Theme Song Singer
yu-yu
Released under the name "Takayuki Hattori Presents GUNDAM THE ORIGIN featuring yu-yu," the main theme song of "MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THE ORIGIN I Blue-Eyed Casval" is "Hoshikuzu no Sunadokei" ("Hourglass of Stardust"). Miss yu-yu is currently on a break from music, but in response to the ardent wishes of THE ORIGIN's staff, Miss yu-yu specially participated. She talked to us about how she came to sing the main theme song, and her other thoughts.
yu-yu:Well, just after I took a break from music, they approached me about the theme song. I was really determined to stick to my hiatus, so my feelings didn't change, and I was very sorry but declined the request.
However, the passionate entreaties kept coming. At the time, I thought, "Really, why me?" And I was on hiatus, why would they offer me such an important role? I had very deep-seated doubts.
As for my ultimately accepting it, I had a lot of thoughts... Particularly, I learned that director Takashi Imanishi had heard my debut song, and that made him want me for the main theme. That made me very, very delighted. And about Director Imanishi's request. Ever since my debut I've worked hard with the same staff, and it seemed he was not aware of this, and was like, "You may not have heard of her but there's this singer called yu-yu" (laughs). And I myself was not aware that for that staff, being in charge of a Gundam theme song was a ten-year dream.
It felt like destiny.
For me, I got goosebumps about someone seeing my work. I was filled with many hopes, and I felt like this was a reward.
I was on hiatus, but I felt a lot of emotional connection to it.
"I want to approach music in a pure way."
"I want to converse with the listener through song."
With those thoughts in mind, I was able to enter into the recording with determination.
I'm grateful for the opportunity I had on this project to encounter all the previous movies and comics and things up to this point.
I really dug in and bought all the comics at once. (laughs)
I'm a newcomer, but please welcome me, everyone.
And then there are Mr. Keisuke Yamakawa's lyrics. They take the moon and the stars and connect it to the story, and hint at the cycle of life in this magnificent world. I felt a very simple kind of warmth about it.
I was uneasy about whether I would really be able to take up this wonderful composition and sing it... But the melody had already sunk into me! (laughs) So I was excited the whole time as it took shape.
I was exclusively a singer on this, and it was like they left it up to me to get the feeling of the story and the music, and just sing it.
During recording, Director Imanishi showed me the ending scene and talked to me about the content and ideas of the work, and I was strongly influenced by the expressions and atmosphere from that.
I felt like they trusted me unconditionally. It was like there was a voice telling me, "It's all right."
Thanks to that, I was able to hone my feelings and let the scene he showed me fall purely into my heart, and I felt like I was able to put my soul directly into "Hoshikuzu no Sunadokei."
From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful for that.
The song is about Artesia's feelings, so when you see her going "What's that? What's that big thing? That big thing grows round?" your heart goes out to her more and more. And you love Casval too, who hears those words and drinks them in.
In the ending, you've got these aspects of magnificent destiny and heartache, and I think it's a scene where you can really feel the hopefulness. So when I sang it, that big theme of "hope" was what I had right in the center of my heart, too.
For the recording, the band and the strings performances were all recorded first and the vocals were done last. I quickly went to the studio so I could be there for the orchestra recording, and I could feel the live sound firsthand, and see the performers really put all they had into the music. It comes across that it was really quite a careful performance. It was like the music was lit with warmth.
It's a very profound composition that lets you feel the cycle of life and hope amid the ever-expanding darkness of outer space.
I became really immersed in the scenes and the energy of the work made me tremble. I also savored hearing my own song in a movie theater for the first time.
I felt the power of all the production crew, the performers, and all the people who breathed life into Gundam very directly. The love they feel for the work comes through so clearly.
The thing that especially stayed with me is when the night before the mother and children are ripped apart, the three of them are lined up in that warm bed together, talking. You remember that conversation in the ending scene, and it stays in your heart.
I am so pleased to have been able to experience such a work of art.
yu-yu: For my fans and for those I'm meeting for the first time, I am truly thankful that I have been able to connect to you through this work. I'm very worried about what you will think of "Hoshikuzu no Sunadokei"! (laughs)
I was involved in a limited capacity, and I didn't have the opportunity to meet everyone, so I'm very sorry to all those who were looking forward to it.
I am new to Gundam, but I'm a huge fan of THE ORIGIN now, too. I pray that "Hoshikuzu no Sunadokei," along with THE ORIGIN, nestles into your heart during your days.
I pray for that from the bottom, the very bottom of my heart.
Truly, thank you.
- How was it that you came to be asked to sing the main theme song for "MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THE ORIGIN"?
yu-yu:Well, just after I took a break from music, they approached me about the theme song. I was really determined to stick to my hiatus, so my feelings didn't change, and I was very sorry but declined the request.However, the passionate entreaties kept coming. At the time, I thought, "Really, why me?" And I was on hiatus, why would they offer me such an important role? I had very deep-seated doubts.
