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kobayashi-aika · 4 years ago

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Before “a new departure”—Kobayashi Aika, Takatsuki Kanako, Furihata Ai’s five years with Aqours (Translated Interview)

For simplicity’s sake, each seiyuu’s line indicators will be denoted as either F(urihata), K(obayashi), or T(akatsuki).

TL: arb TLC: xIceArcher QC: Mega, Yujacha

All nine of us are a little different, but put us together and we become Aqours

—It’s the 5th anniversary of Love Live Sunshine’s school idol group Aqours. The “Aqours 5th Anniversary Jimo Ai! Take Me Higher Project” is now underway, including the series’ first dome tour. But first, please tell us your impressions about the Dome Tour’s theme song, “Fantastic Departure!”.

T: (joyfully) It feels like “the sea”! (laughs)

F: A whale?

T: A dolphin?

All 3: (all having fun) Yeah, yeah, yeah! (laughs)

K: That’s the part that leaves an impression on you, right?

T: It’s easy to think of what it would look like at the concert, right? Like, you...

K: Like getting beckoned by a dolphin to ride a whale? (laughs)

F: The new songs totally have a sea motif, which is something we’ve surprisingly never had before.

K: “Fantastic Departure!” has lots of back-and-forth lyrics, so the image of everyone [in the audience] singing comes to mind. It’s making me excited for the concerts.

F: It’ll definitely be a really nice song live.

T: It feels like every year, our new songs keep getting more difficult.

K: Right, right.

F: [This song has] quite a lot of low parts, right?

T: The A melody is low, but the chorus is high.

K: I think it’s also because we’ve become an Aqours that can take on these kinds of challenges. Our cooler sides can start showing.

T: Recently, our songs have stopped sounding anime song-ish, but in a good way. We’ve had a lot of songs that are somewhere in between anime songs and J-pop — a very “Aqours-like” place.

K: The genre is “Aqours”!

T: A stylish feel...?

K: Stylish sound!

T, F: Ahaha!

F: The lyrics are packed with an Aqours-like feeling, and the song has a stylish sound!

—What were some of your favorite lines during the recording?

K: I like Hanamaru’s “Where is it? Where is it?”

T: Hey! (laughs) Recently, my habit’s been getting worse every time we record...

K: You noticed? (laughs)

F: (while looking at K and T) Those two often record first. I listen to their voices while I record.

K: When I listen to Hanamaru-chan singing, I can find lots of parts that I really like.

T: I want to listen to all of the individual versions once. When we’re recording, we don’t know who will get which part, so there are phrases we approach differently. Everyone has their own unique ideas, so it’s exciting to hear them and think “Ah, so that’s how they’re singing it!”

K: They’re releasing the solo albums (Aqours First Solo Concert Album), right?

T, F: Right! That’s great.

F: I want everyone to hear how much we’ve all grown. The nine of us are all different, but the moment you put us together and we become Aqours is amazing.

K: And speaking of the “Fantastic Departure!” lyrics, the “A fantastic departure” phrase had a pretty difficult rhythm.

T: I know~. The rhythm was really tight.

K: Right. I could really get used to that.

F: It’s a little nerve-wracking thinking we’ll have to perform that live, huh?

Hata Aki-san’s lyrics really represent Aqours’ feelings

—In the B-side “Aqours Pirates Desire”, you have the “Dan-Da-Dan//We’ll steal it!” part. It’s a really addicting song.

All 3: (joyfully) Dan-Da-Dan!

K: You like that part, right, Kanako?

T: Right, I love the world view. I also love the “Dan-Da-Dan” and the “Da-Dan Da-Dan” parts.

—How was the recording?

All 3: (smiling) It was really fun!

F: There were a lot of “Dan-Da-Dan”s, so it was really fun.

K: But it feels like I’ll mess it up at some point, so I’m a little worried about the concerts. (laughs)

F: You might end up repeating the wrong one.

T: I’m excited for the choreography and the costumes! I want to have some accessories on it.

F: Some pirate accessories?

K: Oh, right! I thought we would have taiko drums! (laughs)

T: Just call them regular drums! (laughs)

F: There’s that line, “Beat the signal drum“. (laughs)

K: Everyone doing it together!

T: We might just have a performance like that (laughs).

F: I like the (singing) “The red flag of freedom//will part the wind for you to run“ part.

T, K: I know, right?

T: Then there’s “(A black skull and crossbones//The wild seas)//We’ll overcome it～～♪ “, and it gets really low after.

K: Is that the lowest Aqours has ever gone?

F: Maybe! Both songs are really cool. They’ve got a lot of really powerful lyrics like “Plunder” or “We’ll steal it! “.

T: “Fantastic Departure!” and “Aqours Pirates Desire” make for a strong combination. Both give the feeling of strength on the seas. I think they’ll be popular songs at the concerts.

K: They seem really exciting. [The fans] will probably like them.

—In what ways do you feel the charm of Hata Aki-san’s lyrics?

K: The lyrics often represent our feelings. In these two songs, there’s “A fantastic departure”, “A huge world//A vast world is waiting for us “, and “Search for it“. All of which really symbolize the current Aqours.

T: Recently, it feels like we’re walking down a path Hata-sensei created. It feels like she’s guiding us towards the future.

F: Even if we haven’t fully grasped the lyrics by the time we record, as time passes, we come to realize that “this is what Hata-sensei was talking about.” We sing a lot of songs about how we’ll feel in the future. Like, “Hata-sensei was already thinking this far into the future with her lyrics”. And as time passes, the appeal of those lyrics start to sink in.

