that "unofficial image song" by Ogata... It's out

Discussion of the new series of Evangelion movies ( "Evangelion Shin Gekijōban", meaning "Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition"). The final instalment made its debut in Japan on March 8, 2021.

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Re: that "unofficial image song" by Ogata... It's out

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Postby Xiel » Wed May 05, 2021 4:18 am

View Original PostElMariachi wrote:
View Original PostKonja7#921526 wrote:It could also be Kaworu. He also has pure white arms. :tongue: :lol:

Now that you mention it... the entire song could be about Kaworu, there's only the line about that person who grew up that would look out of place.


I thought different verses were Rei (verse 1), Kaworu (specifically the part he hurt him and turn back time again associated with him, the bridges, like the "repeat" title) and Asuka (verse 2). Ogata retweeted someone who figured out something similar.
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Re: that "unofficial image song" by Ogata... It's out

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Postby Joseki » Mon May 17, 2021 4:10 am

The second verse is 100% a reference to Asuka, there is a direct reference in the lyrics to Kyou no Hi wa Sayounara, the song playing when Unit 03 is being destroyed by Unit 01.


Kyou no Hi wa Sayounara wrote:今日の日はさようなら
また会う日まで
また会う日まで

So long, farewell for today
Until the day we meet again
Until the day we meet again



Repeat wrote:僕は僕らしく頑張ってくよ いつかまた交じり合う日まで その時まで

I’ll still try with my own strength till the day and moment we meet again

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Re: that "unofficial image song" by Ogata... It's out

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Postby Konja7 » Mon May 17, 2021 5:10 am

View Original PostJoseki wrote:The second verse is 100% a reference to Asuka, there is a direct reference in the lyrics to Kyou no Hi wa Sayounara, the song playing when Unit 03 is being destroyed by Unit 01.


"We meet again" could be a reference to Kaworu too (his last words in Q).

That's why there is a certain interpretation that the song is for Rei, Asuka and Kaworu. Ogata retweted a similar interpretation.

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Re: that "unofficial image song" by Ogata... It's out

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Postby Joseki » Mon May 17, 2021 7:44 am

The tweet Ogata retweed mentions Asuka and Rei, but the phrase Kaworu says to Shinji is indeed similar, just shorter また会えるよ (Kaworu) vs また交じり合う日まで (both songs).

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Re: that "unofficial image song" by Ogata... It's out

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Postby Konja7 » Mon May 17, 2021 8:22 am

View Original PostJoseki wrote:The tweet Ogata retweed mentions Asuka and Rei, but the phrase Kaworu says to Shinji is indeed similar, just shorter また会えるよ (Kaworu) vs また交じり合う日まで (both songs).

Thanks for the phrase in Japanese.

The tweet Ogata retweed tried to imply part of the song is for Kaworu, that's why it has the words "repeat" and "again" mentioned (that twitter account is from a Kawoshin fan).

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Re: that "unofficial image song" by Ogata... It's out

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Postby Kendrix » Mon May 17, 2021 10:56 am

Ah, so Kaworu got his bit too. Or at least there's some intention that it could be read towards all three.
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Re: that "unofficial image song" by Ogata... It's out

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Postby FelipeFritschF » Wed Jan 19, 2022 5:33 pm

Ogata's interviewabout this song has been trending again recently, I took the liberty to DeepL it:

SPOILER: Show
In commemoration of the release of Emi Ogata's first original album in four years, "Dramatic Medicine," we've been conducting a series of interviews with the gorgeous creators involved in its production. Following the first interview with HISASHI (GLAY) and the second with KAYOKO KUSANO, this time we're talking with Junichi Sato (fhána). An ardent fan of "Eva" himself, Ogata asked Sato, "What if 'Shin Eva' had an insert song? And he did. We bring you a heated conversation with the actress, who has just finished playing Shinji Ikari, about her thoughts on the lyrics, the overwhelming amount of passion that went into the creation of the song, and her life as an artist.


I have no choice but to leave the fate of this song to Shinji-kun.
--Junichi Sato, you composed "Repeat" for Emi Ogata's album "Dramatic Medicine". How did this come about?

Junichi Sato: I was first contacted by the label's producer. The concept of this album is "Yell" (cheer) rock, and he wanted to discuss the direction of the song, so I went to the meeting with a demo of a fast-paced song that cheers everyone on in the Corona disaster situation, and wrote one chorus. So I went to the meeting and made a demo of a fast-paced song that cheered up everyone in the corona disaster situation.

