March 18, 2026
My-Otome 20th Anniversary Best Collection
"My-HiME" "My-Otome" Music
Yuki Kajiura
Yuki Kajiura Interview
―― What were your initial impressions when you first heard about the "My-HiME" series, the first installment in the franchise?
I was so happy because this was the first time I'd ever composed music for a work featuring so many adorable girls.
Up until then, I'd mostly worked on mysterious projects where the characters had amnesia or something like that (laughs).
However, I do remember being told from the plotting stage that "the story takes a dramatic turn midway through, and there's a clear distinction between light and dark, so please make sure the music reflects that difference between 'night and day,' 'edge and light.'"
I recall that the first music I created for a promotional video was requested to be a song that evoked a sense of destiny rather than something cheerful.
―― I understand that the offer to Kajiura-san was made at the behest of producer Naotake Furusato-san.
This was the first time I worked with Furusato-san on this project, but the impression I got from our first conversation is still very strong in my memory.
First, he said she wanted to "talk alone," so we met at a coffee shop in Shinjuku, which was fine... but then Furusato-san talked non-stop for about seven hours (laughs).
That story was really interesting.
"Why did you want to create 'My-HiME'?" He explained this, incorporating stories about his hobby of musicals.
In short, it was very clear that they wanted to create an entertaining work that was full of service spirit.
―― In a conversation between Furusato-san and music producer Shunji Inoue-san, published in the "My-HiME 20th Anniversary Best Collection" booklet, an anecdote was shared about how Kajiura-san got up from her seat during a meeting at that coffee shop and wrote a song.
I believe the melody for "Himeboshi" (「媛星(ひめぼし)」) was written at that time.
It's always been this way, but during meetings, while incorporating the enthusiasm and various information from the production team, the idea that spontaneously emerges has a very high probability of becoming the main theme.
"Himeboshi" (「媛星」) is a song with a simple melody, like a children's song, but those kinds of songs are more memorable and versatile, making them easy to arrange and use in various ways.
So this song was completely born from being immersed in Furusato-san's energy (lol).
―― The melody of "Himeboshi" (「媛星」) served as a central theme for "My-HiME," gracing the work in various ways.
Actually, when I first created "Himeboshi," (「媛星」) I only had the melody for the first half.
But I thought it might be interesting to connect this to a melody that evokes the image of battle, so I brought back the melody from "Awakening," (「目覚め」) which I had previously created as a battle song with a fast four-on-the-floor beat (note: a beat where there is a 'boom' on all four beats), and placed it in the latter half.
Therefore, the only thing these two songs have in common is the B section, and that's how the melancholic "Himeboshi" (「媛星」) becomes the angry "Awakening." (「目覚め」) That's the mechanism.
I thought that if the melody that played during a sad scene reappeared as an intense song during an angry scene, it would create a connection between various elements and leave a lasting impression on the viewer.
―― Regarding the contrast between "edge and light" that you mentioned earlier, how did you consciously incorporate that into your work?
The brighter parts are the kind of everyday music you'd expect from a school-themed story, right?
Looking at the menu, there were many orders for those kinds of songs, and since I didn't have much experience making upbeat music before, I remember working hard to create them while learning a lot.
Conversely, I had absolutely no problem with the somber music that was used so much in the latter half of the story (laughs).
I was aware that the work had a strong entertainment value, so I focused on making it as flashy as possible.
This was my first time working on such a clearly defined battle-oriented project, where characters transform and fight monsters, so I really enjoyed creating the battle music.
―― Which music piece has left the biggest impression on you?
"Duran Summoning" (「デュラン召還」) has been one of my favorite songs since back then, and I had a lot of fun making it.
I packed it with everything I wanted to do (laughs).
"Kagutsuchi's Descent" (「迎具土(カグツチ)降臨」) was definitely the only song that required a retake. The first version I made was apparently too light compared to the image they had in mind, so I was asked to "make it a bit more masculine" and I remade it in the end.
Also, I remember being really excited when I made "Gakutenou Appears!" (「情天王(ガクテンオー)見参!」) because I loved Midori-chan (Sugiura) so much.
The instruction was to create a "parody of superhero theme music," which is a bit tricky for me, but I still remember the melody well enough to sing it.
―― I'd also like to hear your impressions of the work.
I was glued to the screen watching "My-HiME" when it was airing, and I've been a huge fan ever since, watching the DVDs over and over again. I absolutely adore the main character, Mai-chan (Tokiha).
She's a down-to-earth person, a really nice kid, but she also hates people, and her emotions waver; she's just an ordinary kid you'd find anywhere.
