On November 1st, 2021, LONDON BLUE revealed in a surprise announcement that the group would make a return to the stage after a year-long hiatus. What was more surprising was the member reveal, with current member AOBA – also known as Harumi Aoba – being the groups sole successor after the dissolution of her former group, Ever! BE Mayowanaide!! just a day before.

Now AOBA begins her journey with LONDON BLUE, and after holding her first mini one-man live at Ikebukuro MONO on November 13th, she is ready to take on the groups 8 year legacy with the support of her seniors and a never-ending smile.

It is time to celebrate LONDON BLUE’s return to the Idol world, so Beyond Senpai would like to welcome both AOBA and LONDON BLUE’s manager, Kiyoshi Hayashi, to talk about the groups revival, AOBA’s strengths and LONDON BLUE’s future goals.

Thank you very much for joining Beyond Senpai for this interview! Please introduce yourself so that the readers know a little more about you.

今回、BeyondSenpaiのインタビューにご協力いただき、ありがとうございます。まずは、読者の皆さんに知っていただくために、自己紹介をお願いします。

AOBA: We are LONDON BLUE!

My name is AOBA, otherwise known by Harumi Aoba! I love the TV show ‘Okaasan to Issho’. Thank you very much for having me!

AOBA：We are LONDON BLUE 💫

AOBAこと晴海あおばです！「おかあさんといっしょ」というテレビ番組が大好きです♡よろしくお願いします✨

Kiyoshi Hayashi: I am Kiyoshi Hayashi, a representative of the office which LONDON BLUE belongs to.

林清さん：LONDON BLUEが所属するオフィスの代表です

First of all, congratulations on the revival of LONDON BLUE! How does it feel to see the group’s history move forward with this anticipated revival?

まずは、LONDON BLUEの復活おめでとうございます。グループの歴史が生まれ変わって引き継がれていることをどう感じますか？

AOBA: I am very happy that I can become a part of a group with so much history!

AOBA：歴史のあるグループに加入させてもらうということでとっても嬉しいです！

Kiyoshi: More than anything, I am glad that these wonderful songs can be heard by so many people once again.

林清さん：素晴らしい楽曲が、また、いろいろな人たちに聴かれるのを嬉しく思います。

Were you excited to announce the revival of the group?

LONDON BLUEの復活を発表できてワクワクしましたか？

AOBA: I was thrilled!

Of course, I was incredibly happy that other people were happy about it.

AOBA：ワクワクしました！

喜んでくださる方もいてとても嬉しかったです✨

And the fans? Do you think that they were surprised by the announcement?

LONDON BLUEのファンはどうですか？ 彼らはその発表に驚いたと思いますか？

Kiyoshi: I think they were more surprised at the fact that there will only be one member working alone.

林清さん：メンバーが一人で活動することにびっくりしていると思います。

Recently, it was revealed in the revival announcement that AOBA-san had auditioned for LONDON BLUE in the past. Please tell us what originally drew AOBA-san to LONDON BLUE during the first audition, and the current image you have for the group today.

先日の復活発表で、AOBAさんが過去にLONDON BLUEのオーディションを受けていたことが明らかになりました。最初のオーディションでAOBAさんがLONDON BLUEに惹かれたポイントと、現在のイメージを教えてください。

AOBA: When I first applied to be a member, I thought that the energy and the way everyone cheerfully smiled as they performed was cool! Now I am more aware of the sad feelings in some of the songs, so I hope that I can express those feelings as well during my performances.

AOBA：最初応募した時はハツラツとしたとにかく元気で笑顔なパフォーマンスがかっこいいと思いました！今は歌の中に少し切ない気持ちもあると知りそういう感情も表現できるといいなと思っています✨

Are there any songs that you would like to perform, or perhaps a song that suits AOBA more than others?

AOBAさんが演奏してみたいLONDON BLUEの曲や、AOBAさんによく似合う曲はありますか？

Kiyoshi: ‘Special My Love’.

林清さん：‘Special My Love’。

AOBA: ‘Special My Love’!

