[OWV] Oggi 241129

[OWV interview] “This is awesome about the members!” Introducing each other with “strong praise”

OWV is a four member boy group who have been active in various fields as “Pioniers”, pushing forward on an unprecedented path. Their new song “Frontier”, produced by Kudo Taiki from Da-iCE, is a driven dance tune about their history and their future ambitions. We asked the members to introduce the song and each other, in a way they can only do here!

“Frontier” is like “water” soaking through your body
Katsunari: We debuted in the corona pandemic (2020) and we were constantly worried as we were absolutely unable to do what we wanted. But when we found our own “light” we were able to push forward. I believe that our new song “Frontier” is a song that will touch people who are struggling like we did. I hope that listening to this song will help you get over your hardships and troubles.
Kosuke: I would be really happy if seeing us, OWV, paving a way that has never been taken before, could give you even the slightest bit of courage or emotional support. The song contains the message “it’s okay not to rush”, so I think it will resonate with the people who are working hard every day like the readers of Oggi. The song has a fresh and bright melody and it is a soothing song for those who are looking for healing. It is a song that you can listen to in the morning and it will soak throughout your body comfortably, so please give it a listen.
Katsunari: It soaks throughout your body just like “water”. It will surely become an essential song in your life.
Kosuke: Right!

“TRVCKSTVR” is a song that brings the excitement to a new high!
Shuta: The b-side “TRVCKSTVR” is a song I hope you check out. As the lyrics “Gear it up!” symbolise it is a song that will raise your spirits and make you go crazy!
Fumiya: Because of the nature of our work, our bodies are our capital. There are many times when we have to gear it up, so for example I always run 5km before leaving home.
Shuta: That’s impossible to copy? (laughs)
Fumiya: You can do 5 kilometres ! That's a short distance!
Katsunari: Since Fumiya started getting public attention for his marathons, he also tells everyone around him “Run!” It’s becoming more and more like bullying. He is also becoming crazier and says 5km as if they were 50m (laughs).
Fumiya: Our manager is also getting a little crazy. He thinks because I can run so easily, the members can run 40km.
Katsunari: Well, we can’t run this at all (laughs)!
Shuta: By the way, if I want to get into the mood, I try to eat sweet things.
Kosuke: Because sweet foods give you energy.
Shuta: When I am at home, I always have a seasonal dessert after each meal.
Kosuke: Cause you still live with your parents? It’s time you really think about living alone! (laughs)
Fumiya: He gets a LINE message from his mother saying “which sweets do you want today?”.
Shuta: Today I left early, but I had a roll cake after breakfast.
Katsunari: The love is strong!
Shuta: Thank you, mom!
Everyone: hahaha

We want Oggi readers to get to know OWV better! Therefore, they will introduce each other here! Let’s start with the Honda & Sano pair.

Kosuke: Fumiya won the 2024 “All Star Thanksgiving” Akasaka 5-chome Mini Marathon! It was shocking! His first participation and first win! The winner of the previous edition was K-san from &TEAM, and the next one Sano Fumiya from us, OWV, establishing a new path of enlightenment for boy groups! He became 4th in the recently held fall edition of the Akasaka 5-chome Mini Marathon but he lost to an Olympic runner. Well, I think in 4 years Fumiya could participate in the Olympics.
(*Furthermore, Fumiya finished in around 3 hours and 20 mins in the Osaka marathon in February 2024 and placed second in the 100km survival marathon of “27 hour TV” from Fuji TV)
Fumiya: No way I could participate! (laughs)
Kosuke: Of course he has many other qualities other than marathons. He is a strong dancer, a good singer and an all-rounder. I think that is what makes him stand out. Also, he says everything straightforwardly, which I think makes working women happy. Sometimes he says kind things to me. That’s his tsundere side.
Fumiya: No, I’m not like this at all!
Kosuke: Hey, now introduce me.
Fumiya: Honda-kun is our undisputed leader and the emotional support of QWV. He is a player and at the same time he has a very strong fan focus. I think it is a huge strength for a group to have a leader who has understanding and awareness. Now that he also does stage plays, his ability to express himself and his performances have been brushed up. Since OWV has only 4 members, I’m really looking forward to who will be the next one who will show off and blow up.
Kosuke: （ (◦ˉ ˘ ˉ◦)nyanya）

Conclusion!

Sano Fumiya is:
running, singing, dancing, sometimes tsundere. And in 4 years OWV’s pride, the perfect performer…?

Honda Kosuke is:
OWV’s dependable leader who guides the group and provides emotional support to the fans!

Next up is the Nakagawa & Urano pair!

