An interview with Lezel from the anime "Mahoaku" - the behind-the-scenes story of the opening theme "Mikansei Rendezvous" - with the thought of "END LESS"

The TV anime "Mahoaku" is based on the "romantic love comedy" manga by the late Fujiwara Cocoa, who is known for the TV anime "Inu x Boku SS (Inu Boku Secret Service)". The original work is an "unfinished masterpiece" that Fujiwara wrote after his sudden death in 2015. The TV anime aired from July to September, and not only was the love for the original work felt throughout the video, but the opening theme "Mikansei Rendezvous" sung by artist Lezel also became a hot topic, and it has continued to gain popularity even after the final episode aired. Lezel, who has been a big fan of "Mahoaku" since the original serialization, told us the behind-the-scenes story of the production of "Mikansei Rendezvous" and the thoughts he put into the song. ◇Otaku talk behind the song production "Mahoaku" was serialized in the monthly manga magazine "Gangan Joker" (Square Enix) from 2013 to 2015. Mira, an evil strategist who tries to destroy the world, falls in love at first sight with Mikumori Byakuya, a magical girl who fights to protect the world. The two people who are supposed to be enemies, but who "kill and love each other," are depicted in a comical way. The first three volumes of the manga have been released. Lezel is a fan of Fujiwara's "Inu x Boku SS" and "Mahoaku," and when the two works were serialized simultaneously, he said, "I enjoyed the gap between the world of 'Inu x Boku SS,' which gets serious as it gets to its climax, and the fluffy and cute world of 'Mahoaku.' I remember reading it as if I was eating something salty and something sweet repeatedly." When he found out that "Mahoaku" was being made into an anime, he was surprised and said, "I thought it was a dream." "The producer asked me if I knew the manga, 'Magical girls and evil were once enemies.' I answered that it was my favorite manga, and he asked me to write a letter to Bones and the director, who are producing the anime, with that feeling in mind. It was a letter proposing me as the theme song artist. When I found out that it was going to be made into an anime, I thought that manga that had already finished serialization would not be made into an anime, and I wondered, ``Are they going to make it into an anime when it's not finished and the author is not even there?'' When I wrote the letter, it finally became a reality." When it was decided that she would be in charge of the opening theme, she was relieved that ``it wasn't decided by someone other than me,'' as she had a strong love for the original work and wanted to ``participate in the work with a song.'' The opening theme, ``Incomplete Rendezvous,'' was written, composed, and arranged by Natsume Suzu, who has teamed up with Lezel many times before. In creating the song, Lezel revealed, ``First of all, I kept talking to him about otaku stuff.'' "Since he's a boy and not very familiar with shoujo manga, I started by talking to him about how to get into shoujo manga. Every time he turned a page of the Mahoaku volume, I insisted that 'this is what's good about it.' I also told him about the excitement he felt when he bought the volume, and the sense of loss and sadness he felt when the author passed away. When he's involved in a work that is originally based on an original work, he's the type of person who reads the book until it's completely worn out, but this time, Natsume was in charge of the lyrics and music, so I talked to him in a way that was almost like brainwashing, so that he could clearly understand the excitement of shoujo manga." ◇What is contained in "It's Okay to Be Unfinished" The lyrics of "Mikan Rendezvous" are sprinkled with elements of Mahoaku, such as "flower embroidery," which is reminiscent of the episode where Byakuya attaches appliques to Mira's uniform, and "we'll meet at the usual place," which is reminiscent of the two of them always meeting up in the park. The most memorable lyric is the opening line, "It's fine to stay unfinished, we don't need an end credit." "I think Natsume-san included the straightforward statement, 'It's fine to stay unfinished,' to the work itself, to the sensei, to the fans, and to various other parties. To me, Mahoaku is of course fluffy and cute, but I also think it's a bit ephemeral and inevitably burdened with sadness. There are many people who think, 'I wish I could see the rest,' and I'm one of them, so I think that transience and the sweetness within it are really expressed in the song. Natsume-san wanted to create something that combined the worldview of Mahoaku with Lezel, and he also reflected the worldview of Mahoaku that he himself read into the original work, so I think it started with 'It's fine to stay unfinished.'" There were also challenges during the recording. "I had an image of it being too pretty, but not too cute, so I sang with the image of walking a tightrope, walking in the middle of a narrow strike zone, not too thin, but not too thick, not too intimidating. I used expressions that I haven't used in the original songs I've sung so far. In other songs, I often sing powerfully or strongly, but this time I sang with a light and fluffy image. In it, I also added a crisp and light atmosphere with a small staccato, like the one I often sing. If I just sang it lightly or whisper-like, it would sound flat, and it didn't match my interpretation, so I tried and tested it to match my interpretation." ◇ Tears at the final episode "It continues in everyone's hearts" In the final episode of the anime, the ending theme and credits played at the end of the B part, and then the opening "Incomplete Rendezvous" played, while the daily lives of Mira, Byakuya, and others were depicted. The last scene, which ended with the message "END LESS", also became a hot topic. Lezel also recalled that she got goosebumps at the final episode. "I didn't know that the final episode would be directed like that. I thought it would be sad that the final episode wouldn't have 'Incomplete Rendezvous' as the opening. But the ending song by Milla and Byakuya was cute, so I thought that would be the end of it. Then, after the ending, 'Incomplete Rendezvous' started to play, and I was like, 'Wow!' I couldn't help but let out a gasp. As the song played, the characters were having a conversation, and this is how 'Incomplete Rendezvous' ends. The lyrics say, 'We don't need an end credits,' so I thought, 'I see, it's not an end credits,' and I was moved." She said that the message of "END LESS" brought tears to her eyes. "When I saw the message "END LESS" at the end, I got goosebumps. Tears were spilling, and I got goosebumps, and I couldn't move from in front of the TV for a while. There is no end to this, it continues in everyone's mind, they have been meeting in this park forever, it's definitely a "rendezvous" point. Combined with the fact that my song seems to be a foreshadowing, it gave me goosebumps again." In the final episode, "Mahoaku" and "Mikansei Rendezvous" were linked, which moved many people. Lezel finished by sending a message, "I would be happy if my fans, fans of "Mahoaku", fans of Kokoa-sensei, and everyone who listened to "Mikansei Rendezvous" would continue to connect from person to person and spread forever, endlessly. I hope that you will continue to love it a lot." The album "'Once Upon a Time, Magical Girls and Evil Were Enemies' Music Collection" is currently on sale, which includes "Incomplete Rendezvous" and the ending theme "It's Always Good to Be the Same" by Mira and Mimori Byakuya.