Since its formation in 2022, the collaborative ensemble otsumami has developed a reputation for consistently releasing high-quality pop tunes. Comprised of diverse creatives, the project’s music is produced by teamOUCA, led by Hiroki Aoba, the artist behind such tracks as AKB48’s “365 Nichi no Kamihikouki.” Nobumi Fukui, who garnered attention through her collaboration with J-Pop band Gesu no Kiwami Otome, designs the artwork. At the forefront, Yuka Togashi of Hokkaido-based idol group Title Mitei provides vocals under the alias Mikan (stylized as mikan). The collective is attracting attention from all corners of the industry.
On May 24, otsumami released “Otona wa Isogashii,” their second single of the year. Following that, on June 24, they debuted their first live-in-the-studio video, “mikansei,” along with a special package that includes both the live video and audio recordings. At a time when the band’s identity was becoming less shrouded, we spoke with the band leader, Aoba, and vocalist, mikan.
ーIt’s been just over two years since otsumami started. How do you both feel about the response so far?
Aoba:We took a laid-back approach from the start, enjoying ourselves. For me, it felt like getting back into music after a long break, so some people are happy about that. But because of my nature, and since my usual work involves writing songs for J-Pop, the more serious I get, the more I want the music to improve. That said, we've been having a lot of fun so far.
mikan:I usually perform as Yuka Togashi in an idol group called Title Mitei. I didn’t reveal that I’m mikan from otsumami until last summer. At first, I only saw reactions to otsumami on social media and other online platforms. Lately, some fans have been showing up at Title Mitei’s gigs since discovering otsumami. That’s when I finally felt that our music connected with people, and I’m really happy about it.
ーWhat kind of image did you have in mind while working on your latest single, “Otona wa Isogashii”?
Aoba:Previous otsumami songs were mostly serious. For instance, when we started our year of consecutive monthly releases, it felt like we were constantly putting out singles, which naturally led to thinking of them all as lead tracks. Continuing in that direction narrowed our range, and that was something I struggled with. So, I thought it would be nice to have songs that stray from that way of thinking. This time, I wanted to show a more playful, relaxed side of us.
ーI see.
Aoba:Usually, I write by starting with a melody and then adding arrangements. This time, we decided to create the track entirely from scratch, so we had someone on our team make a full chorus first. This approach allowed us to break free from our habits and imposed some new limitations, which made it enjoyable. The phrase "Otona wa Isogashii" fit perfectly into the chorus during that process. The main character of this song is at a delicate age, caught between childhood and the entrance to adulthood, so I thought it would be interesting to depict that, leading us to go with "Otona wa Isogashii."
