Press Conference with Bandai Namco Music Live Festival at Anime Friends 2024

Kimiko and Jun Sasaki of rock duo nano.RIPE, singer-songwriter ZAQ and Thai songstress MindaRyn performed at the Bandai Namco Music Live Festival at Brazilian convention Anime Friends along with singers Shuhei Kita and Sayaka Sasaki. The following day, nano.RIPE, ZAQ and MindaRyn reconvened to meet the press, where they discussed their experiences in Brazil so far and their work in the field of anime theme songs.

Brazilian fans are passionate about the music you create. How has your experience in Brazil been so far?

Kimiko: We are very happy to be here because we heard that Brazil is a very warm country. But it’s much warmer than we imagined.

ZAQ: In February, I went to Chile with nano.RIPE, and I heard that Brazil was an even warmer country. When I got here, I realized that people love our music. So, I’m very happy.

MindaRyn: This is my first time in Brazil, and my first impression from the plane was that I liked the structure of the city; I saw many buildings. Then, when I saw the people here at the event, the first time I heard them singing along with me, it was so loud that I was very impressed.


nano.RIPE, your sound yesterday was incredible. Can you talk a bit about your equipment? What do you like to play?

Kimiko: We played yesterday with borrowed instruments, but they were very good. The kind of guitar that’s good to play is the kind that I can play as if I’m beating it up. (laughs)

MindaRyn, as you are an artist born in Thailand, how does it feel to achieve such success in Japan?

MindaRyn: I’ve never imagined that I would become this famous. (laughs) When I started on YouTube, I was very shy and did it just to show my love for anime music. I’m very happy that people supported me on this journey.

Can you talk a little about your musical influences?

Kimiko: Our biggest influence is a Japanese band called The Blue Hearts. When we started, this band had already disbanded, but watching their concert recordings and videos, I thought it would be so cool to have a band.

ZAQ: My biggest influence is Alicia Keys, who plays the piano while singing. So, I wanted to become someone like her, who writes, plays an instrument, and sings.

MindaRyn: I have two: YUI and Avril Lavigne.


What is the difference in your creative process when working with anime series of different genres?

Jun Sasaki: We compose without thinking too much about the genre of the anime, but when needed, we talk about how we can make the music lean more towards the genre of the specific series.

ZAQ: First, to compose a song, I become a chameleon. I draw from my experience drawer the best that I have there so that the music aligns with the genre. My biggest challenge is using words that connect my feelings at the time of composition with the people who will listen to it later. The hardest part is making them feel the same thing I felt when I wrote it.

MindaRyn: I still don’t write songs for anime series, but when I sing, I talk a lot with the composer, get to know the anime in question, and then try to sing by connecting my emotions with the music.

MindaRyn, how does it feel to know that fans of the anime series "Tensura", for which you recorded some songs, associate you with its image?

MindaRyn: Many people sing the songs from "Tensura", and sometimes I think I don’t deserve to be part of this family. However, since it’s a good opportunity, I’m going to embrace it and do my best.


At yesterday's concert, ZAQ said that she found it funny how her name is pronounced differently here, as in Japanese it’s "Zaku", but in Portuguese, people were shouting "Zaki". Can you tell us a bit about that moment?

ZAQ: I was very happy and impressed because in Japan my nickname is "Zaki", so I felt like everyone was connected.

JaME would like to thank nano.RIPE, ZAQ, MindaRyn, Maru Division, and the interpreter for making this article possible.