Solo Interview with Fujiwara-san, the Creator of “Tsukiuta.”

[nebulancer]

Solo Interview with Fujiwara-san, the Creator of “Tsukiuta.”

 

A solo interview with Fujiwara-san, the creator of “Tsukiuta.” which has reached its 10th anniversary! They talk about behind-the-scenes secrets regarding the creation, the setting of what took place backstage, and their feelings toward the idols!!

 

The “Tsukiuta.” series consists of male and female characters based off of the months of the year, bringing to you songs and mini-dramas packed full of the splendor of that month. With a wide breadth of projects including anime, games, apps, manga serializations, and stageplays, it has continued to expand and has finally reached its tenth anniversary.

 

Commemorating this is the project “Jusshin Geppo” [Decimal Progress] taking place, with sequential announcements of an anime movie and new CD series in production. With its gradual buildup, we’re holding a solo interview with its creator, Fujiwara-san!

 

They talked to us about behind-the-scenes secrets about the project’s creation, the backstage setting, and their feelings toward the idols!!

The setup of idols who age in real time was something that naturally came to be.

 

—What sorts of jobs are you tasked with regarding this work?

 

Fujiwara-san (Will be referred to as “Fujiwara” afterwards): The planning; scripts; interactions with the illustrators; dealing with the various individual recordings; designs; editorial supervising tasks; advertisements, and more. Though being the creator, I am also the producer, so I’ve worked on various developing duties regarding the project as a whole.

 

—How was “Tsukiuta.” the project contrived?

 

Fujiwara: At the time I entered the company, the corporation Movic was a company that mainly dealt with producing merchandise. I also worked to create and develop merchandise by borrowing existing franchises’ copyrights.

 

By coming into contact with all sorts of franchises’ development workplaces through that job, I became inspired and thought about developing a franchise itself, and not just merchandise. I sent in a proposal, and that was where it began. Having developed several standalone projects, I obtained the various responses as stepping stones. Expanding the scale and characters involved, what I ended up creating was the project “Tsukiuta.”

 

That being said, it unfortunately wasn’t a production company, so it seemed as if I had no influence or connections. When I received the go-ahead for the project, I searched up and sent out offers through straightforward e-mails and Q&A forms every day in order to find composers.

—The appearing idols age in real time through the progression of real-life months and years. Could we please hear about what you feel from them, who continue to change depending on how the project moves forward?

 

Fujiwara: I’m often told that it was a revolutionary and rare idea that the idols age in real time, but it simply turned out that way. To be honest, I wasn’t aware that I was doing something all that strange.

 

If its foundation is the “Moon,” which continues to change and alter itself in reality, then obviously [the idols] would continue to get older. I thought that was the normal thought process of things. As a result, I believe that one of the trademarks of the title, the reality of humans who continue to change by growing, has helped them give off the closeness that they’re living through the same time as us.

 

—Please tell us about the four appearing units (Six Gravity, Procellarum, Fluna, and Seleas) and their improvements throughout these ten years, change in what makes them appealing, and your feelings toward the units.

 

<Six Gravity>

 

Fujiwara: I initially envisioned their unit to have the vague concepts of black image color, traditionally Eastern, conventional, and straightforward. Setting-wise, I put together conventional handsome men who don’t act eccentrically in order to gain attention... or so I intended, but after a year, they became... (wry laugh) very individualistic, as if the setting itself was a scam.

 

I believe I could say this about all of the remaining units, but they’ve accumulated experiences and gotten older in real life. As many fronts have motivated them, such as the voice actors’ acting and the composers’ songs, they themselves have grown as a result.

 

<Procellarum>

 

Fujiwara: White, contrasting black. Western, contrasting traditionally Eastern. Mold-breaking, contrasting the conventional. Free-spirited, contrasting straightforward. The result of me devotedly attempting to contrast Gravi was Procellarum. The leader himself is quite mold-breaking, but the other members are just as individualistic and wouldn’t lose out.

 

They’re bad at working together, but they’re strangely unified... Even after ten years, this atmosphere from them hasn’t changed. If you want meaningless, useless chatter, leave it to them. I would be able to endlessly write about them and make them talk. Those are the kinds of enjoyable members they have.

 

<Fluna>

 

Fujiwara: Like Gravi, they’re conventional and straightforward. However, fittingly for female idols, their image motif is flowers, and their color is pink! That is where I started with this unit. The six members of this group are meant to be conventional heroines.

 

My pet theory is that a contrasting unit will allow the other side’s idiosyncrasy and charms to stand out more. Because of that, I begin thinking of the opposite after thinking up the talent from the first unit, which will always serve as a reference. Gravi and Fluna are both precious starting points of “Tsukiuta.”, so I make sure that their key point never wavers.

 

<Seleas>

 

Fujiwara: Like Procella, they are a contrasting unit to the conventional Fluna. They’re a six-person unit filled with a bit of distinctiveness and uniqueness. The way they decided their leader, through “lottery pulling,” resulted in their youngest member becoming the leader. That, too, may allow you to feel the free-spirited disposition they have.

 

They may be full of types that would be difficult to live in the Japanese companies of the good old days in the Showa and Heisei eras. (laughs) However, I think the types they’ve gathered up are those who could take flight in future generations.

 

The most recent CD dramas contain the results of what they’ve accumulated and the things they’ve changed through growing. These such concepts are scattered through the dramas, being things that are sure to catch fans’ attention.