Up until then, when watching anime for which I had composed music, I hadn't often felt like, "I understand this character," so it was refreshing in the sense that I could empathize with the character.
Especially the scene where Takumi-kun disappears.
Mai-chan makes an incredible face, a face that looks like she hates and curses people.
I was really shocked because I thought, "That's not the kind of face a heroine should make!" (laughs).
―― What were your main considerations when creating the music for the second installment in the series, "My-Otome," for which you were in charge of the music?
Compared to the original "My-HiME", the story of "My-Otome" is much more intense and painful, so I was working on the music with the understanding that it needed to be equally serious.
In terms of world-building, "My-Otome" is on a larger scale; the setting is a fictional world rather than reality, and the story goes beyond just the school, involving something like a national upheaval, so the music, including the instrumentation, has also become larger.
I especially enjoyed creating the music for Nagi (Dài Artai). I was thinking, "Akira Ishida, the voice actor, would make a really dangerous villain!" (laughs).
―― What specific changes have there been regarding the instrumentation?
In "My-HiME," only a small string section was used, but in "My-Otome," a larger string and brass section is included.
Actually, while I was working on the music for the "My-HiME" series, I was also in charge of the music for the "Xenosaga" series (Note: an RPG series for PlayStation 2 released by Namco (now Bandai Namco Games)), and I was asked to write a full orchestral score for it. At the time, I didn't have the skills, so I studied hard and became able to write orchestral scores.
So, while I was thinking, "Wow, strings are fun!", I got the offer to work on "My-Otome," and I was happy to use the large strings (laughs).
For example, the song for Nagi's invasion scene ("Invasion in the Name of Salvation") (「救済と言う名の侵略」) couldn't have been expressed without a large string section, so I'm glad that I've become able to write songs like that.
"Windbloom, City of Hope" (「希望の都、ヴィントブルーム」) is one of my favorite songs, and I've even performed it at one of my live shows before. There are many songs that have left a lasting impression on me.
―― The battle song "MATERIALISE" has also become a popular song at Kajiura-san's live performances.
I wrote "MATERIALISE" after receiving a request for a song with an image reminiscent of Wagner's "Die Walküre," and when I had a classical chorus sing it for the first time at one of my live shows recently, they immediately figured out that it was based on Wagner (laughs).
I wrote that operatic song with a Valkyrie in mind, but from a music theory perspective, it's quite haphazardly constructed, and if I were to play it now, the dissonances are so great that it's difficult to even pick out the chords... Nowadays, I'd probably say, "No way, that's just not right," but I was doing things with a lot of boldness back then, I feel like I'm just having fun, and I think that's what everyone finds interesting.
―― Furthermore, the melody of "A Story Played by the Stars," (「星が奏でるものがたり」) an insert song that plays an important role in the story, was frequently used in the show's score, such as in "A Maiden's Lullaby." (「乙女の子守唄」)
Regarding "The Story the Stars Play," I was initially given the request to create a lullaby that Arika (Yumemiya)'s mother (Lena Sayers) used to sing, and I remember creating it as a song with made-up words at first.
Later, Aki Hata-san added Japanese lyrics to it.
Musically, it's meant to be a lullaby, so it has a melody and ending that's typical of a nursery rhyme.
―― In addition, there were songs that conveyed a connection to "My-HiME," such as "Otome's Feast," (「乙HiMEの狂宴」) which incorporated various musical motifs from "My-HiME" and "My-Otome."
The menu included a request to "intentionally use songs or phrases from 'My-HiME'," so I think the production team probably had a strong desire to link the two works through music.
I also like that kind of technique, so I remember being very happy while creating it.
Personally, I think the more thematic melodies you use, the better.
When the same motif is played multiple times, it becomes subliminally imprinted on the viewer's mind, so when that melody plays at the end, it resonates even more deeply.
I was very grateful that you specified how to use variations efficiently.
―― Are there any scenes where the use of the show's score left a lasting impression on you?
There are many things I could mention, but I'll never forget the line "There's something on your forehead" (Shizuru Viola's line) in the scene in the first episode when "MATERIALISE" is playing (lol).
That's true entertainment, isn't it?
The scenes of grief and sorrow are deeply moving, while the cheerful scenes are fast-paced and entertaining.
The way it makes you genuinely sad, genuinely despair, genuinely feel joy and happiness, and then ultimately gives you a happy ending, is what I think makes it such great entertainment, and as a viewer, I was thoroughly entertained and had my way with it.
Each scene is memorable, and it ends with a dramatic pose.
I think this is probably what Furusato-san wanted to do.
