[OWV] QJWeb 220725

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OWV’s goal for their 3rd year since their formation. Appealing “OWV’s style” in every direction with their refined performances and MCs

OWV is a 4 member boy group formed by Honda Kosuke, Nakagawa Katsunari, Urano Shuta and Sano Fumiya. Their dynamic performances let you forget that they have only 4 members and their very own quality is their eagerness regarding “talks” showcased in their variety program appearances and their MCs at live shows.

This group is releasing their 6th single “Time Jackerz” on 27 July. A unique world created under the concept of “Live” strongly expresses the group's colors as if it was to say “This is OWV!”. They are known for their “live performances skills”, but this single pushes those up to a new level.

In this interview we asked them about their particulars regarding live performances and their thoughts on “Time Jackerz”, while at the end we asked them to express their goal for their 3rd year after formation in one word.

The MCs at live shows are like “one song”

Was there some response regarding your appearance at “KCON 2022 Premiere” which took place on 14 and 15 May?
Kosuke: There was.
Shuta: Personally, rather than having performed to the point of confidently being able to say “There had been some response”, I believe our determination to blow everyone’s minds was stronger than the one of any other group.
Fumiya: However, I wanted to talk a bit more.
Shuta: In this case, I wanted to perform more songs, too.
Katsunari: You wanted to do more of everything (laughs).
Fumiya: It gave us confidence that people thought “It was fun” even after such a short performance like this event had been.
Shuta: And we found a new task for us. I hope we can create an even better stage than the one at “KCON 2022 Premiere”.

You appeared along with various other boy groups like JO1, INI, Enjin and OCTPATH, but was there some concrete challenge you felt as a group?
Fumiya: That we don’t have many members…
Katsunari: We don’t have any minors. There isn’t any freshness.
Fumiya: Also, two members (Nakagawa & Urano) can’t drink any alcohol.
Katsunari: It became more and more out of topic (laughs).
Fumiya: I was just joking (laughs). But I believe not having many members is not a disadvantage for us.
Shuta: I felt that is not our final goal. We can do better.

You also performed at the “Rakuten GirlsAward 2022 SPRING/SUMMER” on the 14 May.
Shuta: At this event we cut songs into a half so that we could insert MCs. Out of the 4 songs we performed, we performed 2 songs in short versions.
Fumiya: But I think there are also a lot of groups who think “Let’s have people listen to a lot of our songs”.
Shuta: It had been Honda-kun’s idea to “make time for the MC”.
Kosuke: OWV is particular about our MCs, hence we can proudly say that “MCs are also part of OWV’s charms”. That’s why we have meetings about the MCs until midnight on the day before a show.
Fumiya: For us, a MC is not just an interlude, it feels more like a song.
Shuta: That’s the high quality we are aiming for.

What do you keep in mind for the MCs?
Kosuke: I guess it is to often address the audience when we perform at an external event. We also keep in mind not to make inside jokes.
Fumiya: We use phrases that everyone can understand. If we use words in a way that is popular within the group, they become like an inside joke, so we make sure of using words that everyone knows.
Kosuke: On the other hand, if it is our own live show, we go all out with our jokes (laughs). This is a point that we want you to look forward to.

Not only your performances but your talks are also becoming more and more polished.
Katsunari: We have nurtured them in the 2 years since our debut.
Fumiya: After all, since our agency is what it is (OWV’s agency is Yoshimoto Kogyo), there are nothing but people who have better talk skills than us. I feel it is a great privilege for us that we can watch their talks closely.
Shuta: We are constantly experimenting, but I hope that the audience will enjoy our frank MCs, too.
Fumiya: Because we would hate it to be like “The Iromonea” where we have to make people laugh.
TN: “The Iromonea” is the shortened name for the variety show “Unnan Kyokugen neta battle! Za Iromonea Warawaseta to hyakumanen” (literally: Unnan’s extreme joke battle! The Iromonea If you make us laugh, you get 1 Million Yen), hosted by the comedy duo “Ucchan Nanchan” or short “Unnan”

