Nakashima Yuki
Bass – Imai Lisa
Scenes of Yukina and Lisa’s childhood show up every so often. It’s something that we only get a glimpse of in the game, so seeing the two of them moving around and playing and enjoying music really got to me
———When you first heard about “BanG Dream! Episode of Roselia I: Promise”, what was your reaction?
We’ve all talked about how nice it’d be for people to have a way to see Roselia’s formation in anime form, not just through the game. So when we were told about this, I was glad. I was really happy we’d get to see concert scenes done in Sanzigen’s high-quality animation.
———When you recorded lines from back in the band’s early days, was there anything specific you kept in mind?
Throughout the course of Bandori, (Imai) Lisa’s personality hasn’t really changed all that much. But the emotional distance between her and (Minato) Yukina, and the rest of Roselia too, has shrunk like mad. Back when the band was first coming together, before everyone met, they weren’t super close. So I had to keep that sense of distance in mind, for example, by recalling stuff like how Lisa care about Yukina.
———You could say she was trying not to overstep her boundaries as Yukina’s old friend.
Right. That was one of things that Lisa worried about when the band first formed. I had that aspect of her in mind.
———Did reprising your part in these movies – which cover the characters’ relationships in depth – change your perception of Imai Lisa?
At first, Lisa was only thinking about Yukina (*laughs*). But over time, she’s started to think about everyone’s feelings and what Roselia means to her. I feel like that’s helped her grow. I used to have this image of her as being a “peacemaker” or a “reliable person”. But there’s also a side of her that acts in her own self-interest. She didn’t want to hurt Yukina. She really wanted to do something to protect her. And because of that, she kept going around in circles, going nowhere, making no progress. Because they don’t express their true feelings, the Yukina situation really gets to her… but the movies show how this changes thanks to the support of the rest of the band. Remembering stuff like this got me thinking that she’s really matured. It filled me with this soft kinda feeling.
———Are there any scenes that left a strong impression on you?
The scenes of Yukina and Lisa’s childhood that show up every so often. It’s something that we only get a glimpse of in Garupa, so seeing the two of them moving around and playing and enjoying music really got to me. You get a sense of their origin.
———What did you think about the other Roselia members?
(Hikawa) Sayo is similar to Yukina. She’s not exactly trying to put up walls, but she’s a very self-disciplined girl who’s hard on herself and on others. It’s been a while since we’ve seen that side of her (*laughs*). Seeing serious-mode Sayo again made me feel kinda nostalgic. Then there’s Ako, who’s always been an energetic character. But here, she’s back to being in her last year of middle school, so it’s like she’s back to saying whatever comes to mind without really thinking. But even throughout the first movie, time is marching on. Once the second half rolls around, she starts to pay more attention to others. Her dependable side starts showing itself. I really got a sense of her growth. And then there’s Rinko. She started out as a girl who didn’t really speak up or share her thoughts much. Back then, Lisa asked Rinko for some advice. And it went both ways. We also get to see how Rinko approaches Lisa for the same. I hope that’s something people notice.
———What about Lisa’s relationship with Yukina? I felt Lisa had to confront what Yukina means to her in order to grow.
Right… it’s like she sort of gets what Yukina wants to say, but she doesn’t fully understand it. And that leads to misunderstandings. You can see Lisa’s frustration. She wants to tell everyone, but she can’t… from a certain point of view, it’s because of the distance between Yukina and everyone else. I know there’ll be some scenes where the BanG Dreamers will feel that heartache. But at the same time, the sense of accomplishment when the characters overcome struggles like that is present too! Clashes like this are an important part of Roselia, so I’d like everyone to see that.
———Did you share your impressions of the movies with your bandmates after watching?
I did. Something we all said is “this is nostalgic”. We don’t usually get to reprise our roles the same way they used to be in the beginning, so we were all excited about that. Nowadays, it feels more like the characters are on friendly terms, pushing each other to new heights. But early on, they were butting heads more. I had fun getting to play that kind of part again after so long. As we were talking, it felt like we were able to reinforce what led to Roselia’s existence and what striving for FUTURE WORLD FES signified.
