Here is an interview with Akiko Suzuki, who will be part of the upcoming ‘BIS F25 x The World of Anime’ shows as a performer and in charge of choreography, about the special features of the production (e.g. a drone show!):
フィギュアスケートの新感覚アイスショー「BIS F25×The World of Anime」が１月２５、２６日にオーヴィジョンアイスアリーナ福岡（博多区）で開催される。世界選手権２連覇の宇野昌磨さんら出演者がお気に入 […]
digital.kyodonews.jp
Machine translation:
What are the highlights of the new ice show ‘BIS F25 x The World of Anime’? Akiko Suzuki, choreographer, explains The cheapest ticket is an unbelievable 1,500 yen, and Shoma Uno and others will perform a new show with their favourite anime music.
The new figure skating ice show ‘BIS F25 x The World of Anime’ will be held at the Ovision Ice Arena Fukuoka (Hakata Ward) on 25 and 26 January. Performers, including two-time World Champion Shoma Uno, will perform new shows featuring music from their favourite animes, and singer Yoko Takahashi will sing live with them. New challenges, such as a drone show on the ice, are also noteworthy. We spoke to Akiko Suzuki, one of the performers and a two-time Winter Olympics participant who also choreographs, about the highlights of the event. (Interviewer: Shinya Fujiwara)
"Audience cosplay is allowed. I hope we can create an interesting atmosphere together."
- What is the special feature of this show?
Akiko: What is special about this year's show? Since my working days, I have been to many places abroad and felt the popularity of Japanese anime. The songs used in the works are also very well-loved, and the skaters (including Shoma Uno, Takahito Mura, Marin Honda and Rika Hongo) will express this through their costumes, creating the world view from scratch. Audience members are allowed to cosplay, so just be careful not to bother other people with big headgear, etc., and come dressed in your favourite anime costumes and help create an interesting atmosphere together.
-There will also be a collaboration with the singer Yoko Takahashi.
Akiko: ‘I can't tell you who's going to have a personal collaboration with whom, but there will be a part where all the performers will skate to a live song by Ms Takahashi.’
-There will also be a performance using drones.
Akiko: 'This is the first challenge for an ice show in Japan. We haven't started rehearsals yet, so I've only been able to see it on film, but I hope that the audience will enjoy this innovative production that makes use of the space of the ice rink.
"Shoma Uno continues to absorb different world views. I'm looking forward to seeing how he expresses the music of anime."
-How do you see Uno's skating now that he is a professional skater?
Akiko: I've known Uno since he was a little kid, and since he was a skater, he has excelled in expressing various songs, and his jumps and steps are at a very high level. Now that he has become a professional, he is absorbing even more different perspectives on the world. I'm really looking forward to seeing how he will express the songs from the anime this time.’
-Some ice shows struggle to attract audiences. What is the theme of the show, which will be held for the second time in Fukuoka Prefecture after last year?
Akiko: 'One of the attractions of this ice show is that it is “hands-on”.（We have devised a way for people to enjoy the show by having them participate in it, rather than just having them watch a one-way performance or skate.
-What is the cameraman and announcer experience?
Akiko: 'You'll get a lecture from a professional cameraman who actually films the games and ice shows, and you can use professional equipment to film the performances. 'You can enjoy capturing the “moment”, such as the moment when the ice shaved by the skates flutters and the contrast between the lighting and the shadows of the athletes. And in the announcer experience, you can interview the skaters after their performance, just like a journalist.’
"I hope that people will get to know the world of figure skating and become interested in it."
-What was impressive about the last performance?
Akiko: 'I felt rewarded when I heard primary school children say, “I want to skate now” after being interviewed. ‘One of my activities is to create an opportunity to work hard at something, so I'm very happy if they actually see it and are moved by it.’ Last time, I heard a lot of comments from people who had seen skating for the first time, saying that it was a lot of fun to see it live. Of course there are people who say they love figure skating and watch it all the time, but I hope that shows like this will make them realise that there's such a world out there and make them new fans. In fact, this time I want anime fans to come and experience the world of figure skating and become interested in it.’
-Tickets start at 1,500 yen, which is unbeatable for an ice show.
Akiko: Tickets start at just 1,500 yen, which is a bargain for an ice show. For example, if you want your friends to be interested in skating, you can't casually invite them if the tickets are expensive. But for 1,500 yen, it's easy to invite them just like going to the cinema. I would be happy if the first step to going to a show becomes easier. It's worth it just to hear Yoko Takahashi sing live (laughs).’
Profile.
Akiko Suzuki is a late-blooming skater who competed in her first Olympics at the age of 24. 2001 third in the Junior GP Finals, she had a promising future but suffered from an eating disorder while at Tohoku Fukushi University and her weight dropped from 48 kg to 32 kg in just three months. With the support of those around her, she overcame a retirement crisis to win her first GP at the 2009 China Cup and, with momentum, qualified for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. 2013: won her first All-Japan Championships and finished eighth for the second consecutive time at the 2014 Sochi Olympics. She finished third at the World Championships in 2012 and second at the GP Final in 2011.She retired from active skating after the World Championships in March 2014 to work as a professional skater and choreographer. Born 28 March 1985 in Aichi Prefecture, she is 39 years old.
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Although I am wondering about the demographics for this show; Do the people there seem to be mostly anime fans, skating fans, tourists, or people who are simply curious about attending an ice show? Of course, these categories can easily overlap, but still...
They corroborate the reports we have from other shows that employ similar marketing strategies, so by now we have a pretty good sample size proving that these strategies work (incorporation of other popular genres/inviting popular artists from other genres, visiting not yet oversaturated areas, setting the lowest ticket category at affordable prices).
