Yuimetal and Moametal interview – Hedoban Vol. 10 Yuimetal and Moametal interview – Hedoban Vol. 10 This is for reference purposes only. Please get your hands on a copy of: Hedoban Vol. 10 A symbol of the ‘Evolution of Metal’ BABYMETAL Yuimetal (Scream and Dance) Moametal (Scream and Dance) Our 10 thousand character interview ‘So, is it true that are we really granting dreams to people?’ (Yuimetal) Q: This is the first time for any of the 3 of you to appear in ‘Hedoban’ since 2 years ago. Yuimetal: Eh! Moametal: Is that right?! For some reason or other it doesn’t seem like to me DEATH! Q: That may be because we feature reports on your live shows in just about every issue (laughs). However, as for interviews goes that is how it stands. The first time the 3 of you were interviewed by us was about 3 years ago which means that you were both still 1st graders in Jr. High school! Yuimetal and Moametal: (laughing) Q: With that, I would like for you to look back on and reflect about the 2 years where we have not been able to interview you. These 2 years were a succession of stimulating and miraculous happenings and I am sure that for both of you those 2 years went by in a flash. Moametal: I do really feel that the 2 years passed by in the blink of an eye. There is absolutely no way that I can call that span of time as being 2 years. That is because each and every happening was so incredibly deep and rich in content. There were so many instances that I felt were so enjoyable and so many that were so difficult to deal with! While of course there were truly tough times, it is only the fun times that come back to me in my memory. Q: Do you mean to say that the fun times far outweigh the hard times? Moametal: There is no comparison DEATH! Q: How about Yuimetal? Yuimetal: It really did fly by in a flash…so many things, too many things happened in that 2 year span. I am amazed that all that happened occurred in just 2 years. That includes Yokohama Arena that took place just a little while ago, as well as Sonisphere… they all feel like something out of a dream and when I reflect back on things none of it has a sense of reality about it. Q: These 2 years felt like you were living in a dream, like your feet weren’t touching the ground? Is that how it felt? Yuimetal: Hmm..yes, that sounds right. And so, when I was Yuimetal I was myself existing in a dream, and when I was in my temporary disguise I was my ordinary self. It was a traversing back and forth between the two states. Q: Is that the same for Moametal? Moametal: Yes, I think so. There were way too many rich and intense happenings to rightly be jam packed into a 2 year period of time (laughs). Kitsune-sama truly determined to barrage us with a ton of challenges and tests and so I think he (she?) is a bit malicious. (laughs) Q: (laughs) Moametal: I was so busy that it was became almost impossible to distinguish between dreamland and ordinary reality. If this is really happening in the real world then it is truly and amazing occurrence. I don’t think there has ever been a band that has driven upwards and on at the speed we have. Q: Indeed. I doubt you would be able to find another band that has taken on the world stage at this kind of speed even if you searched the world over! Yuimetal and Moametal: (laughing) Q: While you felt as if all of this was happening inside a dream, in the realm of reality you have brought dreams to people all over the world, don’t you think? Has this fact struck home with you? When you performed at the Rokumeikan there were only around 300 people in the audience. From thereon the number of fans coming to your shows rapidly increased until at the end of last year at Yokohama Arena BABYMETAL performed in front of 30 thousand fans in 2 days. The whole world is going crazy over BABYMETAL and there are enthusiastic fans who have been greatly moved by you. In your position as BABYMETAL you have granted a storm of dreams to people all over the world resulting in what is being called ‘The BABYMETAL phenomena’. How do you feel about what is going on? Moametal: Moametal simply, in no way, can keep up with all of this…I am truly happy that people say things like that however. We personally continue to move without knowing in what manner we have grown and succeeded, nor where our final destination will be. When we are told that, ‘you are granting dreams to people, you know’, I get a renewed understanding of how things are. This makes me happy DEATH! Yuimetal: I am so happy to hear you put it like that, DEATH! So, it true that are we really granting dreams to people? Q: I think you are doing that in spades! You have done so in Europe and are granting dreams to a wide variety of people here in Japan. For us at ‘Hedoban’ you have given us a dream to extent that we have plowed ahead to follow you on your overseas tours. Yuimetal: It is all very difficult for me to imagine….none of this has struck home as being real to me. P. 9 Q: Would this seem more real to you if it was seen as taking place inside a dream? Yuimetal: Yes, that sounds right (laughs). Looking from our perspective from the stage, we can see that the audience numbers are getting bigger. However, no matter how big the venues get, our desire to perform with a beginner’s mind is something that never changes DEATH! 2015 December 12 to 13 World Tour 2015 in Japan [The Final Chapter of Trilogy] Yokohama Arena ‘I was afraid if I looked down my tears would definitely drop down on the fans, so I sang looking upwards.’ (Moametal) Q: That is fantastic, DEATH! From this point on I would like to ask you to look back on and reflect about the major events of the past 2 years. To begin with, the one closest in time to us now is last year’s Yokohama Arena show. You do remember that show, correct? (laughs) Yuimetal and Moametal: Yes! (laughing) Q: First of all, how did it feel to ride in on a gondola making your entrance in front of the fans? Wasn’t it scary? Moametal: No, it wasn’t scary at all. I was surprised the first time I heard about it though (laughs). You know, there are many artists who fly around above the stage in their shows, right? Q: Yes, there are – above the stage as well as above the audience. Moametal: I was curious about what the scenery would like when we got to experience it ourselves. I was worried if I would be OK in such a high place, but I knew that the 3 of us could become as One on that Gondola! I felt an immense power coming up my back. I was a bit uneasy about it at first, but once we actually rode out on it, it was pretty much just like a ride at an amusement park (laughs). Q: (laughs) A bit like the feeling of having fun at an amusement park? Moametal: Yes, that’s right (laughs). But, as you know, Yokohama Arena is a really big place! Riding on that gondola I was so delighted to be able to see so many fans. Then, later we sang ‘The One’ from that gondola DEATH! Q: That was the unveiling of that song, right? Moametal: Yes. And in spite of it being the first time to perform it, the fans all sang along with us! I was so moved by that that I was afraid if I looked down my tears would definitely drop down on the fans, so I sang looking upwards. Q: That’s how you felt riding on that gondola…. Moametal: Yes, and so….that really propelled the intensity of how emotional it was. Yuimetal: I wanted to laugh and wave my hands but the atmosphere of the doesn’t really allow for those sorts of actions….. I was, however, able to clearly see the faces of the fans and everyone had smiles on their faces, you know. I was so happy to be able to so directly experience the feelings of the fans. I felt love from them. Q: From your vantage point riding in the gondola, were you able to hear the fans singing? Moametal: Oh, yes, we could hear them! We really wanted to wave our hands, right? Yuimetal: I was itching to do so! (laughs) P. 10 Moametal: I so wanted to wave my hands and look down on the crowd but,… ‘The One’ is not a song that has that kind of atmosphere about it and so I held myself in check (laughs). Q: You debuted 2 new songs at Yokohama Arena- ‘The One’ and ‘Karate’, right? How did you you both feel about these songs the first time you heard them? Maometal: We first did the recording for ‘Karate’ of the parts of ‘Seiya! Sessesse Sesse Seiya!’ and ‘Soiya! Sosso Sossoiya!’ which made me think that this would prove to be a really interesting song. And, once we completed it I thought, ‘Wow, this song is one that I really love!’. There is this ethical understanding in Karate that the martial arts ‘begin with a bow <good manners>, and ends with a bow’, right? I felt that this is also something that is absolutely essential in living our own lives as well. Q: You have really grown. Moametal: (laughs) When I first listened to ‘Karate’ I felt that this feeling is something that we must never lose sight of. In addition to that it also focuses on the importance of ‘the fighting spirit’. If we perform this song at a live show I felt that there is nothing that the 3 of us have to be afraid of. When we perform this song I feel that I want to fight and continue on with this team. Q: Yuimetal, how do you feel about ‘Karate’? Yuimetal: We first only heard the ‘call out’ sections of the song and so I thought that it might be a song designed to draw out the humorous side of BABYMETAL. But, once I heard the whole song in its entirety I felt it was a really cool song with an immensely deep core intent contained in it. And the lyrics are so incredibly straightforward, don’t you think? Q: Yes, it is almost too straightforward and direct. Yuimetal: The choreography is also so amazingly cool. It is also packed with BABYMETAL-ish ‘call outs’ and yet it is a also a perfect song to fit with the aspect of BABYMETAL pioneering ahead in that pathless path that we are traveling down. Moametal: What I learned when it was decided that we would be performing a song called ‘Karate’ that made a deep impression on me was that in all of the Martial Arts it is only Karate that does not have a ‘Ukemi’ <protection, self protection, defense> aspect to it. Q: I see. Moametal: And so, I felt that it was a song that perfectly fits with the feeling of BABYMETAL of never looking back and of only charging ahead! Q: That is so true! Moametal: I think that also is an amazing part of it. Yuimetal: Karate is something that Japan has created, right? And so I think this song has a feel about it that is similar to ‘Megitsune’. Q: It does have a Japanese <Harmonious> feel to it. Yuimetal: Yes, it does DEATH! I think the overseas fans will perceive it as being really fresh and new and I hope that with this song as well as with ‘Megitsune’ that we will be able to convey a sense of Japan <Harmony>. 2012 March 1 and 2 ‘Red Night Legend <Giant Neck Brace Festival> ~ Tenka Ichi Metal BudouKai Final~’ Black Night ‘Legend <Doomsday> ~ The ritual of summoning>’ BudouKan Q: Going way back in time from Yokohama Arena we go back 2 years to the 2 days of shows at the BudouKan. Do you remember that? Yuimetal: I remember it! Q: Really? (laughs) Moametal: I remember it fairly well (laughs) Q: (laughs) On the first day’s show we had the happening with Yuimetal, right? What was Moametal’s state of mind when that happened? P. 11 Moametal: In my way of looking at things, the BudouKan served as a turning point… ‘I switchover in my mind thinking, ‘ I will just have to dance for 2 now”. (Moametal) Q: Do you mean it served as a turning point in the activities of BABYMETAL? Moametal: Yes. Up until that point we had never performed at such a big venue for 2 days of shows. And more than focusing on the choreography we actually prioritized our time remembering where to stand on the stage at certain times and were working hard to get used to the stage props and so I must admit I was uneasy about everything. So many things occurred on the first day that I was in a bit of panic wondering ‘what should I do?’