———Now that the movies are finished, what do you think about Roselia and the rest of the Bandori franchise?
I feel like Bandori depicts what it’s like to be a kid. Obviously this isn’t just something unique to students, but because of their age, they still can’t fully consider what other people think, which leads to conflict. It’s like “ahh, that’s what youth is”. Bands are fun, but they’re more than that too. Because band members spend so much time together, some of that time is spent arguing or not getting along. The fact that the characters gradually come together and decide to walk a single path is a sign of their “growth”. And that’s true for all the bands, not just Roselia. Every band faces its own challenges and obstacles, and they’re trying to get through them so they can keep moving forwards. Bandori gets that feeling across really well. It never fails to make me cry or even get me riled up, you know? (*laughs*). I think being able to empathize with the characters is awesome.
———On a slightly different topic, did working on the movies lead to anything that you felt could be incorporated into the real band?
We’ve talked about wanting to put on a concert that follows along with them. The opening song could be Proud of oneself, the last song could be overtuRe, we could play all the songs that feature in the movies. That way, we could show everyone the path Roselia has traveled… but given the circumstances, we have no idea when we’ll be able to do something like that. And what’ll that mean for the number of songs we’ll need to perform? (*laughs*). But still, we’ve talked about how we definitely want to do that, all thanks to the movies. Aiai (Aiba Aina) always gives a little song intro before we play anything. I think she said something like “I wanna base what I say off what’s going on in the movies”. That kinda thing would be super emotional, right? It sorta makes you wanna cry.
When I first met the others, it was like there was no distance between us at all. And as I’ve been with them and done more concerts and spent more time together at work, we’ve all gotten even closer
———The Bandori franchise has reached its sixth anniversary. While you’ve been playing Lisa and working as part of the real band, have your thoughts or feelings undergone any changes?
I feel like all this time has passed in a flash. When I first met the others, it was like there was no distance between us at all. And as I’ve been with them and done more concerts and spent more time together at work, we’ve all gotten even closer. It also motivated me to learn more about other bands. Through that, I learned so much more, like “that person performs like that!?”. I don’t think my feelings have changed, but I’ve noticed that more people are saying stuff like “Roselia is really cool”. I think that may have strengthened my desire to show everyone different sides of the band.
———Do you use the word “cool” as a focal point of sorts to base your performance on?
I’m not really all that cool myself. In other works I’ve been a part of, I play a lot of cute characters, but I haven’t really done any cool ones. So I’ve been racking my brain trying to figure out “what would be cool?” for our concerts. Like, my expressions can’t just be calm. I’ve gotta look cool even when I’m smiling. So I’ve had to hunt for what sorts of movements would seem “cool” so I could blend in with Roselia’s performance style.
———Thinking about the opposite now, is there anything that hasn’t changed over time?
Hmm, lemme think… maybe that I don’t cook even when we go to yakiniku? (*laughs*). That’s something that hasn’t changed at all since I joined them. I’m not sure if there’s anything else… oh, but something I don’t think will ever change is how I try to be Lisa. Like for example, she’s part of the dance club, so I figure she probably likes to move around. I bet she’s the type of person who can’t keep still when music plays. So during concerts, I try to move around as much as I can, even during parts where everyone else is staying pretty still. And there are usually other videos, like promotional stuff, put out before the anime airs, so I watch those and study how Lisa moves in different situations. And when we perform, I wear extensions to make my hair look more like hers. I want people to say “doesn’t she look like Lisa?”, and so the way I try to be like her is something that hasn’t changed.
———Roselia is an extremely technical band. What obstacles or challenges have you faced while playing bass as a part of it? And what enjoyment have you found in it?
I’m pretty similar to Lisa in that we both took a break from playing bass for a while. I used to play as part of a club until my second year of high school. But after I moved to Tokyo, I only played it when I had free time, so there was a long gap of nothing. So I focus more on practicing the basics than the other members do. And since we’re both part of the rhythm section, I focus on teaming up with our drummer Sakuragawa Megu. We back each other up.