Katsunari: I think the Oggi readers often work hard, so they want to be healed right here and there. Shuta is very funny and he is a healing person who can bring laughter into the midst of our daily lives. He is also surprisingly considerate. He often sleeps at my place, but each time he comes over he asks me if I need anything. When you come to someone’s place often you tend to forget that kind of consideration, don’t you? But Shuta never ever forgets to show his appreciation for me hosting him.
Shuta: Yes, I will heal you!
Katsunari: The fact that he is unexpectedly well-behaved makes me annoyed! I don’t think so but I think women will think Shuta is cute. But I don’t think so (laughs).
Shuta: No need to say this twice! Kacchan is a good driver and cook and he is a kind guy who makes you a quick meal after coming home. He picks you up and takes you home. He does everything I just mentioned for me!
Katsunari: You happily ate the healthy gyoza I made from lettuce, didn’t you?
Shuta: They were delicious-! Also, it’s easy to make us laugh, so we are laughing all the time, which creates a nice atmosphere. This is a good point, isn’t it?
Katsunari: You have to smile at least once, because when Shuta is down, it immediately shows on his face.
Shuta: Really!?
Katsunari: Recently, we traveled to Singapore privately. We laughed the whole time, and yeah maybe it is just comfortable for us to be together.
Shuta: Oh, I’m embarrassed!(laughs)

Conclusion!

Nakagawa Katsunari is:
Save driver & good cook. His laughing and lettuce gyoza are healing. OWV’s visual!

Urano Shuta is:
OWV’s youngest who brightens up your everyday life with laughter and subtle care.

As the years since their formation are passing, OWV have deepened their bonds and grew stronger. Their song is an inspirational song that encourages us every day as it depicts them pushing forward on their unique path which is not the traditional one to reach a goal that only they can reach. Please listen to it on your way to work or when you are exhausted. In the second part, we asked the four members to look back on their path. Please enjoy the “OWV Chronicles” filled with their sense of humour.

[OWV] B-Pass 240719

OWV - A hyper dance-rock tune that takes them to even greater heights!

OWV, whose previous single “BREMEN” brought them the 1st place in the Oricon weekly ranking for the first, are at the height of their power currently. Now aiming for even greater heights, they next unleash a hyper dance-rock tune that mixes band sounds into a dance track! We asked the four members to talk about “LOVE BANDITZ”, a challenging song just at the right time.

Your new song “LOVE BANDITZ” is a passionate song that is perfect for summer. What kind of discussions did you have when the song was chosen?
Fumiya: Our basic idea was that we didn't want to lose the steam that we gained from reaching the first place on the Oricon charts with “BREMEN”. We also talked about how we wanted to create an atmosphere where people who didn't know us would think it would be fun to support us, and that they would always be somewhat energized.
Kosuke: I feel that people who had only heard of OWV or had seen the one of the members but did not know the group existed, finally became aware of the group because of the hype related to our previous release “BREMEN” and Fumiya’s first place in the Akasaka Marathon at the “All Star Thanksgiving Festival”.

Right, it feels like the winds are blowing in the right direction for you now.
Kosuke: I am grateful and happy about it. That was also the reason why we chose “LOVE BANDITZ”. When it came to decide on the next song after “BREMEN”, we listened to a lot of candidates, but only “LOVE BANDITZ” was obviously the right one. But there was also the talk about whether the song would be a bit of a challenge when chosen, but we all felt that it has to be this song.
Shuta: Honda-kun’s excitement was huge back then.
Katsunari: He was happy like a child finally getting the toy he wanted. (laughs)
Kosuke: That’s how impactful it was!
Shuta: He felt alien in a good way.
Fumiya: Right, just like OWV’s Shuta.
Shuta: Hey, who are you calling alien?!
Everyone: ahahaha
Shuta: But well, in a good way… am I an alien?
Fumiya & Honda: Yes.
Katsunari: Physically you might be.
Shuta: From space!?
TN: This part was tricky to translate cause 浮いてる usually means “floating” but can also mean “being out of place”. I tried to find something that could somehow translate the jokes into English.

Let’s go back to the topic. (laughs) The song felt aggressive.
Kosuke: I think we have established a band sound since implementing this into “Gamer”. “LOVE BANDITZ” is even more metal oriented with a very fast BPM. But I believe by choosing such a song now, we can establish OWV’s identity even more.
Katsunari: When we first decided on this song, I felt like this was not a song boy groups tend to do. I wondered what kind of dance it would have. But at this moment with “BREMEN” getting the first place, we felt that if we hadn’t chosen the song with the current momentum, we would have never been able to release this song. Hence, I thought this was the moment to release it and I was excited that it would be a fresh breeze of air for OWV.