. I knew that we just had to get through the hardships somehow or other. I felt, well, if I get confused about things I should just make things work out by dancing! Q: Did you switchover to that kind of mindset the moment Yuimetal disappeared from the stage? Moametal: At that moment in ‘Hedobangya!’ I switchover in my mind thinking, ‘ I will just have to dance for 2 now’. Q: ‘Dance for 2’ – that is a remark that will be etched in history. How were the BudouKan 2 days for you? Yuimetal: It was a tremendous thing to me. I mean, you know, the BudouKan is such an amazing venue. It is a venue that I knew about from the time I was a little girl. I never imagined that one day I would be able to perform on that stage where so many famous artists have performed, so when I heard that we would be playing at the BudouKan I was really surprised. I thought that because of its stature we would have to truly put on a show that would not be unbefitting. Q: Yuimetal, what was your mindset regarding the 2nd day show? Yuimetal: Well, since I had caused so many people to worry about me I felt that I had to perform in a way that would let them know that I was completely fine! And I went all out to do that. Moametal: Something that the 3 of us talk about amongst ourselves recently is the idea that we would like to perform the same set list that we used at the BudouKan once more time, DEATH! Q: Do you mean the 1st day or the 2nd day? Yuimetal and Moametal: The 1st day DEATH! Moametal: It was really tough at the time, but now that we have added power and stamina through our World tours we would like to see what kind of show we could put on now. When we performed for the first time, at the Rokumeikan, it was truly gruelling. Q: The Rokumeikan show was a tough one as well? Moametal: Yes. And that is why we would like to perform those 2 shows one more time DEATH! 2014 July 5 Sonisphere ~ Apollo Stage Knebworth, UK Q: I personally would love to that someday. So with the completion of the BudouKan shows you then prepare to travel to Europe. BABYMETAL, this band that has caused so many miracles to occur is about to open the curtains on their first World Tour which begins with Sonisphere. There were 50 to 60 thousands people in attendance at that time, right? This is of a scale that is even bigger than the Festivals you had theretofore experienced in Japan; weren’t you nervous? Yuimetal: We couldn’t see the crowd at first. Moametal: Yes, right, right. ‘….experience of performing at Sonisphere has helped us overcome any hardships we have faced at other big venue shows after that. (Yuimetal) Yuimetal: We wanted to see what the audience looked like, and perhaps because we took a peak at a slanted angle from the side of the stage, it didn’t seem like there were very many people gathered to our show. And so, we faced the stage with the uneasy feeling that there may not be any people there to watch us. But once we actually made our way onto the stage we saw that there were people stretching way back out of sight. P. 12 Yuimetal (cont): What is more, this was our first overseas Metal Festival and I think it would be fair to say that the vast majority of the people there were seeing BABYMETAL for the first time, and this being the first time to perform on such a large stage, we were really nervous. But, as we progressed through the songs the crowd started raising their fists in excitement and even doing the Fox sign. Plus, when we finished they were screaming out, ‘We want more!’. Q: Yes, we could clearly hear those screams for more. Yuimetal: We could really hear it! When I heard that I thought to myself, ‘BABYMETAL’s music has really reached these Metal fans!’. I was so happy to have gotten the strong realization that we had grabbed the hearts of these people. The deep realization has led to more confidence, and that experience of performing at Sonisphere has helped us overcome any hardships we have faced at other big venue shows after that. Q: So, looking back on things, do you consider Sonisphere to have been a turning point for BABYMETAL? Moametal: Yes, I think so. There is no doubt in my mind that it was a turning point! At first, the sense of trepidation outweighed the sense of having fun…..and we knew that this would be our first time doing an ‘away from home’ show and at an overseas Metal Festival. Q: But, you, the 3 girls of BABYMETAL are so ridiculously strong when it comes to ‘away from home’ performances, right? Moametal: You think so? (laughs) Q: No mistake about it! Moametal: That said, it is because of Sonisphere that we come to consider ‘away from home’ to equal ‘fun’. Recently I have come to like our ‘away from home’ venue locations (laughs). It is incredibly fun to build up the fun and excitement and bring everyone along the BABYMETAL path, DEATH! Q: You mean, even playing the big venues turns to fun as you perform? Yuimetal: It is fun from the get-go. P. 13 Moametal: Yep. Q: Really?! Yuimetal: You know, the Festivals are made up almost totally of people who don’t know BABYMETAL. It is true that it is a task to convey the charm of BABYMETAL to new people starting from scratch, but it is precisely because of that there is a huge sense of achievement at that moment when we feel we have grabbed their heart. I really like Festivals as they are. Q: Regardless of whether they are overseas or domestic? Yuimetal and Moametal: Yes, DEATH! 2014 November 8 Back to the UK Tour 2014 O2 Academy Brixton, UK ‘However, I had the best time of all in the unveiling of ‘Road of Resistance”. (Moametal) Q: Next, we have your 2nd solo live performance in London at the Brixton Academy. This was the debut of the song, ‘Road of Resistance’, right? In our interview with Kobametal in ‘Hedoban Vol. 6’, he said that Yuimetal had made a request to debut ‘Road of Resistance’ at Brixton Academy. Yuimetal: I may have said that (laughs). Q: (laughs) That song has now become a song that represents BABYMETAL. What was your impression of it the first time you listened to it? Yuimetal: First of all, let me say I am so incredibly happy that this song got made. The songs of BABYMETAL before this one had a humorous perspective about them in their lyrics, but this song contains a very hot, passionate message. And what is more, since it fits perfectly with the state that we are in at the moment, there is so much in the lyrics that we can totally relate to, DEATH! Yuimetal tends to put great emphasis on the lyrics of songs when I listen to music. Q: Does that go for both songs by BABYMETAL as well as other artists? Yuimetal: Yes. I focus on the lyrics when I listen to the songs of other people as well. I tend to feel, ‘Ah, I like this song’, in light of the lyrics. And because of that, out of all the BABYMETAL songs it is ‘Road of Resistance’ that I like the best DEATH! I really like songs that energize me with power. I also like the dance for this song, DEATH! Q: The dance is absolutely cool. What does Moametal think about ‘Road of Resistance’. Moametal: It is a song that I like as well. I really like the unveiling of new songs. Q: Does that go for all songs? Moametal: Yes. The first time we debuted ‘Doki Doki Morning’ I was overwhelmed with fun and excitement looking ahead to performing it. Q: Do you remember that? Moametal: Of course I remember it! However, I had the best time of all in the unveiling of ‘Road of Resistance’. Q: Did you think that even as you were dancing? Moametal: Yes, I felt that as we were dancing. With this being set up to be debuted as a new song overseas, and with more love of performing new songs from the outset, I was absolutely, totally overwhelmed with delight when so many of the fans sang along with us in spite of it being its first performance. Q: I was there at the show and the foreigners were really going all out singing along with you. We you surprised by that? Moametal: I was really surprised! I was ridiculously happy, DEATH! Q: Are you able to hear the fans when they sing ‘Wow wow~’? Moametal: Of course, we can hear them. I take out my ear monitor to hear them. Q: Do you take it out on purpose? Moametal: Yes, I want to hear their singing voices (laughs). Yuimetal: You can even hear them singing with the ear monitor in. Q: Do the 2 of you get energy from that ‘Wow wow~’? Yuimetal: Yes. And that goes especially for when we debuted it in England! The response of the fans was totally unexpected and off the charts. For example, we feel more at ease performing in Japan than overseas, right? England gives us a feeling that is close to that – it is a feeling of being able to perform without worry you could say. England feels like a second home to us. P. 14 Yuimetal (cont.) And that is probably the reason why I said that hoped we would debut ‘Road of Resistance’ at our 2nd performance in England. Q: Just as Yuimetal just now said, England is a place where one feels at ease. You have traveled there about 4 times, right? Yuimetal: I think we have gone more times than that. Moametal: We go there quite often. Q: So, anyway, does England truly have the feeling of being your 2nd hometown? Yuimetal and Moametal: Yes! Yuimetal: Part of that is probably due to the length of the time we have spent there as well. Moametal: We sometimes stay in London for a full week at a time, so I feel completely comfortable there (laughs). 2015 May 9 BABYMETAL World Tour 2015 Circo Volador, Mexico City, Mexico Q: Next, I hope we can talk about a show that out of the BABYMETAL shows that I have seen overseas made a strong impression on me personally-the Mexico show. You had already toured in Europe, but I believe this is the first time for you to play in Central America. What was your image of Mexico before going there? Moametal: I had no real image outside of the food, DEATH! Q: (laughs) You mean tacos? Moametal: Yes! (laughs) I only knew Mexico for tacos. I had the image in my mind that it was a country where they only ate tacos all the time and so I wondered what kind of country it would actually be. When we actually went there I realized that it is situated at a very high altitude! ‘We went and climbed a pyramid there in Mexico as part of our training’. (Moametal) Q: Did you feel a lack of oxygen when you were performing? Moametal: Yes, I did. We rehearsed at a venue we had rented out before the show and it was quite tough there as well. We went and climbed a pyramid there in Mexico as part of our training. Q: You went to the pyramid not for sightseeing, but rather for training purposes? Moametal: That’s right, DEATH! It was in order to get used to the high altitude. Q: Yuimetal, what did you think of the response of the fans? Yuimetal: I can’t really say as I don’t have much of a memory of the live show. The altitude was so high at that show that I was just focusing with all my might on performing each song one at a time. Q: I was there and the fans were singing out ‘Ole, ole ~’ like they were cheering on a soccer game, right? Moametal: They were singing like that! Q: The atmosphere of the venue was that of like being in a soccer stadium. Also, following the ending of the show the fans didn’t go home even though you had exited the stage. They just kept riding the excitement. Yuimetal: I was so incredibly happy! Q: When they would they would spot a Japanese they would ask, ‘can I take your picture?’