Thank you for the year 2021.  (English ver.)2021/12/31

 

 

What was the significance of the year 2021 for you?

For me, 2021 was the year that I started activities of O-VILS. in earnest. All the members of O-VILS. have their own studies or jobs as students or working adults. Of course, a director Yokoyama-sensei and I also have our own another jobs. In such an environment, I would like to thank management and operate team of KIOKJAPAN for their support in making it possible for a team of this size to work together.

 

It is still difficult for us to dream and live only for O-VILS. activities. That is the current situation. However, I recently received the following message on LINE, a type of social networking service that allows users to keep in touch with each other in groups. They said, “I won’t be able to attend the March performance because of my job hunting, but I want to attend the next one if there is one,” or “I’m going to find a job where I can do O-VILS. activities.”  When I read these messages, I cried in front of my smartphone.

 

After the performance in December, I was able to hear the members’ confident feelings and their hope that would like to continue the activities of O-VILS. in the future. And this made me feel much better, as it reduced the burden of unnecessary worries I had been carrying around. That is, the anxiety of sending instructions to all the members on LINE, the pressure of speaking in front of all the members, the anxiety of confirming the attendance of those who can participate in the next performance, or etc.

 

The fans have also been very supportive. The positive feedback after the performances and the warm comments on SNS have helped me a lot. I used to feel that I had to endure activities of O-VILS., that I had to protect the members from a lot of noise and pressure. And it was a time of trial for me. However, in the past month or two, I’ve started to feel “happy” and “like” the band. This is thanks to the members and the fans.

 

I can’t easily look back on the past year, because there were so many things that happened in 2021, more than any other year. Moreover, I easily forget what has passed. Therefore, I would like to record some of my memories of the past year here. 

 

A lot has happened in the past year. However, there is one thing that I would like to leave my memory behind. That is, the year 2021 was the last year that a bassist Tatsuya Aoki, who stood on the stage of Kyoto FanJ, a concert hall,  with me on April 3rd, was alive. 

 

I can’t thank all the members enough for standing on that stage with me from the very beginning, even before the name O-VILS. was decided, when I had only a vague idea of creating a stage like I had never seen before. Of course, the same goes for Yokoyama-sensei.

 

In the beginning, the parts of the band were more uneven than they are now. In such an environment, without a backing band to serve as the foundation of the sound, the music would not be possible, and there was no prospect of even creating a stage for a performance. At that time, the environment was more difficult than any other field I had ever known, and to be honest, it was a bad environment that I would never have taken on if I were him. That was the O-VILS. of that time. 

 

He was the best bass player who followed me even though he was forced to do many reckless things in the midst of so many troublesome situations that he could not even decide his own position. That was him. I wonder how much of a good view I was able to show him. No, I couldn’t give him a good view. I have been asking myself these thoughts for days and days. I know it’s pointless to be troubled by these thoughts, but I’m still troubled by them.

 

 There’s no end to what I’m going to say, so I’ll just leave you with this. Thanks to each and every one of the members at that time, and thanks to Tatsuya, the O-VILS. of today exists. Whenever I have a hard time, I always think back to the words that Tatsuya gave me, and I live on. I can’t say that I will live my life in place of Tatsuya, but I’m going to continue to cherish the memories he gave me. Thank you so much, Tatsuya. Thank you so much for being born and for meeting me. I hope you will continue to protect us from beyond the sky. 

 

2021/12/31 by YUNON JAPAN Co., Ltd. Director & O-VILS. General Director YUINA MITA