Japanese pop rock sensation SEKAI NO OWARI will be visiting Los Angeles and New York City this summer to perform at The Roxy on August 17 and The Bowery Ballroom on August 23, which marks the band’s first ever performances in the United States. Kawaii Kakkoii Sugoi got an opportunity to ask the band a few questions before they embark on the trip to USA. The band talked about their tie-up works with ATTACK ON TITAN live-adaptation films, their hobbies and childhood dreams. Check out their cute answers below and tell us your thoughts in the comments!!
Just a reminder that tickets to both US shows of SEKAI NO OWARI are now available for general public purchase: you can get tickets to the LA date here, and New York tickets here. Make sure to secure your seats now to experience this band’s energetic live performance!
── You always have very cool and distinct fashion styles that match your songs. Do you come up with the designs? Which recent design is your favorite?
Fukase I’m often inspired by Manga. Lately, I’m really into basic suits style.
── Which Japanese artists have influenced you the most, or did you listen to the most when you were young?
Nakajin Southern All Stars is the one that influenced me. Japanese pop music pulls inspirations from different genres of music from around the world. This helped me learn so much about music without even realizing it. I also like video game music so I did listen to a lot of songs from Final Fantasy series and the Mana series. I still do today.
── You provided theme songs to ATTACK ON TITAN live-adaptation films. Can you share with us how this collaboration came about? How did you feel about this collaboration?
Saori The film’s production team approached us with the opportunity to make soundtrack music for Attack On Titan the movie. They allowed us to be as creative as we wanted for this project. We are happy about how the collaboration turned out so wonderfully.
── ATTACK ON TITAN is a huge success in the manga/anime industry; it is also extremely popular in the United States. What is your personal favorite anime, manga or game that you would recommend to overseas fans?
DJ LOVE Personally I’m really into a trading card game called Cardfight!! Vanguard. As for manga, not sure if they’re released internationally, but I like Karakuri Circus.
── What do you do on your days off? Are you more of an indoor type or an outdoor type?
Nakajin My hobby is bouldering. I go to the bouldering gym on my days off. Exercising is a way for me to keep myself healthy mentally.
── Did you ever dream of becoming musicians when you were very young? In which ways did your life change after you debuted as members of SEKAI NO OWARI? If not musicians, what did you dream of becoming when you were young?
Saori I started playing piano at 5. My dream was to become a pianist. Now I’m in this band, and it’s a totally different world from classical music. Even now I’m constantly amazed. Each day is a surprise and it’s really fun.
── If you happen to become someone else in your group, who do you want to be and what do you want to do with his body?
DJ LOVE It would be nice to be Nakajin and go bouldering.
── Next month will be the first time ever for you guys to perform headline shows in the United States. How are you feeling now? What should your American audience expect at your performances?
Saori I can’t wait to see our fans but still can’t really imagine if there’s even going to be people coming to see us. This will be one unforgettable day for us just like our very first show in Japan. It will mean a lot to spend our unforgettable day with everyone.
── At Kawaii Kakkoii Sugoi, we aim to spread the cutest, coolest, and most amazing aspects of Japanese culture. What do you think fits this criteria “Kawaii, Kakkoii and Sugoi”?
Fukase It wouldn’t be me to call ourselves the coolest or the cutest, so I guess ‘most amazing’? haha!
── Lastly, may we ask for a message to overseas fans and our viewers please?
DJ LOVE Come give us a shot and check out our music! And hey kids, don’t pick your scabs or they’ll never go away! Just kidding.
SEKAI NO OWARI’s long road to global superstardom started last summer, with the four members being selected to create the theme song for the highly anticipated ATTACK ON TITAN film, a live-action adaptation of the immensely popular Japanese manga and anime series. While this opportunity should help Sekai No Owari expand their fan-base overseas, they still face a variety of challenges, especially in the United States, where music consumers have notoriously fleeting tastes. However, Fukase, Nakajin, Saori, and DJ Love are confident that if they remain true to their sound, while also being open to experimenting in their songwriting, they’ll achieve the same success around the world that they’ve enjoyed at home.
We put everything we have into our music. Up until now, we’ve only been able to share it with the people of Japan, but we ultimately want to share it with the world. We express our original not only through our music, but also our live show, as it’s an important counterpart. We will continue to create an unparalleled live experience, and we hope that by performing internationally, people from across the globe will be welcomed into our world. – SEKAI NO OWARI
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