. Yuimetal and Moametal: Wow, really? Q: It was like a non-ending Festival. 2015 May 29 Rockavaria Olympiapark, Munchen, Germany 2015 May 30 Rock Im Revier Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany Q: After this there were 2 Festivals – Roc Kavaria and Rock Im Revier. Do you remember them? Moametal: The German Festivals, DEATH! Q: That’s right. Munich and Dortmund. Many of the super famous overseas Metal bands like Metallica and Limp Bizkit were also appearing at these shows. When you see these overseas bands perform do you get interested in their music and go on to listen to them? Moametal: Yes. When I heard Limp Bizkit’s ‘My Generation’ I immediately thought to myself that I had heard it somewhere before. (laughs) ‘For us, ‘Metallica-san IS Metal’, you know.’ (Yuimetal) Moametal: We do an homage to them, but the first time I heard them perform it, it made me feel like they were doing an homage to us (laughs). Q: (laughs) Moametal: And so, I think the German Festivals were fantastically fun, DEATH! I was able to go around and see a lot of different performances. P. 15 Q: What impressions does Yuimetal have of the German Festivals? Yuimetal: I was also deeply impressed by Limp Bizkit, but it is the presence of Metallica, in the end, that has really impressed me. Q: They are that big to you?! Yuimetal: Yes, DEATH! The first Metal band that we met was Metallica-san, you see. For us, ‘Metallica-san IS Metal’, you know. When I saw them perform I thought they were so cool. When we actually met them in person backstage they were so friendly and kind, and it was this gap that really attracted them to me. They have that ‘Star quality’ in spades. Q: You also saw them at the Reading&Leeds Festival. Moametal: Yes, we saw them there as well! I don’t think I have ever had a case of goose bumps like I got when I saw them! Q: You got goose bumps watching the Metallica performance? Moametal: We were able to watch the show from the side stage. I was so amazing to experience that volume of sound at such close proximity and the guitar and vocals were just so cool. They even glanced our way when they exited the stage. I wonder if they remembered us. That feeling of having been recognized also made me very happy, DEATH! Q: The reason you were able to feel that Metallica is so cool is proof that the spirit of Metal has completely taken up home inside you, I think. Yuimetal: When we first saw them we just thought of them as some middle aged foreigner men. Moametal: That’s right (laughs) Q: What was the moment when you changed into thinking they were cool? Yuimetal: When we met them at Summer Sonic I was just of the impression that foreigner are friendly, but when I saw them actually performing a live show I thought, ‘Are these really the same people?’ – the gap was that big. When we saw them live the other day….their ability to grab ahold of the audience was totally amazing – something almost otherworldly. We are not even close to that level yet, DEATH! Q: Is Metallica an existence that is something like a target for you? Yuimetal: We have always and continue to say that our aim ‘is to be the only one’ and I believe we have absorbed a great deal from Metallica-san, DEATH! Moametal: Rather than treating them as a target I would say that we want to absorb all we can from them, take that and change it into ‘our own style of Metal’. Q: Wow, you have come a long way in 2 years to be able to speak like that…. Yuimetal and Moametal: (laughing) 2015 September 16 to October 16 World Tour 2015 in Japan ‘I had so wanted to do a Japan Tour for long that I was so excited leading up to it.’ (Yuimetal) Q: After you returned from Europe you began your first Japan Tour. In every interview you were saying, ‘we would like to do a Japan Tour’, and so this must have been something the 2 of you were looking forward to for a long time, right? Yuimetal: I was very happy! Moametal: It was a lot of fun! Q: A while back you said that you wanted to go to Kyuushuu, didn’t you? Yuimetal: Yes, she was saying that! Q: Do you remember? Moametal: I do remember that! Honestly, I only have fun memories about everything to do with the Japan Tour. Out of last year’s World Tour the part that I feel was ridiculously fun was the Japan Tour part. You know, when you do a World Tour it is not so easy for Japanese fans to make it to the shows, right? That is why I had felt that I wanted us to do a Japan Tour from quite a while ago. So I was happy that that came true, and I was so amazed and surprised that the way the fans get into and work with the shows can differ so much from location to location even within Japan. Q: Wow, you picked up on that!? Moametal: Yes…at the Oosaka show and elsewhere. Yuimetal: Also the 1st day differs from the 2nd day at the same venue. Moametal: I too felt that it is amazing how much the 1st day can differ from the 2nd day at the same venue. P. 16 Q: I was fortunate enough to see both shows in Oosaka and in Sapporo. The Sapporo show was also an incredible one. Moametal: Sapporo was also very hot. Yuimetal: Yuimetal was strongly impressed by every show in the Japan Tour. I had so wanted to do a Japan Tour for long that I was so excited leading up to it. I was so delighted to find, upon actually arriving at the venues, so many people who were waiting to see us perform. The bonds of unity between us and the staff were also really strengthened by traveling around Japan together. Moametal: That is so true! Yuimetal: It was nice to shorter distances to travel and I was so incredibly happy to finally meet Japanese fans with whom we were not able to meet before. There are still so many places I want to go to, DEATH! It is of course important to travel overseas and spread the BABYMETAL ‘Ring’ ever farther, but the Japan Tour made me realize more strongly than before the need to first bring Japan together as One before we travel around the world. About Su-metal ‘More than seeing her as an elder sister, I really see her as a comrade in the fight.’ (Moametal) Q: I want to ask you this precisely because Su-metal is not here. How do you think Su-metal has changed during the past 2-years? Moametal: Hmmm… that makes me think. You know, we are together for so long, all the time so we really feel like a family. We really are together close to it being everyday. Yuimetal: With things as they are, we are comrades on arms, DEATH! Moametal: More than seeing her as an elder sister, I really see her as a comrade in the fight. In BABYMETAL there is no one who is not needed, and no who can be replaced. I love Su-metal’s voice so much that I can say with absolute certainty that we could never have come as far as we have if it wasn’t for Su-metal’s singing voice. I think Su-metal in her own way went through many hardships and worries these past 2 years. I am sure that many things came up with her voice and a multitude of other things. But, she never brought those out in the open to others and so there are times that I get hit with emotions when I see her performing on stage, having fun and playing around with us. I come close to tears every time I think of how, in spite of, I am sure, dealing with many tough things, she is there to lead us on. Yuimetal: Su-metal is a such an incredibly important figure to me….and just as Moametal said, she never allows any hardships she is going through to come out in the open. There are so many things that I feel that make me think she worked so incredibly hard to overcome difficulties, including things on the vocal side. When I hear her singing voice come through the ear monitor, I think, ‘I need to work harder. Since Su-metal is giving it her best like this, I too can do much more’. I get power and energy from her during the live shows as well, when we make eye contact on the stage I get an immense peace of mind. I am sure she will continue to grow as a totally reliable person. What song (s) do you particularly like on Metal Resistance? ‘My favorite song is most definitely, ‘Road of Resistance’. (Yuimetal) Q: This is my last question for you. Could you both tell me what songs you particularly recommend? Moametal: That is a tough one….(laughs). Yuimetal: OK, so, shall I go first? Moametal: Sure! Yuimetal: My favorite song is most definitely, ‘Road of Resistance’. Q: There no way you will sway on that one, right? Yuimetal: Right. The next in line would be, ‘The One’ if I embed it with expectations on how it may develop as a song. This song perfectly ties into the BABYMETAL of the current moment, as do the lyrics. But, I think that as we continue to travel around on Tours this song will, over time, develop into its final completed form. Q: Does that include involvement from the fans? Yuimetal: Yes, it does. I think it is still incomplete. The same goes for ‘Road of Resistance’. When we unveiled it in England it was not yet complete and it was the larger than expected sing along by the fans that allowed it to make such a good start. By the time we played it at Yokohama Arena this song had come along with us through so many experiences which is what has made it the song it is now, I feel. The song, ‘The One’ that we first performed at Yokohama Arena will, I think, be the song that we most want to ‘power up’ in this coming Tour. P. 17 Yuimetal (cont.) I hope that it will become packed with lots of memories so that by the time we perform it at the Tokyo Dome it will be a totally different animal on a bigger scale than it was at Yokohama Arena and will serve as a song that we can all sing and become One together with. Together with the expectations I have for it, I would like to recommend this song. Q: OK, Moametal. Moametal: I would choose ‘Meta! Meta Tarou’. I feel that this album itself is amazingly interesting. The pervious album represented BABYMETAL as it was, while this album has us challenging many aspects of ‘what BABYMETAL considers Metal to be’. Q: It really is packed with various types of Metal. Moametal: Yes. For example, ‘Sis. Anger’ is a song that takes on Black Metal as only BLACK BABYMETAL can do, but out of all the songs, it is ‘Meta! Meta Tarou’ that really stands out, I feel. Q: It is true that once you hear it you will never forget it (laughs). Moametal: I think it is a song that you can’t forget. And also, like the ‘Wow, wow~’ of ‘Road of Resistance’ , this song also is one that everyone can sing along together on and the choreography is also something that everyone can join in on. Q: The choreography is already completed for it? Moametal: It is ready! It is really simple, so I hope you will dance to it! I want all of us to dance together, DEATH! Q: I can’t begin to imagine what the choreography will be like. (laughs) Moametal: I think you will be surprised (laughs). Recently there has been an increase in the number of fans of the same generation as BABYMETAL and hope to extend our ‘Ring’ out to include more, DEATH!