Emi Ogata That song was great, but I originally had the idea to make an insert song like "Tsubasa wo kudasai" ("Please give me wings"), which plays at the end of Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Advance (Evangelion: 3.0 You Cannot), or "Komm, süsser Tod" ("Come, sweet death") from the old movie version. (Komm, süsser Tod) from the old film version? That was the question I was asked. At the time, the recording of "Shin-Eva" was in progress. I had a lot of thoughts and feelings, and I had a kind of "premonition" that I would be able to write about ...... when it was over. I wanted to digest it in some way, so I decided to ask Junichi Sato, who has always been a fan of "Shin-Eva".

Sato: I was shaking when I heard that (laughs).

Ogata At the time of our meeting, "Shin-Eva" hadn't been released yet, so of course Mr. Sato didn't know what it was about, and I didn't tell him either. But I was sure that Junichi would be able to tell me, because he had been talking about "Shin-Eva" for about half an hour before the recording since we first worked together (laughs).

Sato Even though I didn't know what kind of story "Shin Eva" was going to be, I had a feeling that it was going to be the last Eva. 25 years ago, the TV version was finally completed, and Ogata-san, who had been playing Shinji Ikari for a long time, said that he felt as if the recording was not finished. I was partly inspired by his enthusiasm, and partly by the fact that I had been following this work for more than half of my life, as if it were my own, so I felt a surge of excitement.

--You really like Eva, and you've mentioned it in many interviews, haven't you?

Sato: It's one of my original creative experiences or roots. When I was in high school, I watched the TV version almost in real time, and my synchronization rate with Shinji was 120%. When I think back on those memories, it's not so much that I was watching an anime called "Eva", but that I was living with Misato (Katsuragi) in her house, and (Soryu) Asuka (Langley) and Ayanami (Rei) were there. It was as if they were part of my actual memory. After that, I had a chance to work with Ogata-san, and he became a close friend of mine, and we started to talk not only about Eva, but also about life.



--I see.

Sato I heard a story a couple of years ago. Ogata-san often plays the role of a 14-year-old boy, and he said that while having the soul of a 14-year-old is his identity, he sometimes felt lost in that identity. When you get older, it's not wrong to act in a way that suits your age. But Ogata-san kept the soul of a 14-year-old. There were times when he felt unsure about that, but he lived his life as a 14-year-old anyway. Then, in the 2000s, I was asked to play the role of 14-year-old Shinji again in the "New Movie". During the recording of the scene where he rescues Ayanami at the end of "Raku", Mr. Ogata gave it his all, and when he was on his knees in front of the microphone, Mr. Anno (Hideaki) opened the booth door and put his hand on Mr. Ogata's shoulder and said, "Because you were 14 years old, we were able to make this movie. He put his hand on Ogata's shoulder and said, "Because you were 14 years old, we were able to make this film. ......

Ogata You talk about it as if you were there to see it (laughs).

Sato: I couldn't help but cry when I heard that story. The episode itself is wonderful, but when I saw "Reki" at the theater as a spectator, I had no idea that there was such a background to the film, and I felt something unusual in that scene. I felt that something terrible was happening here and now. Something like that can be conveyed, can't it? After listening to your episode, I realized once again that I would like to do that kind of work, and I would like to put myself in an environment where I can create that kind of work.

Ogata Thank you very much.

Sato: Like Ogata-san's earlier story about identity, I felt something like a way of life. It's not like I'm playing this kind of girl for work, but rather I'm 14 years old and I'm going to live my life. I also work as an artist and provide music as a writer, but I can't divide it up as a job. There are deadlines and budgets, and I think it's professional to make something of a certain quality within those limits, but I can't make something unless I really feel it. I felt that kind of attitude from Ogata-san's story. It's more like a way of life than a job. But I think that's a very hard way to live. I've read a lot of interviews with Hideaki Anno, and I can sense that kind of lifestyle in him as well. The other day on NHK's "Professional" ("Professional Work Style: Anno Hideaki Special"), he said at the end, "I don't like the word professional.

Ogata: As you said, it's an independent film.

Sato I think it's amazing that he lives his life in such a way, that he doesn't separate his work from his work, that he burns himself out completely on a single work, and that makes me want to do the same. Eva has been important to me since I was in high school, but after meeting you and hearing your story, it became even more of a guideline for my own life and creativity.

Ogata So, that's how it happened (laughs). (laughs) So, I made an absurd request for a work that I hadn't seen and didn't know the story, "Please write a song for the insert song at the end.

--What were your impressions when you heard the song that came out?

Ogata: It was like, "You've seen Shin-Eva? I was so grateful to him for writing an amazing song that not only fit the image I had in my mind, but even exceeded it.

Sato The songwriting process itself was not that difficult. When I was told that it would be a song that came in like "Tsubasa wo kudasai" or "Komm, süsser Tod," I was immediately inspired, and the melody came naturally. Musically, I decided to make a medium tempo, epic song with an expansive A melody and a melancholy chorus. When I saw "Shin Eva" later, I realized that the slightly sorrowful chorus really synchronized with the song. The lyrics were rewritten many times by Ogata-san on the recording day, right up until the recording.