K: Very deep.

T: Yup, very deep.

“It’s thanks to Aqours that we’re back” μ's words were really moving

—Going back in time a bit, Love Live! Fes was held in January 2020. You overcame the “walls” of the franchise to perform together with μ's and the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club. In particular, you were all able to make the dream of standing on the same stage as μ's come true. Looking back, how was that?

F: It was really... I’m glad we did it. (She seems deeply emotional)

T: (lost for words) Wow... It truly was...

K: (while deeply nodding) Yeah...

F: The thing we’ve always been wishing for these five years finally came true.

K: We've been wishing for it for so long... while it was a goal, we also ended up thinking it would be a dream that would never come true. So it made us really, really happy.

T: The Love Live! series’ 9th anniversary project gave us a lot of chances to interact with μ's and the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club, so we had a lot of chances to speak with them. μ's gave us some very kind words.

“It’s because Aqours has been doing these concerts and other activities that we, too, could come back here.” When they said that... it was so touching. They really were watching us. It made me so happy.

K, F: (nodding)

—If I might ask, were there any other happenings with μ's?

K: We had a sort of photoshoot after Fes, right?

F: Was it after Day 1?

K: We came on stage to take a group photo, and afterwards it turned into one.

T: And then it turned into free time?

K: Right. Photo time started. It was sort of like at a theme park, when...

—Sort of like when you meet the mascot characters?

K: That’s right. (laughs) Everyone was lining up, and going “Please take a photo with me”. Well, except for Aqours.

—Except for Aqours?

K: Everyone in Aqours was a little gun-shy. μ's are pretty much goddesses... they’re like something out of a dream, so we all thought “Is it really okay for us to be this happy?”, and started acting really shifty. (laughs)

—To have them right in front of you...

K: We stiffened up. (laughs)

F: Even when they said it was okay, we still didn’t go. We turned into regular old otakus. (laughs). But I think Komiya (Arisa)-san took the initiative and went over to the other groups.

—When μ's came on stage, were you in awe?

T: We felt the mood in the arena change in an instant. It was the moment that so many people who came were waiting for; it felt just like a holy atmosphere.

K: I couldn’t stop my goosebumps. The arena started shaking. It really was.

T: It felt like it’d be alright if they just stood there doing nothing. At the end of Day 2, Aqours went after μ's, and after the audience was engulfed in orange light for “Snow halation”, we came out on our ship. We felt just like pirates.

K: When I saw that orange light reflecting off the ceiling, I thought “Ah...” And when we came out, it changed into a sea of blue, and I went “Ah...” again. It was really moving.

Eating natto rice... it’s freedom before the live starts!

—Aqours also debuted their new song “Mitaiken HORIZON” at Love Live! Fes. The trio units of CYaRon!, AZALEA, and Guilty Kiss also performed, right?.

T: Debuting a song, and especially as the first song at Fes, was pretty nerve-wracking. The “Mitaiken HORIZON” costumes are cute, and it’s really in sync with the PV, so we really wanted to kick things off with a “This is Aqours!” kind of performance. It really was an honor to be able to debut it there at Fes.

F: CYaRon! was the first subunit, and because there were a lot of groups performing at Fes, some people might not know CYaRon!. So we were really enthusiastic about giving it our all.

But when we got on stage, the entire arena was really warm and welcoming. So while we were dancing, we were thinking that “Love Live! is really amazing.” That warmth is one of the good points about the fans.

K: Some of Guilty Kiss’ songs make you want to do the “Guilty Kiss!” call, even if you don’t know us. (laughs) Even the first timers do the “Guilty Kiss!” with everyone. So I feel like everyone will remember us. Or at least their mouths will remember us from the calls. (laughs)

T, F: Just their mouths? (laughs)

K: Mouths that blow Guilty Kisses. (laughs) On the grand stage of Love Live! Fes, we were able to show the greatness of the Love Live! series as both the Aqours that worked so hard to get here and as our subunits..

—How do you spend your time backstage? Is there anything you always do before every live?

K: It’s just the huddle up, right?

T: We’re quite free, huh? And then there are people who eat a lot of natto. (laughs)

K: Natto and egg rice is the fad. Pretty much everyone is eating it, right?

T, F: Yeah, yeah.

K: On live days, you have to do that. My mouth will remember the taste.

T, F: (laughs)

T: Having the chocolate fondue from catering was so nice!

K: I was so happy! It was white chocolate, right?

T: I was like, “Do you think I can drink this chocolate?”, and Komiya Arisa-chan went, “I said the exact same thing earlier.” (laughs)

K: We’re all just talking about food. (laughs) Some things never change. But when showtime comes, we flip a switch, right?

F: That’s right. Our liveliness has an on/off switch. Speaking of which, (Osaka) Shizuku-chan (Maeda Kaori) gave us all chocolate. It was the kind with a message on the back, and she wrote messages like “Ganbaruby!” for everyone. It was really cute.

K: We wouldn’t normally do something like that, huh? (laughs)

F: Right. So it was really cool.

T: The only thing we think about is eating. (laughs)

The first years’ strong point is being able to feel “at home”. We can be ourselves around each other

—There have been a lot of subunit activities recently, but this interview is with your year group. How would you sum up the first years’ strong point in a phrase?

K: (happily:) We get along!

T: (smiling:) Yup.

F: Like a place to come home.