Su-metal Solo interview (Hedoban Vol. 10) This is for reference purposes only. Please get your hands on a copy of: Hedoban Vol. 10 P. 18 Su-metal (Vocal, Dance) Solo interview Metal is something has the feeling of stabbing you, you know. Because you are stabbed with such force, your body is forced to move before you can thing anything in your head. That is why I feel that Metal is something that can, ‘show your real self’. So, of course, following our interview with Yuimetal and Moametal we get a Kourin from Su-metal, that one who emits a ‘vocal and dance’ of such an unlimited nature that her extremely transparent vocalizes Metal that is able to light up the whole galaxy! And then following that, with the same penetrating look that she shows in the live shows, Su-metal talks with us for the first time 2-years after the BudouKan shows. That is right, this is the confession of Su-metal that reveals who she is at the age of 16. This is the follow up solo interview with Su-metal. From 16 to 18 years of age. Su-metal looks back over her ‘grin’ at their first stage at the overseas English festival of Sonisphere, to their battle filled European tour, to their teaming up with Dragon Force to 2 years of ‘Metal destiny’ reflecting on the Metal aspects of BABYMETAL. 2-years have elapsed since we did our first solo interview with Su-metal in Vol. 3 at the 3 year point since the formation of BABYMETAL. What did this 16 year old girl feel about the background of the world Metal scene, the 2 years of touring and the Metal spirit as she traveled around the world on their ‘Metal destiny’ tour? P. 19 March 2nd, 2014 Red Night Legend ‘Kyodai neck brace Festival’ Tenka ichi Metal BudouKai Final Black Night Legend ‘Doomsday’ Ceremony of Summons Su-metal: ‘The Tokyo BudouKan was a dream-like place as it was a place that I had wanted to perform at since I realized when I was a small child that I wanted to be a singer. Q: I am certain that these past 2 years have been filled with excitement and miracles since we last interviewed you in a solo interview 2 years ago (Hedoban Vol. 3). With that in mind, how do you feel looking back over these past 2 years? Su-metal: It passed in the blink of an eye. So, 2 years ago at this time we had not yet performed at the BudouKan? Q: I think you were about to perform there. (This interview was carried out at the end of February.) Su-metal: I am surprised to hear that we were about to perform on the BudouKan stage just 2 years ago. (looking into the distance) Only 2 years have elapsed since then….? This seems so strange to me. Q: Can you recall in detail what happened at the BudouKan? Su-metal: Yes, well, of course DEATH! Q: We just finished our interview with Yuimetal and Moametal and they both said that the BudouKan shows were a turning point for them. How was it for Su-metal? Su-metal: Ever since I wanted to be a singer from when I was a little girl, the BudouKan was always a dream-like place. So in that sense, when we stood on the stage at the Budouakan 2 years ago, it was like, ‘Oh, my, I am actually here’. P. 20 ‘In my world, the BudouKan was a 3-day performance, DEATH!’ (Su-metal) Q: Didn’t you have the realization that you were actually there at the BudouKan? Su-metal: I don’t think I really realized it. The stage that I envisioned myself standing on when I became a singer since I was a small child was thh BudouKan DEATH! Q: So, you mean the image you always had in your head was of you performing at the BudouKan? Su-metal: Yes, that’s right. It was truly a dream-like place for me and so I didn’t feel like I was actually performing there. I mean, I performed the first day, went home and performed one more stage, you know. (laughs) Q: Uhmm…hah?! I don’t really understand what you are talking about. Su-metal: I performed one more stage at the BudouKan in a dream that night. We performed our first stage and then I went home and went to sleep. When I woke up in the morning I had at that point already performed at the BudouKan for 2 days, you see. (laughs) Q: (laughs) Su-metal: It took me a bit after waking up to realize that today the second day of performance was still hanging out there. I have a strong memory of coming to the realization that, ‘Oh, wow, I get to perform at the BudouKan one more time!’. Q: On the first day at the BudouKan there was that happening that occured with Yuimetal and, including that incident, did it seem to you that there was a heightening of sense of the togetherness of BABYMETAL? Su-metal: If I had to speak of the 2 days individually I would say that the first day had about the sense of, ‘Wow, well, we have made it to the BudouKan!’, and so we had the feeling that more than enjoying the experience we really had to do our utmost to put a professional show. In the pre-show rehearsal we had to focus on memorizing where we needed to stand for each song and things like that and so were unable to actually do much dancing. And perhaps because of this I was not so confident about the first stage. And so, for me the first day’s stage was not a very satisfying one for me. Thinking about it now, I am very happy that the BudouKan shows were performed over 2 days. Q: Did you get more of a sense of satisfaction from the second day’s performance? Su-metal: Yes, I would say so. I think that is why had a dream of performing at the BudouKan after we finished our first day. Q: I see! Su-metal: If I am not satisfied with the performance, I watch a dream…in the dream everything goes extremely smoothly. On the second day’s performance the actual show played out exactly as I had seen it in the dream the night before! Q: So, you mean after you woke up the next day everything went well as if it was a repeat of the dream? Su-metal: Yes! So for me, the BudouKan was a 3 day performance DEATH! (laughs) Q: Saying this in a good way…Su-metal has not changed at all. (laughs) Su-metal: (laughs) Q: You sang ‘No Rain, No Rainbow’ at the BudouKan but have not performed it since then, right? However, it has been recorded for this this new album…how did you feel when you heard it would be included on the new album? Su-metal: We didn’t play it for so long that I wondered if it had perhaps been shelved. There are, for example, songs that we recorded for quite some time that I thought would be close to completion for the CD that were not, in the end, included, you know. (laughs) And so I thought this song (NR,NR) had maybe ended up like that and had kind of gone away. That song is one that I personally love and so I was simply very happy when I knew it would be included on this new album DEATH! Q: Well, then you must be happy that with this song included on the album and the opportunities to perform it live will become more frequent, right? Su-metal: When we were first getting started as BABYMETAL, I would just go all out and do my best with each song I sang…. When I was first singing ‘No Rain, No Rainbow’, I didn’t really comprehend the depth of the lyrics, you see. Now 2 years have elapsed and I am getting ready to sing it again. In these 2 years I have acquired a variety of ways to use my voice and I think I have improved in my abilities of expression. With those changes as the backdrop we are getting ready to re-record this song and put it on the new album. I think the 2 years leading up to this point are of great importance. Q: I see. There are a great many things embedded in ‘No Rain, No Rainbow’. Among those would you include the way Su-metal has progressed and changed as a singer? P. 21 Su-metal: Yes, that’s right. This song is a ballad, and so my singing takes kind of the main, center position in the song, right? This song requires in an exceptional way that some sections of it be expressed solely through the singing and so I really hope that I can develop it as a song to an even further degree. And so, I am extremely excited to see how it will evolve as a song DEATH! 2014 July 5 Sonisphere ~ Apollo stage Knebworth, UK ‘Once we went on stage we realized that there were tons of people out there which immediately made things much more interesting.’ (Su-metal) Q: After the BudouKan shows you suddenly found yourself flying off to perform overseas, right? How did the Su-metal of the time feel about that development? Su-metal: It certainly was an out of the blue occurrence! (laughs) The first time I went overseas was as BABYMETAL. Q: To be clear, your first overseas trip was to Asia, right? P. 23 Yes, right. We went to Singapore. And so, up until that point we our only overseas travel had been to Asia. America and Europe almost had the feel of being some world that only existed inside the TV screen. It didn’t really hit home that I was actually going to fly there. When I was told that we would be playing live shows in venues with about 1,0000 people capacities, I was like, ‘No way!’. Q: (laughs) Su-metal: Probably because it hadn’t hit me that we were going overseas to perform; on the airplane it seemed to me more like we were just going on a sightseeing excursion. The extent that I hadn’t comprehended what was going on dawned on me when in the middle of performing a live show I suddenly realized, ‘Hey, I am performing in a foreign land right now!’. Q: The fact that you came to this realization in the middle of a live show tells me that Su-metal hasn’t changed at all. (laughs) But, wait, didn’t you perform at Sonisphere on this trip? And what is more, that was a show where you performed in front of a crowd filled with approximately 60 thousand hard core, foreign Metal fans. When I asked Yuimetal and Moametal about this they said that this fact of ‘being away’ from home was an uneasy feeling for them. How did Su-metal feel about this? Su-metal: Sonisphere was…… Q: You do remember it, right? (laughs) Su-metal: I remember it clearly! It still hadn’t hit me that we were performing overseas when we played at Sonisphere. Speaking honestly, it wasn’t until we walked onto the stage that I realized just how many fans were out there DEATH! Q: Eh?! Su-metal: We were not able to go and check out the venue before we went on stage. It was kind of like we went straight from the dressing room to the stage. Q: Ah, right….you do not do a rehearsal at these Festivals. Su-metal: Right. Perhaps because we saw the audience from a slanted angle it seemed to us that no one was in attendance and we were talking amongst ourselves wondering ‘what we should do’ with out a crowd to play to. But, apparently that was due to the angle that we looked upon the audience. Once we went on stage we realized that there were tons of people out there which immediately made things much more interesting. Q: So that is the meaning behind the grin that Su-metal showed on her face that we, the Hedoban team, witnessed as it was shown on the Sonisphere screen! Su-metal: Personally I was not aware I had done that (laughs). Q: It suddenly got fun? Su-metal: That’s right DEATH! Q: Whoa, that is amazing…. Su-metal: I think I must have been happy about it perhaps, or something…I am not sure what I felt. I am sure though, that it immediately became very enjoyable! What is more the audience in the front were standing there with blank looks of bewilderment on their faces DEATH! Q: Ah, their expressions, right. Su-metal: Right. They had expressions on their faces that said, ‘Hmm? What? Eh!” Q: You could make out those expressions from the stage? Su-metal: Yes, I could see their expressions! When I saw their expressions it made me feel, ‘Alright then, let’s really knock this out of the park!’ DEATH! Q: Their expressions lit your fire? P. 24 Su-metal: Yes, that’s right DEATH! But, I was nervous so I may not have comprehended what was actually going on. (laughs) Q: The moment you saw their expressions and you got riled up it sounds like the desire to put on a show that would bring enjoyment to everyone overrode your nervousness, right? Su-metal: Yeah, I think that sounds right. There was a sense that there was a definite moment when my mood switched over. Q: BABYMETAL really gets passionate and worked up when you play ‘away from home’. Su-metal: Hehehe. It does seem that way, DEATH! 