Is there something other than the MC you keep in mind during a show?
Fumiya: Tying my shoelaces properly so they will not untie during the show.
Shuta: This is really important. I tie them in a double knot. It is something basic, but I try not to neglect stretching.
Fumiya: Speaking of something unique to me, I guess it would be not to eat before the live. It is more of a jinx than a habit, but I feel I can do better if I don’t eat before.
Shuta: Also, I keep in mind to look into the face of every single person in the audience. I can also see the ones far away.

This is “OWV’s style” as a song

I would also like you to ask about “Time Jackerz''. Which rather describes the timing of the release? Is it the first one of your third year, starting from your formation day, 11 April 2020, or is it the last one of your second year, starting from your debut date, 30 September 2020?
Kosuke: If I had to choose, it would be “The first one in our third year”. For the previous single “You” we challenged a mid tempo ballad for the first time, which prompted us to think again “What is a typical song for us?”. With the first song in our third year we wanted to make the statement of “This is OWV!”. We wanted to show the world more of “OWV’s style”. We believed that “Time Jackerz” could be the song that leads us through our activities in 2022 during which we put emphasis on live shows.

Were the three songs chosen by the members?
Katsunari: Actually we received the 3 songs some time ago already.
Kosuke: We felt “We want to release these songs as OWV one day” and released them at the perfect timing now.

The concept of the single is “Live”, right?
Katsunari: I think OWV’s strength is to be able to charm everyone also at live performances and this single is designed for live performances. Hence, we choose “Time Jackerz” believing that it will shine at concert venues.

The lyrics of “Time Jackerz” were written by GASHIMA.san who had also written the lyrics for your debut single “UBA UBA” and the composers of the song are people working for the first time with you.
Katsunari: Being able to showcase songs created by a variety of people, lets us show new sides of OWV. so I think this is a huge benefit for us. Shuta: To say it frankly, GASHINA-san is like a kind older brother. He accompanied us for the vocal directing.
Fumiya: There are also passages in the lyrics that had been changed during our discussions. We moved forward while we made suggestions “I would like to do this like this over here”, so it strongly feels like that we made this song together.

Which lyrics were changed to reflect your intentions?
Shuta: For example “We gonna take this moment away” at the start of the song.
Fumiya: The original lyrics were “Pretty tropical”, weren’t they?
Katsunari: It had been something absolutely different (laughs).

The choreographer is Kasper-san who has also made choreographies for EXO or SHINee. Did you decide together to ask him to make one for you?
Katsunari: Normally everything dance related is done by Fumiya and Honda-kun, but this time me and Shuta were like “How about him?”
Kosuke: Originally, me and Fumiya suggested several choreographers for this and when we decided “We will ask this person”...
Fumiya: It was like a confession scene in “Ainori”, when they said “Wait a minute!” (laughs).
Kosuke: As it was something rare for these two to suggest a choreographer, we decided to honor their opinion.
Shuta: But you liked the idea, too?
Kosuke: Of course! Because Kasper-san’s choreography fits the image of “Time Jackerz” and above all it’s cool.
Fumiya: So far we had a lot of choreographies that appealed with their formation, but “Time Jackerz” has a lot of movements while the formation itself is simple. I feel like I never have a break because I'm moving around at full force the whole time.

Costumes that showcase “the near future”
Your costumes also have quite some impact.
Kosuke: The visual concept is “near future”. As the release is in July, you might think of something summer related, but “Time Jackerz” is a song that you can always listen to because it clearly demonstrates OWV’s colors. We did not want it to be a song that has a “summer song” image, so we dared to use leather for the material. We chose a costume fitting to each member while consulting with the stylists.
Shuta: Each one of us has his individuality shining, right? Also it is rare that only Fumiya got an outfit with a white base while for the rest of us a lot of black is used. I think all of us got something they like about their outfit.
Katsunari: In my case it is the triangle from my shoulders to my chest. This design had originally been a normal square. Another keypoint is the sharply angled pattern on my legs. By making it overall look sharp and stylish, I aimed to bring it closer to the “near future” concept.
Shuta: I was particular about the silhouette of the jacket. I wanted it to have a square form, so I chose one with a box silhouette. Also, I think the chains. As my pants have no pattern, I wanted to add some contrast with accessories.

