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J-pop group SG5 on collaborating with 'Sailor Moon', debuting in the US, and taking down the forces of darkness

ESTIMATED 
J-pop group SG5 on collaborating with 'Sailor Moon', debuting in the US, and taking down the forces of darkness

Evil queens, jewel thieves, and adorable stuffed toy cats, the story of Sailor Moon is one loved by generations. Transcending time and trends, the Sailor Guardians are an icon to many and their impact, both in and outside of the magical world of the Dark Kingdom, continues to live on.

Originally released as a manga in the early 90s, Sailor Moon—which was written and illustrated by Naoko Takeuchi—has been adapted several times, from anime series to live-action films. But today, they're taking on a new form with SG5. 

Comprising SAYAKA, RURI, RUI, MIYUU, and KAEDE, SG5 are a J-pop girl group that was formed in collaboration with Sailor Moon. Described to be "an intergalactic pop supergroup", the group is on a mission to protect the universe from evil and destroy the forces of darkness with the power of music. 

BANDWAGON TV

SG5 debuted at Los Angeles' Anime Expo last July and are getting ready to formally introduce themselves to the universe with their music soon. In the meantime, Bandwagon caught up with SG5 to talk about how the group came together and how it feels collaborating with one of Japan's most well-known titles.

Hi SG5, congratulations on your debut performance at the Anime Expo last July! What was it like performing for the first time as SG5? 

SAYAKA: Performing at Anime Expo for the first time was very nerve-wracking; we had to perform in front of people who didn't know us at all, and we all tried our best to speak in English during the MC. To be honest, I was so nervous I don’t remember much. But, when we said, “Put your hands up” so many people raised their hands and danced along to the songs, and being able to become one with the audience was an amazing experience. 

KAEDE: We had never performed overseas before, so we were worried about how the audience would react to our performance and whether they would be excited. But I was able to enjoy the show because of the warm support I received from the audience, who shouted and danced along with us! I was also nervous about whether I would be able to communicate with the audience since all the MCs were in English, so we were practising until the last minute, but I was so happy to hear everyone laughing and reacting!

MIYUU: We had the opportunity to perform at two events before Anime Expo, but I remember feeling a different kind of nervousness because it was our first performance since the announcement of the SG5! I think this was the moment that the joy and realization that things were finally moving forward. 

RURI: This was by far the most nerve-wracking stage I have ever been on but I think it was a great start for us! It was very encouraging to see so many people at our debut performance, and the audience was so kind and responsive to everything that we said and did! It was truly an unforgettable day!

RUI: As we are still unknown in the U.S., we were a bit nervous and anxious to suddenly get on stage and perform our songs, wondering if we would be okay and if everyone would accept us, but the audience reacted to our performance with cheers and applause even more than we had imagined, and it was a lot of fun!

Do you guys have any pre-show rituals? What do you do to calm any nerves before a performance?

RURI: We prepare by getting into the spirit of the show together. After that, we each go over our MCs, check our choreography, and do vocal exercises to prepare for the show. I also think making eye contact and holding hands with the members backstage helps with easing the nerves!

For everyone who has yet to hear about you, could you tell us more about SG5 and what we can expect from the group?

RUI: SG5 is a 5-member girls project and group that is an official collaboration with the world-renowned Japanese series, Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. We as SG5, want to bring our music and performances to the world, and just like the Japanese manga and anime, our goal is to be loved by people from all over the world. We're planning on releasing music and more in the future!

SG5 has been a project that has been in the works for over two years, what was it like preparing for your debut? What were some highlights and challenges you faced in the past two years?

SAYAKA: In addition to honing our skills and taking dance lessons, KAEDE, MIYUU and I went through serious vocal training since this project was our first time performing with a microphone. We also took English lessons. Through this project and creating music, I realized the difficulties and hardships of learning English, and am now concentrating even more on my studies. I think it would be even more enjoyable if I could properly and directly convey my thoughts to those who come to support us, so I would like to work harder on my language skills, even if it takes time.

What has it been like to collaborate with Sailor Moon?

KAEDE: It has been an honour. We are very happy to collaborate with Sailor Moon, which is a work that is loved all over the world and is also one of our favourite works. And we are so honoured that SG5 is the first ever group and project to have an official collaboration with them. But we don't want to express Sailor Moon as it is or in cosplay, we want to be able to express our own take on it as SG5 by taking inspiration from it.

We heard you were working on your debut album, how would you describe the music that we can expect from SG5?

KAEDE: I think that SG5’s music is a mix of J-Pop and Western music, and we are creating music that is unique and outside of the box. I don't know if they will all be on the album or not, but the songs and demos we have recorded so far are all different, yet addictive in their own way!

When we are in the studio with BloodPop, who is our producer, we come up with all kinds of genius ideas that we never thought of before! I'm really happy and excited to be working with him on this project. In addition to BloodPop, the music team involved is amazing as well, so we're going to work together as a team to make the best debut album ever! So please stay tuned.

What are some of your goals for the group?

MIYUU: Our goal is to have people all over the world remember the name SG5, and to someday hold a SG5 World Tour.

What message do you have for your fans all across the world? 

SAYAKA: Hello and nice to meet you, we are SG5. After getting the opportunity to perform at an anime event for the first time, I was surprised to see just how many people love Japanese culture. I’m so happy to be able to make our debut in such a wonderful environment and place. I am enjoying all of the new discoveries, surprises, and realizations that I have made overseas, since our debut. I will do my best to become better known and bring you even more entertainment that you will enjoy! So, we would appreciate your support! 

KAEDE: Hello and nice to meet you, my name is KAEDE! Since we just made our debut, we would like to start by giving you a chance to see us perform in person. So, if SG5 comes to your neighbourhood, I would be very happy if you could come see us perform!

And to our fans who already support us, thank you all so much! We are thrilled that so many of you are already following us on social media and creating fan accounts, even though we don’t have much information out yet. Moving forward, we will do our best to make you proud to be an SG5 fan, so please give us your warm support! I am also studying English right now, so I will do my best so I can better communicate with everyone. I hope you will give SG5 much love and attention! 

MIYUU: We are very much looking forward to gaining even more opportunities to meet everyone, and hope that you will enjoy our music and performances. So, we would appreciate your love and support!

RURI: I still can't believe that something I've always dreamed of, like making our debut in the US, has become a reality, and that we are working with such amazing people. Every day I feel more and more honoured! We hope that many people will get to know SG5, and we will do our best to make this dream come true! We are looking forward to meeting many more people from all around the world!

RUI: Firstly, we will do our best to make SG5 known around the world! Then, we would like to deliver songs and performances that will surprise our fans, so please continue to give SG5 lots of love!

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