Aina the End x Bando Yudai announce collaboration song for "KITTE Osaka"! MV and CM featuring Aina released

■In the commercial, pay attention to the spectacular dance scene featuring Aina the End and a total of 40 cast members!

Aina the End and Bando Yudai have completed a collaboration song called “Sozo” for “KITTE Osaka,” a commercial facility within “JP Tower Osaka.”

In addition, a commercial to celebrate the grand opening featuring Aina the End has been released on the official KITTE Osaka YouTube channel and special website. From now on, 15-second and 30-second versions of the commercial will be aired in the Kansai region starting from July 15th.

In addition, the music video for “Sozo” will be released on the special website at 8:00 p.m. on July 3rd.

A making-of video summarizing the production process of the collaboration song and the commercial’s filming was also released on the official KITTE Osaka YouTube channel and special website.

“KITTE Osaka” was born on the site of the original Osaka Station, which opened in 1874, and where the old Osaka Central Post Office building stood since 1939. In the 150 years since the opening of the original Osaka Station, this place has been a place where all kinds of people, things, events, and thoughts have gathered, including people who have embarked on railroad journeys and people who have come to deliver their thoughts to the post office, and has created various encounters. While inheriting this history, “KITTE Osaka” represents how it will continue into the future as a hub for creating new “connections.”

The commercial depicts the 150-year history and new “connections” from the original Osaka Station to the former Osaka Central Post Office and “KITTE Osaka” as one big story, and is performed like a musical. The various cast members that you meet in the video (people from 150 years ago, people going on a trip, flowers, food, lion dance, etc.) express that “KITTE Osaka” is a place where you can encounter various people, things, and events, and it depicts how it connects not only past memories and history, but also new encounters in the present and the future. In addition, a part of the former Osaka Central Post Office building, which has been loved by local people, has been preserved and relocated to the atrium of “KITTE Osaka”. By consistently depicting the commercial in this symbolic atrium, it impressively expresses how “KITTE Osaka” is connecting its legacy of the past to the future.

■Highlights of the commercial
In the musical-style commercial, which follows the lyrics of the “KITTE Osaka” collaboration song “Sozo,” Aina encounters “UNKNOWN,” which she has never seen before, and although she is confused at first, she is surprised, laughing, happy, and excited as she meets the various people, things, and events played by the cast. Keep an eye out for Aina’s detailed acting, which goes from a tense look of expectation and anxiety to one that expresses excitement and joy with her whole body in the second half. Aina and the cast of about 40 people in total will captivate you with their stunning performance.

■ Filming episodes
At the filming site, Aina carefully checked the monitor, and even while the director was giving advice to the other cast members, she practiced her dance moves by herself over and over again, showing her strong commitment as an artist. She also seemed to be very interested in the unique costumes of the cast members, and talked to each of them, communicating with them as she went about the filming.

During the break, Aina delivered sweets to the cast members who couldn’t move around easily because of their large costumes. We got a glimpse of Aina’s gentle and friendly side. After filming the dance scene, she looked relieved and shared her joy by high-fiving the staff and cast members.

■ Interview with Aina the End and Yudai Bando
Q. How did you feel when you received the offer to produce the song?
Aina: I’m originally from Osaka and lived there until I was 17, so I’m particularly familiar with the city. So I was very happy and moved to have the chance to be involved in a piece of music in a city that I’m particularly familiar with.
Bando: After I got the offer, I had a meeting with all the important people from various sections, but I felt a lot of pressure! I was really nervous about taking on such a big project, thinking, “Am I okay with this?” (laughs), but I’m glad it turned out well. I was honored to be able to work with Aina on this project.
Q. This was your first time working together. What were your impressions of each other? Also, did your impressions change from your first impression of each other during the production process?
Aina: I thought Bando-san was a pretty difficult person, but I just assumed that. But he’s the complete opposite of that image, he’s really kind. And that kindness wasn’t at all pushy, I felt that he’s a really kind person at heart. Bando-san has such a wealth of musical knowledge that I think he’s like a walking textbook. He would come up to me and teach me the pitch on the piano, and he would clap his hands to keep the rhythm until I understood the most difficult parts of the music. His kindness was a great help to me.
Bando: Thank you. Actually, I also thought Aina was a cooler person at first. But then she suddenly dropped by the recording session before we recorded the vocals. We had a long and in-depth chat and she’s a really fun person, so I was happy that we became good friends. Also, Aina is incredibly skillful. The musical notation for this song is really difficult. But she was able to get through it all, and I thought it was amazing how she was able to do everything so easily and smoothly, even though I had to try it out after a few trial and error attempts.
Q. What is your favorite phrase from the song “Sozo”?
Bando: I really like the line, “Put the magic of everything okay into the song.” Also, I really like Aina’s singing style.
Aina: I like the part in the chorus that goes, “Love spins, love wraps.” No matter how sad things are, or how there are nights when you feel like tomorrow will never come, or how you just want tomorrow to disappear, love is still spinning in the end, and it’s what makes the world go round. I’ve had the experience of thinking, “Maybe I’ll be able to breathe tomorrow,” and I’ve written the lyrics based on that experience, so I’m singing it with true feelings. I hope it reaches people like it.
■Aina the End CM filming interview
Q. What was the most difficult part of filming the commercial and what did you pay particular attention to?
Aina: There were about 30 dancers, and they rehearsed a lot for today. Today, we wore costumes that I’d never seen before, and it was our first time dancing, so we were all sweaty and it was really hard. The dance scene in particular was shot in one take, so there was a sense of tension that no mistakes were allowed. There was a scene at the beginning where we looked at a letter, and it made me realize that writing a letter takes longer than reading it, and that it’s heavier than looking at the words on a phone. After all, letters really have the feel of human skin and body heat. So I was filming with the hope that this could be conveyed through the video.
Q. The scenes expressing surprise, laughter, joy, and elation at various encounters were impressive. Please tell us about an episode recently that made you feel better (surprised, laughed, or happy).
Aina: I like the simple feeling that “summer is here” when I see the sunlight shining through the trees and leaves. I like film cameras, and the feeling of taking photos, sending them for development, and seeing them printed and returned is an experience I never get tired of. I enjoy taking photos of the four seasons, thinking, “Summer’s here, spring’s here.”
Q. “KITTE Osaka” is a commercial facility where you can encounter a variety of people, things, and experiences, but what item is it that you would like to see, Aina, right now?
Aina: I want a machine that can understand the feelings of dogs. I have a dog, but they’ve been fighting, and now they won’t come out of their house. I thought maybe they were lonely when I left them alone, so I took them to recording sessions, but they just sat still. Even when I gave them their favorite sweet potato, they just sat still, so I don’t know what they want, so I want an item that can tell me what they’re thinking.
Q. “KITTE Osaka” is scheduled to open on July 31st this summer. Is there any travel destination you would like to visit this summer?
Aina: I’m originally from Osaka, and I came back to Osaka for the first time in a while for this shoot. I was walking alone every night, and I thought it was a strangely calming place, hectic but with a sense of space in my heart. Maybe it’s because Osaka is my hometown, but I’m hoping to travel there again this summer.