For Episode #34 of Twisted Radio Station Ruggie’s VA Ichikawa Aoi (🍩) interviewed Twisted Wonderland’s music composer Ozawa Takumi about the creation of the character songs along with Aozora Ichika, who wrote the lyrics for 11 of the 14 songs (including dorm songs).
※Note: not literal translations, only summaries of the conversations.
Ozawa: This was our problem song. Out of all of them. It was the most unexpected? The most “outside the box” song, I think. “That Azul, singing THIS song?” But to me personally this song is, “You’re the star!”
The request was for a 1980s Japanese-pop ballad, so there is a nostalgic feeling to it with a bit of the jazziness of Octavinelle. I feel that if it had been based solely on Azul and Octavinelle up to Book 3, it wouldn’t have turned out like this. I had only just finished reading Azul’s scenes in Book 7, and that is how the song ended up the way that it did. It would have been a different mood without Book 7.
Aozora: The lyrics for this one were the smoothest for me to write, out of the solo songs. I was surprised by the change in Azul when he was cornered in Book 3, and also by how unrestrained he was in the dream in Book 7. So I thought, “Okay, I’ll just ride that wave,” and the lyrics came really easily. I also had to keep his overblot in mind.
I did struggle with how to include the elements of the unique magics—which are very much tied to the overblots—into the lyrics. The word “contract” just wouldn’t fit rhythmically, so I changed it a bit based on the sound and turned it into 契って (to pledge/vow/etc.)
🍩：They do overblot, and there’s that kind of weakness they all have. With Azul—I hope this isn’t too harsh—but you can sense a bit of his inferiority complex, while the lyrics also capture his star quality.
Aozora: That feeling of “I want to become something!”
Ozawa: Vocally, might be the most difficult song. I imagine 🐙 (Azul’s VA Tamaru Atsushi) struggled quite a bit. It must have been difficult.
Aozora: We had to talk a lot out during recording. “If this were Azul, what voice would he use here?” I had him repeat lines over and over again.
Ozawa: He gave us multiple takes, singing in different ways. There was a lot of back and forth. And thanks to all of that, we ended up with “Azul the star.” I hope everyone is really able to get into it with full on handclaps and cheering.
For other songs as well but also for Octavinelle there is a brass section, three people on the trumpet, trombone, and saxophone. They had incredibly high energy, like athletic-club types, always like “Hey!” “Yeah!”
Aozora: I guess people tend to vary by instrument?
Ozawa: No, I think they were particularly unique. They played everything at first sight. All the brass parts were sight-read.
Twisted Wonderland Reference Note 