Amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, which has restricted the activities of many, a warmhearted song of support has come to life via social media. The ballad is called "Home -- Kitto Bokura wa Koko de Meguriau kara" (Home -- For we will surely happen across each other here) and was created at the suggestion of none other than famed anison (anime song) singer Ichiro Mizuki, who invited 12 other singers and musicians who are also members of Anison Tozanbu, the anison mountaineering club to which they belong.
Mizuki composed the first four bars of the song and wrote lyrics, which he sang while playing his own guitar in a video he streamed on May 1. In response, five singers -- Hironobu Kageyama, Hideaki Takatori, Takayoshi Tanimoto, NoB and Hideyuki Takahashi -- composed the continuation of the song, four bars each, to complete the ballad and each also unveiled their part on social media. The guitar solos for the instrumental section were composed and performed by IMAJO, the guitarist of anison duo PSYCHIC LOVER. The lyrics featured contributions from singers Mitsuko Horie, Yoko Ishida, Hitomi Yoshida, Tsuyoshi Matsubara as well as TAKERU and Chiaki Seshimo of anison duo voyager, who also all sang their parts. NoB and IMAJO played the piano and the guitar for the song's opening and ending, bringing it to completion on May 13.
Mizuki presumed that people all around the world, including himself, are unable to come "home," to a place that acts as a base of activity or a place where they can meet with their friends. He said he wanted to make a cheering song for them.
"We've been putting our thoughts and dreams, hopes and feelings of our unyielding spirit into singing anison, and we've been cheering for people with these songs. So that's why I thought there was something we could get across to people right now," he said emphatically.
With that in mind, he added, "It's like a miracle that the song was completed in such a short time. I have a feeling that we were able to accomplish this feat because we all have shared the sense of accomplishment of a climber who has stood atop a mountain together."
You can listen to the song for free on the YouTube channel of Anison Tozanbu (https://youtu.be/L6LlUdNtaeM).
Suzuki is a Yomiuri Shimbun senior specialist and an expert on tokusatsu superhero films and dramas.
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