Thursday Lab Report: Interview With Music Blogger Yuki Nagato

Oh ho, bet you all thought I was done with interviews today! But what can I say? I’m looking to talk to people in the Japanese Pop Culture spectrum. But I’m looking to do a bit more if I can. So enjoy your two interviews today. This one represents the fandom part, and most importantly, represents a niche that seems to be growing slightly compared to when I interviewed Zzeroparticle of Anime Instrumentality: anime music bloggers. In this one, I talk to Yuki Nagato — “apparently” is the one you know from some anime with Haruhi in its name — and she shares how she goes about reviewing music, names a few of her favorite tracks, and you may be surprised at the anime that got her to look up what anison was.

Justin: So talk a little about yourself and just in general, how did you become interested in anime?

Yuki Nagato: I am an eccentric high schooler from Serbia who happens to be both a Japanophile and an audiophile. As probably everyone did, I’ve watched anime from when I was little without knowing they were actually Japanese, or any different from other cartoons. I was really crazy about several series like Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh for most of my life, but the real turning point of me becoming a full-fledged otaku hasn’t arrived until only three or four years ago, when I started watching all the new anime and discovered more than the few popular ones everyone usually encounters first. I am yet to become experienced as many people are and fly through all the classics.

When did music become important to you in anime, or has this always been the case? Was there a particular anime that stood out to you when it came to music composition?

I think that has always been the case, although I wasn’t fully immersed in it as I am now. The moment where I actually became interested and fascinated enough to look up the full song and learn the term “anison” was with the anime Kyoukai Senjou no Horizon (Horizon in The Middle of Nowhere), which isn’t particularly known for it’s music (even though it’s excellent), but is an important factor of me becoming a fan of anime music. Also, it has introduced me to my favorite seiyuu, which makes it all the better.

Did your love for music eventually convince you to start Japanese Melodia, or was there other reasons for starting the blog?

It was definitely the love and enchantment towards anime music, but also the wish to share my opinion. Before creating Japanese Melodia, I’d mostly think about the song and its elements myself, discussing it alone without writing it down, but the discovery of several J-pop review sites has also pushed me more towards the idea of making reviews and letting everyone see them.

In starting your blog, has anything changed in terms of how you’ve looked at music and Japanese singers, or have they stayed the same?

The same love towards it remains unchanged, however, it has definitely broadened my views towards even more anime singers and seiyuu I wouldn’t have found out about if I hadn’t reviewed a particular opening or ending theme.

Speaking personally, it feels like there is a rise — not a big rise, but just more awareness — of blogs that happen to review or write about music in anime. Do you see this as the case and we can expect this to continue?

Everything depends on what “music in anime” means. Yes, I agree there is a rise in Japanese music review blogs, but most of them come across anison only occasionally, either when it’s really popular or they are a fan of the singer in question. The number of blogs that specifically specialize in anime music remains somewhat stagnant, but I’d really like to see it increase, as the niche is becoming bigger and bigger.

What is your normal process when it comes to reviewing anime music?

During the time in which I listen to the track, I just jot down everything that I notice, from the arrangement, over the vocals, to any special comments I have, and only when I do that with every track, then I start combining and transforming those thoughts into comprehensible text. After I do that, I give it a mark I think it deserves, and an overall mark for the whole single/album.

If someone wanted to do a music review, what is the one thing they have to do to go about it?

Be precise and comprehensive. The best review is the one which describes all of the technical elements of a song, but has the distinctive emotion and tone of the author’s personal opinion on it. Also, I usually find that more complex songs are much easier to review, regardless of whether they are good or bad, so try to stay away from generic, boring material as much as possible.

Ok, I’m going to assume there are a few mainstream Japanese groups out there that people know about, but I’m curious to know: have you listened to any that you think are underrated?

Of course. If you look at it carefully, you will find that, at least in the eye of an average J-pop fan, most of the anison niche is underrated except for the few lucky ones who get the chance to expand and become more mainstream. Anime music has the best masterpieces of contemporary Japanese music, yet it mostly goes by unnoticed. Anime music blogs like mine and several others serve the purpose of lifting the obscurity from the anison genre. Some of the more underrated and not-so-famous artists would definitely be Mayumi Morinaga, Daisy x Daisy and, perhaps Kanon Wakeshima. They all make great pieces, yet lack the spotlight and promotion to become famous.

What are your favorite anime openings and endings? Your favorite OP/EDs of 2013 so far? 

It’s a tough choice, because I’ve no idea if I am to go ahead and acknowledge the songs that are commonly recognized as the best ones, or just pick the ones I’ve personally drawn the most enjoyment out of, but I’ll say Paradise Lost by Chihara Minori for my favorite opening, and Magia by Kalafina for my favorite ending theme. So far, Vitalization by Nana Mizuki is my favorite 2013 opening, and Utsukushiki Zankoku na Sekai by Yoko Hikasa is my favorite ending, although the ending themes haven’t held the spotlight as much as the opening themes this year.

What’s your favorite BGM? Favorite composition so far in 2013?

There are several BGM’s that are completely equal in my head, and it’s impossible to pick just one, so I’ll say Credens Justitiam from Madoka Magica and “Nagato vs. Asakura” from none other than Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuutsu (The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya). As for 2013, there has been no special BGM which has caught my attention, even with great anime such as Shingeki no Kyojin and Railgun S.

We have some sort of Anime Music Tournament that’s been started by the founder of Anime Instrumentality. What are your thoughts of the tournament so far, and are there any songs you hope does well?

I think that the Animusic Tourney, as it is also called, is a great idea, although it is kind of predictable, since 10-20 specific songs out of about 300 always take the top spots. Personally, I hope that “Yuki, Muon, Madobe Nite”, which is the Nagato Yuki character song does well. I’m pretty sure every other song I submitted will do good, because most of them are already pretty famous and renowned.

Finally, is there more to you using the Yuki Nagato name than we think, or it’s exactly what we think, and it involves The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya?

What’s wrong with using your own name?!

Well…nothing in particular. I was just wondering if there’s more to the name than we think, aside from obviously being quite known in anime circles! Surely you can answer that right?

Well, Yuki has always been my favorite character not only in Haruhi Suzumiya, but overall in anime. I generally have a preference either to evil or to emotionless characters, and Yuki and I are even a bit alike when it comes to shyness and rational reasoning, that’s all.

You can keep up with Yuki at Japanese Melodia, or on Twitter (Japanesemelodia)