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- Ichiho Shirahata -
Hello there! My name is Ishiho Shirahara and I am the manager-cum-leader for the self-produced idol unit, Gekijoban Gokigen Teikoku.

My favorite song is Ayaka’s “Why.” The way she carries her voice and her powerful lyrics create this really alluring grandeur of a ballad. It’s also the theme song for the game, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. I love playing games and having time to myself is important to me, so even now in my adulthood, no matter how busy I get, an hour a day of game-time is a must!


My love of the Final Fantasy series is also what brought me to this song. I’ll listen to it whenever I’m worrying about something and I’ll find encouragement in the lyrics, which are strong without being overly positive, and as I listen to this phrase “why” that’s repeated throughout the song, I’m able to work through whatever it is that’s bothering me.

When I was in high school I thought, “I want to sing a wonderful song like this one day, too.” So I put it to my voice trainer at the time and had it made into my set piece. I was only doing it as a hobby back then, but when I asked myself why I wanted a profession that puts me in the spotlight, the answer I arrived at was song, and so singing is now my profession. All of our group’s original songs are all kooky though, like “Hito no kane de yakiniku tabetai” (I want to eat barbecued beef on someone else’s money). LOL

The song that I wanted to introduce here though was Ayaka’s “Why.” Have a listen if you’re ever feeling down.
Thanks for reading!

- Hibiki Kunogi -

My favorite song is “teenAge dream” by SuG. The song speaks a lot about struggling through adversities and taking hold of your dreams, which really strikes a chord with me, and the lyrics are just overflowing with emotion. “Demo nande? Kore janakya dame nanda” (But why? Because this is the only way) – I was getting used to the business of everyday life and then I heard this song and it took me back to the day I decided to join Gekijoban Gokigen Teikoku.

I got into this industry because I wanted to be on stage or become a voice-over actor, but when it didn’t work out as I hoped it got me down and I was left with a whole plethora of negative emotions. I couldn’t see a way out so I decided to discard everything I had done up until that point and start over. I decided to do whatever I could outside of the entertainment industry. And it was during that time in my life that I was asked to join this group.
Now I’m a member of Gekijoban Gokigen Teikoku. But as I’m remembering the lyrics I just mentioned earlier, I’m surprised at myself and my decision to be a performer again. I decided to put all that behind me, so then why is this the only way? I can also relate to the line in the song that goes, “Ikiteku imi wo ushinatta toki, kotoba to oto ga sukutte kureta” (When I lost my reason to live, words and music saved me). Because what saved me was turning the words that I had longed to perform to people on stage into music.


I’ve been listening to SuG since I was in middle school and I find that any of their songs, really, give me the strength I need to push on whenever I feel like I’m about to crumble. They made me think how great it would be if I, through the work that I do, could give others the courage to fight the troubles in their own lives, too. From here and into the future, if there’s a time when I’m feeling troubled, I’ll think of this song and remind myself why I chose the path that I’m on.