On the 19th of last month, well-known voice actress and singer Amamiya Tian released her second single "Moon Lantern" ("Moon Lantern り"), which is also the ending song of the TV anime "Slash Crimson Pupil". Interestingly, Amamiya not only plays the heroine Akatomi in this work, but her first single "Skyreach" is also one of the theme songs of this work.

"Skyreach" gives people a sense of majesty, but this time "Moonlight" has changed its style, producing an effect that is hidden powerful, but reflects sadness. Amamiya Tian not only as a voice actor, but also as a singer. Recently, some Japanese media interviewed her and learned some untold stories from her mouth.

■I have loved karaoke since I was a child

Q: Ms. Amamiya started her activities as a voice actress, but how did you decide on the singer's debut?

Amemiya: I've sung character songs several times before, but I was able to make my debut under my own name only after it was confirmed that I would play the role of Akatomi in "Slash Crimson Pupil". I was very happy, but because it was so sudden, I was in a state of surprise that "how could this be possible?" And just when I didn't feel the reality at all, the song and lyrics were all set, and the whole process was like that. When I was shooting the MV, I thought, "This qiē is all real." (laughs)

Q: Ms. Amamiya used to belong to the light voice club when she was in high school, so she has always loved singing.

Amemiya: I've definitely loved singing since I used to. I've also been to karaoke with my friends and like to go to karaoke alone. Whether it's singing or karaoke, it's something I like, so it's no surprise that I'm playing the role of a singer in the light music department.

Q: After I entered the light music club, I spent almost all my high school life singing. It's amazing!

Amamiya: I really sing a lot. I think it's great to be able to experience those days (laughs).

Q: What songs do you usually like to sing in karaoke?

Amemiya: Songs, ballads, nostalgic melodies, songs from the 80s, anime songs, etc. I don't know a lot about the songs and ballads, but they are all famous songs, such as "Amagi Yue" and "Winter Scenery of the Tsutsu Strait". I'll sing it.

As for animated songs, when I was in junior high school, "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya" was very popular, and at lunchtime, the song "Good Mood on a Sunny Day" would be played in the school, and then I would sing along. In addition, the theme song of "The Archangel of Creation" was played. So in terms of anime songs, I mostly sang anime songs that were popular at that time. In addition, there are "The Program of Cruel Angels", "The Reincarnation of the Soul" and so on.

Q: So what kind of song is "Moonlight"?

Amamiya: Although a person has to face his weakness and the things he needs to carry, he still has an inextinguishable flame in his heart, which is exactly in line with the word "lamp" in "Moon Lantern". And I also express it with the hope that I have this strong heart.

Q: The atmosphere has changed from the previous song "Skyreach", but this time "Moonlight" has the feel of a narrative song. Do you feel that it is difficult?

Amamiya: "Skyreach" is a very rock song in terms of musical style, so it is very much in line with the mood of the characters before the battle in "Slash Crimson Pupil", so the idea of charging forward was expressed in one breath. But "Moonlight" is the complete opposite. It feels like a person is talking to himself in a quiet room. Although it was quiet, the feeling of not admitting defeat remained in my heart, so I thought that I had to express this well. However, if the expression is too positive, then the style of the song will also change, so how to grasp a degree has become a very difficult problem.

The difficulty with "Skyreach" is that the music is very handsome, and you can't lose to that handsomeness. So I opened my voice and sang.

Q: So what parts need to be adjusted?

Amemiya: At the end, there is a lyric called "Only today, can you make me cry?" When I sang this part, my voice was a little silent, so I used a crying style to further reflect the sad mood. That's where it takes to adjust.

Another point is that the D melody is a very difficult place no matter what(laughs) The vocal range is very high, and it needs to be sung strongly, but it needs to be "a little gentle" and "but also emotional", and there are really subtle differences in this aspect, so I have to adjust this in the performance. But that's what I'm working so, so I hope you'll hear it!

Q: Amemiya-sama's red pupils are exactly the same as the song. Red Hitomi is not a very talkative girl, and seems very quiet, but this is not the same as no expression. And this sense of balance is closely related to the impression of "Moonlight" and the red pupil.

Amamiya: Indeed, this aspect is the same. Red Hitomi speaks in a very flat tone, but because of her previous life experience, she has a strong heart, and she speaks with this kind of thought, which can also be seen that she is a girl with rich feelings.

On the one hand, the red pupil has the characteristics of moving forward with a strong mind like "Skyreach", and on the other hand, like "Moonlight", she faces those things that she carries when she is alone. Although the styles of the two songs are completely different, from the perspective of the red pupil itself, they are also associated with the world of "Slash Crimson Pupil".

■In the MV, we will also challenge the crying plot

Q: What about the filming of the MV? I felt that it was a very atmospheric work, and the picture was very beautiful. And this time, Miss Amamiya also has a crying acting table.

Amemiya: This is terrible! As for tears, I also prepared eye drops, but when I was shooting, I thought, "Don't use eye drops at first, let's use your own strength," so I didn't use eye drops.

But people can't cry so easily, the staff are careful not to make footsteps, and like the artistic conception of the song, the song of "Moonlight" is broadcast in a quiet space...... That's the environment that people have created for me. We repeated the shoot several times and spent a lot of time to finally create this feeling.

Amemiya: The director said a lot to me, such as "We have a lot of time, it's okay". Because of this, I was able to immerse myself in the world of songs without anxiety and complete the photography.

Q: What kind of impression do you have in your mind?

Amamiya: After I finished my work, I kept asking myself, "Couldn't I be a little better?" and "Couldn't I be more flexible?" Then I thought about it and went back. As a result, I felt like I was so useless that I cried (laughs).