—A place to come home?

F: We’re all in different units, but when we’re together as first years, I really feel at home and at ease. That’s the atmosphere when I’m with everyone.

K: It’s like you’re “at home”.

F: “At home”! Yeah, that’s it.

T: It’s simple, but fun. Enjoy!

K: We can just be ourselves.

F: We can mess around and have fun. The first years have lots of very energetic songs, and the three of us all play around with each other and enjoy, so concerts are always really fun too.

T: We’re like a box of toys.

F: And I think that’s great. The second years are very serious, and the third years give off this mature and calm vibe, and we have an energetic and casual style. But of course, I really respect the other year groups.

K: And we have that underclassman vibe.

T: We’re the moodmakers, too!

—I definitely can see that. While talking to the three of you, I’ve felt strangely relaxed and at ease.

All 3: (together) That’s great! (laughs) At home.

—Tell me about some times when you’ve felt the bond between you three.

All 3: Our bond, huh?

K: We’ve never had those kinds of emotional moments. (laughs)

T, F: Yeah. (laughs)

F: But when we debuted “Mitaiken Horizon”, I somehow felt... glad that we were the first years. (doing the choreography) Like in the “Let’s give today everything we’ve got”, where the three of us form a triangle and dance with our arms out, and we look into each other's' eyes as we sing. That part is really touching. It made me think, “Ah, we’ve really grown.”

K, T: Yeah, yeah. That’s true.

K: It’s nice that the first years are always in the center for “Mitaiken Horizon”!

T: I’m glad that the three of us are always together.

F: Our singing parts are also all together, and it feels really powerful.

T: Even so, in the chorus, we’re the ones who have to bring the energy. (laughs)

F: Right, the “More!” “More!” “Yeah!” parts. (laughs)

K: Usually, the first years (when dividing the lines in songs) are in charge of the extra lines. Like the “Fu!”s. Those energetic parts are very “first year”.

—Between the three of you, who’s the mature one, or the one who can help you when you’re in a pinch?

All 3: (together) Eh... none of us are really the mature one?

F: We really feel like we’re in the same year. That’s pretty much how we are with each other. But I’m the one who gets teased, and (looking at T) she’s the teasing type.

K: (while pointing at herself) I tease and get teased. Even when the other years are ignoring us, we feel like we’re always energetic. The first years are always just going off and doing whatever. (laughs) We pretend to be clueless, but we’re always watching our surroundings while we play around... I think.

T: And the helper... do we even have times when we’re in a pinch?

K: We probably just laugh our problems away. (laughs)

T: If I had to say, we’re the type to have fun even when we’re in a pinch. They (pointing at K and F) probably feel the same way, and it puts me at ease.

—What are your tics?

F: Recently, it’s been “Right, right?”. It changes a lot, but before that it was “Yup, yup.”

T: She says it twice. (laughs)

K: All three of us do this, but I always say funny things a second time. (laughs)

T: It’s immediately after, too. We do it unconsciously.

F: What was your tic, Kanako?

T: “Water”, maybe? I really like water. (laughs) I drink about two liters a day, so I’m always looking for water. What’s your tic, Kyan (Kobayashi)?

K: Maybe when I always say “Oh no~”. I say it no matter what happens. (laughs)

I’m glad that we can be one with Yohane, Hanamaru, and Ruby

—Now, looking back on Aqours’ activities, can I ask how you feel now that five years have passed?

F: When Aqours first formed, the other eight members... I still really look up to and respect everyone... but when I compared myself to everyone, it was really clear that I had no experience. I couldn’t dance, I couldn’t sing well, and I couldn’t act.

But now, we’ve spent five years together, so I’ve come to realize my own place in Aqours, and I’m really glad that Aqours is the nine of us. If it wasn’t these eight members with me, I probably wouldn’t have felt like this.

—Five years is quite a long time.

F: Getting this close with a person for this long, as I have with Kurosawa Ruby, is the kind of thing that doesn’t happen often. But on both the outside and the inside, getting closer to her in my own way is something I’ve thought of as very important. It’s made me aware of a lot of different sides to myself, and I feel like my love for both the franchise and Ruby is stronger than anyone else’s. Of course, the other eight members probably feel the same way.

—What about you, Takatsuki-san?

T: For me, my natural voice isn’t very high, and I’m taller than Hanamaru-chan, so I don’t have much in common with her. So when we started our activities, on top of being Aqours, I was also worried about if everyone would accept me. During concerts and performances, I was focused on whether people were looking at me.... I had a period where I didn’t have much confidence in myself.

But now, no matter what I do, even if I’m just talking normally, people often say to me, “Oh, it’s Hanamaru-chan~”, so I’m really glad that I could become one with Hanamaru.

—When did that start to change?

T: Around 2nd Live. (2017′s Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours 2nd LoveLive! HAPPY PARTY TRAIN TOUR) Up until then, I was afraid of people looking at me on stage, but since 2nd Live, it’s become just like a festival, and I’ve been able to do more and more things.

I wasn’t very good at dancing to start, but I felt myself slowly getting better, and I started to really feel the joy of Love Live! inside me.

—What about you, Kobayashi-san?

K: Aqours had a few people who were new to voice acting, and I was one of them. Acting with your voice, and living Yohane’s life alongside her was a first for me. But by asking myself, “How can I get closer to her?”, I’ve been able to grow all the way until today.

Over these five years, I’ve learned to do a lot of new things, like learning how to use a low voice, how to sing in a voice completely different from my natural voice, and lots of other things.