2015 January 10 LEGEND 2015 ~ Shinshun Kitsune Festival ~ Saitama Super Arena Q: So, Sonisphere is over, I have talked with Yuimetal and Moametal about Brixton (London) and so now I would like to ask Su-metal about the ‘Shinshun Kitsune Festival’ that you performed in January of 2015 after coming back to Japan. Do you remember it? Su-metal: (laughs) Yes, it was JUST last January! It’s amazing that that was last year already…. Q: At that show it was the first time for you to perform ‘Road of Resistance’ in Japan, right? How does that song stack up in Su-metal’s mind? Su-metal: I don’t usually listen to BABYMETAL songs on a day to day basis, but, I listen to ‘Road of Resistance’ an incredible amount of times. Q: Why is that? Su-metal: Hmmm…I wonder why… I guess you could say it gives me energy and motivation. ‘Road of Resistance’ is a song that represents all that was 2015, you could say. Q: Do you think that applies to not only BABYMETAL but to Su-metal herself as well? Su-metal: No, I think it is especially true of BABYMETAL. I often use the terminology of, ‘there is the ‘me’ that is my daily provisional disguise used to sneak around unnoticed in the world, and then there is Su-metal’, right? As you know, there are things that I could not normally experience as my ordinary ‘me’, but I am able to do so as Su-metal. Q: Yes, you have talked about that before. Su-metal: Right. What I mean by that is that my character or personality changes….it feels like a separate person takes possession of me during a live show DEATH! Q: That is something that never changes. You were speaking like that in the ‘Hedoban Vol. 3’ interview as well. Are you saying that the gap between the two has gotten more drastic since that time? Su-metal: Yes, perhaps. I absolutely love that ‘me’. Q: You mean <the ‘me’ that appears as BABYMETAL’s Su-metal>, right? Su-metal: That’s right, DEATH! I do think my ordinary self is cool as well though. (laughs) Q: That is a quotable remark said in Su-metal fashion (laughs). Su-metal: When I listen to ‘Road of Resistance’ and am reminded of these things, I get a burst of energy and power in recalling that, ‘this is a path that Su-metal has traveled upon to this point’. Q: Looked upon objectively as well, ‘Road of Resistance’ is a song that allows one to reflect upon the many and varied aspects of Su-metal. Are you able to hear the fans when they are singing, ‘Wow, wow ~’? Su-metal: Of course DEATH! Q: You take your ear monitor out to be able to listen, right? Su-metal: It turned into quite an experience when I took my ear monitor off and listened at the ‘Shinshun Kitsune Festival’. Q: Is that right?! Su-metal: There was a bridge that spanned from the stage to a separate location. I was listening to the fans’ voices from where the bridge was extending out and so I was virtually able to hear ‘Wow, wow~’ coming from 360 degrees all around me. I truly loved the resounding cheers that flew out and around from the upper regions of the BudouKan and this was something very close to that. I really got the sensation that everyone was saying, ‘Welcome home!’, and were supporting us yelling out, ‘Do your best!’. The ‘Road of Resistance’ in that show was truly an experience filled with a high degree of emotional energy. Q: Were the cheers of everyone during ‘Road of Resistance’ at the ‘Shinshun Kitsune Festival’ the most impressive ones you have encountered? P. 25 Su-metal: It was because of those cheers that we were able to do the 2015 World tour. I am quite certain about that. 2015 June 1 BABYMETAL World Tour 2015 La Laiterie, Strasbourg, France 2015 June 3 BABYMETAL World Tour 2015 X-TRA, Zurich, Switzerland 2015 June 5 BABYMETAL World Tour 2015 Estragon Club, Bologna, Italy ‘The stage that revamped our way of thinking was the Strasbourg, France stage’. (Su-metal) Q: I have already asked about the next performance, the one in Mexico…. After that you performed in Canada and then Germany followed by the 3 solo shows in Europe of France, Switzerland and Italy. I was lucky enough to have been able to see these 3 shows. Su-metal: Thank you so much for coming! Q: Oh, no, the pleasure is mine. The Bologna, Italy show was particularly hot with ridiculously high temperatures at the show venue, don’t you think? That said, that show is the one that made the deepest impression on me. Su-metal: Hmm…I am not sure how I think of those 3 shows. In my inner reflections on those shows, all 3 were really rich and intense! First off, the Strasbourg, France stage…. With the tour kicking off in Mexico we felt, ‘this is going to be quite tough from a physical and stamina standpoint’, and approached things with a strategy of performing while not taxing our stamina too much. Doing so it began to lose grip on just what is our ‘100%’. At the German Festival the 3 of us talked about how, ‘we are not performing for everyone at our utmost potential’. And as these 3 shows started up we were of the mindset of, ‘we are capable of doing much more than this!’. The 3 of us along with the Kami band and the entire staff consulted together several times focusing on, ‘lets do perform this and that in this and that way’, and the stage that followed this revamped approach in mindset was the Strasbourg stage. I personally feel that that show was incredibly good! Q: Did you perhaps feel like you had been reset? Su-metal: Yes! With that show we felt like we had been restored as BABYMETAL-100%! Because of the warmth and kindness of the French fans I think it is fantastic that we could reset ourselves in France DEATH! As for the Zurich, Switzerland show…. I felt that the way the fans got into the show was special and unique. At first it seemed like they were not so excited…. Q: That is true…. Su-metal: It was a mysterious phenomena where we were performing a ‘solo show and yet we were ‘away from home”. I think in fact that they were having a great time but were just not sure of how to ‘get into and move with’ the show. (laughs) Q: Ah, I get you! Su-metal: I get the feeling that perhaps many of the people were seeing BABYMETAL for the first time. Because of that what happened was a phenomena where at the quiet part in ‘Ijime’ the whole crowd all squatted down. Seeing this from the stage it was as if the all the people had disappeared. Q: Whoa! Su-metal: Since the venue is dark where the audience is, it was as if they all disappeared when they squatted down. I was panicking, thinking, ‘What should we do? What should I do?!’, when they suddenly stood up in unison. I was so surprised as this way of dealing with the show was a first for us. Q: Looking at things from the point of view of the audience I didn’t think that our impression would change that much, so it is amazing to hear that the perspective changed that dramatically when seen from the stage. Su-metal: Yes. And then there was Bologna, Italy which was just simply hot, hot and hot. It was so hot that during rehearsal we were saying, ‘Isn’t this bordering on being impossible?’. But, I think I may actually like situations like that. It is actually those kinds of difficult situations that make me want to really dig in and do my best. I wonder what that means…. Q: (laughs) That tendency to dig in and do you best when facing overwhelming odds is something that is stronger in you perhaps than Yuimetal and Moametal. What do you think? P. 26 Su-metal: Hmmm…I am not sure. But, it is true, I think, that I do go all out when facing hardships. That said, I think those 2 are also that way. Q: You know, though, listening to you like this I get the feeling that when performing ‘away from home’ Su-metal is able to harness some kind of awesome power that goes way beyond your usual abilities! Su-metal: (chuckles) Initially at Bologna it was so incredibly hot that, in a good sense of the words, I just totally gave up and relaxed….doing so I realized that I was able to sweep all those concerns away (laughs). Q: You were trying to keep things in check as a way to deal with the heat, but somewhere during the show your ‘limiter’ popped off? Su-metal: Honestly, I have no memory of it DEATH! Q: For myself as well, the Bologna show made a deep impression on me. I have a strong image of that show being one were everyone, including the Kami band, just went all out without holding back at all. Su-metal: Since the Kami band-san were also of the feeling of, ‘well, we really have to give it our best together’ because the situation was so tough, we were all reinforcing each other through volleys of eye contact communicating with each other in a manner of ‘are you alright?’, ‘yes, I am OK!’. At the Bologna show, the 7 of us including, of course, the Kami band-san, we all came together with a very strong sense of unification, I feel. Q: I think Su-metal has grown and flourished in sensitivity greatly over the past 2 years. Does it feel like you have 2 brains working at the same time when you are performing? Is it like there is a cool, logical ‘you’ and a ‘you’ that has had her ‘limiter’ removed? Su-metal: At times, I get the unexplainable sensation that there is a ‘me’ that can observe things in an extremely objective way, you see. Q: Does that even occur at large venues?! Su-metal: There are times when that happens. How should I put it….it is ‘a sensation where it is as if someone is taking hold of my hand and pulling me along’. And that happens in the middle of a live show. Q: Ohhh! Su-metal: ‘Someone’ is leading me along at a running pace saying, ‘Come this way!’ DEATH! Q: When you say ‘someone’, you don’t mean you can actually see them though, right? Su-metal: I can’t see their form, but…. It is an extremely, extremely sensuous phenomena. Of course, I don’t mean it is situation like this (said as she gestures someone being pulled along by the hand). (laughs) Q: It would be quite a disturbing situation to actually see that during a live show, I can imagine. (laughs) P. 27 Su-metal: It really is a perceptional, sensuous thing….it is something that know within myself about, for example, if I prepare in this way, I will be able to sing well, or, even if I am fatigued I can give a bit more. At times like these, I am in awesomely good condition DEATH! Q: Do you mean that it is like, ‘those times where there is feeling-wise, another person present’? Su-metal: Yes, that is it. It is like there is someone there who knows where the goal is and even if I am lost or perplexed as to how to proceed, that person gives me a sense of peace and can lead me to the goal. It is something like that. Q: It is as if something is guiding you to the correct path. Su-metal: That’s right, DEATH! Q: Wow. Su-metal: Something comes into me during these shows is how if feels perhaps. I really can’t express it in easy to understandable terms. Recently this feeling comes upon me and when it does I feel a huge sense of achievement. Because of the fact that everything I do goes smoothly, I am able to enjoy any and all things. I get the feeling that I can do anything! DEATH! Q: You become invincible. Su-metal: Invincible DEATH It is a sense something like ‘arriving at the final stage of transformation’. Q: There was a feeling of that at last year’s Yokohama Arena. Su-metal: Yes! That could be the reason I was able to see things with a sense of, ‘Hey, everyone, come and follow along!’ DEATH! Q: Related to that, is that, ‘Come on, bring it on!’ <kakatte koiya!> that you yell out a phrase that comes naturally from Su-metal’s feelings? Su-metal: Come on, bring it on!’ really comes out of that feeling. 2015 June 12 Download Festival 2015 Donington Park, UK 2105 June 15 Golden Gods Awards 2015 Indigo at The O2, London, UK ‘Were not not able to rehearse ‘Gimme Choco!’ even 1 time before the actual performance.’ (Su-metal) Q: Since you have transformed we can go on to the next question (laughs) You unexpectedly joined Dragon Force’s stage at the Download Festival and were granted awards from ‘Metal Hammer’ and Kerrang!’, right? Su-metal: We learned about the ‘Metal Hammer’ and Kerrang!’ awards at teh last minute. And so we suddenly found ourselves needing to reside in England for about 10 days. Because of that we were luckily able to go to many places and we were able to do a collaboration for the first time with Dragon Force-san at the Download Festival. Were not not able to rehearse ‘Gimme Choco!’ even 1 time before the actual performance. Q: Really!? That was an unrehearsed live performance? Su-metal: Yes. It was like, ‘OK, you go on after this song. Once the introduction starts, just go out there and dance how you feel you should’. We were like, ‘Eh, is this going to be OK?’, but I went out and sang. I felt that because Dragon Force-san employs a piano player, and the song varies depending upon who is performing it that the sound that the sound was different. I felt, ‘Ah, this is the charm of music!’. I was also so happy to have seen a different side of ‘Gimme Choco!’ DEATH!

