Shioya Fumiyoshi, Kasama Jun, Komada Wataru
First of all, we would like to give back the Producer’s expectations of us
Source: VOICE Newtype Vol. 061 (Image)
The three who got chosen to do a speed debut through THE Idolm@ster SideM’s auditions for an additional unit. What dreams do these three, who have just arrived, based off of greats in history, have?
Please tell us your memories of the audition and your impressions of the role.
Komada: When I was trying out for another role, I was told to “try this one out,” the role of Koron Chris, former oceanographer and assistant teacher. I wonder if it turned out better because I didn’t hesitate while acting as him at all? Honestly, just by looking at the visuals alone, I thought “who is this pretty guy with the long blond hair!” (lol) but I immediately got that he seemed like a charming person with fiery passion. He’s a proper adult who calmly thinks about how he could best get others interested in “the sea”. I also like the sea, and we’re alike in that we both have our roots abroad, so I think that meeting him was like fate.
Shioya: When I got the role of Kitamura Sora, former general store clerk, the people at my agency prepared to give me a surprise, and I ended up falling from my chair with tears in my eyes (lol). I also like Japanese literature, so when I heard more about his detailed backstory, I thought that I definitely would like to portray Sora. Sora is the type who notices a lot of things around him, and uses clear language to express what he wants to say. I also have times when I take a step back and notice things about other people, so that may be a point we share between us.
Kasama: I felt that I could synchronize with former janitor Kuzunoha Amehiko, because we both know that adult arts of “not expressing who you really feel out loud”. I thought that I wanted to grow up together with him, valuing the subtleties of emotion that he ends up seeing when he becomes an idol. I also like shrines, and other things associated with history, so it feels like I can also connect with Amehiko in terms of appreciating Japanese things.
Shioya: Kasama-san is similar to Amehiko-san in that he’s not the kind of leader who goes all “let’s get to it!!” and instead goes “well, let’s do it properly when it’s our time to do it”. They have the same kind of optimism, and that helps us out a lot.
Komada: Just by one line Jujun says or does, you would immediately feel “oh, that’s something Amehiko would say or do.”
Kasama: If you’re gonna say that, Koma-chan, well it’s the same with you. He’s usually such a paripi but he takes on such an academic nuance when he’s acting that all I could say is “ah, it’s Chris.”
Komada: Fufufu, I wonder if it shows~
Kasama: Not right now, though (lol)
Komada: Shioya-kun feels like the “sacred Sora-kun”, because the one thing he doesn’t have is Sora’s poisonous tongue (lol) I really think he did the best that he could!
Where do you think does Legenders’ charm lie?
Kasama: There’s some danger in their relationship because they didn’t originally have any connections amongst each other, but that’s still interesting.
Komada: Yup yup. For me, I think what binds them together is “empathy”. These three people who knew nothing about each others’ lives gather for their own purposes, and I want to watch how they get attached to each other.
Shioya: Sora takes the initiative of acquiring and preparing things related to work, but the reason why he as the youngest can do it is because the other two respect Sora just as he is. I feel that that’s why the three of them can make their move together without hesitating. That’s why they become something more than perfect when they’re together. Their individually strong personalities give a mysterious groove to the unit.
Komada: “Groove” is good.
Kasama: They don’t have any common points, but I feel that all of them have a sense of the “arts” that they carry. Rather than “arts”, some kind of memory that’s carved onto their very genes…
Shioya: Magnificent!
How did you enjoy the unit songs and performing live?
Shioya: My own personal technique is still rather poor, but…I think that Sora has the highest vocal quality, and since he’s a kid who reads haiku, I think that he sings carefully so as not to miss a single word.
Kasama: Of course I myself want you to listen to Legenders’ songs a lot and come to like them, but if it’s Amehiko then he thinks “I’ll never know if you’ll listen to this a lot or go back to it anyway” and just sings. Maybe something like, “this much is okay, I’ll leave the rest up to you!”
Komada: That’s s cool. For Chris who became an idol with the desire to “convey” things to people, I think that singing and live performances have a special meaning for him, so I wish that I had been able to put my whole heart into it. From there, I also think that Legenders’ mission of being “the last guys who arrived also being the most amazing” also leaves quite a big impact!
Kasama: Hahaha (lol) I was the one who first blurted it out, but I didn’t wanna just say it without acting on it, so I acted upon it immediately after. “Let’s raise the unity amongst us.” “How about going to the mountains?” “Okay, let’s pray at Yakuou-in by the side of Mt. Takao!”
Shioya: It was my first time going up to Mt. Takao, and I thought I’d be fine since I was the “youngest”, but…
Kasama: Fuumin needs to get more exercise. Speaking of, didn’t you say you were doing something like “chikuri” lately!?
Komada: Of course we’re the last unit to be introduced, so I want us to be thinking about our characters more than anyone else did, and I wanted to deepen our unit amongst us. I told them all that in all seriousness that day.
Kasama: That’s right. As performers, let’s create a legend that nobody has ever done before. For now, my goal is for us to climb Mt. Fuji!
Please tell us about the 315(best) thing that’s happened to you so far.
Komada: I went to Guam this year, and enjoyed talking frankly with people I met along the way. I used to live abroad so I thought “as I thought, this little distance between people is the best!” I like getting involved with the people around me.
Shioya: When I went back to my family’s house in my hometown Iwate for the Bon Festival. My family made food for me, at night the stars were pretty and the weather cool…it was the best, and I thought that I would do my best in Tokyo again.
Kasama: The time I spend enjoying the incense burner with my cat. I like the scent so the time spent lighting the incense, watching the smoke plume out while saying “today it’s a sandalwood scent” is the best.
Last but not the least, please tell us what you want to achieve as Legenders.
Kasama: If Amehiko would be the one to snuggle up to “you”(お前さん) when you’re happy and wipe your tears when you’re sad…that’s all…I wish!
Shioya: Because this unit made its debut thanks to everyone’s votes, before anything else we will convey our gratitude back by working hard to get new Producers to recognize us. I will do my best alongside Kitamura Sora!
Komada: I wish that you would think that it’s good that we were put in charge of their “hearts”. I wish that we would become a unit that goes beyond the expectation of “doing this and that”. Also, I wish that we would become a channel to show everyone again just how interesting SideM is. The three of us will do our best!
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