———Technical proficiency is built through repeated practice, but you have other jobs on top of this one. It must be hard to find a good balance.
There’s lots of practice that I have to do at home too. But when I get home from work late at night, I can’t make too much noise or I’ll bother all my neighbors. I try to find time for practice, like by waking up early, even if it’s just one hour. Sometimes I’m too busy to play. When that happens, I do worry that my performance level will suffer. I try to make as much time for it as possible.
The movies cover their story starting with the origin and going from there, so you get to see their concerts in a way you haven’t seen before. That got me emotional!
———Looking at Roselia’s discography, which song would you consider the highlight?
I’d say R. There’s a bass solo at the very beginning of the intro and right after the second chorus. I think it was the first time I’d ever heard a song with such prominent bass, so I got super nervous… but it’s the kind of song that gets people really hype during concerts, so we include it in our setlists all the time. It’s usually ends up being either the first or second song, or we keep it until the very end. So it’s like a battle against my nerves. But it’s been more than two years since R came out, and I learn how to relax a little bit more every time we play it. I’m a lot more stable now. I can keep calm and play on. Based on all that, it’s the song that’s helped me grow the most.
———Are there any songs that are memorable or impactful?
Impactful, huh… the first one that comes to mind is Break your desire. I like that one a lot, personally. I feel like it’ll be one of our signature songs, kinda like BLACK SHOUT and R. Its BPM is crazy fast, plus we all sing together. It’s the kind of song that’ll help people understand Roselia’s worldview right away. And it’s a song that makes people excited, so it can kinda change your mood in a sense. When it comes to Lisa, Promise is memorable. Since she wrote the lyrics, you can see the origin of Lisa and Yukina’s music through it. There are lots of duet parts where they sing together. I’ve also seen fans say they can “directly feel” the bond that those two share. The first time we played it, there were some BanG Dreamers who got teary-eyed… and, well, I cried too (*laughs*). That’s how emotional and sentimental it makes everyone. It’s a meaningful song.
———Thinking in terms of concerts, which songs stand out?
That’s gotta be Re:birth day. Before we start playing, we all gather together like “come on, let’s do this!”… Meguchii does something to get us feeling pepped up (*laughs*). When that happens, our nerves vanish, and we spend the rest of the song making lots of eye contact with each other. There are also some motions in the choreography that I hope make it a song that fans enjoy watching. There’s a lot of stuff in our performances that only work out because we’re so close to each other. That’s something special about Re:birth day.
———Alright then, what about any particularly memorable concerts?
The Nippon Budokan. For starters, I felt like the stage itself was amazing. It filled me with wonder and joy and a little anxiety, like “are we really gonna stand up here?”. Plus, Shizaki Kanon-chan and I had only just joined Roselia. The Budokan was the first time we were all performing a full show together. The number of songs we had to learn was crazy. There were obviously a lot for me and Kanon-chan, but since we played some brand new songs, even the other three had to learn some new stuff too. It was also tough trying to learn so much in such a short period of time. The stage also had some special features. It was shaped like a cake with three tiers and was designed to switch between different layouts. Like when only Aiai’s position would rise up, for example. But that meant we couldn’t see each other well.
———Because you were spread around a 360-degree circular stage?
Right. We were all looking out towards the audience while we played, so it felt kinda like we were playing by ourselves… that experience made me realize how important everyone is to me. Because I couldn’t see them, I was trying my hardest to find them again. We tried a lot of new stuff, so our focus was mainly on providing everyone with mental support. In the end, it was a concert filled with new things. Whenever something unexpected happened – which was often – we all got a bit startled, but we somehow managed to keep everything under control. Or someone else would help cover for whoever needed it. Maybe that’s all because it was my first concert. After that, I was able to learn new songs way faster for our future ones. And even if I had a little trouble, I managed stay calm and deal with it. So in that since, I think the Budokan might be the place where I grew the most.
———To bring this interview to a close, could you tell the BanG Dreamers the highlight of these movies?