Q: A music writer who witnessed this wrote, ‘this was an attack version of ‘Gimme Choco!”. Su-metal: So, in addition to be super happy about being able to perform at the Download Festival, it was also wonderful to be able to experience the atmosphere that, heretofore I had only gotten a glimpse of on TV, of the award ceremonies for ‘Metal Hammer’ and Kerrang!’. Q: They are something like the ‘Nihon Record awards’? Su-metal: Yes, that sounds right! I was surprised at being able to appear at these award shows, and the nervousness I felt at knowing I had to do a speech in English……well, I practiced like crazy (laughs). Q: (laughs) Is that right. And, you also appeared on the front cover of ‘Metal Hammer’. How did you feel about BABYMETAL being shown on the front cover of an overseas magazine? Su-metal: It was truly strange. I was so happy to be accepted by an overseas Metal magazineas we were for the first time with coverage by ‘Metal Hammer-san’. But, in no way did I think that we would be featured on the front cover. I was amazed by the fact that we had become an entity that is approved by such a major outlet which made me happy to get a reaffirmation that we have been accepted DEATH! P. 28 2015 September 16 World Tour 2015 in Japan ‘I really want to perform at Hiroshima’s Green Arena DEATH! I would love to have a venue where I could perform for the people who have been so kind and who have helped me out so much.’ (Su-metal) Q: And following that you had the Japan Tour. I just spoke with Yuimetal and Moametal and they both said that it was extremely fun. Is Su-metal of the same impression? Su-metal: Ohhh, it was really a lot of fun DEATH! Q: In our interview with you in ‘Hedoban Vol. 3’, Su-metal said that she would like to return to Hiroshima one day to perform there, right? Although it didn’t happen on this Japan tour, it seems to me that if you keep going at this pace that someday you will be able to play at the Hiroshima Green Arena or a similar venue. Su-metal: I really want to do that, DEATH! I would love to have a venue where I could perform for the people who have been so kind and who have helped me out so much. There are truly a lot of people who see BABYMETAL perform for the first time when we play in local venues and I really get the feeling that they approach these shows with a feeling of, ‘We have been waiting for you!’. At these shows I once again strongly realize that there are people out there who are waiting to see us perform. Also, I love being able to eat the various delicious regional foods that the catering services prepare for us (laughs). Q: (laughs) Looking back over these past 2 years that have included overseas tours-in what ways have the existences of Yuimetal and Moametal changed in Su-metal’s perspective? Su-metal: Hmmm….I don’t feel that they have changed in that sense. The fact that they are extremely important to me is something that will never change. They are also like little sisters to me. And in addition to that, recently they have become people that I can and do depend more upon. For example, in interviews when I am unable to explain something adequately in words they help me out with comments like, ‘It was like this, perhaps’, or ‘It was like that, maybe’. Up until recently I would be watching them from behind when we are performing a live show kind of wondering to myself if they are doing OK from a physical perspective. Recently, however, I think the 3 of us are on equal ground. I guess you could say that I now view them as being almost the same age as myself. Conversely, there are times more and more where they are worrying about me. I feel that they have become very reliable, you know. What is Metal to Su-metal? ‘Metal is something that cleanses one’s mind and heart….It is to that extent that Metal has struck deep and hard into my core.’ (Su-metal) Q: This is my final question for you. When I asked Su-metal what Metal meant to her in our last interview, you said, ‘Metal has become something that is not scary to me anymore’. You also said, ‘there are a variety of factors contained in Metal’. Following that 2 years you have performed live shows in large variety of countries overseas. For the Su-metal of this present point in time, what has come of Su-metal’s image of Metal? Su-metal: Metal is ‘something that makes it possible for me to encounter a new me’. Also, it is ‘something that teaches me who my true self is’. Q: Ohhhhh! Su-metal: I was able to meet this entity called Su-metal….Su-metal has shown me so many worlds of which I knew nothing about. There are things that I can only do because of Su-metal. I mean there are things that the ordinary ‘me’ could not do for lack of courage – there are things that would be too frightening for ‘me’, but as Su-metal I am able to carry them out. And I would add that I think Metal itself is something similar to this as well. Metal is something that cleanses one’s mind and heart….It is to that extent that Metal has stabbed deep and hard into my core. Q: It feels like you have been stabbed? Su-metal: That’s right! Metal strikes you with a feeling like you have been stabbed. Because it stabs you deep and hard like that, your body moves with the energy before you are able to think about it with your head. That is why I feel that Metal is ‘something that teaches me who my true self is’. Q: Do you feel there are great number of areas where Metal has saved you over the past 2 years? Su-metal: Yes! There is no doubt about that! (said sharply and with force) Q: That is wonderful! Su-metal: (chuckles)

Supernatural Kitsune Iroiro Various types of ‘Okitsune-san’ Supernatural Kitsune (妖狐) (clockwise from upper left corner) Byakko/White Kitsune Byakko/Shiro Gitsune <白狐/白ギツネ> A white furred Kitsune. This Kitsune is considered to be of the type that brings good fortune to people-a ‘Zenko’ <善狐 >. The Zenko are a fictitious Kitsune that were reported in Edo period essays to be the counterpart to the Yako <野狐> Kitsune that were able to take possession of people causing sickness or death. They are also often the helpers of ‘Inari no Kami’ <稲荷神> (The guardian/god of crops). Genko <玄狐> A black furred Kitsune that lives in the northern region of Japan and is a transformation of the Big Dipper, or the Great Bear <Hokutosei/北斗星>. This Kitsune is a bringer of great fortune and appears when the ruler of the land works to bring about peace. Kinko and Ginko Gold and Silver Kitsune <金狐/銀狐> The gold Kitsune is a symbol of the positive and/or light, while the silver Kitsune is a symbol of the negative and/or darkness. They can also be considered as representing day and night, respectively. Both are beneficial Kitsune. Yako Wild Kitsune <野狐> This Kitsune is a class of Kitsune that failed to overcome the tests they encountered in the attempt to become a holy Kitsune. This also includes the wild Kitsune who do not possess the proper spirit to even attempt to become a holy Kitsune. They basically just do bad things and even take possession of people from time to time. Senko Holy Kitsune <仙狐> This Kitsune type is a good, beneficial one that is reported to be able to live over 1,000 years. There are cases wherein this Kitsune actually turns out to be an evil entity as well. Tenko Heaven Kitsune <天狐> This Kitsune lives over a 1,000 years and is a good, beneficial type that possesses divine powers and has evolved into a god. It has the power of clairvoyance and can see into the true nature of any and everything. It possesses four tails. Kuuko Air Kitsune <空狐> This Kitsune lives more than 3,000 years and is a full fledged god with divine powers who is able to do anything it wishes. It lives longer then the Tenko and has no tail. Kyuubi no Kitsune Nine-tailed Kitsune <九尾の狐> This Kitsune surpasses the other divine Kitsune and living so long with divine powers its tail divides into nine tails. I wrote about this a couple of years ago –‘Kyuubi no Kitsune and the Story of Sesshouseki’

Mikiko-sensei on News Zero 2017 June 16 Koi Dance (with the always lovely, Aragaki Yui aka, Gakki) An old, but ever so fun to watch ‘Pocky’ CM from way back in time. Perfume ‘Tokyo Girl’

Kayama Yuuzou on BABYMETAL 2017 June 11 2017 June 12 Yahoo! News A talk show was held at Sogou Yokohama department store on the 11th of June to celebrate the famous singer, Kayama Yuuzou’s 80th birthday. He will be appearing on the main stage of the ‘Fuji Rock Festival 2017’ in the later half of July. He said with a face brimming with happiness, ‘I am so happy to be celebrated like this’. And further said, ‘If you believe hard enough, your dreams will come true.’ When asked what artists he is interested in at the moment, he said, ‘There are so many!’. But, out of them it is BABYMETAL that he particularly pointed out, saying, ‘I bought a ticket and went to their Tokyo Dome show’. Not only are they amazing as far as visuals and singing go, their back band is also truly amazing.’ I am so happy to see that they are accepted around the world’, said with a happy and satisfied look.

BABYMETAL on Japan Countdown Check 2017 June 11 This is the section featuring BABYMETAL that appeared on Japan Countdown Check on the morning of 2017 June 11. Note: You may also be interested in ‘Wagakki band’ which appeared for a few seconds at the beginning of the clip.

Japan’s two greatest and most lovable female singers, Nakamoto Suzuka and Utada Hikaru *Note: Other than the ‘Inazuma’ story all of the translations are my own. (I was unable to find the Japanese source of the Inazuma story and so made use of a translation by an unknown Japanese person.) This selection of mine naming Nakamoto Suzuka, aka ‘Su-metal’ and Utada Hikaru as the two greatest Japanese woman singers is obviously an almost totally subjective determination. I mean, how could it not be? I am sure there are some more or less objective measures of the skill level of a person’s singing voice such as range of octave, decibel levels, lack of contour errors, pitch accuracy and on and on. That said since I personally have no knowledge or understanding of these units of measurement I, and most likely you as well, can only go on my own personal sense of what constitutes a great singer. It is funny that I originally thought of doing a short 6 or so page post about the 4 greatest Japanese singers which of course started out with Su-metal and Utada and then went on to include Imai Miki and Takeuchi Mariya. However, once I began researching what I wanted to say, first of all, about Su-chan I realized that I would have to trim it down to include only Su and Utada. There are an almost uncountable number of beautiful phenomena in the world that move one’s heart running from sunsets, flowers, good food and starry night skies. However, for me, the most enthralling ‘thing’ in the world is the sound as well as the performance and all that entails of Japanese women singers. What is it exactly about Su-metal and Utada that so captivates and touches the hearts and minds of so many people? In the end I would have to say from my perspective, and even following upon a few weeks of considering this question after deciding to write about it, that their attractiveness is an elusive charm that goes beyond verbal or even mental understanding. While I will try to express the possible reasons for their loveliness herein, I will say that I will most likely not be able to do so to a satisfactory degree. Both women visually lie in that realm that lies between, and overlaps into, cuteness and beauty, and without any sense of projected sexiness. They both move with a gliding sense of grace and dignity that seems to be backed up by a hidden power source and yet neither comes off as an overly crafted dancer in spite of the fact that you simply can not take your eyes of them when they move on stage (or off, for that matter). Internally, both are ridiculously confident. In fact, when my students have asked me to sum up Utada with one word, it was always ‘Confident’ that I would respond with. And I mean a confidence that goes beyond just an assumption that they can pull off a good show, but rather a rock solid sense that they almost CAN NOT fail- a confidence that is seemingly divinely gifted. In spite of this, neither of these two women conveys even a hint of arrogance and in fact are extremely humble almost to the point of being self-deprecating. And then there is of course their vocals, their voices. Words can obviously not do them justice and their is no need to try to express the power, the clarity, the cuteness, the at times frailty with which they express lyrics with their voices when a simple listen is all that it takes. So, to dive in to actually writing about these two giants it is best to get to know their backgrounds a bit even though we may not in fact need to know anything about a singer to be able to enjoy and appreciate their singing. I have often thought, though, what it would be like to listen to Karen Carpenter’s voice without knowing anything about the tragic nature of her life. In fact I am pretty sure that I remember feeling a deep sadness or melancholy in her voice when I listened to the Carpenters on the radio as a little boy, so there may be something inherently in it that evokes sadness. That said, I am certain that knowing about the life and background of a singer affects they way we perceive their vocals. Nakamoto Suzuka (中元すず香） Su-chan was born as the 3rd and youngest daughter in 1997, December 20 in Hiroshima. It is said that when she was still only two years old