福山 潤

How did the planning for Jun Fukuyama Hitori no Bocchi Show begin? Fukuyama: It was decided from the beginning that we would do a live performance after releasing the single “Keep Going On!” and the album “OWL”. However, the skits recorded in “OWL” were intended to be enjoyed with just the voice, and were not designed to be performed on stage. On the other hand, if we were to think about whether we could do a live performance with only singing, it would be difficult because there were only a few songs. I came up with the idea if we put together a set of snacks, talk, and sing in the style of snack karaoke, we might be able to do a live performance.

That’s how the setting for the talk part “Snack Jun” was born. Fukuyama: It turned out to be a good set. What I wanted was a feeling of being out of town, or something like a handmade feeling. This might be a bit of a misnomer, but I wanted the set to look rough and not look like it cost a lot of money. The liver performance should include dance and be well-prepared. On the other hand, I wanted to make the skit part look like a farce.

Oopartz-san and Takahiro Sakurai-san appeared as guests in the talk, and I thought it was true that both groups were following the flow of creation by Fukuyama-san. Fukuyama: Oopartz-san, while valuing his presence as an artist, has been very close to me. The personalities of Ryuichi-san and JUVENILE-san helped me.

The two of you have a sharp image, but the talk was quite frank, and I felt a sense of familiarity. Fukuyama: I think he had the firm confidence that his artist image would not crumble even if he did that. It was cool to see the seamless transition from the casual talk to the edgy live performance.

Fukuyama-san joined the Oopartz-san’s live as an MC. Fukuyama: “Winning for billions featuring Jun Fukuyama” is a song that I originally participated in as MC, but I never imagined that it would be performed live. But when I tried it, I wondered if the method of participating in that kind of music would suit me. I would love to participate on Oopartz-san’s stage someday.

I think Takahiro Sakurai-san, who appeared next, is in perfect harmony. Fukuyama: Sakurai-san has cooperated with this project since “Tabenro Junjun Man” included in “Keep Going On!” I think I was able to show you.

How was the corner with Sakurai-san? Fukuyama: There was no pre-rehearsal with Sakurai-san, just a meeting on the day. I think that Sakurai-san’s skill greatly contributed to the fact that he was able to change things in any way as long as the flow had been decided to some extent, even if he hadn’t decided precisely. I prepared a lot of themes, but it was wonderful that I was able to create a 20-odd minute section without running out of them.

Fukuyama-san also talked about when you asked Sakurai-san to participate in this project. Fukuyama: It’s a story at an event venue for a certain work. Before the event, I quietly entered the dressing room and handed over the proposal, saying “Please take this without saying anything” (laughs). This passage is also very interesting, so I would like fans to watch it on Blu-Ray and DVD. As for singing and dancing, we sang “Bocchi Show no Theme” at the opening of the event, followed by a live performance after the talk.

A total of 6 songs were performed on the stage. Fukuyama: The rehearsals were really tough, but the actual performance was just fun. First of all, “Bocchi Show no Theme” is a song that expresses the entire event, and it was a completely new song that the audience had never heard before. I was confident that everything would work out.

I think you have captured the hearts and minds of the customers perfectly. How was the climax live? Fukuyama: The first song, “Go Ahead,” was a difficult song. When I sang the opening song, “Echoes,” I said, “Oh, it went well.” When I watch the video again, I can see that my expression during “Go Ahead” was soft. I really enjoyed it from there.

I think that “Hitori no Bocchi Show” ended with great success. Why don’t you try looking back on the artist activities of the past year? Fukuyama: I’m really glad that I was given the opportunity to work on this project. I had nothing but pluses. It was physically demanding and frustrating when things didn’t go well, but it was fun to be able to do things that I hadn’t been able to do before. I was able to come this far because of the support of many people. When I was at a standstill, I think it was only because of the professionals in the fields of singing, dancing, and stage that they accurately pointed out the points I was struggling with and presented me with solutions.

At the end of last year, you said that your goal for 2017 was to never die. With that goal in mind, what are your goals for 2018? Fukuyama: I was able to achieve the goal of not dying, but miraculously I survived unscathed, but I had an accident and it was really dangerous (laughs). After overcoming the first year, the next goal is “destruction and regeneration.” Now that I’m celebrating my 20^th anniversary as a voice actor, I decided to break down the way I work and rebuild it. If you do it for a long time, you will inevitably find some parts that you get used to and some parts that you become addicted to. I would like to get rid of that and tackle any job with the feeling of starting anew.