By facing Yohane (Yoshiko) head-on, so many new possibilities have opened up; it feels like “a me that isn’t me”. Every day, I get the chance to grow alongside her. I’m so happy that this mysterious feeling can continue. It’d be great if Yohane and I, as part of Aqours, can do more and more and more fun things together.

—Takatsuki-san was talking about how she changed around 2nd. Live. So, Furihata-san and Kobayashi-san, when did your outlook change, and you started becoming more confident?

F: For me, it was slightly after 3rd Live (2018′s Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours 3rd LoveLive! Tour ~WONDERFUL STORIES~).

At 3rd Live, we debuted “Awaken the power”, which had 11 people. (Saint Aqours Snow’s collaboration song with 9 of Aqours and 2 of Saint Snow) I felt a lot of pressure for that song. I was desperately giving it my all, and there are a lot of painful memories... But when everyone who went to 3rd Live was cheering, “I’m glad that Kurosawa Ruby is Furihata Ai”, it was a really big moment for me.

—The voices of your fans became your strength...

F: That’s right. Up until then, I didn’t have any self-confidence. And so for 4th Live (2018′s Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours 4th LoveLive!~Sailing to the Sunshine~), I went in with the positive mindset of “Aqours made it to Tokyo Dome!”.

—What about you, Kobayashi-san?

K: I think it was at 2nd Live. 1st Live (2017′s Love Live! Sunshine!! Aqours First LoveLive! ~Step! ZERO to ONE~) was at Yokohama Arena, a place where I never thought I would be, even in my wildest dreams . And then 2nd Live was a tour. In my mind, I was thinking “Is this really going to be alright?”.

You have to really take care of your health, and because it’s a tour, you have to treat every venue with care and importance, while also making sure every performance is better than the last. And because we all overcame that together, and made each and every performance of the HAPPY PARTY TRAIN TOUR a unique one, I realized that my outlook had started to change.

—Thank you all for your stories. Now, the focal point of your 5th Anniversary Project is the series’ first Dome Tour, isn’t it?

F: It’s our first nine-person concert since Love Live!’s 9th anniversary’s first full-member Fes in January. Just like how the lyrics of “Fantastic Departure!” and “Aqours Pirates Desire” are, I want to bring out an even stronger Aqours.

I’ve always felt a sort of desperation, but for this tour, I feel a sort of calm from being more in sync with Kurosawa Ruby. I hope this can be a concert where we can show off what’s in store for Aqours.

T: The Dome Tour will probably have a lot of songs that we’ve never performed before. I’m excited to see the setlist, and I want to find all my favorite points in the staging, choreography, and costumes. I’m really looking forward to it!

K: When I look back, when we made it to Tokyo Dome for 4th Live, we sort of “burnt out” in a way... While we felt the relief of having reached our goal, it was also a day where we decided that we would keep on giving it our all. So this dome tour performance really feels like a dream.

Up until now, for our tours, we always just made small changes to the setlist, but this time, I’ve been thinking, “What if every performance had a different setlist?” I feel like the current Aqours could pull something like that off, so I hope everyone can have fun with both our new songs and some of the songs that are important to us, in true Aqours fashion.

What are the charm points of each of the first years?

Kobayashi Aika -> Takatsuki Kanako

It’s amazing how she can brighten up everything around her so naturally. Her smile is contagious. Her charm point is her sleeping face; it’s really cute! It’s my favorite part about her. (laughs) The two of them (Takatsuki-san and Furihata-san) have this in common, but she pays close attention to her surroundings and says the right things. Her actions give off this air of maturity, and I love how she’ll always mess around together with me. (laughs)

Kobayashi Aika -> Furihata Ai

The fact that she’s created her very own genre. Her existence itself is a charm point. (laughs) The small things she says are amusing, and she has a lot of parts that are so cute that you just want to imitate her. The three of us are really close, and we have a lot of matching things. We have matching sweatshirts, and sometimes we wear things that we find together at a sale, but pick in different colors.

Takatsuki Kanako -> Kobayashi Aika

I love that Aikyan (Kobayashi-san) is so amusing, and she brightens up the dressing room. When I first met her, she seemed really mature and stylish, and her long black hair was really beautiful; she seemed like the picture perfect city girl. But we’re the same age, and as I spent more time with her, she opened up. Recently, it feels like we’re partners-in-crime. It’s amazing how she’s more devout than anyone for Yohane, too.

Takatsuki Kanako -> Furihata Ai

Furi-san (Furihata-san) is an airhead, but in a good way. (laughs) The things she says are funny, and I like how she’s always the butt of the joke. My first impression of her was that she really had things together, and since she's the eldest of three siblings, I thought she would be like a big sister. But she unexpectedly has some weird sides to her. (laughs) But she’s also my partner-in-crime.

Furihata Ai -> Kobayashi Aika

Kobayashi Aika-chan is our trendy fashion leader, and she’s really knowledgeable. I’m a tech boomer, so she’s the first person I turn to for help with games and social media. Also, she takes really good care of her image. She’s really good at singing and dancing, and it’s amazing just how multi-faceted she is.

Furihata Ai -> Takatsuki Kanako

Takatsuki Kanako-chan’s unique personality and vocabulary are really charming. She latches onto things that most people will let slide, so you can’t just deal with her like your average person. She works really hard at being a good singer, but she never shows that. I think she taught me how to be serious with my work.

Kobayashi Aika’s Q&A!

