It has been announced that singer-songwriter Masami Okui will be appearing on BS11's anime song program "Anison Days." She will appear on the December 5th broadcast and talk about behind the scenes of "Animelo Summer Live (Anisama) 2025 'ThanXX!!'," which celebrated its 20th anniversary this year, untold stories from the early days of the event, stories from her time with Kiyoshi Takanori Nishikawa+ KIINA. and Takanori Nishikawa, and her relationship with Hiroko Moriguchi and Mikio Sakai, with whom she has worked for many years creating stage performances.
On the show, Okui will perform "Shuffle," the opening theme for the TV anime "Yu-Gi-Oh! Monsters," and Moriguchi will perform "RHYTHM EMOTION," the opening theme for the TV anime "Mobile Suit Gundam Wing." Okui and Moriguchi will also sing the Anisama 2025 theme song, "ONENESS - 20th Anniversary -."
Looking back on her 20th appearance at Anisama, Okui said, "When it was the first time, I never thought it would continue for this long. I was reminded once again that it was something that so many people, including the staff, performers, and of course Anisama fans, had woven together. This 20th time, although I was exhausted both physically and mentally, I was also all the more moved by how amazing it was, and I went home feeling full in a different sense, so it was really wonderful."
Regarding Okui who will be performing on the Anisama stage, Moriguchi commented, "Okui is an artist who has been involved with Anisama since its inception, and he continues to show us his powerful back. It's not something that comes along very often, and seeing him like that makes us younger members think from the bottom of our hearts, 'Okay, let's do our best!' He shows us such a beautiful and cool sight. We too are blessed to be able to be in the space that is Anisama, where we feel a sense of unity with the passionate fans, and we can only be grateful to Okui, the staff who started it, and everyone who has been involved in weaving it together."
Okui spoke about her thoughts on anime songs, saying, "I originally did backup vocals for Yumi Matsutoya and then made my debut, but at the time the term "anime song" didn't even exist, and if I said I was singing anime songs, my fellow musicians would make fun of me a little. But now I feel like we live in a really good time. I simply feel that I'm glad I've been able to sing for so long."
Moriguchi said, "When I was 17, I made my debut with "Ai wo Komete Mizu no Hoshi e," the theme song for Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. My fellow idols had their own racks when they went to CD stores. But I didn't, and I felt a lot of frustration at the time. But it has become a culture that we can be proud of around the world. Thanks to the support of our fans and staff, I believe that anime songs have now become a 'Japanese treasure' that the whole world can be proud of. I'm happy that we live in an age where anyone can say out loud that they love what they love."
Sakai says, "During the Showa era, they were called 'TV cartoon songs.' Speaking like a critic, there was a time when the lyrics included the names of heroes to match the content of the anime, and then from the late '80s through the '90s, tie-ups became more common. Looking at it from that perspective, Japanese anime evolved in its own unique way, like a Galapagos island, which was new to the world. When it was exported as content, the music followed suit, and I think the 'status' of anime songs rose sharply accordingly."
"Anison Days" airs every Friday at 8 p.m.