that she would become so absorbed in the background music playing at shops that she would sing and dance so intensely that she would often get separated from her family. It is reported that she was considered to be a prodigy by those who heard her sing when she was still an infant. She began her childhood modeling career at the age of 5 and won the Grand prize of Bandai cosmetic’s Jewel Drop, ’Image girl’ contest. This was followed by another Grand prize at the age of 8 Alpark Scholarship Audition which played a huge role in her being able to be granted admission to the Actor’s School of Hiroshima (ASH). I can not go much farther in chronicling her early history and achievements as it would go on for several pages and have been recorded both in English and, to a much more detailed extent in Japanese elsewhere. I will just say that she apparently went on to win basically every contest that she entered either solely or with her sister, Himeka, with the exception of one where they most likely basically bowed out because of a scheduling difficulty and yet still took runners up place. Here are some of her early vocals prior to and following that fateful occurrence of being one of the three members of the iconic, ‘Karen Girl’s’ group that led directly into the formation of Sakura Gakuin to ‘Juonbun’ or as what we now know as ‘BABYMETAL’. And my personal favorite… Two of Su-chan’s most recognizable characteristics are evidently revealed in a short interview with her and her Karen Girl’s co-members, Mutou Ayami and Shima Yuika before they embark on their stage at the Animelo Summer Live 2008 – CHALLENGE, (Saitama Super Arena). What are those characteristics? One is Su’s constant scanning, constant taking in of what is happening in her surroundings. This characteristic of one’s eyes actively scanning one’s surroundings and of not letting the eyes settle into a ‘dead stare’ is something we often see with not only Su-chan but also of such mysterious intellectuals and mystics such as Krishnamurti and contained in the teachings of Takuan Osho, a zen master who taught the mental side of sword fighting to Yagyu Munenori and I would include the way my favorite fictional character of ‘Sugishita Keibu from the incredibly popular and long running Japanese TV series, ‘Aibou’ uses his eyes in constantly scanning any situation for clues. While this is often looked upon at least in the West as a sign of deceptiveness or an unsettled state of mind, it is more correctly seen as a sign of intelligence and wakefulness, at least in certain individuals. Of course I would include Su-chan in this latter category. There is something truly wonderful and actually quite rare going on with her as she does this and is something that I believe the reader can verify for themselves right now. See how you feel when you do not let you eyesight rest on a single item in your line of sight for more than a fraction of second before you move on to the next, the next and then the next object as compared with letting your eyes kind of rest on a single point. I believe you will see the almost animalistic sense of aliveness that this flitting of the eyes conveys. Now, not to go too off into wild ramblings, I want to focus on the what could be called ‘Vacant mind’ of Su-chan as compared with ‘Su-metal’. And not to draw the comparison with one of my favorites, the aforementioned, Krishnamurti, a person who is well known to have a side to himself that was best summed up as ‘Vacant’, to the point of over embellishment, I would like to draw attention to this, what could derogatorily be referred to as sign of below par intelligence that is often pointed out in reference to Su-chan, this aspect of her character that is, I would say, rather a sign of exceptional and in fact genius level intelligence. We know of Su from the countless anecdotal stories that exist (often from Su-chan herself) that: [Please remember that most of these were either 1 time, or limited in frequency, occurrences that happened early in Su-chan’s life. They are glimpses into her unique make-up and not on-going (I would assume) characteristics. Anyway, here are some of them.] ‘Su can not tie her shoe laces by herself’ ‘She is unable to make a sound with a whistle as she blows on it holding it upside-down’ ‘Su-chan has been known to walk along with her shoes on the wrong feet not noticing until someone points it out to her’. ‘Su has apparently, at least once, when singing ‘Megitsune’, mistakenly sung ‘Joyuu yo’ <actress> with ‘Kyonyuu’ <big breasts>’. ‘In order to collect <Bell Mark> stamps <stamps that schoolchildren collect from various products to exchange for school related goods>, Su-chan would cut the stamps out of her older sisters’ notebooks, for which she was of course scolded by her sisters.’ ‘Su-chan would often leave her family in bewilderment as she ripped off <Bell Marks> from their Sesame oil bottles.’ ‘There were numerous occasions where Su-chan would be left behind yelling, ‘Hey, wait for me!’, as the filming crew would move from location to location.’ ‘Su-chan would occasionally (OK, so at least once) show up for lessons only to find that she still had her pajamas on under her long skirt.’ ‘Su-chan was happy to have moved from the 12-member Sakura Gakuin format to the 3-member BABYMETAL one because it reduced the need to fight for staff boxed lunches by 9.’ ‘As her self-selected research assignment during summer vacation when she was in the 1st grade of Jr. High, Su-chan chose to do a joint research project with her sister, Himeka, into <The secret behind how pudding solidifies>.’ ‘Her big ears that are tilted rather forward are great for hearing sounds in the front of her, but she has a difficult time hearing what people are saying when they are speaking in hushed tones behind her.’ ‘She enjoys joking around with e-mails to herself where she does both the <Boke> and the <Tsukokomi> roles. Note: You will have to look these up for yourself as it would take too long to explain. In other words, she does a kind of 2-person comedy skit, ‘Manzai’ with herself in her e-mails’. ‘A question from Himetan’s blog! Where does a snake’s tail begin. This was the topic of discussion amongst our family.’ * Mama: Where does a snake’s tail begin? * Himeka: A snake doesn’t have a tail. * Suzuka: Snakes have hands, don’t they? Maa, if they do or don’t who cares? * Anyway, Mama wants to know the borderline between a snake’s body and it’s tail. If you happen to know please let me know.’ All of these examples that are mostly well known amongst the vast BABYMETAL lore all show a side of a girl who walks to the beat of a different drummer. Now don’t get me wrong, this side of Su-chan makes her all the more charming and enchanting and is a property that I personally absolutely adore along with probably all BABYMETAL fans. This property is called, ‘Tennen’ in Japan and said for the most part as an enduring, if not almost admirable characteristics usually found in girls and women. So lets now shift gears and focus on the other side of the equation that is Nakamoto Suzuka, Su-chan, Su-metal, which is that side of this enigmatic person that is so incredibly talented, creative, skilled and captivating that it kind of exceeds the power of words to describe. First of all is her high work standard and stoicism. She is one who has a high degree of professionalism and has determined to herself that she will never cry on stage, no matter what the circumstances. Virtually all of her singing on stage is done live and since these lives performances go on to be recorded products for sale as is, there is absolutely no room for errors to be made. Himeka wrote in her blog that she often goes to Karaoke with Su-chan where they will sing for 7-hours straight at times. Upon writing this she was so swamped by questions about what goes on in these Karaoke sessions with Su that she has vowed to steer away from writing about her sister in the future. Nakamoto Suzuka is an interesting blend: she is not able to do some things that we mere mortals can do easily, but is able on the other hand to do things easily (or make them seem easy) that we can’t begin to dream of. There is no denying it; she is a very unique person. Babymetal’s choreographer, Mikiko-sensei said this about Nakamoto-san’s work ethic and abilities as a professional singer, ’Su-chan memorizes the lyrics to new songs faster than anyone else in Sakura Gakuin or BABYMETAL.’ She also conveyed in an interview that while Su-chan is not as naturally gifted as a dancer as the other two members of the trio, Mizuno Yui and Kikuchi Moa, she will work on the choreography until she masters it and invariably surprises even Mikiko-sensei with how she has done so and even added a little something uniquely hers to the movements. Apparently she does not dance in accordance with a count as most dancer do, but rather subjectively adjusts herself to the song itself. It is even said that she sees the song/dance in a kind of color code that makes sense to her. Mikiko-sensei also has said that she is amazed at how she approaches regular rehearsals with the same all-out energy and concentration that most artists tend to save for ‘the show’ – to the extent that after rehearsals she is often scolded by the make-up artists because she has sweated so profusely that her make-up gets totally messed up. We even know that she broke a cardboard guitar that was made for the ‘Graduation Toss’ MV due to moving around so aggressively. Quote from Mikiko-sensei Su-metal as seen by Mikiko-metal ‘She is so full of natural, in born performance related talent that it is as if the word genius was created just for this girl. She undergoes a transformation on the stage that you could not imagine based on who she is in daily life. It is not to say that she is particularly good at dancing a particular dance movement exactly as set up, but rather she makes the movements her own to the point that her expressive abilities overpower the song. And so if she is required to simply extend her arms out in front of her she will do it in a way that emotionally moves those watching it. I think it is the non-sense concerned passion that she has within her that makes this possible. Up until recently I felt that whatever she sang had a uniform, ‘Su-metal’ feel to it, but recently she has become able to lay on a wide variety of emotions in her performances and is able to control or regulate herself song by song. Her English pronunciation has also dramatically improved.’ Quote from Su-chan’s ‘homeroom teacher’, Mori Hayashi-sensei at her graduation ceremony from Sakura Gakuin ‘Last year, THOSE three graduated, and now…This girl, Nakamoto…she who is unable to deal properly with others is now the Student Council President?! I was filled with worry. But now she is able to make a speech and is able to touch the hearts of the listeners to an amazing degree. In the past it would have been a miracle for her to say ‘My name is Nakamoto Suzuka’. I have the feeling that she has kind of turned into a totally separate person. No, but really, this girl called Nakamoto is an extremely stoic person. I think that her ability to stand on this stage today like this is due to the efforts she has made outside of the view of all of us. Anyway, that is how she has carried out so many achievements since she was in Elementary school to the present day. But, regardless, since she is still in the 3rd grade of Jr. High school I am sure that in this entertainment world that she will encounter times when she could not exhibit her best. And while Nakamoto’s stoic nature is a wonderful thing, I hope that she will be able to find a place within herself that forgives herself when things don’t go well. But, really, honestly speaking, when Nakamoto …makes a mistake or messes up on something…even then I think everyone here thinks of her as a lovable girl. I feel that that also is a part of her attractiveness.As her teacher I hope that she will put great value on this side of herself as she grows as well. As for her talent as a singer, there is nothing better than for the reader to listen to any song, perhaps especially the solo ones of ‘Akatsuki’, ‘Akumu no Rhondo’, ‘Amore’, and ‘No Rain, No Rainbow’. And we must never forget that she is truly singing a totally new genre, one that mixes Idol with Heavy Metal and thus there are demands on her voice that literally no one has ever experienced before and that alone commands our total respect. This is an interesting audio track that has been manipulated to take the musical components out of a performance of ‘Akatsuki’ leaving only Su-metal’s voice. If this doesn’t blow you away, nothing will. http://www.allthingsjapan.