Natsume (drummer)

Natsume (夏芽, Natsume, born 20 July) is a Japanese drummer and voice actress. She is a member of the bands Shazna and Raise A Suilen, the latter as part of the BanG Dream! franchise, for which she voices the character Masuki "Masking" Satō.

Natsume 夏芽
Born	20 July
Origin	Tokyo, Japan
Occupations	Drummer actress
Instrument	Drums
Years active	2005–present
Member of	Shazna Raise A Suilen
Formerly of	Claddagh Ring

Biography

Natsume, a native of Tokyo, was born on 20 July.^[1] She began drumming in high school after being invited to perform with the school band, and later attended the vocational school ESP Gakuen where she formed a band with her classmates.^[2]

She provided live support at a 2005 fan club event for the band Arashi.^[1] In 2006, she became part of the band Claddagh Ring.^[1] After she left the band in 2012, she provided live support for Arashi, Barbars [ja], Cyntia, The Marcy Band, Yōichi Hirose [ja], Maki Ōtsuki [ja], Raychell, and Shinkū Horō [ja].^[1] In 2012, she released a training DVD named Issho ni Hatakeru: Drum Rhythm Training (一緒に叩ける ドラム・リズムトレーニング, Issho ni hatakeru doramu rizumu torēningu, lit. "Play Them Together: Drums and Rhythm Training").^[1] In 2017, Natsume joined the band Shazna following the band's resumption of activities.^[1]

After playing in the backup band for the festival A-Nation,^[3] Natsume performed at Bushiroad's tenth anniversary concert and was recruited by Takaaki Kidani to join Bushiroad's BanG Dream! multimedia franchise.^[4] As part of BanG Dream!, Natsume became a member of the band Raise A Suilen, serving as its drummer;^[5] she had previously been a part of Raise A Suilen's precursor band, The Third.^[6] She voiced the character Masuki "Masking" Satō, the drummer of Raise A Suilen's fictional counterpart of the same name, in the second and third seasons of the franchise's anime television series.^[7][8] When she first portrayed Masuki for the second season, Natsume spoke in a lower tone under the impression that her character suppresses her emotions, but became more expressive in the third season as Masuki's character develops.^[9] In 2020, she began voicing the character in BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Pico, the franchise's chibi short anime spinoff,^[10] and in Film Live 2nd Stage, the franchise's animated concert film.^[11] In 2022, she reprised the role in the BanG Dream film Poppin'Dream!.^[12]

In 2023, Natsume's affiliation with Ace Crew Entertainment ended.^[13]

Filmography

2019

• BanG Dream! 2nd Season, Masuki "Masking" Satō^[7]

2020

• BanG Dream! 3rd Season, Masuki "Masking" Satō^[8]
• BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Pico: Ohmori, Masuki "Masking" Satō^[10]

2021

• BanG Dream! Film Live 2nd Stage, Masuki "Masking" Satō^[11]

2022

• BanG Dream! Girls Band Party! Pico Fever!, Masuki "Masking" Satō^[14]
• BanG Dream! Poppin'Dream!, Masuki "Masking" Satō^[12]

References

1. "夏芽 (なつめ)". Ace Crew Entertainment (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 6 March 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
2. Raychell; Natsume. "＜Raychell＆夏芽 スペシャル対談＞RAISE A SUILEN ～2人がたどり着いた頂～" [<Raychell & Natsume Special Talk> RAISE A SUILEN] (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Shindō, Gorō. Billboard Japan. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
3. Raychell; Natsume. "RAISE A SUILEN" (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Miyazaki, Daiki. Billboard Japan. Retrieved 28 June 2020.
4. Kidani, Takaaki (6 November 2018). "ブシロード 木谷高明が語る、『バンドリ！』プロジェクトの軌跡と未来 「何十年も続く作品にしたい」" [Bushiroad's Takaaki Kitani talks about BanG Dream!'s project trajectory and future: "I want to make a work that will last for decades"] (Interview) (in Japanese). Interviewed by Sunaga, Kenji. Real Sound. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
5. Komatsu, Mikikazu (18 July 2018). "BanG Dream! Franchise's 3rd Girls Band Reveals Their Official Name "RAISE A SUILEN"". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
6. "RAISE A SUILEN". BanG Dream! Official Website. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
7. "OTHER". 「BanG Dream! 2nd Season」公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 May 2023.
8. "RAISE A SUILEN". 「BanG Dream! 3rd Season」公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 May 2023.
9. Natsume (16 October 2020). "『バンドリ！ ガルパ』RAISE A SUILENマスキング役 夏芽さんが語る"表情豊かなマスキングの素顔"【RAS登場記念キャストインタビュー第3弾】" ["BanG Dream! Girls Band Party!" RAISE A SUILEN Masking – Natsume talks about "the real face of expressive Masking" [RAS 3rd cast interview]]. Famitsu (Interview) (in Japanese). Retrieved 20 October 2020.
10. "STAFF&CAST 大盛り（第2期）". 「BanG Dream! ガルパ☆ピコ ふぃーばー！」公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 May 2023.
11. "CAST・STAFF | 劇場版「BanG Dream! FILM LIVE 2nd Stage」公式サイト". BanG Dream! (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 May 2023.
12. "CHARACTER | 劇場版「BanG Dream! ぽっぴん'どりーむ！」". BanG Dream! (in Japanese). Retrieved 9 May 2023.
13. "「夏芽」に関するご報告" (in Japanese). 1 March 2023. Retrieved 9 May 2023.
14. "STAFF&CAST". 「BanG Dream! ガルパ☆ピコ ふぃーばー！」公式サイト (in Japanese). Retrieved 16 May 2023.

External links

• Natsume at Anime News Network's encyclopedia