Artist and actor Ao Watanabe

My expression beyond verbalization

Artists and actors　Aoi Watanabe(Ao Watanabe)

Profile
As a child actor, he attracted attention in the NHK Taiga drama "Saigo Don" and the TV drama series "Natsuzora." In 2024, he released a song that he wrote, composed, and arranged himself, and began his musical career in earnest. His recent major appearances include the stage production "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" and the TV drama series "Fly Up!" In November 2013, he appeared in the stage production "Death Note THE MUSICAL."

Watanabe Aoi is an active artist and actor. He has been on the path to show business since he was a child, and has continued to express his emotions and moratorium through music and acting. What is the driving force behind his comment that he "can't quit"? We spoke to him about the thoughts behind his first EP, "Boys in Mystery," which will be released in July, and his passionate encouragement to students.

The day I heard Michael Jackson's song "Smooth Criminal," I heard the shout of "Ao!" It felt like my name was being called, and I felt like it was fate. From there, the doors to singing, dancing, and acting opened.
Wanting to improve my singing ability, I started trying my hand at acting as a child actor. As I continued acting, I began to think, "This is it."
Since I was in elementary school, I had decided that "I'm going to make a living from this job," so I already had a strong sense of it as work. Every day, I'd leave work early after lunch and head to the work site. Balancing work with school was never easy, but my teachers and family really supported me. I couldn't attend the graduation ceremony, but my homeroom teacher gave my mother a special graduation certificate. I believe that it's because of that support from those around me that I am where I am today.

■ The moment when your life comes into your work

The greatest joy of this job is when I realize that "my life has seeped into my work." It's nice to acquire the skills and be able to express myself, but more than that, when the vague feelings that have been inside me for a long time, or emotions that I couldn't put into words, come out naturally in my acting, or in the case of music, in my lyrics, I feel like "Ah, maybe I was able to get my point across properly."
For example, in a play I once appeared in, the character I was playing was interpreted as "possibly bisexual." Although it was merely a character setting, as I was expressing the conflict the character was experiencing, there were parts that overlapped with "a different kind of conflict" that I had felt up until then, and I remember feeling it naturally. It felt like my emotions were just seeping out, and at that moment I realized, "Ah, this might be a feeling inside me too," and I felt saved.
Neither acting nor music can be conveyed through words alone. Even if you turn up the corners of your mouth when asked to smile, if your heart isn't there, it won't reach the audience. That's why I value the attitude of facing emotions and psychology head-on.

■The first EP, "Boys in Mystery," is a "moratorium" for me as a teenager.

"Boys in Mystery," which will be released in July, is my first EP. All four of the songs on the album, which I wrote and composed, were written when I was a teenager. Who am I and how do I want to live? This work is like a record of the days when I continued to ask myself these questions.
For example, the song "Beat Beat" is a song that expresses the frustrations I felt in high school. I couldn't fit in with the values ​​of those around me, I was expected to be normal, and I had strong doubts about what the point was of being an artist who was just like everyone else. Being able to put those emotional turmoil into a song was a relief for me.
Ryuta Tsunoda from the music unit "Mononcle" participated in the arrangement. It had always been my goal to create a piece of music with someone. Tsunoda and I worked together on the production, sharing the desire to "keep it close to pop music, but still deliver something at its core."
"3mg" is a love song that uses cigarettes as an analogy. We're drawn to a slightly dangerous existence, become obsessed with it, and then feel deeply depressed when we lose it - I'm sure there are many people who can relate to this experience.
The road to release was long and by no means smooth. During recording, "I tried to show my true self, even if I wasn't good at it. I struggled to avoid ending up unable to do anything out of fear of failure. But now I feel that the work is meaningful because it contains all of those anxieties and conflicts.

■I want to continue being the person who "can't quit"

Before I knew it, I'd been in the entertainment industry for over 10 years. To be honest, there have been many times when I thought, "Maybe I should just quit." But whenever that happened, I'd encounter a fateful project. It was as if I was being asked, "Are you really going to give up?" And every time that happened, I'd think, "I should keep going after all."
My goal from now on is to release a hit song. The type of music I want to make may be a little different from what's popular right now. But I believe that if I can gain strength in my name, I'll be able to deliver any kind of expression.
As an actor, I would be happy if I could deliver a little hope to people who feel that "there is something different about them" through my work. When I studied abroad in Korea in the past, I was the only one who was short and had typical Japanese features, so I had a lot of complexes. But I think there are a lot of people all over the world who worry that "there is something different about them." I hope to be someone who can gently give those people a push in the right direction.

■Message to university students

Since graduating from high school, I've started overthinking things more often. Even when nothing bad is happening, my anxiety can grow on its own.
But I feel like the only way to see anything is to push yourself to your limits and give up. In fact, there were many times when I thought, "I can't do this," but each time a new opportunity presented itself, helping me to move forward.
So if there are people out there who are worried about their future or their future, if they can just think, "Maybe I should give it a little more try," then something might change. 

Student Newspaper Online, June 27, 2025, Interview by Tsuda University 3rd year student, Karin Ishimatsu

【release information】