After the Sapporo performance, "You and the band have grown so much!"

-Please tell us your honest thoughts about the Sapporo performance.

Mai Ohno (hereinafter, Ohno): It's been about three years since our last concert in Hokkaido, so I was really looking forward to it. There are fewer regular fans than in Honshu, so I was worried whether the audience would be as excited as usual, but I was really happy to see all the fans who came and enjoyed themselves.

Rio Kiyohara (hereinafter, Kiyohara): It was so much fun! I remembered the last time we performed in Hokkaido and felt nostalgic. I think it's all thanks to our fans that we were able to come here again after so many years, and my heart was warmed watching everyone.

Risako Morita (hereafter, Morita): It was the band's first live performance in Hokkaido, and I had been looking forward to it for a long time, so I was pretty nervous. However, I think we were able to put on a very passionate performance thanks to the support of the audience.

-What kind of enthusiasm did you have going into the live performance?

Ohno: There were many people who I hadn't seen in a while or who I was meeting for the first time, so I went in with a little more enthusiasm than usual, wanting to show them how far the band and I have come. With the Zepp tour scheduled for next year, we've never performed live before, so I think we performed with that mindset, as if it were leading to the next thing.

Kiyohara: It's been a few years since we last performed in Hokkaido, and I thought there might be many people who haven't seen us in a while or who are performing for the first time, so I went in with the intention of performing in a way that would really convey the energy of the audience. I'd be happy if the audience could feel that we've grown even a little since the last time.

Morita: I was researching how to sing, so I wanted to try it out! There were songs where I changed the way I sang completely, so I wanted to put more effort into the singing than the performance.

--Please tell us about a scene that was particularly memorable to you.

Ohno: For the surprise, we did Risa's solo song. I was a little busy with my schedule, so I crammed a lot of drum practice into it. I was really the most nervous I've been in a while, worried that I'd make a mistake during the performance (laughs). But it seems there were fans who were crying after listening to the song, and I remember feeling glad that I'd worked so hard.

Kiyohara: "To that place" left a lasting impression on me. Before we started the song, Mai-chan was talking about next year's Zepp tour in the MC, and I got really excited listening to it. "To that place" is a song that all the members wrote the lyrics for, so while we were playing it, our feelings for the next Zepp tour grew stronger, and I felt like we were able to play it with emotion.

Morita: During the encore, I was given the chance to surprise you by playing a solo song with the band. The members all practiced despite their busy schedules, and the performance went really well. All I could say was, "The best!"

--To put it bluntly, were you able to complete it?

Ohno: Of course! I did it. No matter how many mistakes I made or how many problems I had, I always put the most importance on doing my best, and I'm satisfied just knowing that I was able to enjoy the atmosphere with the fans.

Kiyohara: We did it! As a surprise, we all played Risa's solo song, but I was nervous until we performed it, so I was relieved when we were able to finish it safely.

Morita: I did it! I'm more determined than ever to look completely different the next time I come to Sapporo.

What did the members enjoy in Sapporo?

-What was fun during your stay in Sapporo?

Ohno: Of course, there's the live shows, but when you think of Hokkaido, it's the food! Seafood, meat, ramen, there's so much I want to eat that I always end up overwhelmed when I come to Hokkaido (laughs). This time, we went to a restaurant that has all the specialties of Hokkaido for a party after the live show! Food after a fun live show is the best. It's all thanks to our fans that we were able to eat such delicious food! Thank you very much.

Kiyohara: I remember that the last time we came to Hokkaido, we all had some hot conversations while drinking. This time, we all gathered in a hotel room and talked while drinking. It was the first time we got together like this, so it was a lot of fun, and I was happy that we were able to deepen our bonds again during this trip to Hokkaido.

Morita-san: Personally, I was very happy to get up early and go running in Hokkaido, then take a walk and find a nice cafe to drink coffee in. Of course, I will never forget having a barbecue with everyone.

"See you again at Zepp Sapporo!"

--You'll be coming back to Sapporo in a year! Please say a few words to your fans.

Ohno: Next year, the biggest challenge in the history of Kimi and the band will begin. Three years ago, the venue happened to be next to Zepp Sapporo, and I half-jokingly said, "Oh, I want to do it here!" I never imagined that I would be on that stage three years later. When I think that the future of Kimi and the band will change depending on whether this tour is successful or not, I feel a mixture of scary and exciting emotions. I want as many people as possible to see the culmination of what we've been working hard on for the past four years since we became a band. And it's undoubtedly thanks to all of our fans that we've been able to get this far. Thank you so much. See you again at Zepp Sapporo!

Kiyohara-san: Whenever I came to Hokkaido in the past, I would often say in the MC, "I don't know when we'll meet again, but please wait for me!" But this time, I'm really happy that we have a promise to meet again. We will definitely come back with a more powerful you and band, so please wait for us. We will continue to give it our all in the days to come for all five performances! We want to run through it together with all of you. Please continue to support us!

Morita-san: I think Sapporo is the most difficult of all the venues. We are of course grateful to those who made the journey, but we need to get more people in Hokkaido to know about us, so we would be very happy if the people from Hokkaido who came this time would help us spread the word. And for those who came this time, we want them to think, "It was so much fun, let's come again next time!" We'll do our best, so please come and see us!!

Text: Kyohei Yamashita