Q1: Tell us what you really love about Tsushima Yoshiko-chan!

(sounding troubled) I love everything about Yohane...

I love how she’s honest about the things she loves. After meeting Aqours, she’s been able to be more open about the things she loves. She’s grown to be able to share that love with so many different people. I’m glad that she met Aqours.

Q2: What’s something you want to have or want to do?

I’ve always wanted to go to England, which is Yohane’s “World Image Girl” country. They have a “Magic Museum”, where they have a lot of pots and things that real witches used on display, so I want to go see that. I think Yohane would like it, too.

Q3: Have you read any interesting books or played any interesting games recently?

Animal Crossing: New Horizons. I even play in my dreams, and in one of my dreams I built a bridge. (laughs)

Q4: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A singer and a nursery school teacher. I’ve loved singing and dancing since I was a kid. And I love taking care of little children, so I’ve always admired nursery school teachers. I went to school and got my nursery school teacher’s license. Hopefully, my second dream will come true some day.

Q5: What do you do on your days off?

Usually I stay at home. I’m either sleeping or playing games. I play so much that it’s the only thing I think about. Like, “When I go home today, I need to do X in ACNH.” (laughs)

Takatsuki Kanako’s Q&A!

Q1: Tell us what you really love about Kunikida Hanamaru-chan!

How cute she is! (laughs) I fell in love with her from the moment I met her. She’s a shy bookworm, but she’s also super curious. And as the story progresses, she begins to feel more real. In season 2, she started becoming a gag character, but I love watching Hanamaru eat, so I was happy to see so much of it.

Q2: What’s something you want to have or want to do?

I’m not actually a very materialistic person. So for now, I just want some inner peace. I hope the whole world can be enveloped in happiness soon.

Q3: Have you read any interesting books or played any interesting games recently?

It’s actually a movie. I recently bought a projector, and I’m enjoying using it to watch movies or dramas. Ninagawa Mika’s “Followers” is really interesting.

Q4: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A singer. I started wanting to become one around 4th grade, when we sang for our class recital. I didn’t have a particular genre I wanted to sing, so I just vaguely wanted to become a star.

Q5: What do you do on your days off?

I’m an indoor-type, so I just play games or watch TV. Also, I like going on trips, so it’s a little tough right now, but I want to go to Hawaii one day.

Furihata Ai’s Q&A!

Q1: Tell us what you really love about Kurosawa Ruby-chan!

She seemed like a little sister-type from the moment I saw her, so on the flipside, how she’s very strong-willed. She might seem a little timid, but mentally, I think she’s just like her big sister (Kurosawa Dia). I love how much she loves her big sister, too. And like with school idols, I think it’s wonderful how dedicated she is to the things that she loves.

Q2: What’s something you want to have or want to do?

To spend time with all the people who support me. When I take questions on Instagram, I get a lot of messages from overseas fans, too. And of course, there are plenty of fans from Japan, too. I just want to see them soon.

Q3: Have you read any interesting books or played any interesting games recently?

Grand Maison Tokyo. I got hooked on the drama, so I read the novel, too. The scenes and food appear vividly in my mind, so it was an easy read.

Q4: As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I loved drawing, so I wanted to be a mangaka, artist, or something to do with art. But I thought that doing something I like for work might make it tough, so I started wanting to become an anime seiyuu.

Q5: What do you do on your days off?

My little sister, little brother, and I all live together, but usually I’m with my sister. I’m also the kind of person who likes to go out in the rain, so I go out and end up buying something I don’t really need, and my sister usually gets mad at me. (laughs) I collect vinyl records as a hobby, so I end up buying jackets for them.

#kobayashi aika #aikyan #takatsuki kanako #kinchan #king #furihata ai #furirin #aiai #aqours #aqours 1st years #interview #livedoor

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ganbaramen · 4 years ago

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Their intention is always to be by your side. The solid foundation of Aqours: Suwa Nanaka, Komiya Arisa, and Suzuki Aina (Translated Interview)

Translation: ramen Translation Check: xIceArcher Quality Check: arbshortcake, Mega-, Yujacha

In their new songs, Aqours is cooler and more mature than ever!

—Aqours, the school idol group from “Love Live! Sunshine!!”, is celebrating their 5th year since their activities began. Your 5th anniversary Dome Tour theme song “Fantastic Departure!” is releasing soon. How did you feel when you listened to it?

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Suzuki: Like we’re setting off on a new adventure. It’s very Aqours-esque—like we’re reaching out to a more distant place.

Suwa: Right, it’s a song unlike anything we’ve had before, one with very strong undertones of a new beginning.

Komiya: We’ve had the privilege of performing at Tokyo Dome and MetLife Dome, but I feel like this song depicts us as we move a step beyond that.

Suzuki: I think people are wondering what will happen to Aqours from now on. This song conveys that Aqours is moving forward, that we aren’t disappearing.

—How did you feel when you were recording it?

Komiya: For this song, they said that it’d be good to sing in a more mature way than usual, right?

Suwa: Yeah. I remember them telling us to sound cool.

Suzuki: On the CD version, only Chika says the “attention please” line at the beginning, but actually, all of us had recorded it. They told us to say it in a mature way, so I got the impression that the song would have a mature vibe to it.

Suwa: I felt like Chika’s voice was really gentle on the CD version of “attention please”! It’s very Chika-like to be cool yet still be gentle.

—Any parts that you particularly like?

