Noa Kishiyanagi's Solo Photo Book: Three Advance Shots Released, Tail Unhidden, Shot on a Shopping Street
Shiosai Records released three advance shots on the 27th from the official website for the first solo photo book, due out in December, by Noa Kishiyanagi, 20, center performer of idol group Kishibe Seven, previously announced on the 7th. True to her stated policy of never hiding her tail, one of the shots was taken against the backdrop of the shopping street that hosted the previously reported joint autumn festival of Fukagawa's clan associations. Fellow Kishibe Seven member Iroha Urahata, 19, who also carries drifter traits, offered a comment saying it felt as though the shoot had been taken on her behalf, too.
Following the December release previously announced on the 7th, Shiosai Records posted three advance shots from Noa Kishiyanagi's first solo photo book on its official website on the 27th. All three show the 20-year-old idol in casual clothes rather than stage costume, shot on a shopping street, a residential alley, and along the Fukagawa canal. The shopping-street shot has drawn the most attention: it was taken in front of the Fukagawa community hall that hosted the joint autumn taiko practice of the clan associations — dog-kin, fox-kin, and bear-kin — previously reported on October 22nd. "Every single staff member on set kept to our first promise, right to the end, not to include a single composition that hides my tail," Kishiyanagi said in a comment.
■ "Just as I Am, With My Drifter Traits"
At her announcement press event on the 7th, Kishiyanagi had said, "I wanted to be photographed just as I am — someone with drifter traits, neither given special treatment nor something to hide." In the shopping-street photo released on the 27th, her tail is visible naturally in frame; in the residential-alley shot, even the angle of her ears is left clearly in view. The photographer on the shoot said, "A single choice of lighting can turn ears or a tail into something you're 'showing off' or something you're 'hiding.' This time we aimed for neither — just capturing the person standing there."
■ Iroha Urahata: "It Felt Like the Shoot Was Taken for Me, Too"
Fellow Kishibe Seven member Iroha Urahata, 19, a second-generation drift settler of cat lineage who has alternated with Kishiyanagi on the previously reported column "Tail Care," offered a comment on the 27th: "With Noa moving forward on her own like this, it feels like a step forward for the whole group. Looking at the photos, it felt like the shoot was taken for me, too." As previously reported, Kishibe Seven is a seven-member group that includes two members with drifter traits, and Urahata has been covered by name in these pages through the "Tail Care" column.
■ Fan Reaction and What Comes Next
The shopping-street shot drew particular attention from fans immediately after release, and Fukagawa's joint clan association reportedly commented, "We're glad it was shot in front of our hall." The photo book will run 80 pages and is set for release in mid-December. A bookstore panel exhibition ahead of the release is also under consideration for November. As previously reported, shooting was already completed in early October, with the remaining shots scheduled for release just before publication.
