Having moved up a year

PoPiPa have also grown up

– Season 2 of the anime has started, what is the distinctive appeal of PoPiPa now?

Aimi: Being true-to-life high school girls. Although one year has passed since Season 1 and they have moved up a year, the fact that they haven’t changed much is realistic. I think this is precisely the appeal of PoPiPa.

Itou: Certainly. It makes everyone reminisce about similar things that happened during high school days. Being easily relatable is a strong point of PoPiPa.

Nishimoto: I feel the same way too! Even when we’re troubled or when we face obstacles, I think it’s a beautiful thing when all of us join hands together.

Ohashi: In the story we’re a band with a short history, so there’s a certain freshness.

Otsuka: Also, I think we have a wide range of possibilities. Compared to the other bands, we have more seasonal songs, and also a wider variation.

– In the 2nd Season, which character has changed the most since Season 1?

Aimi: Saaya I think. She became more cheerful.

Otsuka: I think so too. Probably because she has overcome her past and her trauma from Season 1.

Itou: In the 2nd Season, I’m glad that I became able to freely express my real feelings.

Nishimoto: As for me, I think Kasumi-chan has also changed quite a lot. She was impulsive and reckless in Season 1, but after gaining a new follower in Rokka-chan, she is now able to take a step back and look at the bigger picture.

Ohashi: Yes. Kasumi is more grown-up. She has her feet on the ground and became more reliable. She seems more like a main character now.

– The 2nd Season has gathered all 5 bands from the smartphone game.

Aimi: It is fascinating that all the bands have unique aspects which you can explore deeper into. Personally, I’m keeping an eye on Pastel✽Palettes (PasuPare). Because my favorite character is their vocalist Maruyama Aya-chan (laughs).

Itou: PasuPare’s story shares many similarities with real-life PoPiPa, so they’re very relatable. As for me, I really love the professionalism of PasuPare’s bassist Shirasagi Chisato-chan. It makes me happy to able to see her coolness in the anime.

Nishimoto: My heart skips a beat whenever Seta Kaoru from Hello, Happy World! appears (laughs). Knowing how (Kaoru’s seiyuu) Tadokoro Azusa-san usually acts, her acting skills here come as a shock.

Ohashi: My personal favorite has to be Afterglow’s guitarist Aoba Moca-chan. Since she’s a regular customer at Saaya’s bakery, they have a close relationship. I’m happy that they actually have many opportunities to interact within the anime too.

Otsuka: All the other cast members are my seniors [BanG Dream! is her seiyuu debut], so I’m pretty nervous. But the atmosphere is like a girls’ high school, which is fun.

– What are the best parts of “Kizuna Music♪”, the 2nd Season’s opening theme?

Aimi: It goes without saying that I hope you will listen to it along with the anime, but even right now at this present moment, I hope you will give the full version a listen.

Otsuka: Listen out for the second chorus where we have individual singing parts [1:05]. When you finish watching the anime, the assigning of which particular line to which character will take on a deeper meaning.

Nishimoto: The unison during the chorus, where we are able to sing because of the bonds [kizuna] between the 5 of us, leaves a strong impression.

Ohashi: I also like the second part of the chorus, where the solo parts are chained together like a baton relay. The drums are really complicated, so I hope you’ll listen to the instrumental version too!

Itou: Cheerful and yet also wistful, a song which captures the spirit of high school students. Speaking of the difficulty of performing, there is a complex keyboard solo too, but I will try my best. Also, personally speaking, please pay attention to the way Aimin (Aimi) sings. There is a maternal quality in her voice when it emerges from the momentary silence for the last chorus [4:03].

Aimi: Because Kasumi is the one in charge of PoPiPa’s lyrics, before writing she takes into consideration how each song is going to be sung. But this time, having moved up a year, she also tried to include more maturity in the song. Please listen to it through earphones if you can.

Let’s Hear Your Personal Aspirations for 2019!

Aimi:

To keep on trying and going beyond the limits for things that I want to do!

In Lives and events and so on, there has been more opportunities for me to give suggestions, but a lack of time and energy meant that oftentimes I wasn’t able to do that as well as I’d liked. In 2019 I want to be able to properly convey my thoughts to the staff, and also to all the fans. Every single thing has to be planned ahead, and I will go beyond the limits!

Otsuka Sae:

Have to get used to photoshoots…

Honestly, I really don’t like to be photographed, but this time, I’m grateful that I will be releasing a photo album… I’m thinking to myself: “I have to change that!” Changing my ways of thinking and getting used to photoshoots, perhaps these are my 2019 aspirations?

Nishimoto Rimi:

I just want to take up all kinds of challenges

In 2018, I managed to start off the solo event “Rimit.1 ~Friends of Rimi~”. Because the planning, organization, and the performances are thought up by myself, I wish to do it for a second time. Also, last year I was involved in many theater performances and I would like to do more of these plays. Video-making is something that I love and I want to try doing that too.

