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The Creators Behind ‘Mechanical Arms’ on Conveying the Essence of the Anime Series Through Its Songs: Interview

Billboard Japan spoke with Setsuko of Kuhaku Gokko, as well as Okamoto & Hiroyuki Sawano, about their impressions of "VORTEX" & "karma."

In the show, protagonist Hikaru Amatsuga meets Alma, a mechanical life-form shaped like an arm, and becomes embroiled in a series of incidents. I’ve listened to Hiroyuki’s music before, in my everyday life, but I’m embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know much about Setsuko’s Kuhaku Gokko project. But then Tsubasa Harihara, another member of Kuhaku Gokko who’s an ardent fan of Hiroyuki, said “Even if you go with a cold approach, give it the feel of wearing an oversized hoodie, with the hood pulled low so you can’t see your face, walking quickly with your eyes downturned.” That got me thinking that the song would work better if I approached it with more of a hip-hop mindset, which is why I ended up singing it with a rap battle feel.

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