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[Interview] Kanon Masaka and the 'Accomplices' Pioneering the Cutting Edge with Love and Imagination
Creator stories
The community for deep fans, 'Kanon Masaki ONEFAN', has been launched, and the singer Kanon Masaki has also opened an account on the Zaiko marketplace Digitama.
Where is she heading as she moves between the real and the virtual? What will the 'collaborative' relationship between her and her fans evolve into from here?
We had a direct conversation with the Zaiko blog editorial team right before the 'Kanon Masaki Birthday Live 2022 ~Tosh no Neko~' held on August 28, 2022.
Zaiko Blog Editorial Team (Hereafter Z): Thank you very much for clearly explaining ONEFAN during the YouTube broadcast. We also struggle to explain blockchain and NFTs.
Kanon Masaki (Hereafter Kanon): When I first heard the explanation about ONEFAN, I said, 'It’s like a shareholder meeting.'
Z: That's a great way to put it; it’s very understandable. What was your first impression of NFTs?
Kanon: 'NFT??? I’ve never seen that word before...' I froze for a moment. But last autumn, when I first incorporated Digitama Stubs, there was a discussion about how an icon drawn by a little boy became incredibly popular. Thanks to that, I thought, 'So this is what NFTs are!' But... I still only have a vague understanding. It feels so cutting-edge!
Z: You are advancing in that cutting-edge era, Kanon Masaki!
Kanon: Wow! I’ve jumped in without knowing it. Hahaha!
Z: You’ve established ONEFAN; how have the fans responded?
Kanon: Both fans and I are excited to see what will happen in the future. It seems there’s an atmosphere of trying things out step by step from now on.
Z: I liked when you mentioned becoming a 'collaborator' with Kanon Masaki during the YouTube broadcast.
Kanon: I was asked to comment for a press release, and I was wondering what to do... I thought if I wrote something so silly and got angry, I would have to rewrite it. I'm glad no one was angry.
Kanon Masaki's comment in the press release
Even though it's in the form of a 'fan club', a fascinating place has been created where we recruit ideas for goods and collaborative projects, and explore new ways and services of utilizing ONEFAN with a high degree of freedom, turning everyone into my collaborators. Through the content here, I think I'll show a completely different side of myself. A place where secret strategy meetings and transactions happen… isn't this something like the secret society I admired as a child? I'm really excited about it. I hope we can find new forms of fan engagement through various services.
Z: A secret society! That sounds more exciting than just a 'fan club' or 'community.'
Kanon: I’m glad. I had the image that a traditional fan club was just about receiving New Year’s cards and being able to buy goods and tickets. I want to make it something a bit more intimate. I hope ONEFAN can be a place where small consultations can also be raised. Although I'm speaking in a casual manner during broadcasts, I do want to communicate more casually and am thinking about how to use it.
Kanon Masaki ONEFAN https://onefan.id/kanonmasaki
Z: What is your impression of the Kanon Masaki ONEFAN page from your perspective?
Kanon: To be honest, I feel embarrassed. I was surprised at how big my photo was. I wanted to bring out a gap with the virtual, and I’m grateful that I could manage to tone down the atmosphere in the photos.
Z: Are there things you’re careful about regarding the distinction in atmosphere between the virtual and real?
Kanon: I don’t really have many specific points I'm careful of, but I’m quite shy, so I’m not really good at talking about myself. It’s somewhat like when my mom’s voice goes high on the phone. So I have the feeling that I talk like that. Therefore, I wish to gradually open up other sides of myself.
Z: What kind of fans would you like to see become ONEFAN members?
Kanon: I’m writing a 'memo' for ONEFAN members, and while I’ll continue to write for what will be released in the future, I believe that every fan who registers for ONEFAN is a bit unusual. They’re kind of weirdos who want to know the inner aspects of someone they've never seen their real face! (laughs) After all, the things I say publicly or express are all with the intention of entertaining. Of course, there's also appearance, but I think fans who come this far are likely to enjoy it regardless of that. Hehe... I want to convey the things I’ve been thinking and the expressions that I usually don’t talk about to these gathered weirdos.
https://twitter.com/kanon_db/status/1558742299127222272
Z: You also wrote XXX in your memo.