I especially love the lyrics ‘Kibō no panorama ni aoi tori tobasou‘ thanks to how gentle they are, and they make me feel cheerful.

AOBA：‘Special My Love’ です！

「希望のパノラマに青い鳥飛ばそう」という歌詞が明るくて優しい気持ちになれて大好きだからです✨

With AOBA as its pillar, what do you think will become LONDON BLUE’s strength in its current form?

AOBAさんを柱に、LONDON BLUEの新たな強みとは？

AOBA: I hope that I can deliver a cheerful and friendly kind of performance. If that became my strength, I will be happy.

AOBA：明るくて優しいパフォーマンスが出来たらいいなと思っています。そこが強みになったら嬉しいです✨

Kiyoshi: It’s the knowledge that AOBA enjoys herself when she is doing a live performance.

林清さん：AOBA自身が、ライブを楽しむことを知っているところです。

What would you like fans to take from this current form of LONDON BLUE?

この現在の形のロンドンブルーからファンに何を取り入れてもらいたいですか？

AOBA: A smile! I want to see you smile!

AOBA：笑顔です！笑っていてほしい💫

Kiyoshi: It would be great if you could see AOBA having fun during her performance and enjoy the show alongside her.

林清さん：AOBAが楽しんでパフォーマンスしているのを見て、純粋にライブを楽しんでもらえたら嬉しいです。

LONDON BLUE’s charm is in the groups ‘cool&cute’ concept. In your own words, please can you describe the cool and cute side of yourself that you would like fans to notice during your performance.

LONDON BLUEの魅力は、グループの「cool&cute」というコンセプトにあります。 演奏中にファンに気づいてもらいたい、クールでキュートな一面をあなた自身の言葉で表現してください。

AOBA: Because LONDON BLUE’s songs are sometimes sad, sometimes cool, sometimes cute and sometimes sweet, I hope that you will notice all of these different sides of me during a performance.

AOBA：LONDON BLUEの曲は時に切なく時にかっこよく時に可愛く甘くいろんな一面があるのでそれに改めて気づいて頂けたら嬉しいです♪

Kiyoshi: With her sense of style, her never-ending smile and her friendly atmosphere, AOBA is someone you can feel at ease with no matter what.

林清さん：服装のセンスや笑顔を絶やさないことと、一緒にいて安心できるような親しみやすい雰囲気を持っていること。

In regards to the future of LONDON BLUE, are there any goals that you have in mind?

LONDON BLUEの今後について、AOBAさんが考えている目標はありますか？

AOBA: First of all, I would like to hold a live concert that everyone can enjoy once and for all.

AOBA：まずは一回一回楽んで貰えるライブをしていきたいです✨

As LONDON BLUE is inspired by London in the UK, please let us know what your impression of London is!

LONDON BLUEはイギリスのロンドンをモチーフにしているので、AOBAさんのロンドンの印象を教えてください。

AOBA: I get the impression that it’s a fashionable city, one that is cool in all its simplicity.

AOBA：オシャレな街という印象です✨シンプルの中にかっこよさがあるイメージ！

Finally, please can you leave a message for the readers and fans?

最後に、読者にメッセージを残すことは可能ですか？

AOBA: Thank you for reading until the very end.

From now on, I will continue to work energetically as a member of LONDON BLUE. I hope that we can meet each other somewhere, someday.

AOBA：最後まで読んで頂きありがとうございます✨

これからLONDON BLUEとして元気に活動していきます。どこかでお会いできます様に💫

Beyond Senpai would like to thank both AOBA and Kiyoshi Hayashi for taking time to participate in this interview. Thank you very much!

BeyondSenpaiのスタッフは、このインタビューに時間を割いてくれたAOBAさんと林清さんの両方に感謝します。 どうもありがとうございます！

You can find and support AOBA and LONDON BLUE at the following links:

LONDON BLUE Twitter
LONDON BLUE Website
LONDON BLUE YouTube
LONDON BLUE Base

AOBA Twitter
AOBA Showroom
Kiyoshi Hayashi Twitter

Interview by: Kelly
Edited by: Kelly