INDEX
The Creative Energy of ‘Dragon Quest V: Bianca as the Sole Choice’
Given that background, ‘LV99 勇者’ was inspired by Dragon Quest, right?
Shiny: I just remembered, but the day before our recording in Japan, when we had dinner with everyone from the telephones, someone casually asked, ‘If you had to choose a bride from Dragon Quest V, who would it be?’ It’s a topic that anyone who’s played the game has discussed at least once. Since I’m all about Bianca, I said “Bianca,” and everyone shouted “Bianca!” in unison [laughs]. In Taiwan, I’ve never had a moment like that where we all cheered “Bianca!” like that, so it was really moving, and I still remember that night. It was such a rare experience to be able to shout “Bianca!” together with people who share the same musical spirit.”
Choosing between Bianca and Flora in Dragon Quest V is always a hot topic among game lovers, but it’s amazing to see it become a theme that crosses countries [laughs]. What impression did you get from the initial demo, and what elements did you think would be interesting to add?
Ishige: It was very much a PAPUN BAND-style song, but I wanted to bring out more of their unique vibe. I added pop-punk elements and tried creating a sound with synths sound, like stepping down stairs in Dragon Quest. I imagined what Shiny might be thinking and made adjustments based on what I thought would make him happy.”
Shiny: Akira’s arrangement was truly amazing. He really understood everything I wanted to do with this song. I was surprised by how much he knew me. For example, when I created the intro, I couldn’t quite express the game-music vibe I wanted, but when Akira sent back his revisions, it sounded exactly like what I had in mind. Even though we were communicating in broken English, every time a demo was sent, I was like, “This is incredible!” And whenever I sent him an idea, he would always compliment me. Despite the language barrier, the whole process went so smoothly, and it felt like a miracle. Akira is like a god!
The lyrics of “LV99 勇者” are a unique blend of Japanese, Chinese, and English. How did you come up with this approach?
Shiny: When we decided to collaborate and I started writing the lyrics, the phrase “Moshi Moshi Dare?” (Hello, who is this?) suddenly popped into my head. The Japanese I know is very simple, just words like “Moshi Moshi” or “Sumimasen” that anyone from Taiwan would understand. Also, since I really love Attack on Titan, I absolutely had to include the word “Susume” (go ahead).
Ishige: So that was the starting point!
“Moshi Moshi” truly is a universal phrase.
Ishige: There’s a label in the UK called Moshi Moshi Records, too! [laughs]
Shiny: “Don’t wanna say goodbye” just came to me naturally. I was worried that having three languages in one song might make it too complicated, but I trusted my intuition and kept going with it.
What was the idea behind creating Zan“讚”?
Ishige: “讚” (Zan) is one of the words we picked up during a tour and festival in Taiwan about 10 years ago. It means “good,” “great,” or “wonderful.” At the time, Nobu kept saying “讚! 讚! 讚!” every chance he got [laughs]. When we were thinking about the title for our song, I immediately thought it had to be “讚,” so I started by working on the sing-along part of the chorus.
The song Zan“讚” is inspired by TwinBee, right?
Ishige: Yes, that’s right. First, I created the main structure of the song, then I looked for a game that would match the melody. Since the track has a very ’80s, retro vibe, I thought a Famicom game would be a good fit. When I tried arranging the theme from TwinBee, it just clicked perfectly. I also had fun creating the sound of the bell changing colors with the synth.
What was your impression when you first heard Zan“讚”?
Shiny: I really, really, really, really love it! Especially the guitar in the chorus—it felt like love at first sight or maybe “love at first listen.” The song gives me the same feeling as Back to the Future. At first, I didn’t know what Akira was singing, but since I was asked to add lyrics, I added the phrase “Back to the future / Everybody coming.”
Ishige: I was thinking of making something along the lines of synthwave or retrowave, something influenced by The Weeknd and the like, so I was really happy when Shiny made that connection with Back to the Future. Of course, the lyrics were great, but Shiny also created the melody, and I thought it was really great.
Shiny: The production process for Zan“讚” left a strong impression on me. When we were mixing in Taiwan, Akira gave me some corrections, but the terms were so technical that it was hard to translate. However, I didn’t want to take shortcuts, so I asked him to communicate in Japanese. When I faced Akira speaking seriously in Japanese, even though I didn’t fully understand the language, I could still feel what he wanted to convey. After passing it on to the engineer and making the changes, he gave a big nod of approval. It was really amazing and moving to be able to communicate beyond language. It felt like we became soulmates, connected not through words, but through our senses and emotions.
The saxophone by Shoki Morohoshi from 7ORDER in Zan“讚” was also very impressive.
Ishige: Until now, whenever I made a song like this, I didn’t know any saxophonists, so I had to play it on guitar. But after meeting him, I have a friend who could play sax.
You performed together in 2022 and deepened your friendship from there, right?
Ishige: Yes, exactly. I thought I’d be able to ask him for something in the future, and Zan“讚” turned out to be the perfect opportunity. When PAPUN BAND first visited Japan, I invited him to our after-party, and he got along with everyone. When I asked him, he knew the vibe of the group and played an amazing sax solo—better than I imagined. It was awesome.
Shiny: I’m really grateful to him, too. When I first heard him play, I was moved and almost teared up. I was also really happy that Akira introduced him properly. I think the reason I connected the song to ‘Back to the Future‘ was because his saxophone has a power that evokes “memories” and “recollections.”