Ogata: This album was originally planned to be released right after the release of "Shin-Eva". But as you know, the movie's release was postponed from June 2020 to January 2021, and then to March. The staff at Lantis did their best, but it was decided that this song might be released first, so I went over the lyrics I had written up until that point, and after much deliberation, I chose words that would fit in the scenes leading up to "Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo", and then I watched "Shin-Eva". I also tried to write lyrics that would give the audience a different perspective after watching "Shin-Eva. Before the film's release, I couldn't tell anyone what it was about, so I struggled to figure out how much of it would be spoilers (laughs). (laughs) I knew that I couldn't make a single mistake in the story. I wanted to leave some ambiguity in the work, but the words had to be precise. At the same time, it's a song, so it needs to rhyme, and I had to do that carefully.

Sato At the time of recording, I could only understand the scenery up to "Q," but it was enough to move my heart. Later, after watching "Shin Eva", I listened to the song again, paying attention to the lyrics, and found that they fit perfectly.

Ogata Although I gave it a lot of thought, in the end, I feel like I just carved my feelings into it. In the chorus, I wrote about the people and scenery of a scene that I see as Shinji in my mind. ...... I think people who haven't seen "Shin Eva" can understand it to a certain extent, but I wanted to make sure that those who have seen it can understand who I'm talking about.

Sato: After watching "Shin Eva," the part that hit me the hardest was the last chorus. (Reading out the lyrics of the last chorus) Ogata-san, is that what you mean?

Ogata: No, I don't know (laughs). (laughs) I'm not saying that's what the work itself says, but it's how I feel as the character of Shinji. I talked about this a little bit when I was greeting the audience on stage, but the TV version ends with Shinji saying "Congratulations" and "Thank you" to everyone. But this time, I felt that I was the only one left in the world of the work. ...... In that situation, that's how I felt.

--Could you tell us about the recording process?

Sato: Ogata-san was very sensitive during the recording. It was as if he understood the melody of the song better than I did. As a musician, I usually have a feeling that if the melody is like this, the chord progression is like this, and the performance is like this, then the tone of my voice should be like this, but in this song, Ogata-san went in a different direction. So, from the middle of the song, I realized that this is not something that can be created using ordinary musical theories. In a way, I had to leave the fate of this song in Shinji's hands.

Ogata: Sorry (laughs). That's how I felt when I wrote this song, so I had to sing it in Shinji's voice, as if he was talking about what he felt, or it wouldn't work. The director, Mr. Haga, picked up on that and that's how the song came to be.

Sato I think it was a profound experience for me.

Ogata Whenever I listened to the process of adding strings after recording the vocals, I thought I might cry if I heard the finished version, even though it was my own song (laughs). (laughs) When we listened to the finished product, everyone on the production team said, "We'll have to put this (song order) last. After listening to "Repeat," I wanted people to listen to the album again on repeat.

Artists are in the business of recharging their energy
--I'd like to ask you about the current state of live entertainment. fhána is actively involved in activities such as online live shows, despite the fact that traditional live performances have become difficult. Why are you and fhána able to be so creative when some artists have refrained from performing or have come to a standstill?

Sato The phrase "a pinch is an opportunity" is not something that can be said lightly under these circumstances, but when the conventional wisdom breaks down and the conventional way of doing things no longer works, it's time to come up with something new, even if you have to force it. Rather than doing live streaming because we couldn't do live performances with an audience, we decided to use this opportunity to pursue the fun and expression that only online can offer. We wanted to interact with users in real time and have them vote for the next set list, have guests come out to sing in the talk section like a music show, and have the members perform while walking around the set with a selfie camera. In some scenes, we made cutaways as if we were shooting a drama. We did not have a lot of money to spend, but within the limited conditions, we had to come up with the best set design, filming method, and lighting direction for the online show. And we brushed them up as we went on with each live online performance. By making such efforts, I felt a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction that I was doing a proper live performance, and I think the audience was happy to see me.

--I think the audience who saw us were also pleased.

Sato: fhána released the songs "Pathos" and "Ethos" from last year to this year. Pathos" was written remotely by just the four members during the first emergency declaration of 2020, and towana's lyrics were expressed using the most positive words we could say at the moment, "Let's talk about something that's not sad. Since I couldn't sing "Ethos" with the fans at the live concert, I mixed the chorus that the fans sent me and made it into a collaboration song with fhána. Going back to what I said earlier, in the sense that I wouldn't have made these songs if I hadn't been in the situation I'm in now, they were made because of the direct influence of my own experiences and situation, rather than being divided up as a job. fhána's first song, "kotonoha breakdown," was made that year. The first song I wrote after the formation of fhána, "kotonoha breakdown," was about the Great East Japan Earthquake that happened that year, and after that, many different opinions came out and controversies arose in many places, and the world was divided. So, when people ask me, "Why are you able to work flexibly? I have no choice but to answer that I can only work in such a way.