As for my ultimately accepting it, I had a lot of thoughts... Particularly, I learned that director Takashi Imanishi had heard my debut song, and that made him want me for the main theme. That made me very, very delighted. And about Director Imanishi's request. Ever since my debut I've worked hard with the same staff, and it seemed he was not aware of this, and was like, "You may not have heard of her but there's this singer called yu-yu" (laughs). And I myself was not aware that for that staff, being in charge of a Gundam theme song was a ten-year dream.
It felt like destiny.
For me, I got goosebumps about someone seeing my work. I was filled with many hopes, and I felt like this was a reward.
I was on hiatus, but I felt a lot of emotional connection to it.
"I want to approach music in a pure way."
"I want to converse with the listener through song."
With those thoughts in mind, I was able to enter into the recording with determination.
- Had you ever seen a Gundam work before now? What kind of image did you have of Gundam?
yu-yu: No, I was a newcomer to Gundam.I'm grateful for the opportunity I had on this project to encounter all the previous movies and comics and things up to this point.
I really dug in and bought all the comics at once. (laughs)
I'm a newcomer, but please welcome me, everyone.
- When you saw the song "Hoshikuzu no Sunadokei," what were your thoughts?
yu-yu: On this project, the composition was completely finished already, so I was able to listen to it. I received it at night, and I followed the melody humming along with it two or three times. But then I thought, "It's late already, I'll do this tomorrow." So I went to bed, and when I got up in the morning I remembered the melody perfectly. It's a miraculous song. It becomes a part of you, amazingly! (laughs) The melodies which Mr. Takayuki Hattori produced feel so good, and they have a lingering resonance. It's really like waves in your heart.And then there are Mr. Keisuke Yamakawa's lyrics. They take the moon and the stars and connect it to the story, and hint at the cycle of life in this magnificent world. I felt a very simple kind of warmth about it.
I was uneasy about whether I would really be able to take up this wonderful composition and sing it... But the melody had already sunk into me! (laughs) So I was excited the whole time as it took shape.
- Did Director Imanishi or General Director Yoshikazu Yasuhiko give you any instructions?
yu-yu: Well, none in particular... (laughs)I was exclusively a singer on this, and it was like they left it up to me to get the feeling of the story and the music, and just sing it.
During recording, Director Imanishi showed me the ending scene and talked to me about the content and ideas of the work, and I was strongly influenced by the expressions and atmosphere from that.
I felt like they trusted me unconditionally. It was like there was a voice telling me, "It's all right."
Thanks to that, I was able to hone my feelings and let the scene he showed me fall purely into my heart, and I felt like I was able to put my soul directly into "Hoshikuzu no Sunadokei."
From the bottom of my heart, I am truly grateful for that.
- We've heard from many fans who say the ending scene where "Hoshikuzu no Sunadokei" plays was very moving. Could you tell us any of your thoughts or emotions about singing it, Miss yu-yu?
yu-yu: I was very moved by that scene too.The song is about Artesia's feelings, so when you see her going "What's that? What's that big thing? That big thing grows round?" your heart goes out to her more and more. And you love Casval too, who hears those words and drinks them in.
In the ending, you've got these aspects of magnificent destiny and heartache, and I think it's a scene where you can really feel the hopefulness. So when I sang it, that big theme of "hope" was what I had right in the center of my heart, too.
For the recording, the band and the strings performances were all recorded first and the vocals were done last. I quickly went to the studio so I could be there for the orchestra recording, and I could feel the live sound firsthand, and see the performers really put all they had into the music. It comes across that it was really quite a careful performance. It was like the music was lit with warmth.
It's a very profound composition that lets you feel the cycle of life and hope amid the ever-expanding darkness of outer space.
- How was it watching "MOBILE SUIT GUNDAM THE ORIGIN I Blue-Eyed Casval" ?
yu-yu: ...It was so wonderful, I don't have words for it.
I've been to the theater countless times, but on this occasion there were tears and tears. I had a handkerchief in my left hand and tissues in my right. You all had the same experience, right? (laughs)I became really immersed in the scenes and the energy of the work made me tremble. I also savored hearing my own song in a movie theater for the first time.
I felt the power of all the production crew, the performers, and all the people who breathed life into Gundam very directly. The love they feel for the work comes through so clearly.
The thing that especially stayed with me is when the night before the mother and children are ripped apart, the three of them are lined up in that warm bed together, talking. You remember that conversation in the ending scene, and it stays in your heart.
I am so pleased to have been able to experience such a work of art.
- Could you please give us a message for all the fans of the work?
yu-yu: For my fans and for those I'm meeting for the first time, I am truly thankful that I have been able to connect to you through this work. I'm very worried about what you will think of "Hoshikuzu no Sunadokei"! (laughs)
I was involved in a limited capacity, and I didn't have the opportunity to meet everyone, so I'm very sorry to all those who were looking forward to it.I am new to Gundam, but I'm a huge fan of THE ORIGIN now, too. I pray that "Hoshikuzu no Sunadokei," along with THE ORIGIN, nestles into your heart during your days.
I pray for that from the bottom, the very bottom of my heart.
Truly, thank you.