How about you, Honda-kun?
Kosuke: Personally I like the white lines on my jacket because they make me look like Kamen Rider.

You look like you could henshin (=transform) just like this.
Kosuke: Should I try it? Okay, I’m gonna do the henshin scene from episode 30.
(gets up from his seat and moves to the outside of the room)
Katsunari: It’s okay, he starts with his appearance.
(Honda-san vigorously runs straight from the entrance, imagining he was jumping in front of an enemy doing evil at this moment. Then, while running, he keeps the imagined enemy in check with his eyes)
Kosuke: Henshin!
(Saying this, Honda-san rushes in front of the members and the interviewer without striking a pose)
Shuta: You did the henshin without a pose (laughs)!
Kosuke: In the later half of the Kamen Rider series they do it without a pose.
Katsunari: They enter the fight just like this, right?

Thank you very much for this precious henshin scene (laughs). Next, how about you, Sano-san?
Fumiya: So my henshin…
Shuta: No not this (laughs).
Fumiya: I chose a silhouette that seemed to have some mobility. Besides that, it is sporty and small sized just like Sano Fumiya. By the way, I can open the zippers on my sleeves.
Katsunari: Eh, I didn’t know that.

I have heard there had been the request “Please open the zippers of your sleeves” during yonton (an event in which they can communicate with the fans online).
Fumiya: I don’t think I revealed that myself. I replied “Congrats” to the person who noticed that (laughs).

Was it intentional that your hair color is a darker tone this time?
Fumiya: Yes it was. Because Honda-kun’s hair is quite red.
Katsunari: And Shuta’s hair is also a light blonde.

“Time Jackerz” is full of audio and visual highlights

The second song “Summer Days” is really catchy, isn’t it?
Katsunari: The track and the melody of the song have an impact as if they pierced through the blue summer sky. I think it is going to be a lot of fun when we perform it at an outdoor event.
Shuta: It makes everyone want to wave their towels while sweating (under the summer sun), right?
Katsunari: The melody line is easy to grasp and I think it is a song that everyone easily relates to.

Following “Roar”, “Get Away’” and “You”, Lauren Kaori-san also wrote the lyrics for the 3rd song, “Alright”.
Katsunari: She is someone who puts our characteristics into the lyrics.
Shuta: She wrote great lyrics that speak to you.
Katsunari: I think it is a song that heals your exhausted body and mind. The melody is gentle and it would be nice to arrange it with an acoustic guitar.

Is the one who raps at the beginning of the second verse Honda-san?
Kosuke: That’s right. This part had been quite difficult.
Katsunari: You have to put so many words on the melody.
Kosuke: The key however is perfect. It is not too high, but it was difficult to sing at this speed in this tone. I asked Katsu to sing this a lot for me.
Katsunari: It made me happy that you practiced while listening to the demo I recorded.
Kosuke: Ah, don’t mention it.
Katsunari: The aniki seems a little tsundere, doesn't he? (laughs)

Please tell us the highlight of the bluray “OWV LIVE TOUR 2021 -CHASER- at Kanagawa Live Stage” that is part of the FC limited edition.
Kosuke: Please enjoy the concert that has been created by sound and light.
Fumiya: Aren’t fountain shows described like that? Something along the lines of a show of sound and light? (laughs)
Kosuke: There was sound and light and we were the fountains.

