The title song “Paradoxes” is the opening theme for the TV anime “Date A Live V” which will be broadcast from April 2024. Continuing on from the 4th season’s “Date A Live IV”, this song is the opening theme, but the symphonic rock number “OveR” with “movement” has changed to become a magnificent ballad with “stillness”.
In this article, we asked Mr. Tomita how he felt when he took on the challenge of this work, and looked back on Mr. Tomita’s past'' in an unusual way, with the theme of Paradoxes” (paradoxical). Expectations are sure to rise for the future of voice actor, artist, and human being Miyu Tomita.
──Following on from “OveR” which opened “Date A Live IV”, you will be performing the opening of “Date A Live V”. Please tell us how you felt when the theme song was decided.
Miyu Tomita (hereinafter referred to as Tomita): Actually, relatively soon after recording “OveR”, I was asked to do a 5th season as well. From that stage onwards, I was excited and wondered what kind of song the next song would be. I think I talked about it in the interview for “OveR”, but “Date A Live” is a work that I have been familiar with since I was a student, so I was very happy to be able to be involved in the fourth and fifth seasons of the work. It was an honor.
–This is a work that has been loved for a long time.
Tomita: The original work was kept in the library of my middle and high school. I picked it up there, and other anime-loving boys from my generation were talking about it. Because everyone liked it.
──It must be nice to have a classmate sing the theme song for that work.
Tomita: (laughs). I have a group of five close friends from my hometown, and they’re all nerds, so they buy tickets to the events I go to. That’s exactly what happens when I look at the audience seats at Lilybe and think, “Hey, there they are!?” You’ll be really surprised (lol).
We decided to play a game during the year-end and New Year holidays last year. When we all gathered in one of them’s rooms, my OveR'' Axta was there (lol). I have local friends who say congratulations” when a new work is decided. When “Paradoxes” was announced, he also contacted me on group LINE.
──“Paradoxes” is a magnificent rock ballad with a completely different tone from “OveR.” How do you feel when you hear the song?
Tomita: Since it’s a rock ballad, I thought it had a very impressive intro. It’s the opposite of the opening of “OveR,” which gradually rises and starts powerfully, starting with the piano and singing like it’s talking… When I just listened to the song, I thought, “I wonder if it’s the ending.” If it were the opening theme for the first season of the anime, it might have surprised people, but I think it’s the type of song that could only be done because it continued into the fifth season.
──And the fact that it’s a rock ballad is typical of Tomita.
Tomita: It also fits the worldview of the work. However, this song is really difficult to sing! (Laughs) In particular, the first verse, the part where the song becomes quiet before the chorus, feels more like a story than a song, and I wanted to express the scale of the song with the chorus right after that. I was thinking that I wanted to sing with a slow pace and a technical side.
──Based on “Date A Live V”, what impression did you have about the lyrics written by Mio Watanabe?
Tomita: I always valued the word “you.” I think it’s also the feelings of the heroines towards the main character, Shido, and I cherish every word so that the listeners will feel like they’re singing to me. I want to sing carefully.
──In a live performance, it seems like you’ll be singing while looking at each person’s face.
Tomita: Yes, I feel that way.
──It gave the impression of being very supple, and I got the impression that this expressiveness is unique to Tomita-san. Rather than singing strongly, the atmosphere is dignified.
Tomita: Thank you. The theme was “ephemeral yet beautiful” (lol). That’s why when we were recording, we said to everyone, “This time, let’s go with something that is both fleeting and beautiful!”
──(laughs). The atmosphere on set is also very good.
Tomita: That’s right! The atmosphere on set was really good, and it became more and more warm as the episodes went on. We work in a comfortable atmosphere. Because of this kind of work environment, I have more and more opportunities to make suggestions and say, I'd like to try something like this.'' At the end of the song, I said, I feel like it feels better to stretch it out than the temporary song (that I received as a demo), but is it okay if I try it?” and I took the challenge. Or.
──Did you prepare anything for the recording?
富田：丁寧な音作りをしたくて、普段とは違ったアプローチを試みたんです。今までの楽曲であれば……例えば、1stアルバムに収録された「Run Alone!」は、荒削り感が良い味を出してくる楽曲なんですけれども、今回は違うなって。歌詞に関しても、繊細で女性らしい部分があったので、普段であればしゃくっている語尾をあえて抑える箇所も作って。どこか上品な感じにしたいなという気持ちがありました。だからいつもよりお淑やかな雰囲気を意識していました。
──ライブでは新鮮な立ち位置の曲になりそうですね。重厚で、それでいて静謐で。
富田：まさに重厚さはありながらも、静のイメージなんです。「OveR」は動だったんですけれども、その真反対をいく曲で、でも控えめすぎるわけでもない。特にラスサビはスケールが大きいので、いろいろな表情を出せる楽曲だなという印象です。今までいろいろな曲を歌わせてもらってきましたが、初めてのタイプの楽曲になるんじゃないかなと……（取材時点では）まだ1回もお客さんの前で歌っていないので、ライブでこの楽曲がどう育っていくのか、私もすごく楽しみです。
──育てがいのある曲ですね。きっと演出面においても。
富田：そう思います！ バンドでやっても映えそうですし、アコースティックでも成立しそうですし。
──アーティスト写真は花を持った富田さんの表情が印象的です。MVも含めたアートワークに関してお話できることがあったら教えて下さい。
富田：先ほども話していた“儚くも美しい”がしっくりくるような内容になっているんじゃないかなと。髪も金髪で、服も頭から爪先まで真っ白で。MVは夢の世界がテーマになっているので、ビジュアル・音楽・世界観を含めて、非現実的で幻想的な雰囲気になったら良いなと思っていました。いつもよりスモークが多めな感じで（笑）。洋館のような場所での撮影だったのですが、監督が「窓だけど鳥かごのような感じで」とおっしゃっていたことも印象的でした。
──あえて顔に光が当たらず、ナチュラルかつ、上品な雰囲気ですね。
富田：メイクさんいわく、髪もガチガチに固めすぎず、ナチュラルな感じで作ったと。「OveR」のときは表情もキメキメで、強い、鋭いみたいな言葉がしっくりきたんですけども（笑）、今回は表情づくりに関しても、切なく儚げで、触ったら消えてしまいそうな感じを意識しました。
──「OveR」は翼がバチバチに羽ばたく感じでしたが。
富田：こっちは片翼しかないっていう（笑）。
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