Kanon: Well, isn’t everyone XXX? It’s impressive how deep some people look into these things. Hehehe!!!! They’re quite the enthusiasts.
Z: The Makano Records participated in Zaiko's NFT marketplace Digitama, but do you plan to create NFT art yourself?
Kanon: I sometimes draw, but I'm not very good at it. Recently, I talked with my manager about making a handwritten lyrics card (where I write the structure of the song and timing for breaths) into an NFT.
The actual writing used isn’t something readable by others, so I'll secretly draft it, though. Hehehe. This might be rare for fans?
Z: Creating unique items as NFTs is nice.
Kanon: Hmm, it seems like there are many possibilities. By the way, have the two of you from Zaiko ever chased after artists as fans?
Zaiko Ito: I was once so absorbed in Morning Musume and Hello! Project that my life got a bit crazy or changed.
Kanon: Hahaha! You were a Hello Pro enthusiast!
Z: Have you had experiences of being a passionate fan yourself?
Kanon: Actually, I haven’t had that many until now. I think it’s a flaw of mine, but I don’t quite understand what I’m looking for in a revered figure as an otaku or fan. I think it's one of my shortcomings.
If I had to cite one, I was a fan of baseball. I chased after it to the extent of taking a DSLR to the Okinawa camp. But when my favorite player was substituted during a match, I didn’t get angry that they lost. I probably liked cheering for them and saying, 'Gambare!' I used the stadium as a karaoke box where I would sing support songs and dance wildly. I don’t think that fits the experience of being an otaku...
What does everyone want from me?
Z: Asking what the fans want within the ONEFAN community is also a way to connect. I think fans would be happy just to be asked.
Z: Are there goals or new initiatives you'd like to pursue with your activities in this type of real and virtual space?
Kanon: I have been continuously thinking about wanting to have live face-to-face concerts in real life. I'm currently struggling with various things, such as showing my true face. I really want to meet people in real life, not through the screen. I think it would also be a good opportunity to gauge fans’ reactions regarding the benefits of bringing out the real me. To what extent are they resistant to the real me? I think they have a virtual image of me, so I believe smashing that too forcefully might have a negative aspect.
So I would be very happy if those who are really 'crazy about the inner me!' gather at ONEFAN!!
Z: So it’s not about appearances but about the essence. I think it’s the same with the 'memo'; there are also feelings that can be conveyed through text.
Kanon: That’s right. I want people to sense something that seeps out. I’m not sure what the right answer is, but I hope to open my heart.
Z: Do you find writing tends to be an easier way for you to open up compared to speaking?
Kanon: With writing, I don’t have the awareness of the other person's face simultaneously, which may help. I can sense the temperature of the other person quite clearly even in comments during a broadcast. But on a blank sheet of paper, there’s nothing. So it leads to a feeling of 'Well, anything goes!'
Z: In the 'memo,' it really came across that the writer's feelings were included. There’s a certain groove, you know. It feels nice to read.
Kanon: It seems those things can be conveyed! I'm happy to hear that. Passion is important, after all. I want to show a freer side of Kanon Masaki through the ONEFAN community.
Z: Finally, please send a message to the fans of the 'collaborative relationship' who are continuously becoming ONEFAN members.
Kanon: Collaborators! I want you all to fully unleash your unique imagination as otaku! What’s essential is love and imagination. Friendship, effort, and victory, of course, too, hahaha! Everyone gathers with the heart of a young boy, surely.
And I have many shortcomings. As I mentioned earlier, the lack of perspective as an otaku and not being able to fully grasp how I am viewed from the outside. I think this is a significant lacking part of myself. I hope that this becomes a place that supplements that. Please help convey Kanon Masaki's feelings and passion through ONEFAN... we’ve wrapped it up nicely!
Kanon Masaki Profile
Kanon Masaki is an artist, voice actress, and talent affiliated with Gathering Holdings Co., Ltd. She began her activities in 2020 and held her first mini live performance using a 3D avatar in August of the same year. Moving between the real and the virtual, she presents a new image of an artist after the metaverse.
https://open.spotify.com/album/6XO5d1cAVmiFjcBDprQBdj
https://digitama.io/makanon_records