If you can showcase this song well, it will increase OWV’s strengths.
Katsunari: I think the most important thing for a group is to express something unique, so I thought this song would allow us to do that.
Shuta: The hook of the song is the dance break. The choreographer of the song is YORITO-san with whom we worked since “Bling Bling”, but in the songs we entrusted to him previously we did not dance much in the dance break. Pretty much that there was not even a dance break in the MV. However, this time the moment we enter the dance break we dance fiercely. There are a lot of movements and sound frames, the formations are also detailed. The difficulty level is quite high, but I think this makes a good hook.
Katsunari: This time there was not much time for the choreography…
Shuta: And the difficulty level was also high. But me and Kacchan were told “you learnt the choreography faster than last time”, which made us really happy. Last time I could not remember the choreography after one day, but this time we were able to gasp the flow in one session, so I felt that we improved.

Honda-kun and Sano-kun, do you feel that the two have improved in dancing?
Kosuke: I feel it, but they made some big mistakes during the “Poka Poka” changeover dance…
Shuta: (cuts him off) Next question please!
Kosuke: That was fast. (laughs)
Shuta: No~, during the changeover dance I made a big mistake and I ended up having a mental blackout…
Fumiya: So your head was Poka Poka? (= fuzzy)
Shuta: It’s a live show!
Fumiya: Well, they surely became faster in learning the choreography. When we are rehearsing on tour, they remember things faster, and they are also learning additional choreography faster. I think the quality has also improved.
Shuta: …! (seems happy)
Fumiya: YORITA-san is someone very busy, so we made a quite absurd request this time. But not only have we worked together many times, but we have also improved our ability to absorb things, so we were able to discuss and create together, which was really amazing. YORITO-san also contacted us outside of practice hours and we communicated closely if there was anything we wanted to change. I knew that YORITO-san was a reliable and experienced partner.
Kosuke: While there is a formation in the chorus this time, there is no dancing. That’s how much we devoted ourselves to the dance break. I felt that the dance that incorporates every single sound is a masterpiece by YORITO-san. It became pretty much the highlight, so I hope you will anticipate it.
TN: Poka Poka is a TV show on Fuji TV in which Shuta & Katsunari appear every two weeks on Tuesdays. Sometimes when they change the studio interior during the live broadcast, the two will dance to a popular song and this segment seems to be called 転換ダンス or “changeover dance” when literally translated.

The lyrics have been written by ZERO-san like the last time.
Kosuke: I really like the whole idea of not letting go of the momentum and recognition we gained with “BREMEN”, and making people like us and become fans.
Shuta: Until now it was often that we told QWV (through the music) “we go ahead and you follow us”, but now that the people who support us have increased, the urge to release lyrics that say “Let’s go to take over the world” is there.
Katsunari: I love the words that ZERO-san chooses. It is also wonderful how our name was inserted in a cool way like in Fumiya’s part “CODE: Operation OWV starts”. In “LOVE BANDITZ” there is also the meaning that we want to steal everyone’s hearts and make them like us. It’s really typical for OWV and once more I was glad that we asked ZERO-san to write them. It became a powerful song in which each part has its highlights.

ZERO-san wrote lyrics for all 3 featured songs, right?
Katsunari: We are totally addicted to his lyrics!
Fumiya: Not only are the lyrics cool, but there is no mismatch between each member's part, and the lyrics fit the characters nicely. It's because ZERO-san wrote the lyrics with a clear understanding of us which makes them easy for us to interpret, and it feels really good to sing them. It's great that there is absolutely no contradiction between the message we have and the lyrics written by ZERO-san.
Kosuke: He is originally a rapper, so he has a cool way of phrasing things, and he puts what we want to say into words in a cool way, which really surprises us each time. He always writes things beyond our imagination, so we are really happy that we could ask him to write all three songs this time.

[OCTPATH] Suumo 240606

Nishijima Renta’s (OCTPATH) love for his hometown “The charm of the prefecture Nagasaki are the rich nature and the retro townscapes”

Nishijima Renta who joined the boy group OCTPATH in November 2023 hails from the prefecture Nagasaki. As he pursues his dream of performing worldwide, his love for his hometown naturally remains strong. Also as his future goals he lists taking up the position of becoming a tourism ambassador and appearing on local television programs. He talked with us about his memories of Nagasaki, favorite food, his favorite restaurants and more.

His childhood was one of being a soccer boy by heart who was a member of a club team in his hometown Nagasaki.

What kind of youth did you spend in Nagasaki, Nishijima-san?
Renta: My childhood dream was to become a soccer player and until my 3rd year of middle school I was a lively boy who was completely devoted to soccer. During my middle school years I was part of a club team, so I trained and had matches at the stadium.
TN: most Japanese children play sports as part of a school team. So being part of a club team unrelated to one’s school is considered something special.

And then, after watching a K-POP idol’s concert, you decided to aim for the entertainment world and your direction in life changed. What was the reaction of your surroundings?
Renta: Initially, my family was against it, but eventually they supported me. My friends also cheered for me and after debuting they told me “I respect you for fulfilling your dream”, which made me happy.