 

—Currently, the boys’ 5th season and the girls’ 4th season CDs are being released in order. What is the concept and appeal factor behind these brand new CD seasons...?

 

Fujiwara: I’m developing these dramas while being aware of the concept of “Their daily lives, which don’t have many big incidents or accidents,” which remains unchanging from the first season. Chatter and meaningless conversations are featured in it, but things are sure to catch the fans’ attention, such as the results of what they’ve accumulated and what they’ve changed through growing. Do check it out.

 

I continue to place offers to ask that we keep the sounds the same as they were before. Of course, now that a decade has passed, I’m sure that there are people who find that their own circumstances and development styles have changed, so it becomes difficult to maintain what was kept before. Even in those circumstances, I continue to be aware that I do not forget the foundation which I built it on.

 

The music is also an important pillar in keeping it up, alongside the dramas. Because of that, I do not fear changing according the composers’ preferences while making use of the things they want to do. I hope we can continue adding on more musicianship over time, much like the Earth’s layers, or a tree’s rings.

 

—The development of the anime movie was announced after the second TV anime adaptation. What are you particularly focused on doing with the anime adaptations?

 

Fujiwara: With the TV anime, I keep in mind the “extension of daily life,” much as we do with the original series’ drama CDs. Large accidents and incidents don’t occur very often. “Tsukiuta.” and Tsukino Talent Production’s talents are actually living within the extension of their fans’ daily lives. If possible, it would be nice if it were a happy world, where no one is truly bad at their core. Their lives do not consist of one exclusively special day; but rather, have the ease and relaxation of a daily set meal. I hope that they can decorate and color your daily lives, no matter how little, so that you can have more fun living.

 

Meanwhile, the movie adaptation is a story of “them from another world,” where they are not idols. Which is why the above doesn’t apply to them. Whenever I’m developing otherworldly stories, it’s a no-holds-barred outburst of my personal delusions and fantasies. I hope that I can depict rich stories, expressions, extreme emotions, and lifestyles which are only possible because these alternate worlds are so far off from their daily life.

 

—The participation projects such as “Celebratory message collection” and “Tsukiuta Four Seasons Contests” which celebrate the 10th anniversary have made the year exciting. What do you believe is the reason why this work continues to be loved by its fans?

 

Fujiwara: Though this may sound redundant with the things I’ve discussed previously, I believe it is the feeling of closeness that they are aging alongside us. It’s a peaceful worldview where large accidents and incidents don’t happen, and it doesn’t hurt our hearts. Personal characteristics where they settle the score when they need to, but typically, they’re natural to themselves and don’t put on an act. I think a point to pay attention to is the realness they have, that they even go to the convenience store?

 

There are detailed conversations on Twitter, and short skits that get updated daily. I feel as if the individual fans’ impressions of them gets rather fleshed out that way.

 

This is quite a bit of a digression, but the conversations on the TSUKIPRO-related Twitters are fundamentally written by me. The talents themselves talk on their own, so I’ve never really struggled for topics to talk about. Depending on the talent, the words they use change naturally; play with the ways they end their sentences; add on to their repertoire of emoji; and change their method of talking and reactions to things as they get older. Most of it makes me feel as if I’m a spirit medium. (laughs)

 

Whether it’s their written discussions or the scripts, occasionally you might be surprised by “Oh, they say things like this, too?” or “Oh, so this is how they’d respond.” However, the atmosphere of the location, the way the conversation is flowing, the meaningless chatter, or the actors’ own whims influence it, so with that in mind, I don’t arrange them too rigidly. To me, that very “disruption” gives them the reality which living humans have.

 

To the best of my ability, I try avoiding using monologues within the stories that go, “I felt this way. I thought this way.” In that vein, only they know their true feelings. I believe there are many aspects that I don’t know, as well as dimensions that they only show the fans. That sort of thing is a given for a “living, real-life human,” and I believe that this is yet another charm of this franchise. It would be nice if you could continue to love them, who live convincingly within you.

 

There have been many things that have changed, and I’m sure things will continue to change. I believe that change itself will become proof that they’re alive.

 

—Please tell us an anecdote regarding Animate and “Tsukiuta.” which left a deep impression on you.

 

Fujiwara: At the stage where the project had absolutely no popularity, no recognition at all, Animate Kamata-san and Animate Shibuya-san allowed me to use their valuable shelves and spaces. The workers there graciously promoted it.

 

Starting from there, things started becoming a bit bigger, and nationwide Animate-sans’ over-the-counter paper handouts and poster exhibitions allowed it to reach more people’s eyes. With that opportunity, the recognition vastly increased.

 

Because of that, we became capable of many diversified developments starting with the anime adaptation. I won’t forget this favor, and I’ll hopefully continue to work with them. Thank you very much for assisting me that time. I hope to continue being in your care.

 

—Lastly, please give a message to the fans!

 

Fujiwara: “A certain story of idols’ daily lives,” which no one, myself included, believed would last for a decade, has reached its tenth anniversary with your gracious assistance. This world is quick to change and transition. I’m not sure how to express how amazing it is and how moved I am that things have continued going on for ten whole years, which is such a long span of time. I simply offer my heartfelt gratitude for your support.

 

There have been many things that have changed, and I’m sure things will continue to change. I believe that change itself will become proof that they’re alive. I hope they can keep living positively forever within the extension of your daily life, living in a way that isn’t all too special.

 

With a carefree and relaxed manner, just love what you love, as much as you want. I would be glad if you could support them in your way. Thank you very much for these ten years. I hope to continue being in your care!