Ayumi Miyazaki Talk in Chile 2018

During february, 2018 Digimon singer Ayumi Miyazaki visited Chile to perform at Anime Expo Summer 2018. On february 3rd he gave a show and on february 4th he offered a conference. Here we translate the full talk for international fans. You can find the original version in spanish on our twitter. We have excluded a couple of questions about our country that we consider are not of general interest nor relevant to foreign readers.

You come from a family of composers. What's the difference between composing in general and composing for anime?

Each anime series has its own universe that I have to translate into the music. I try to not imprint my own style, but rather the one from the series' world itself.

How did you arrive into Digimon? A recommendation, a casting…?

A friend of mine sent my demos to the music agency. Then, they listened to them and discussed if I'd sing "Brave Heart" or another song.

What's your personal and professional relationship with other people from Digimon like Kenji Watanabe and Koji Wada?

I met Koji Wada through Digimon. We worked together, singing the songs and going to events. At first, our relationship was merely professional, but once the series was over we became good friends, because we had more time to spend together.

He had various cycles when he had good health, but then he became ill again. In the occasions when we could see each other, I tried to joke around to make him feel better. I was so sure he would recover, so we made plans to sing together again. Sadly, he lost the battle against cancer. Since he was the main personality in the live events [that we do in Japan], now I feel that emptiness during the shows. But I keep his memory in my heart, especially when I go to events outside of Japan, I feel he's with me when I sing. When I asked you if I could sing his songs I was happy when you cheered and said yes, so I gave my best.*

In regard to Kenji Watanabe, I asked him to design a mascot to promote my shows. The mascot is called Stradion.

*During the concert the day prior, he asked the audience for permission to sing Koji Wada's songs.

Aside from Digimon, what other series have you collaborated in, writing music for them?

"Riyū", Prince of Tennis (sung by Jun'ichi Suwabe). "Yume Biyori", Doraemon (sung by Hitomi Shimatani). "Saikin Hayari no Meiku Uta", Hamtaro (sung by Chiaki and KABA-chan). I've written so many themes and I don’t remember all of them, but these are a few that I can recall right now.

How do you feel knowing that your songs had such an impact in a whole generation?

It’s incredible. When I started working in Digimon I never imagined in my dreams that 18 years later I would still be singing these songs and travelling around the world visiting places like this.

What's been your experience working for Digimon again after so many years, singing the new version of "Brave Heart" and "Aikotoba" in Tri?

I was surprised, because I didn't think Digimon would resurface. I believe that one of the most important reasons for this to occur was because of the support of the fans around the world, who wanted a continuation.

What was your inspiration for writing "Brave Heart", which is a song full of positive messages?

Truth to be told, I didn't compose that song. But as you mention, I try to channel and convey all the positive energy of the song.

In the beginning it was only Koji Wada, Ai Maeda and you, but with the passing of the years more artists joined in different seasons. What's your opinion about the musical evolution of the series?

The series started in 1999 when Japan and the world were faced to the problem of the new millennium (Y2K). We are inspired by the culture and trends of the moment in which each season is created.

What's your composing process?

There's different ways. It's common that the producers don't have a clear picture of what they want, for example the style (rock, pop, etc), or if the song will be sung by a man or by a woman. In those cases, I have to go by my instincts. In other cases, when the series is based on already existing material (manga, etc), I read the complete work and I immerse myself into that world and I wait for the inspiration come down to me. When I had to compose "Rose" for Nana, the only detail I knew was that it would be sung by Anna Tsuchiya. I was asked a rock-style and aggressive song, so I took my guitar and I played it for a good while until I was falling asleep and suddenly the inspiration struck me down.

What's your favorite digimon?

Tailmon. This is known amongst japanese fans, so they always bring me Tailmon themed presents during my concerts and other events. They call me "uncle Tailmon".