SEKAI NO OWARI × Momoko Okura: Part 1 "How SEKAI NO OWARI Was Made: Forge a New Path with the 101st 'NO!'"

 

This time, Wakamon member Momoko Okura interviewed the four members of the band "SEKAI NO OWARI," who enjoy immense popularity across a wide range of ages from children to adults.
We asked them what they have been fighting against as they continue their activities with a unique style: living in a share house while running a live house and self-producing their own live shows and festivals.

Envisioning a Revenge Success Story

Ōkura: First, do you have any thoughts about what kind of presence you want SEKAI NO OWARI to be for young people?

Fukase: If we were still in school, maybe we'd understand how well-known we are, but our lifestyle has completely changed... Honestly, I don't know.

Saori: But the music you listen to in middle or high school stays with you for life, right? For me, the music I heard back then feels etched into my life. So the hope is that we could become that kind of music for others.

Fukase: People call out to us when we're walking around, so I guess our name recognition has definitely grown. But I don't really feel like we're standing in the same place as those stars who seemed so dazzling when we were in middle and high school.

DJ LOVE: I probably feel it the least. Usually, anyway (laughs).

Fukase: That's why I feel like the music show we're on now is different from the ones I used to watch back then.

Saori: I totally get that.

Fukase: It's just a vague feeling, like it doesn't quite match up. So what kind of existence we've become is only in our imagination, but what we want to convey is definitely something about how we live our lives.

Nakajin: I think it's true for anyone in any job, but especially for us, since so many people see us and it gets conveyed to a lot of people. So, there's definitely this feeling of wanting to live our lives in a solid way.

Fukase: I want people to see our way of living, no matter what. People often misunderstand us—like we only do TV reluctantly to make good music. That's not it at all. We believe success is just. Personally, back in my student days, I really had no redeeming qualities. I couldn't sing well at all, but I started working hard at 20. People who haven't shown talent by 20 have a pretty tough time, you know? I was miserable because there was no one around me aiming for anything. That's why I started practicing guitar at 20. I do this thinking maybe my becoming famous could turn into hope for everyone.

Nakajin: We'd have these "We wanna get out there more" talks, inviting the staff over for hotpot parties (laughs).

Fukase: I was just obsessed with becoming famous. Maybe it's about justifying that version of myself back then who had no redeeming qualities, or maybe I'm envisioning some kind of "revenge success story" for the self that was nothing but inferiority complexes.

How did you fight against the adults' "shoulds"?

Okura: I think during the process of going major, we faced all kinds of "shoulds" – like "this is how a band should be." Is there a way to fight against that kind of conventional wisdom and "shoulds"?

DJ LOVE: It started with the whole "Well, live houses usually have drums and bass!" thing, right?

Fukase: That's where it starts – turning that into groove. Then we'd go back to "What even is rock?" (laughs). We started the band wanting freedom from something, but in the end, there are rigid rules. What we did to escape that "rock village" was to speak up loudly in places like this. We kept telling the staff around us, "We won't be like that," "We don't want to uphold that."

Saori: So whenever someone said, "You should do this," we'd ask, "Why should we do that?" We'd question the reason or meaning behind it. We've rethought and challenged everything that felt like a vague "no-go." Like when we allowed photography during our live shows.

Fukase: Also, not blaming others. What we always think is that while the agency and label aren't exactly enemies, the best stance is to not depend on them and be prepared to handle things ourselves if it comes down to it. For example, even among new employees at a company, there are those who just complain about how old-fashioned the old ways are, right? If you're going to complain, you have to figure out how to fix it yourself. And if you're going to do something, you should properly think about "how to do it right." It's a simple logic.

Saori: Our team tends to appoint a lead person. At first, I suddenly became in charge of live shows, but it was my first time directing a live performance—I was basically a new employee myself. What really struck me then was that if you just vaguely ask everyone, "How should we do this?" feeling a bit anxious, they'll often give you really vague answers. Then it ends up feeling like a project without a leader. You have to decide on the goal yourself first, and only then should you consult everyone about the means to achieve it.

Fukase: That's responsibility, right? For that first live show you directed, you even gave line coaching to the veteran voice actor who provided dialogue for the robots, didn't you?

Saori: The staff seemed kind of nervous too, like it was just "Okay, that's a wrap!" But since I was the one creating it, I realized there are moments when you have to say NO, even to a veteran. When you're directing, you feel that one NO from the person in charge carries far more weight than a hundred YESes.

Fukase: When you're creating something new, forging a path from zero, I think you have to be that 101st person to say NO. But that doesn't mean you can do whatever you want. I always keep telling them: deliver results, no matter what. Otherwise, that one NO could just come across as selfishness. If it doesn't deliver results, you should be the 101st YES. It's crucial to produce tangible outcomes yourself. When that sense of responsibility kicks in, work becomes incredibly enjoyable. (Continued)

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【Wakamon Profile】
Dentsu Inc. Youth Research Department (nicknamed Wakamon) is a planning team that engages with the real lives and mindsets of young people, primarily high school and university students. We explore hints to brighten and invigorate the near future, starting from their "now." By anticipating the future through their insights, we realize new businesses that foster better relationships between young people and society. Currently, 14 project members are based across our Tokyo headquarters, Kansai branch, and Chubu branch. We also share updates on the Wakamon Facebook page ( https://www.facebook.com/wakamon.dentsu ).