―― In the sequel OVA "My-Otome Zwei," you provided the character song "storm" for Nina Wáng (CV: Ami Koshimizu), which served as the theme song for the second volume. You also composed the theme song for the third volume, "The colors of a smile are the colors of the rainbow" (「笑顔の色は虹の色」) for Mashiro Blan de Windbloom (CV: Yukana).
Regarding Nina's song, I was in charge of everything from lyrics and composition to arrangement, so I wrote it with the image of Nina and Sergay (Wáng) holed up together in the middle of a raging storm.
Looking at it again from Nina-chan's perspective, I think it's an amazing work.
It's like, "Is it really okay to depict a woman like this?" It's quite a profound and complex subject.
In that sense, I think "My-Otome" is a work that has gone a step further than "My-HiME" in many ways.
―― On September 20, 2025, the "TV Anime 'My-HiME' & 'My-Otome' 20th Anniversary Film Concert" was held, where Kajiura-san performed live music from the anime's soundtrack with her band. How were the songs chosen for the performance decided?
More than half of the ideas came from the event production team.
In the case of concerts tied to specific works, I was very grateful because I thought that fans would be happier if I performed memorable songs from the works, rather than choosing them arbitrarily.
"A Precious Person" (「大切な人」) and "Otome Descends" (「オ・ト・メ降臨」) were requested by Furusato-san, and I also really liked "Windbloom, City of Hope" (「希望の都、ヴィントブルーム」) and "Nemesis," (「宿敵」) so I included them as well.
I didn't really remember what kind of songs everyday tunes like "Afternoon Sunlight" (「午後の日差し」) or "Small Happiness" (「小さな幸福」) were (laughs), but when I listened to them again, I thought, "They're not so bad."
―― The performance was by Kajiura-san's FRONT BAND, including the original recording members. In addition to KAORI-san, YURIKO KAIDA-san, and Joelle-san, Hanae Tomaru-san, who sang on the "My-HiME" soundtrack, also participated as a vocalist.
"My-HiME" is a memorable project for me because it was the first project I worked on with Tomaru-san.
Tomaru-san is a high soprano, and her singing voice is lyrical, almost like a fairy's, yet it has a solid sound pressure from top to bottom, her vibrato is incredibly stable, and she has a very strong ability to control the space around her voice.
It sounds thin, but it's not thin at all, so the texture suits battle songs like "Awakening," (「目覚め」) and I invited them because I thought that their atmosphere, which is, in a good way, beyond human limits, would suit the world of "My-HiME," so I'm glad we could work together again at this film concert.
―― Kaida-san also participated in the recording of "My-Otome," right?
For example, songs like "Prayer of the Holy Maiden" (「聖乙女の祈り」) and "Lilac ~Beautiful Vow~" (「ライラック～美しき契り」) are all sung by Kaida-san, so there are quite a few songs where Kaida-san is the original singer.
―― Furthermore, a collaboration was realized in which Mika Kikuchi-san, the voice actress for the main character Arika, sang "A story played by the stars" (「星が奏でるものがたり」) accompanied by Kajiura-san's piano.
I never thought the day would come when I'd be able to work alongside Kikuchi-san.
I was so moved while playing that I thought, "That's a live voice!" (laughs).
I was also happy that we were able to perform "Gakutenou Appears!" (「憎天王見参!」) and "Obsidian Lord ~Sweet Temptation~" (「黒曜の君～甘い誘惑」) live.
I've had the opportunity to perform some of my signature songs, like "Awakening" (「目覚め」) and "Duran Summoning," (「デュラン召還」) at my own live shows, but it's difficult to consider the other songs as candidates.
In that sense, I was also happy because I'd always wanted to play "Nemesis." (「宿敵」)
―― This must have been a valuable opportunity for Kajiura-san as well.
I'd love to do it again! (laughs)
I never imagined that I'd be given an opportunity like this 20 years later, and honestly, there were many songs I hadn't heard in a long time, so everything felt very nostalgic.
Looking at the sheet music from 20 years ago, it was so terrible that I thought, "Wow!", but at the same time, it was incredibly endearing, and it felt like a journey of looking back on my past.
I think the reason we were able to do something like this 20 years later is because the 'My-HiME' series was such a memorable work for us.
―― Looking back, what kind of work do you feel the music for the "My-HiME" series has been in your career?
Having the opportunity to compose music for a truly entertaining project was a valuable learning experience, and I believe there would have been many other projects I wouldn't have been approached for without it.
In that sense, I think it's a work that has been able to connect to many different things.
I was also able to study upbeat songs (laughs).
Above all, it's a work that I personally love, and I truly enjoyed making it; that's the bottom line.
This is a very memorable work for me.
Yuki Kajiura Interview
i mean the 6th Sfir disc.