Ogata My first live performance without an audience was my birthday live on June 6th last year. Up until that time, I tried my best to achieve this goal, but it was a different experience and I was devastated. After that, I went through a lot of trial and error during the past year, starting with a small number of live performances with an audience, and on April 21 of this year, I was invited to sing four songs on Space Shower TV's program ("precious STAGE: Emi Ogata"), and gave a live performance with my band members. I performed live with the band members. It was a recording without an audience, so of course it was different from a live performance without an audience, but it was a crystalline recording of various experiences. At the time, I had just come out of the hospital after a simple surgery for a back injury, so it was hard on my body, but everyone on the team helped me out and we managed to pull it off. That is definitely thanks to the accumulation of the past year. Now, I feel that I can do something different from last year. It is our job to deliver something fun, something happy, something that makes people feel happy when they are suffering.

--Ogata-san is a rock artist, standing up when people are suffering or feeling frustrated because politics is not working when it should.

Ogata: It's times like this when we need music to kick ass! (laughs). (laughs) There are many definitions of rock, but originally it was a rebellious spirit and a way to speak out against something. Adults may be discerning and say, "Politicians are doing their best, so ......", but as I said earlier, I still have the spirit of a 14 year old, so I'll use that to kick ass! (laughs).

--Why are you able to keep the spirit of a 14-year-old?

Ogata: It's because of "Eva" (laughs). (laughs) But it's also because of Hanako-kun (the character Ogata plays in "Jishu Shonen Hanako-kun"), Naegi (the character Ogata plays in the "Danganronpa" series), and various other roles and works that make me feel that way.

Sato When I hear from Ogata-san and see the activities he's actually involved in, I think he's not just rebelling, but at the core he wants to help everyone and has an altruistic spirit.

Ogata: In order to make the most of yourself, you have to make the most of others. If you say, "I am the only one who matters," you can't survive, right? I can't grow crops or build buildings on my own. What we artists can do is to create a stage that touches your heart and make you say, "I'm glad I came here. I'm glad I came here, and I'm going to do my best even though it's hard work," so that people can recharge their energy. I've always thought this was the case, but now is not the time to be doing music or plays that only make you feel good about yourself. Now is the time to do that.

Sato I don't think people can work that hard if it's only for themselves. When you work hard for someone else, you are able to exert more power.

Ogata Up until a certain point in your youth, you had a confidence that was completely unfounded, and you could do your best just by saying things like "I want to get ahead" or "I want to be popular. It's easy for such people to get into this kind of industry (laughs). (laughs) And then they say, "I'm not good enough. ...... Why is that? That's when the first step to becoming a professional finally begins. In the voice acting industry, I experienced being in a situation where I was considered a popular voice actor within three years of my debut in the 1990s. However, this was not because I was great, but because I happened to be playing a popular role. Then, when I think about how to advance on my own, I don't know, and there's no way I can know. Because there is a limit to how hard I can work just for myself. This bewilderment I'm having can't be cleared up in any way at the stage where I'm only doing it for myself.

Sato: I was really touched by what you said about how even Ogata-san's bewilderment has not disappeared and continues to exist. I'm very grateful for the fact that I'm able to work with fhána and produce songs in various places. I'm very grateful for the situation that I'm in with fhána and the songs that I'm producing in various places, but the bewilderment won't go away, but I learned from your talk today that the only way to overcome it is to always do what you can for someone else without regret.

Ogata: I'm a Corona disaster right now, but if I don't manage to use my head and make the best choice for now, I think I will regret it later. During the past year, those who have been struggling to find a way are gradually learning how to face the situation, but those who have stopped for a while often say that they don't know how to start again. Once they stop, it may become difficult to move on without a trigger.

Sato: It takes more energy to take off again. I thought it was important to keep flying even if we were flying at a low altitude. We almost fell to the ground, but we were able to recover and still manage to fly. Even if you are flying at a low altitude, as long as you are flying, you can move forward with a little power, and if a good wind blows, you can soar high again. But if you land on the ground and stop, you need a lot of strength to take off again. No matter what happens, as long as you keep flying, there is still hope.

INTERVIEW & TEXT BY Akikazu Hizume


It really is impressive just how much Ogata remarks on her dissatisfaction at not having voiced adult Shinji. She said this over and over in multiple interviews.


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