Suzuki: There’s a part where we each sing in turn, starting with Ruby, and the way it flows between us got me especially emotional. “Thank you, FRIENDS!!” starts with Chika, so everyone’s lines in the song flow together to connect to Chika. That gave me goosebumps.

Komiya: Until now, the 3rd years usually only got their own part once the song got to the second verse. But here, we sing our solos in the same parts across both the first and second verses. At the bridge (where the background music is quiet), each of us sings our own part, which I think is quite rare.

—How do you feel about the B-side, “Aqours Pirates Desire”?

Komiya: The singing range is really low!

Suzuki: Right? It’s low for Aqours.

Suwa: It thrashes from low to high, so I was wondering whether my own vocals would be in the low parts or the high parts. It turns out mine were in the high parts, so I was like “Ohh, I see!”.

Suzuki: The bridge part is quite low!

Komiya: Oh, and the lyrics in my part have “red” in them, so that’s probably why I got those lines. (laughs)

Suzuki: I really like the “one, two, one two three four” part at the beginning, as well as the parts that are a little “impish”. Maybe I should say we act a bit like pranksters.

Komiya: True, it’s the cool side of Aqours.

Suwa: Yup, very cool.

Suzuki: The instruments used in the song also give it a pirate-like feel, in a good way.

Komiya: I want to dance and wave a flag around to it.

The Dome Tour, made possible by everyone’s support.

—Details have yet to be released, but right now, what do you want to try during the Dome Tour?

Suwa: First of all, I want it to happen…

Suzuki: Exactly! The Dome Tour is something that absolutely wouldn’t be possible without everyone who’s been supporting us.

Komiya: You could say that before we knew it, we became something incredible.

Suwa: We’ve really been raised well. (laughs)

Suzuki: I think this tour is only happening because everyone has been looking forward to it, so when the day comes that we can hold it, I want to give a performance that’ll live up to those expectations.

—Aqours already has experience performing at Tokyo Dome, so what do you pay attention to when you’re on stage at large venues?

Komiya: Our 1st Live (Aqours First LoveLive! ~Step! ZERO to ONE~ in 2017) was at Yokohama Arena. Since then, our choreographers kept stressing that “because there are also fans in the stands, you should be conscious of not only the arena sections in front of you, but also those up in the stands”. Because of that, we haven’t had to wonder about what to do if the venue is really big.

Suwa: During our 4th Live (Aqours 4th LoveLive! ~Sailing to the Sunshine~ in 2018), we were hard to see when we were riding the Aqours Ship, so the staff told us to make big movements.

Suzuki: But when we looked at our rehearsal footage, our movements often looked small even when we were trying to make big movements!

Suwa: The studio is completely different from the actual venues.

Komiya: Yup. And sometimes we have no choice but to use a small studio for our rehearsals.

Suwa: Right, right. The member that’s supposed to be the furthest from you sometimes ends up right next to you because you have to loop around [since there’s so little space]. Also, the actual venue has a two-level stage, but we might have to rehearse at a studio that’s just one flat level.

Komiya: But because we had that experience with such hardships, for times like Fest where we couldn’t spare much time for rehearsals, we were able to say “Just tell us where to position ourselves, and we’ll be good!”.

During the photo session after the concert, a display of initiative despite their shyness!

—At Love Live! Fest in January, you crossed the borders of the series to share a stage with µ’s and the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club. Did anything in particular strike you from Fest?

Suzuki: It’d have to be µ’s performing “Snow halation”—that was unforgettable. After “Snow halation” (on the second day), we were going to go out on the Aqours Ship. So while we were on standby backstage, we could hear µ’s singing. I ended up crying as we gathered in a circle, feeling like “we’re living in a dream”.

Suwa: Everyone was tearing up at that point.

Komiya: Yup. It was a really mysterious feeling.

Suwa: That moment was something we would have never imagined several years ago, so even we couldn’t picture it.

Suzuki: The fact that we would be performing with everyone from the Love Live! series at Fest… it didn't feel real.

Komiya: When I first heard about Fest, I almost couldn’t believe it! (laughs)

—What are your memories of Aqours’ songs at Love Live! Fest?

Komiya: Even though it had been a long time since we did a concert, we didn’t spend much time rehearsing.

Suwa: Not to mention that we did a lot of songs.

Suzuki: Not to mention that we did unit songs too. (laughs)

Komiya: Also, the stage manager had messages for us before and after our performance, like “do your best”.

Suzuki: Right, right. Things like “You’re the best!” or “That fired me up!”.

Suwa: I understand saying that to us afterwards, but it was inconvenient saying that before the performance because we’d tear up. (laughs)

Komiya: Besides that… they made a ditch in the stage so that the Aqours Ship could move. So we couldn’t be in our normal positions. But even so, we were able to adapt to it right away, which was amazing.

Suzuki: Yes. If this was a long time ago, we wouldn’t have been able to.

Komiya: I was kind of scared of myself because of how much better I could adapt. (laughs)

—How were the performances from the members of the Nijigasaki High School Idol Club?

Suzuki: They really had nerves of steel—just incredible.

Suwa: Because they were all doing their solo songs.

Suzuki: If that were me, I’d be so nervous, like “I can’t do this!”.

Suwa: Maybe the Nijigasaki girls were thinking that too!

Komiya: We started out as a 9-member group, so that’s what we’ve gotten used to, after all.