But I didn't just think about it, when I entered the world of lyrics and slowly channeled my feelings, the director suddenly said, "I can have more feelings," and then I burst into tears. Without the help of the entire staff and the director, I would never have been able to complete my work in this MV.

Q: And Ms. Amamiya overcame such a big difficulty to complete this MV, so you will definitely be even more moved when you look at the finished product, right?

Amemiya: I'm very happy, but I can't avoid feeling very shy. It's so shy that your face will appear in the picture like this! (laughs)

Q: Do you have any goals for the future, such as "I want to be a singer like this"?

Amemiya: First of all, I continued to work as a voice actor, and it was because of my role as Hitomi that I discovered the mood of the characters and made it easier for me to incorporate my own ideas into the songs. If you don't dub the red pupil and sing it directly, then maybe this song will become something else. Although Hitomi doesn't talk much, I'm always thinking about something, so I also have to imagine her feelings that are not outwardly felt, and what is on her mind.

Also, when Tong Guò tried to sing "Moon Lantern", I felt that what I had learned as a voice actor was related to the song, and on the contrary, what I felt from the song was applied to the role.

I will continue to play various roles as a voice actor and sing various songs as a singer, so I like that the two aspects can be mutually reinforcing.

■ After the dubbing of the last episode, I also did my best

Q: Miss Amamiya just said that the song "Moonlight" can have the current effect, and it is also inseparable from her dubbing of Red Hitomi. So from episode 1 to episode 24, did anything change when you were performing?

Amemiya: Ever since the beginning of dubbing, I've always felt that it was very difficult to voice Hitomi. If it's a character with a flat tone and no emotion at all, then it's relatively easy. But Red Hitomi is an emotional character, so she can't do this. The feelings of the red pupil also erupted many times in the second half of the plot, but to what extent do the emotional outbursts have to be expressed? What step is it to be considered the realm of the red pupil? I have to think about it all the time.

I continued to experience failures until the last episode, and I recorded the lines many times, and then recorded them and practiced them as I listened to them. I feel that difficulty has always been with the dubbing work.

Q: Finally, you've found the answer.

Amemiya: Even if you say "fight", you think differently at different times. For example, when fighting the strongest enemy, Estes, and when fighting with Black Hitomi, who is an enemy but is his sister, the feelings of the red pupil towards the other party are completely different. What was Red Hitomi thinking at this time? What kind of mood do you have? I'm going to think about it all.

Q: And that's what happens to the songs.

Amamiya: Really. I started my career as a singer with the theme song "Skyreach" from "Slash Crimson Pupil", and the characters and songs are interconnected and mutually reinforcing, and I have learned a lot through "Moonlight". This work is very important to me.

Q: As you mentioned earlier, you will record your lines for confirmation. Is it possible to assume that Amamiya-sama always records her voice to confirm and adjust it so that she can practice?

Amemiya: Yes. I used my smartphone to record my voice and listen to it. There are about 300~400 lines recorded in my phone. Listen to it and wonder, "Wouldn't it be better to do this a little bit?"

Q: Could you tell us about the dubbing scene? What kind of atmosphere did everyone have?

Amamiya: The atmosphere at the scene was a very positive feeling. Almost every episode of "Slash Crimson Pupil" has people who die, and even if everyone is a member of NightRaid, there is no mercy, and some characters who think "they should survive to the end" may suddenly die. And in the second half, the original plot is developed that is different from the original work, which makes it difficult to grasp the later plot. Everyone is in a state of "who's going to die next?"

"You're the next one to die, right!?" "No, I'll survive!" Each voice actor has their own personality, no one gives a darker feeling, and everyone has their own thoughts into the character.

And there is also a popular "Tazmi Death Theory" among us, as soon as Tazmi starts to get better with a certain character, that character will die. This is a big story among our voice actors. Therefore, as soon as Sato Zhuangma-kun, who dubbed Tazmi, appeared, everyone complained and said, "Death, don't come here!" (laughs)

If I say it, I will be asked, "I said red pupils, who are you going to cut this time?" Hey, who's going to cut again? "Anyway, in the dubbing scene, everyone is lively and happy.

Mr. Saito and I are both newcomers, and the voice actors around us are seniors with many years of experience. However, because of everyone's efforts, the dubbing scene also gives people a very harmonious feeling.

Q: Now that the dubbing of the last episode has ended, how are you feeling now?

Amemiya: Hitomi Akami is a character who fights quietly, and as she approaches the end, she shows her emotions in more places, so I think you can see a different Hitomi from her so far. And there are more plots to think about each other while fighting, and it is not easy to practice the dubbing of these plots. But I think it's also a good idea to portray Akatomi's inner activities and humanity.

In the end, it's a battle against the strongest enemy, and both me and Akatomi should do our best. It gave me a sense of relief, but at the same time, I wondered: will there be a sequel...... Naturally, I still feel a little lonely.

Q: Finally, would you like to give a few words to the readers?

Amemiya: As we get closer to the final episode, our battles will get more intense, and the characters will die when they need to be sacrificed, which is relentless. But in the process, everyone also has their own ideas and justice, and if everyone can see this side, then it will be great.

As for Red Hitomi, in the face of this seemingly indifferent character, how to express her feelings? How much emotion do you want to incorporate? Every time we are troubled, even if we think about it, we still feel that something is wrong...... It's a genre I've never tried before, so I struggled to tweak it. But because of this, this attempt is very important for the work, for the characters, and for myself.

Then there is "Moonlight", the whole song is in a quiet and mournful atmosphere, but it contains a strong and unshakable faith, which is also closely related to the red pupil. Also, I tried the crying scene for the first time in the music video, so it was a challenging song. Please listen to it, I'll be happy.

In the future, I will continue to study as a voice actor and use my knowledge through guò songs, so I will work hard! So please advise!

Q: Thank you for your time today!