fantasizing about stories, but never had an outlet for them before. Hence why he went so overboard when making the songs.

-Ichika found it easy to illustrate Daughter of Evil because of how clearly the song told its story.

-mothy's affinity for telling stories in songs is at least partly inspired by Western heavy metal music. In particular he cites the bands Helloween and Stratovarius (who tell fantasy stories with their music). He also mentions the early works for Makihara Noriyuki (a JPop artist), which also had stories to them.

-He also talks a little about the historical basis for telling complex narratives through music, such as medieval minstrels, opera, musicals, etc. So he doesn't think there's anything special about what he's doing; it's just that such music isn't popular anymore.

-Mothy talks about Cloture, which was his first time writing a novel. Neither he nor the publisher thought it would sell, so he didn't feel pressured at all when writing it.

-He had a lot of material to make Cloture with from when he was making the setting for the song, thought it wound up being more of a foundation for him to work off of than the complete story itself. Ironically this has resulted in him coming up with so much complex plot and setting that he now struggles to fit it into his newer songs, having to promise himself he'll write whatever he can't fit into another novel.

-Ichika always tries to preserve the tone and atmosphere of the songs whenever she makes illustrations for mothy. With the songs in particular she tries to follow not just the instructions she gets, but also keeping in mind the information mothy has already made public for his story. She avoids putting her own interpretation or spin on the art, just following what mothy has in mind.

-mothy recounts how there was some debate over making novels of the songs (which he didn't mind). People apparently thought it would detract from the ability of readers to imagine their own stories with the music. But novels are derivative works of the songs, and he felt like he could write it as he wanted to as the song's author (slightly unsure what he's saying here). The attitude towards "novelizing" has changed now, of course.

-Ichika was happy to work on the manga, being able to illustrate things that didn't get shown visually in the novel.

-they discuss how mothy's fan base (and VOCALOID in general) seem to have a lot of younger people in it now, like teens and pre-teens (he would have expected an older fan base given he's been making songs for 7 years). He talks about how he's had to keep this in mind when making his work--that his songs need to appeal to kids and teens who don't know much about music, and not just to music enthusiasts and adults.

-They also discuss how mothy doesn't tailor his songs to project a cool image (and use the Onigashima song as an example, being an enka song and thus not exactly Jpop). He doesn't view himself as a "cool" person in general, and so is looking more at what's in demand in what he makes.

-mothy would doodle stories and concepts and characters for himself in elementary school, but dropped this as he entered middle school and got into music. He thinks that it's better for him to work on these things as an adult because he no longer has much pride to get in the way whenever his imagination gets the better of him.

-He worked on the short story at the same time as he was making the 4 new songs for the album. He struggled a little with the setting at first because he wanted all of the main sin characters to show up in it, but they all live in different countries and time periods (this is my own speculation, but this may be why he chose to have the end of the world play out like it did)

-Ichika talks a little about the appeal of the story, that each character isn't totally good or evil, and so they all have ways they can be likable. The story is made up of a lot of smaller events kind of compiling on each other, which makes what-ifs and the like interesting to do. Her favorite characters are Conchita and Gallerian. She also talks a little about designing the album jacket.

-they discuss the trend of making novels about VOCALOID songs--mothy noting it took off way more than he thought it would (he expected a bit of a trend, but not to this degree). He doesn't mind that he was going against the grain when he started, but he thinks it's a little overboard now (he seems to be saying that he thinks there's this pressure to make novels when really it's okay to just stick with making songs). Still though, he tries to keep to himself and not worry what other people are doing.

-Ichika has similar thoughts, where she hasn't been paying close attention to the "novel scene", but she has noted some people getting into reading through VOCALOID, or getting into VOCALOID through reading, that it serves as a good gateway genre, as it were.

-He says he's planning to keep going for at least another 5 years so he'll have been going for 12 years (for thematic reasons, of course).

[sgi1118]

おはようございます。今日のJapanese SEIKYOです。

[hanamaruko3]

#apple #ipad #ZenBrush3 #ZenBrush

#applepencil #todayatapple #ChristmasCard

Apples are delicious.

#apple #ipad #applememoapp #applepencil #todayatapple #fruit #apple

[9w1ft]

What are some other artists do you listen to beside Taylor Swift? Do you listen to Japanese music?

it’s actually very rare for me to get really into a single artist’s entire body of work, i usually like listening to playlists of songs by genre or time period, or download single songs that i hear and love. songs are kind of like perfume for me in that i associate single songs with specific memories or times in my life.

but i guess i listen to a lot of music from decades past! janet jackson, phil collins, gloria gaynor, carol king, elton john, chicago, ELO, fleetwood mac, everything but the girl, the style council, the fortunes, pet shop boys, sade, goo goo dolls, keane, imogean heap

all the newer artist stuff i listen to is really through taylor’s playlists and recommendations i love literally everything and everyone she’s recommended. i guess in particular beebadoobee and the japanese house, and bleachers of course.

in terms of japanese music i like all kinds of music.. like turn on any music countdown tv special here in japan and i will know most of the songs. to list some names though.. noriyuki makihara, B’z, toshinobu kubota, chage and asuka, southern all stars, GLAY, DA PUMP, sakanaction, sekai no owari, ai otsuka, beni, mika nakajima, paris match, ryoko hirosue, kiyoshi hikawa, ken hirai, gen hoshino, sometimes i’ll get nostalgic for my youth and listen to larc en ciel, hide, gackt etc

more recently i am really into this artist Azana, i love her voice so much!! you should all look her up.