Suzuki: When we were performing solo at our 3rd Live (Aqours 3rd LoveLive! ~WONDERFUL STORIES~ in 2018), I felt fidgety. (laughs)

Komiya: At that time, I was concentrating so hard that I don’t remember whether the penlights the audience was waving were red or white…

Suwa: The colors were mixed!

—Did you mingle with members from the other units?

Komiya: Our dressing rooms were on the same floor as the Nijigasaki girls, so we ended up meeting in the bathroom. Aside from that, we only occasionally crossed paths after our rehearsals finished.

Suzuki: After the concert, there was time to take photos with each other!

Suwa: But Aqours has a lot of shy girls, so we were kind of paralyzed. (laughs)

Suzuki: I was just paralyzed in awe. But then Kusuda Aina from µ’s was kind enough to come up to me, saying that “we’re both Aina!” and “our colors are both purple!”. It was so hard to believe—I was screaming really loudly on the inside. (laughs)

Suwa: Arisa was the exception, though—she wasn’t shy at all.

Komiya: Yup. I went around getting photos as I pleased. With the Nijigasaki girls, it was like an entire photo session, and from µ’s, I got pictures with Pile, Nanjo Yoshino, and Emitsun (Nitta Emi).

Suwa: I took photos with Mimori Suzuko and Uchida Aya.

Komiya: Everyone was shy, but we took the initiative—”I’m not letting this chance slip away!” (laughs)

Five years of closing the gap between their own personalities and that of an idol

—As we look back on Aqours’ activities, would you mind telling us how you feel about these past five years?

Suzuki: I had never danced before, so I was worried about whether I’d be okay, and whether I’d be able to keep up. There was the challenging leapfrog (in “Kimi no Kokoro wa Kagayaiteru kai?”) and most of all: the fact that while Mari is tall, I’m the complete opposite.

I thought a lot about how to make my movements on stage appear bigger and how to bring out the sexy aura that Mari has. I worried a lot about those differences.

—How did you overcome those?

Suzuki: Once the anime started, it was a lot easier to see Mari’s expressions. That enabled me to spontaneously picture what Mari would do. It felt more and more like she stood by my side.

It doesn't really feel to me like the gap's been bridged yet, but I've slowly become more confident in our closeness thanks to the fans who'd say “Mari was on stage!".

—Suwa-san, how about you?

Suwa: I really started from rock bottom: no experience in singing or dancing, much less dancing within a formation. It wasn’t that I was missing something—it’s that I was missing everything. We had girls who could already sing or dance, so I inevitably felt like I had to put my all into it—or else. The only solution was to practice hard.

—Did you become confident in yourself through that practice?

Suwa: Good question. I memorize choreography faster than I did before, and my experiences over this time catalyzed my growth. Kanan and I only share a voice, while our appearances and personalities differ. So for concerts, I make my hair blue and my eyes purple. This makes me feel closer and closer to becoming one with Kanan.

—And how about you, Komiya-san?

Komiya: “Love Live! Sunshine!!” was pretty much my first time taking on the role of a voice actress. I had no understanding of how to approach reading an anime script, nor how to move in front of a mic. So I worked myself up into a frenzy. But since none of the other members had much experience with recording, I was relieved that, in some sense, we were all positioned at the same starting line.

Besides that, since I originally worked as an actress, I was overwhelmed by how I didn’t feel “idolish” enough for the job. You could say that my pride led me to feel too embarrassed about being sparkly like an idol.

—Do you feel like you’re able to project yourself as an idol now?

Komiya: Up until around our 2nd Live (“Aqours 2nd LoveLive! HAPPY PARTY TRAIN TOUR” in 2017), the stronger feeling was that of obligation—”I must do this”.

But I realized that I couldn’t enjoy performing at concerts when I was being animated by this obligation. Once I started focusing on enjoying myself, my feelings shifted as well. Though honestly, I still don’t know whether I really sparkle or not. (laughs)

—Komiya-san seems very close to Dia in terms of appearance.

Komiya: When I first saw them, I actually thought “there’s one that looks just like me”. (laughs) Yet she’s level-headed and talented, so our personalities differ. But, just like Aina, I got to know her human side, thanks to the anime. From there, I’ve gotten to understand her more and more.

All three of the third-years are unexpectedly laid-back?

—What’s your impression of the relations between the third-years?

Komiya: Even though they find it hard to be fully honest with each other, they’re actually the ones that love each other the most!

Suwa: Though we only got to see that after graduation, right?

SuzukI: Yes, yes. They drifted apart, made up, and matured in Season 2 of the anime. Then in the movie, they finally became honest with each other.

Komiya: In the movie, I felt like their relationship went back to how it was when they were children, in a good way.

—You can feel how strong the bonds are between the third-years from how their childhood relationship continued all the way from their youth to now.

Suzuki: Since the third-years are childhood friends, they’re the ones that have known each other the longest, even among all the Aqours members. It’s really a great relationship—you can feel how strong their bonds are from watching the animated performance scenes.

—What’s something that the third-years will never lose to the other year groups in?

Suzuki: Maturity…?

Komiya: If we consider the anime, maybe it’s their ability to communicate their thoughts to each other, without saying a word. Aside from that, there are many scenes in which the third-years have to pull the first- and second-years back to reality, so perhaps the third-years’ strength is being grounded in reality.

Suwa: In real life, we worked hard for the third-year songs (“Tousou Meisou Moebius Loop”, “Yosoku Fukanou Driving!”) during 5th Live (“Aqours 5th LoveLive! ~Next SPARKLING!!!~” in 2019), and I think our performance was second to none compared to the other year groups.

