On March 27-28, hololive VTubers Takanashi Kiara and Ninomae Ina’nis teamed-up to take over The Wiltern Theater in Los Angeles for their concert “Drawn to Dawn.” Fresh off “hololive 7th fes.” at Makuhari Messe, Kiara and Ina performed to a full-house for their self-described duo-live.
Anime Trending had the exclusive opportunity to interview Ninomae Ina’nis about the concert and her time as a performer.
The collection of songs in your first EP “re:VISION” completes the storyline started in “VIOLET.” Without spoiling what remains to be revealed in the upcoming MV for “Abyssal Hymn,” how has the storyline evolved since “VIOLET?” Did you always have an ending in mind, or have things taken unexpected turns along the way?
Ina: I think when VIOLET released I still didn’t have a solid idea of where I wanted to take the story! It was around when I was finalizing the ideas for TEMARI where I had a very solid direction on where I wanted my story to go, which really helped in coming up with the rest of the songs that were created from then on.
In a past interview, we asked about how music can act as a tool for storytelling. Performance adds yet another layer. What is unique to performance when it comes to storytelling? What have you been able to add to your music with it?
Ina: I believe the storytelling that my fans also get to experience during the performances is not just the story I want to tell with my songs, but the story of “Ninomae Ina’nis” and my growth as a performer as well!
I think different stories will appeal to different people, so whereas some people will be more drawn to the story that I have crafted using the narratives in my original songs, some will be more drawn to the history and growth of me as a performer, so I think live performances really add a different way of enjoying something in many different ways!
There are times when the audience also plays a part, particularly with chanting and penlight routines. “TAKO∞TAKOVER” comes to mind. How does audience participation shape the performance?
Ina: I think TAKO∞TAKOVER became a really good example of how the audience participating in the chants also helped strengthen the narrative of the song.
It’s a song about a totally normal girl taking over the world and everyone going through the “takofication”, ending up with everyone chanting the same phrases as if they are part of a hivemind…or something like that! The audience is able to participate in the story by joining in on the chanting!
What was it like to perform your whole discography at one event?
Ina: I was really happy to finally be able to perform all the songs on stage for everyone! I worked hard to make sure I improved from the previous times I performed some of the songs, and I was also really looking forward to what my fans thought of the performances of the new songs!
You sang a number of covers, some by your Senpais, and others that long-time listeners of your streams would recognise. How did you go about crafting the setlist? What did you want to impart on the audience?
Ina: I wanted this live to be an opportunity to showcase the result of my journey so far, and it was aimed to be a thank you letter to all my fans who have supported me until now!
I included songs that meant a lot to me personally or songs that I have always wanted to perform on stage, or songs which both my fans and I share a special memory with! I wanted to show them that their support has allowed me to grow this far, and there is so much more I want to do and so many more stages I want to perform for everyone!
You took to the stage in both Yuusha Ina and the newly debuted “Abyss” Ina attire. As these are both exclusively 3D outfits, were they designed with performance in mind? What influenced your outfit choices through the concert?
Ina: We had a limited number of choices for outfits, so I think it made sense for me to choose the Yuusha outfit as it has a variety of accessories to choose from. However, narratively on why I chose it…I think it will make more sense when a certain MV is released down the line!
“Drawn to Dawn” may have been your most extensive performance in terms of choreography. Were there any distinct challenges you faced this time around? What was it like to learn multiple choregraphies alongside Takanashi Kiara?
Ina: There were a few songs where the choreo was more challenging than usual, but I wanted to add on that challenge since this was a stage where I wanted to showcase my growth over the years!
For example, for “Tsuki no Waltz”, I specifically asked Miyuki-sensei (who created the choreography for all the songs!!) to create the choreo referencing a lot of ballet and waltz moves to fit the atmosphere of the song. It was challenging since it’s not something I have experience with, but it was fun!
I have performed with Kiara a lot of times over the years, so it’s always amazing seeing how fast she picks up learning new choreo! I always learn a lot by dancing with her and I think she also motivates me to challenge myself every performance!
How long did it take you to prepare for “Drawn to Dawn?”
Ina: Five and a half years!!
Jokes aside, I think the preparations for Drawn to Dawn was around a year (give or take a bit of time). It felt like the concert was so far away when we started planning, so I can’t believe it’s been over a month already since the concert ended!!
Overseas concerts, such as the ones that take place in the US, have become a backbone for the EN community. “Drawn to Dawn” brought KFP and Takodachis together like never before. How does it feel to bring the community together?
Ina: I am always so amazed by the amount of love and support our fans show us during overseas events…! Seeing everyone being excited, meeting new friends, and enjoying the concert always motivates me to keep going and to create more fun things for us to enjoy together! I’m really thankful that we get so much love from everyone!!!
There has been more than three years between your first 3D live and “Drawn to Dawn,” what have you learned along the way?
Ina: I think I definitely have gotten better with my performances! Singing and dancing was not something I was used to doing so it took a lot of time to really find what type of performances I want to strive towards! I think I also learned how to adjust to different situations and how to troubleshoot tech difficulties on the fly haha
With so many Takodachis around the world gathering in one place, how can we be sure it’s not a cult?
Ina: I’m just a normal girl! Normal girls don’t lead a cult…..right?
Ninomae Ina’nis can be found on YouTube and X (formerly Twitter).
