Interviewer (I): Hello, Souma-san.
Nagaru (N): Hi.
I: I had a whole list of questions to ask, but your new image basically swept me off my feet!
N: Thank you. You're too kind (laughs).
I: Well, I think I remember at least a few of the questions... please tell me, what does it mean to be CriMsoN's vocalyst?
N: It's an experience that one finds hard to describe. At first I was very scared, what with Amano-kun staring at me like a hungry predator... but fortunately, there was always Nikki, who's been almost a brother for me for a long time. Now? CriMsoN is my life, the guys are like family, even though we don't get on well anymore with Amano-kun... he's very distanced now, but I guess he has the right to.
I: Yes, after that incident he has the right to be a bit different than he used to be. But, please tell me, Souma-san, what are your plans with CriMsoN?
N: We want to record a new album - Amano-kun's back with us and we have to celebrate it somehow. We also want to promote the latest single, "(Diving head-first into) Meaningless", with a clip. Then maybe a tour? Hinata-kun's already come up with a name for it, so that would be a nice idea.
I: What do you think about Amano-kun? Are the rumours true?
N: Which ones? That we're more than friends? Well, maybe in the past. Amano-kun needs not a lover; he needs all of us as his friends and supporters. I think he is aware that most of the people he deals with now are his followers, as if he was some kind of a guru for them. It isn't good for him, because he doesn't want people to repeat his mistakes - right now it's his little obsession.
I: That is important. Right, I understand. And what about Nikki-san? You said you were like brothers. Are you still so close?
N: Most of the time (laughter).
I: What do you mean?
N: My brother. He has an unhealthy obsession with pleasing Nikki no matter what. He always takes him on holiday somewhere exotic, like Paris (France), Moscow (Russia) or even Cracow (Poland). That's why sometimes Nikki and I aren't close - he's off somewhere on the other end of world with Hajime.
I: Sounds fun. How could you describe Yui-kun?
N: Oh. Grumpy. I really used to be afraid of him, even more so than with Amano-kun. Yui is impulsive like Amano-kun, but it's all in the family I guess (i.e. Ikemi-kun is Yui-kun's distant cousin, just like Nagaru-kun). But now that I got to know him much better... well, I still am afraid of him sometimes. But usually he's a very nice guy. Only when he's drunk, he's insufferable.
I: Does that happen often?
N: Only when he meets up with Karen.
I: Who's Karen?
N: That's a secret.
I: Okay. And we're left with one another member of CriMsoN that I'd happily hear from you about. What is Hinata-san like?
N: Cute. He doesn't like being called that, though. I don't know why. He's also a very talented person and I can't imagine anybody else on his place as a bassist for CriMsoN. Fortunately, he can't, either.
I: Let's change the subject a little. Christmas is coming, and the five of you have recorded a CD with the prettiest Christmas songs with some other well-known groups.
N: Yeah. We had great fun while recording this album... and the others were great. I got an autograph of Andrea from Brief XplanetioN! Amano-kun befriended some of the most famous people in whole Japan, and among them are even Niimura Kyo-sama and Takarai Hideto-sama!
I: Well, I'm guessing it will be a big commercial success?
N: In fact, we count on it. Everything we earn on that CD, we earn for some charities.
I: What Christmas song did you perform?
N: Two of them. "Silent Night" which is a Christmas carrol from Europe; it was once performed by Gackt-sama and Hamasaki Ayumi-sama, but I daresay, my accent is a tad bit... better? I don't say I don't like their version of the song, I adore it greatly. But we did it in a slightly other way. I hope people will like it.
I: And the second one?
N: You must remember ALTER*Na(t)ive's last album, "Mistaken, lost and last"? There was a hidden track called "Winged". That is our second song. It's a tribute to Kain-san and Ren-san... my voice tremebled all the time while recording it, and Amano-kun couldn't back me up, because he was trying not to cry. I think the song was his idea. Something like a last farewell with Kain and Ren. He understood them like nobody else...
I: "Winged" isn't an easy song.
N: That's truth. Kain-san used to say that he couldn't perform it on stage, because he was sure he'd mess up. And then... he never had a chance to perform it live. We would like to do it for him. I would like to do it for him.
I: Thank you, Nagaru-san, for the interview.
N: My pleasure. Merry Christmas!