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/BABYMETAL-Akatsuki-Acapella-ver._MP3.mp3 And ‘Tamashii no Rufuran’ Before I move into and then close out with the side of Su-metal/Su-chan that I find the most fascinating, I want to add one of the cutest stories I have ever come across about Su-chan as well as Yui and Moa. This is one of my favorite stories about Babymetal ever. There is something very touching and yet profound about it. The picture here is called “The Coronation” by Hirokazu Sato. Many have seen it and there are many stories associated with it. This is one of my favorites. It’s about the grasshopper. If you zoom in close on the left, next to the toad, you’ll see the grasshopper. Here’s the grasshopper story….enjoy. It comes from the comments on Twitter posted by Mr. Kenta suzuki who is an announcer of MBS TV. Inazuma Rock 2013 was the first big stage for three girls at that time (around 20,000 attendance) and many Japnese BM fans were worried about how the show would go. “BABYMETAL-san, this was their second appearance at Inazuma Rock Festival with the Metal Idols performing using live-singing and a live band. They put on a magnificent performance on the main stage! However, in the backstage area before the show, Yui-chan and Moa-chan were chasing grasshoppers together in harmony, and Su-chan quietly watched over them with a smile like a female bodhisattva, I saw that and was very healed.” “A continuation of the previous tweet… A grasshopper was caught by Moa-chan but managed to escape (since Moa grabbed it too gently). Then, Moa-chan said to it “Bye-bye” waving her hands… I would say once more… she bade it good-bye waving her hands… (It’s so adorable that) I was nearly floored.” The most amazing thing to me about Nakamoto Suzuka though is the uncanny and virtually inexplicable transformation that takes place whenever she steps on the stage. It is well known in the BABYMETAL world that Yuimetal and Moametal also talk of this phenomena where they don’t remember what has happened on stage due to the ‘Kourin’ <divine descent or intertwining of a god or spirit> of the Fox god. Now this of course may be, and probably is a gimmick to make BABYMETAL more fun and interesting, but at least, or especially with Su-chan/Su-metal, I don’t think we can write it off so easily. There really does seem to be something bordering on the miraculous that takes place. Using the aforementioned Krishnamurti as an example, he reported throughout his life the presence at times of what he called ‘the other’. This ‘other’ was strong presence that would appear invisibly and yet tangibly and intertwine with him bringing his mind to state that he reported could be ‘untouched by thought’ for long stretches of time. Could it be that something like this happens with Su-chan as well? Well, it is best to let her state it in her own words (translated by yours truly, actually). Su-chan speaking on Su-metal: ‘Particularly in recent shows I have come to be aware of the moment when the Fox God descends into me. There are more and more instances where I feel as if someone inside of me is taking me by the hand and leading me making it so I can sing and express myself just exactly as I wish to do. So, more than saying I am making use of self control it is more like there is someone inside of me doing it for me (laughs).’ and ‘I really feel this way. And that is that I feel like I am a totally different personality on the stage. When I exit the stage I immediately feel like something has gone away from me. And so I think that there is a separate personality that is assisting me. When I am in good condition for a live show, it feels like there is a someone or something taking me by the hand and leading me along so that all goes well. So, I feel a high sense of pride when on stage. It is as if I must carry out a mission to mysteriously be really cool on stage. It is like when I am singing and I think I will sing in a certain way and the voice that I thought would come out comes out exactly as I hoped. And when I am dancing I think this is how I want to dance in a cool manner and as I think that I am able to pull it off exactly as I had hoped. It is as if I am 1 or 2 seconds ahead in time watching At that time, I realized that there is a ‘me’ who is different from the normal, day to day, ‘me’. From that point on I started to look upon a Babymetal ‘me’ that is different from my everyday self. That feeling has not changed from that point to now, and now there is a ‘me’ that enjoys performing as that separate personality. At times I am able to view myself from a 3rd person perspective and my usual self is kind of able to design my other self you could say to do things in a more interesting manner. Doing things like this I am able to enjoy things from my side of things. Since I am now of the understanding that there are things that ‘this me’ can do there are things that most likely only this created version of myself can do. I would not go so far as to say it is a manga like character but I do at times feel that this version of myself will be completely fine with whatever she does. And so I feel that there is nothing I can not do in a live performance.’ Nakamoto Suzuka is at once and at times, beautiful, cute, playful, fierce, as well as silly, down right badass, mesmerizing, totally down to earth, but most of all she is someone you literally can not take your eyes off of. And one more final point. I will be truly exciting to see how her English speaking and comprehension improves over the next few years. I am amazed at how much she has already progressed in just a couple of years. When I am writing or translating often my wife sits on the other side of the table and is unable to see the computer screen. The other day I was going through videos of Su preparing for this. When I was listening to a compilation of Su-chan’s English interviews my wife blurted out, ‘Is that Su-metal!? Her English is so wonderful!’. (The other time she has responded so enthusiastically to the way someone speaks English was when she heard Brian Cox <the scientist> speaking) Su, Su, Su…. the amazing Nakamoto Suzuka…..and remember she has been crucified 4 times and yet is still going strong. Utada. That is the name I know her by and the name I use. Utada-Hikaru (宇多田ヒカル)。Think about it, her name is うた…だ。That name itself means ‘Song’. While the Kanji is different, the wording is the same…Uta Da. Now, you may say, ‘OK, that must be a stage name’. Actually her name comes from her father’s family name of ‘宇多田’ and is just by chance, or by fate, her family name. Utada Hikaru (宇多田ヒカル) Now matter how you slice it Utada Hikaru is one of the greatest artists in the history of Japanese music. Just take a look at her stats: Records

1999 – First Love: Best-Selling Album in Japan 2001 – Distance: 4th Best-Selling Album in Japan (All Times) 2nd Best-Selling Album by a Female Artist in Japan Best-Selling Album of the Decade (00s) in Japan 2nd Biggest Weekly Sales Worldwide (Following Adele’s 25) 2002 – Deep River: 4th Best-Selling Album by a Female Artist in Japan (All Times) Distance: Best-Selling Album of 2001 ‘Can you keep a secret’ was the best selling single in 2001 In the top 10 of overall sales in Japanese history ‘First love’ is still the number 1 seller of all time The blockbuster, mega musician/producer, Komuro Tetsuya said of Utada, ‘I felt that it was Hikaru who finished me off’. I am sure that he meant that he could not go on to compete or compare with what Utada brought to the Japanese music scene in 1999. He also reportedly said, ‘It was Utada Hikaru and the iPod that revolutionized the music (Japanese) scene’. There was also this amazing quote by someone high up in the music industry made on the 15th anniversary of the release of ‘Automatic’. ‘It would not be an exaggeration to say that Utada Hikaru’s debut was like nothing that had ever occurred in the Japanese music world and she went on to be genuine social phenomena’. And ‘Utada Hikaru has a music sense that is so complete unto itself and so unique that it makes all the western songs and artists that have been popular up until this point all look like complete fakes’. Utada was not born in Japan, but rather in New York in 1983 to Utada Teruzane and Fuji Keiko (more about her famous mother later) . Her father, along with being a musician in his own right, worked as the manager of Utada’s mother, Fuji Keiko – a singer of such great renown as to be hard to explain in words. To put things simply, she was a thoroughbred from the start. So in spite of being a full blooded Japanese she grew up for the first 15 years of her life living in New York where she debuted with a cover of The Carpenter’s ‘Close to you’ in 1998 under the name of ‘Cubic U’, a play on her being the 3rd factor of the ‘Utada’ family. Stating that Utada is a true thoroughbred refers to what she received from her renowned mother, Fuji Keiko who may not be well known to people of the present time, but she was undoubtedly one of the greatest Japanese singers in the ‘70s. One only need to listen to her sing for a brief minute to appreciate what an amazing singer she was. ‘Shinjuku no Onna’ It is so tragic and so mysteriously uncanny that she took her own life in 2013, jumping from a building in Shinjuku. Nature or nurture, or nuture and nature, there is no doubt that Utada is who she is to an unmeasurable degree because of her mother. And it seems to go beyond that as we can see that their lives are uncannily almost mirror images of each other (at least to a point). First of all, there is the obvious remarkable similarity in the way they sing as well as their looks and the way they hold themselves. And looking at their respective histories we see: Fuji Keiko got married in 1971 (to Maekawa Kiyoshi) at the age of 20. They divorced in 1972. Utada got married in 2002 (to Kiriya Kazuaki) at the age of 20. They divorced in 2007. Fuji Keiko suddenly and unexpectedly announced her retirement at the age of 28 in 1979 and then moved to America. Utada also suddenly and unexpectedly announced her retirement at the age of 27 and then moved to the UK. Fuji Keiko got remarried (to Utada Teruzane) in 1982 when she was 31 and gave birth to Utada Hikaru the following year. Utada got remarried to an Italian man in 2014 when she was 31 and gave birth to a baby boy the next year. I don’t honestly think there is any real supernatural or unexplainable factor that led to this string of coincidences, but it is interesting nonetheless. What can not be denied is that Utada Hikaru is the inheritor of some very outstanding genes. Adding to that, growing up under the influence of her incredibly talented mother and a father that was/is so steeped in the musical industry surely played a major factor as well. There is one more interesting but not really significant point I would like to make in this vein. In one of her fabulous ‘Kuma Power Hour’ radio shows…. [let me go off tangent for a minute as I want to tell you that this series of, I believe, 8 one-hour shows titled ‘Kuma Power Hour’ is something that you really must take a listen to. Utada talks a fair deal about herself as well as her mother, as well as displaying a vast amount of knowledge about the music scene both in and outside of Japan. The most interesting thing about the series is is that Utada speaks 50% of the time in fluent English and 50% of the time in fluent Japanese and it is a great deal of fun to listen to both versions of her talks back to back. As far as I know, Utada Hikaru is the only artist in the world that can truly be considered genuinely fluent in both Japanese and English. That in itself makes her a special presence in the music world. I know at times when she had just made her debut in Japan and her Japanese was not perfectly in mesh with the way Japanese girls would speak who had lived their lives only in domestic Japan, I got the feeling that that was rather stressful and difficult for her at times. She is a unique figure in that way in that she doesn’t really fit perfectly into ‘America’ and she also in a sense doesn’t fit perfectly into ‘Japan’ either-kind of an outsider. I know the feeling well having lived half of my life in the States and half here in Japan.] …….Utada spoke about about her mother’s way of singing resembling very closely that of Patsy Cline’s. And it is true if you compare them back to back they do have the same feel. Patsy Cline also, it seems to me, implemented in some of her songs a kind of ‘Kobushi’ (tremelo) effect similar to that used in Enka. Sadly, she met a tragic end when she died in a car crash when she was just 30 years old which also seems to echo a bit with Fuji Keiko. Obviously when someone asks who Utada is, the answer would be that she is a first class singer, but she needs to be equally praised for her songwriting. I love everything she has written (and sung) and it is interesting to see just how different she comes across when you compare her songs written in English with those in Japanese. Lets explore first of all one of her songs written in English, ‘Me Meuro’. The way she paints a picture of a young woman being totally devastated when her boyfriend leaves her is, well, it is a masterpiece of lyrical expression. Please follow along using the following Youtube videos: Me Muero (This is the One 2009) ‘Everyday my life’s in shambles Since you took your love away I got nothing left to gamble I’ve thrown it all away’ <She starts out saying there is nothing left in her life. She has obviously given all she has to this man that she is in love with. Well, to start out it is perhaps typical of countless ‘love’ songs written and sung over the ages. But to start out like this in itself is atypical, I would say.> ‘Now and then I’m suicidal Flirting with a new temptation Happiness inside a bottle is what I need today’ <So we are seeing that she is herself most likely an alcoholic as who other than an alcoholic would find love inside a bottle. And she is professing to be considering killing herself over the loss of this boyfriend. Do you see how Utada has just added a layer of paint to this canvas? I personally begin to picture a young girl in perhaps a hotel room in a cheap hotel in Mexico (being that the title is in Spanish) talking with herself on 