Expressing the goal of the 3rd year since the formation in one word

Lastly, please let me know our goals for the third year after your formation.
Kosuke: We want to show our faces at even more different places. Because after “KCON 2022 Premiere” and “Rakuten GirlsAward 2022 SPRING/SUMMER” I thought that it is important to break into places with an audience that doesn’t know us yet. And I want more people to think “OWV’s live performances are fun!”. To make it short, appearing at a lot of events.
Fumiya: That sounds as if you were writing a summer diary. Like “eating a lot of watermelons” (laughs).
Kosuke: Other than live shows, I want to use the third year to expand our range of activities.

Please let me ask you about your personal goals, too. If you are okay with it, please do it in one word just like during our interview for “Ready Set Go”.
Shuta: What was it last time… I really don’t want it to be the same.

By the way last time, Honda-san picked “進” (advance), Nakagawa-san “破” (Breaking), Urana-san “密” (dense/intimate) and Sano-san “色” (color).
Shuta: Hearing what we chose last time actually raised the hurdle.
Fumiya: It became more difficult after Shuta asked (laughs).

Then, what should we do? (in this moment Nakagawa-san left his seat to take his solo-pictures)
Kosuke: I got one. “挑(む)” (to challenge). After all, I want to make it a year full of challenges.
Shuta: What could it be for me? I guess “タノ(楽しむ) (to enjoy).
Kosuke: Could it be that you mean a different “to enjoy” than we are imagining right now?
Fumiya: Indeed, the meaning is kinda difficult.
Shuta: Like going chomp chomp chomp chomp steadily as if we were cutting down a tree! Because I have the wish for us to be an OWV who can entertain QWV with a unified heart even after we have become grandpas. I believe under no circumstance we should forget to enjoy it.
Kosuke: I get what you mean. We will always enjoy it.
Fumiya: I chose “浸(る)” (to be immersed). I want to make it a year in which we make people who don’t know us yet immersed in our charms and at the same time I want to immerse myself more in the time spent with these members and improve the quality of our performances further. Regarding our fans who know us already, I hope they can listen to more songs from us and immerse themselves deeper into OWV.
Kosuke: In my case…
Shuta: Ah, he’s trying to change his answer!
Kosuke: In the end it would be “時" (time). I want to have a good time with QWV and I want us to become a group who makes the time everyone gives us more intense, so the release date of “Time Jackerz" fits to this.
(Nakagawa-san returns after wrapping up his shooting)
Shuta: Katsu-kun, we are at the topic of expressing our goals for the 3rd year in one word.
Katsunari: Since OWV are close with each other, I go with “タノ(楽しむ) (to enjoy).
Shuta: You picked the same one as me!
Kosuke: Wait (laughs) Weren’t you the one who said “I really don’t want it to be the same”?
Katsunari: But it might be that my answer is kinda unusual.
Kosuke: It might be that Katsu’s “タノしむ” might be another kanji.
Katsunari: It is the kanji “楽” (raku / ease)
Shuta: It is the same as mine! (laughs)!
Katsunari: I have spent two years together with the members and every day was truly fun. So, I wonder what kind of fun the third year will bring. Or should I change it to another word?
Kosuke: No it is fine just as it is. I feel “楽” is the most appropriate way to close this.

Everything fell into the place beautifully as if it was scripted.
Kosuke: Actually, I had planned that from the start… No, I’m just kidding (laughs).

TN: Japanese lesson time. The kanji 楽 got various readings and meanings depending on the context. As a verb or adjective it is (usually) read as tano as seen for example in the words 楽しむ “to enjoy”、 楽しみにする (to look forward to) or 楽しい (enjoyable/ fun).
However when it stands alone 楽 is read as raku, where it can be a noun, meaning “comfort” or “ease” for example or an adjective meaning “easy”, “without any troubles” and so on.
Also, there are of course much more meanings but for this I tried to pick the ones that felt the closest to their intentions. I hope this explains Shuta’s and Katsunari’s conversation a bit better.