Ohashi Ayaka:

I want to do a lot of traveling abroad

I’ve always been fascinated by foreign places, so it would be great if I can get about 2 overseas vacations in 2019. Personally I want to travel to Italy and try their pasta. Or should I say, the pasta is why I want to travel to Italy (laughs). I want to experience the townscapes that you don’t see in Japan.

Itou Ayasa:

I want to become a better time manager

I can sometimes get too obsessed with perfection, and don’t give myself enough credit for my efforts. But in 2019 I shall be kinder to myself, while upping my time management skills. And also, by doing that, try to set some time aside for overseas vacations! I want to have a change in perspective.

In 2019 let’s increase the popularity

Of the real-life PoPiPa too!

– PoPiPa, who are a real-life band, will welcome their 4th anniversary in April.

Aimi: After all this time, I think we have become really close to each other. To the point where we can express our opinions freely without inhibition.

Ohashi: We were holding back at the start though, which was to be expected. We were highly professional (laughs).

Itou: I think in a good way we’ve become comfortable around one another. Having learned about our individual preferences and so on, we came to know the best words to say to make one another feel at ease.

Nishimoto: Having been active for a little longer than the other bands, I feel we have nurtured a pretty good atmosphere within the band. Even during interviews we could guess the responses that each of us would probably give.

Otsuka: Because it is my first experience in just about everything, I have a lot of memories of the fulfilling time we spent together as the 5-member PoPiPa!

– Long ago, record producer Agematsu Noriyasu [from Elements Garden, who produces Poppin’Party’s music] once said, “I think PoPiPa will one of these days quarrel among themselves.” How was it actually like?

Aimi: Quarrels…not to that extent I think. It does happen sometimes, when the words we said weren’t conveyed properly, and we couldn’t settle the problem straight away, and had it drag on for a long time before coming to a resolution. But now, even if we have a clash of opinions, the next time we meet up we will have a good laugh about it together, and try to understand each other. I think this is the biggest change that we, as PoPiPa, have undergone.

Nishimoto: Because we could give suggestions on things like setlists, there was a lot of back and forth, and indeed the members have had disagreements over viewpoints. But I don’t think these were quarrels more than they were discussions?

Ohashi: Sounds about right. Even outside of work, we were able to become more straightforward about expressing opinions, so in that sense you could say that the distances between us have become closer.

– Who is the member who has changed the most since your first impression of her?

Aimi: Hasshi (Ohashi) perhaps? We were both shy around each other, kept a respectful distance, and didn’t speak to each other. But once we realized how similar we are, and tried starting conversations, our hearts were able to become open with each other. Now we can even go traveling together.

Ohashi: Eh, really? (laughs) For me it’s Ayasa-chan. Although she’s younger than me, she’s really level-headed and dependable. Like being an amazing MC during Lives, and able to voice her opinions, she has a strong underlying belief in herself. I was surprised.

Itou: Is that so. Conversely I think nobody has changed. If I had to say, Rimirin (Rimi) didn’t seem to be the type who changes her hair color, so her recent transformations are surprising me (laughs).

Otsuka: I think so too! The type of clothes she wears has changed considerably. At the very beginning when we first met, she went with a ‘cute’ vibe, but these days she exudes more of a ‘rock’ aura. From an outside perspective this seems to be the biggest change.

Nishimoto: Really!? Thank you! For me it’s perhaps Ai-chan (Aimi). Back when we first started out, she was very focused on being our leader, but nowadays she has become more relaxed, and I’m really happy for that.

– So, last but not least, tell us your aspirations for PoPiPa in 2019.

Aimi: To increase our popularity as a band, and just like Roselia, to appear in a music show! [Roselia was invited to perform at the 2018 FNS MUSIC FES. IN SUMMER]

Otsuka: To have a handmade fan meeting which is entirely planned and performed by the members. Also, a nationwide tour!

Nishimoto: I also want to do a nationwide Live house tour!

Ohashi: A world tour would be nice too. I’m a realistic type of person, so I’m worried about whether my schedule can accomodate it (laughs).

Itou: I want to tour the high schools nationwide! But I don’t want people to think “Who were they?” after we leave the stage, so I guess our goal should be to increase our popularity first.

Otsuka: I want to hold a fan meeting that is entirely planned by the members

Itou: I want to convey the fun of being in a band to students too

Aimi: In 2019 I want PoPiPa to appear in a music show!

Ohashi: I want to show even the people abroad how good PoPiPa is

Nishimoto: It is my dream to tour all the Live houses in Japan!

Anime Description

Poppin’ Party has become the subject of adoration too!

The passion of high school girl bands as illustrated by BanG Dream! Season 2. In Season 1, the Poppin’ Party who fumbled their way to starting their band, is now the subject of adoration by a new character Asahi Rokka. Furthermore, with the other bands also making their appearances, what new direction will the girls be heading towards…?

Credits go to /r/TigersMilkTea for the gorgeous scans.