This is the second in a series of short interviews that explores the life of musicians trying to make it work in the real world, before fame finds them—or the business destroys them. See part 1  for more information and the introduction to this series.

In this interview, Kaoru Tagawa, a struggling Tokyo-based musician, talks about writing songs for the soundtrack to a video game. The game, True Love Story, is aimed at youngish Japanese men who were, shall we say, not so lucky with the ladies in high school. The mere existence of such a game pries open the odd closet of the Japanese psyche—and shows what some musicians will do to pay the bills.

:: True Love Story game cover ::

Inversion: Have you been working on any more video game soundtracks lately?

Kaoru Tagwa: Another DVD is coming out soon, and then that's over for now. It’s animation to go along with the videogame. It’s called “True Love Story Summer Days and Yet...”

IV: A very confusing, very Japanese title. Did you write the soundtrack?

KT: I wrote the lyrics for the theme song and ending song. I wrote 10 songs for the game itself.

IV: What are the songs about?

KT: A high school girl in love, not knowing what to do. Pretty exciting topic, eh?

IV: You must have loved it.

KT: Yeah. I must admit that I have had my share of fun.

IV: What was the video game about?

: Tagawa himself :

KT: The main character goes around his daily routine in high school, chatting with girls. It’s sort of a dating game.

IV: Is he trying to get them into bed?

KT: Trying to hold hands, rather.

IV: So the main character doesn't even get laid in this video game?

KT: No, it's not like those some of those bishoujo games (erotic interactive games), it’s a platonic game.

IV: So you wrote 10 songs about holding hands?

KT: Not really. There are six girls and a sister in the game. They each have their own theme song.

IV: Does the main guy try to hold hands with his sister?

KT: I don't know. I haven't played the game long enough to answer that question. I don't have Play Station II.

IV: So it's called True Love Story?

IV: And yet the main guy never gets laid.

KT: Right. It’s not True Laid Story.

KT: Yeah. True Love Story is a series, actually. They have previously released three or four games in the course of five years.

IV: I guess it's rated PG.

KT: Yes. But it's targeting people who are little over 30.

IV: How strange. Why?

KT: It’s targeting people (mainly male) who feel that they did not enjoy high school as much as they should have. Like they never went on a date or got laid or shit like that when they were actually in high school.

IV: Did you like doing it?

KT: Yes and no. It's interesting but it grows old. It's like working in a factory. The only difference is that I'm writing a song instead of making other products.

IV: Did your bosses have a lot of input into the lyrics?

KT: Sometimes the producer of the game would give me an outline. But after a few songs, he just gave them to me....But there's always restrictions--like who's singing the song, and what the image should be and that sort of thing.

IV: Did you play or arrange music for them as well?

KT: No, I don't have equipment to do arrangements.

IV: Not even a lick of guitar?

KT: Most of songs do not have any guitars, or if there are, usually a composer is playing it. The rest is MIDI. Keeps the budget lower.

IV: It's very interesting that you've managed to write songs for video games. Few people have heard of that job option in the States.

KT: You just don't meet those people on daily basis. I mean, there are people composing music for C-class porn flicks, right?

IV: Yes, that’s true. I guess I mean that Japanese culture is far more serious about video games, and so game culture there is more advanced. I don’t think we have many dating-oriented video games.

KT: Yeah. It’s certainly different. I do miss the cheesy sound of 8 bit video games. Super Mario and shit like that. Donky Kong.

IV: Has anyone asked for your autograph?

KT: Nah. They don't even know my real name.

IV: Why? Don't you get a credit on the game?

KT: I use a different name: “u=ar=oK.”

IV: Will you write more songs for this game series?

KT: Sure. The money is pretty good for the amount work I provide.

IV: At least it lets you make a sort of living in the music business.

KT: Exactly. I provided quality works, too.

IV: But you never get laid.

KT: Nope...Not in the songs, anyway.

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