That is the result of you not giving up. Back when you still lived in your hometown, where did you go to have fun?
Renta: When I went out with my family they often took me to the city center and when I went out with friends we often went to the city center of Nagasaki or Fukuoka. Nagasaki has Shinkansen and bus lines so the access to Fukuoka wasn’t bad. Speaking of this, there is the commercial facility “Amu Plaza Nagasaki” at Nagasaki station now, isn't there? The area around the station is five times more prosperous than it was during my school years, and I was surprised when I went back home (laughs).

What he will eat for sure when returning home is the roast katsu from “tonkatsu bunjiro”

What are your most memorable places in Nagasaki, Nishijima-san?
Renta: “Inasayama”. I went there on an excursion as a child and I think every citizen of Nagasaki has been there at least once. The night view is very beautiful and it has been selected as one of the world's top three night views. I have also been there to see the first sunrise of the year.

Which restaurant have you often visited in your hometown?
Renta: “Tonkatsu Bunjiro”. I have loved this restaurant ever since I was a child and even now I make sure to go there when I come home. I can neither leave aside the sirloin nor the filet, so I always order a sirloin cutlet with an extra filet. Recently they are so popular that they were also able to open a store in South Korea. When my mom eats tonkatsu in Tokyo, she even says “it is delicious but I prefer Bunjiro.”

So it’s a taste you remember together with your mother, right? Is there anything else?
Renta: There is a sushi place called “Wakatakemaru” which I also visited when I went home recently. I feel that when people from Nagasaki go to eat sushi, most of them will eat it at Wakatakemaru. All my friends also say “The sushi from Wakatakemaru is the most delicious one.”. I always eat roasted salmon the whole time. (laughs)
Some time ago I also went to “Yaitoruken”. An acquaintance of my grandfather told me about this place, but the yakitori is delicious, so check it out.

The Nagasaki speciality he wants to give (the members) as a snack is “Kakuni Manju“ from Iwasaki Honpo.

What is your absolute favorite food from Nagasaki? Is there some local chain you always end up going to?
Renta: I guess when it comes to Nagasaki, it is known for chanpon. It was served as a school lunch and we often ate it at home, too. If I went to eat it at a restaurant, I would go to “Sanpa Ramen” or “Shianbashi Ramen”. I prefer chanpon with a slightly stronger flavor.
TN: Chanpon is some type of ramen dish, which is made with only one pan as the noodles are boiled in the soup.
Also, I like kankoro mochi. An acquaintance from the Goto islands often sends those to me in Tokyo. These are mochi that were mixed with thinly sliced and sundried sweet potatoes and they are delicious when roasted.

When OCTPATH have a concert in Nagasaki in the future, is there any place where you want to take the members to or is there any snack you would like to bring them?
Renta: If the members came to Nagasaki, I want to go with everyone to “Osakaya”. It is a kinda luxurious yakiniku restaurant and perfect to kick-off a concert.
As a snack I would like to bring them “Kakuni Manju” from Iwasaki Honpo. I remember often going to buy them with my mother when I was a child and eating them as a snack.
TN: Kakuni manju are buns filled with marinated pork belly. It is another local speciality from Nagasaki.

His dream is to appear on the local television of Nagasaki and to become a tourism ambassador

Is there any future dream you want to make true in Nagasaki?
Renta: I want to appear on the variety program “Hirujike don” (Nagasaki local television) which is filmed in the city of Nagasaki. It is such a famous program in my hometown, that you can say every citizen of the prefecture has watched it. It’s also often on during noon hours at my home. I would like to appear there one day and shoot in the city.
Also, I want to become a tourism ambassador for the prefecture Nagasaki one day!

We can feel your love for your hometown! Once again, what do you think is the charm of Nagasaki?
Renta: There is a lot of rich nature and delicious food in Nagasaki. The retrolike townscapes are nice and when you walk through the city everyone greets you. I think the friendly personalities of the people is also a charm point.

When you go home, do you receive a lot of encouragement?
Renta: That’s right. No matter where I go, I hear it, which makes me really happy. The fans made a support ad in my hometown. I was unable to visit it, but I was happy to receive pictures of the ad from my family and soccer friends.

What do you hope to achieve in Nagasaki as OCTPATH?
Renta: I want us to appear at “Lovefes” which takes place at the Nagasaki Seaside Park. It is an event that attracts a lot of people, and my older sister also went there. I think a festival is a chance for more people to get to know OCTPATH, so I will do my best to perform at this festival eventually.

We believe there are people in Nagasaki who, just like you, aim for the entertainment world, Nishijima-san. Lastly, please give a message to these people chasing their dreams.
Renta: In any way I think the most important thing is to take action, so I would suggest going to auditions at every single chance. If there is no dance school in your neighborhood, you could try to rent a place with mirrors, such as a multipurpose hall, to practice. I hope you don’t give up, I’m cheering for you!