The movies cover their story starting with the origin and going from there, so you get to see their concerts in a way you haven’t seen before. That got me emotional! There’s stuff you can’t see in the game. Being adapted into a movie means you can see how everyone moves around. There’s also this one really brief scene that I thought was really emotional. I hope you’ll keep an eye out for it!
Keyword Q&A
Q1 — How would you describe your personality?
My strengths are my positivity, sunny disposition, and that I’m willing to try anything. My weakness is that I tend to lose interest in stuff pretty quickly. For example, when I can focus on practice, I grind the whole thing out. But if I rest for a sec, my concentration gives out, and it takes me a while until I can restart.
Q2 — What kind of year do you want 2021 to be?
I’m not sure if we’ll be able to do this, but I want to do lots of work where we can see the fans. And personally, as long as my schedule allows for it, I wanna take on some new things.
Q3 — April is the month when students graduate and go on to higher education or employment. When you enter a new environment or face new circumstances, what do you pay attention to?
I’m a shy person by nature, so when I go somewhere new, I can’t take initiative and talk to people. So I spent a lot of energy trying to figure out how to throw off that fear. I glance at what people have on them, and then based on that, I try to introduce myself and say something simple to start conversation. Like “oh, I have something like that too”. Or if they have merch from games, I’ll be like “hey, that game is great”.
Q4 — What kind of fashion has caught your eye this Spring?
I’ve heard people say that the big Spring trend this year is pastels. So I wanna add some pastel colors to my wardrobe so I can spend every day in a good mood.
Q5 — Where and when do you feel the most relaxed?
My bed at home (*laughs*). And the specific time is 11pm to 1 in the morning. That’s the time slot when I can relax and unwind after work. My favorite way to relax is to put my pet java sparrow on my controller or console and play games while lazing around in bed.
Q6 — If you could meet Imai Lisa, what would you want to talk about?
What I’d talk about… maybe I’d ask her about the current makeup trends? She’s girlier than me, so something like “how do I channel that girlishness?”. Or maybe I’d try to kick her butt in some games. I know even I’d be able to win! (*laughs*).
Q7 — If you could be a character from Bandori for one day, who would you chose and what would you do during that time?
Probably (Aoba) Moca from Afterglow. I’m the type of person who gets restless. I walk and talk and act fast. I’d wanna try doing things at a slower place, not minding the time, like Moca-chan does.
Q8 — When you’re on stage during a performance, what routines or items are essential to you?
Drinking protein. Actual concerts burn lots more stamina than normal practice or dress rehearsals. So when it comes time for one, I drink protein to help build muscle.
Q9 — Send a message to the Roselia members!
Dear Aiba Aina: “Let’s hang out! Just making promises won’t make anything become real, so let’s actually do what we promised!”.
Dear Kudou Haruka: Kudoharu and I make lots of eye-contact during concerts. We’re sending signals like “I’m gonna head over to the wings now, okay!”. So I’d like to say “keep an eye out, kay~!”.
Dear Sakuragawa Megu: “As the rhythm section, let’s keep backing each other up”. On stage, Meguchii’s position is diagonally behind me, so I can’t usually make eye-contact with her. But when she’s backing me up and supporting me, I can sense that through her sound.
Dear Shizaki Kanon: “Bit by bit, I’ve been able to eat more spicy food. So please tell me about your super spicy stuff”. The four of us can’t really handle spice, so Kanon-chan has been holding back on us. But now that I’ve built up my spice tolerance, I want try eating it with her soon.
Q10 — And please leave a message for all the BanG Dreamers!
I know there are lots of different types of fans. There are people who heard about us for the very first time because of the movies. There are people who only know us through our concerts. And then there are people who have seen everything we’ve done. I want to go to a ton of different places so we can share Roselia’s music with everyone out there. I hope you’ll all be waiting for us!
More from this book:
I. Aiba Aina – II. Kudou Haruka – III. Nakashima Yuki – IV. Sakuragawa Megu – V. Shizaki Kanon
Home – Movie Information – Creator Interviews – Behind the Scenes – Discography
Rosenland 