Komiya: Also, we’re quite calm, and I guess more laid-back than the other year groups. We had plenty of standby time when we were performing for the 69th “NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen”. We had a narrow space separated by partitions, and the three of us got together, then wondered if we should prepare for the performance by taking a nap. (laughs)

Suzuki: Right, and not only that, but Suwawa (Suwa-san) went straight to sleep before me or Arisa! (laughs)

—So it’s characteristic of the third-years that you’re rock steady and ready at any moment.

Suwa: Yes, I think so. During the standby time, the first-years seemed like they were constantly playing games, so it was pretty lively over there. (laughs)

Komiya: Our ages aren’t even that different…

—What is your mindset as you approach this 5th anniversary year?

Suzuki: We now have the privilege of performing on a dome tour in our 5th anniversary year. Although we’ve evolved and the stages have gotten bigger throughout the years, my feelings haven’t changed from when we started, and I want to move forward while keeping them in mind. As we move ahead, I don’t want to be satisfied with our current abilities. If each of us keeps doing what we can, I’m sure we’ll continue to be loved.

We’ll keep trying our best, so I hope that everyone will keep warmly watching over us. Please continue to support “Love Live! Sunshine!!” and Aqours from now on.

Komiya: After passing our goal of performing at Tokyo Dome, it would be nice if this dome tour serves as a fresh start as we visit several places.

Also, I’d be really happy if this tour enables many people to meet us for the first time. For those of you that are already fans of Aqours: if you have friends or acquaintances that are even a bit interested in us, I hope you can get them to come to a concert of ours and fall into the deep end. (laughs)

Since the venues have gotten bigger, we might end up seeming far away to some people. But our intention is always to be by your side. So please rest assured of that and enjoy our activities.

Suwa: Maybe there are people who learned about Aqours for the first time through this article. Even as we enter our 5th anniversary year, we won’t stop moving forward. If we’ve sparked anyone’s interest, please watch our previous performances, and maybe we can walk forward together from now onwards.

The third-years cast tells all: what’s great about the other two?

Suwa Nanaka on Komiya Arisa

Arisa gets greedy for food! (laughs) Whatever it is, if it's got something to do with food, her going to check it out once we get there is kind of cute. While she seems like an older sister type, the gap between that and her easy-going pace is funny.

Suwa Nanaka on Suzuki Aina

Aina’s very good at singing in a genuine, straightforward way. Personally, I like her baby-like appearance (laughs)—it makes her really cute.

Komiya Arisa on Suwa Nanaka

Suwawa is always calm and collected, and she makes sure to pay attention to what’s around her when she acts. Her calmness in the face of anything, anywhere, is amazing!

Apparently, she also did some cooking during the shelter-in-place period. I usually don’t hear about her cooking, so that surprised me, and I think that part of her is quite cute.

Komiya Arisa on Suzuki Aina

Aina is kind and easy to work with. Because of that, I feel like she’s able to bring us together. She’s always smiling and brightening up the room, no matter where we are, which is also very charming.

Suzuki Aina on Suwa Nanaka

Suwawa is the one I hang out with most in private, and she’s reliable in taking the lead by saying “let’s go here” or “let’s do this”. Though that might just be because I’m indecisive. (laughs)

When we’re out on a date, she walks on the cars’ side of the sidewalk like it’s natural, and when I run into trouble during Aqours’ activities and the like, she comes to my rescue. Her casual kindness is really amazing.

Her best feature is her skin, which is as pale as snow. This is gonna make me sound kind of creepy (laughs), but it feels very pleasant to touch.

Suzuki Aina on Komiya Arisa

Arisa asks me “well, how about we go to a cafe?” whenever I’m troubled, and there, we talk it out directly—she’s the type to show rather than tell. Because she doesn’t like being indirect and she’s not two-faced, you can safely believe that she really means what she says.

But even though she seems reliable, she can be airheaded—she’ll do things like spill some food or space out. That gap moe is cute.

Q&A: Suwa Nanaka, voice of Matsuura Kanan

Question 01: Tell us what you really like about Matsuura Kanan!

She’s somewhat naive, but she’s very thoughtful about her friends. Her figure is great, too. I think she’s charming in many ways. In the anime, the third-years have many serious scenes, but in the movie you can see them brighten up and run free after graduating from high school—I like that as well.

Question 02: Personally, is there anything you want or something you want to do right now?

It’s not really a “thing”. It’s difficult in the current situation, but I have a hobby of traveling, so I just want to go somewhere.

If I could choose, I’d go to Europe, but what I really want right now is to travel, so I feel like anywhere is fine.

Question 03: Are there any media, like books or games, that you’ve taken an interest in recently?

“Mystery to Iunakare” [a manga series]. I already liked mystery and crime dramas, and my interest was piqued when I happened to see an ad for it. Every time, even though I try figuring it out, I can never figure out the culprit, and after it gets solved, I go back and realize there was actually foreshadowing. I take quite a bit of time to read it.

Question 04: When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A kindergarten teacher. I like babies, so up until around middle school, I also thought I wanted to be a nursery school teacher. Right after that, I started wanting to become a voice actress.

Question 05: What do you do on your days off?

I go on solo trips. Even if the next day suddenly opens up, it’s pretty hard to invite someone out, so I almost always go out alone. Sometimes I go to places I’ve been thinking about visiting for the longest time, but there are also places that I had booked a hotel at when my holiday was confirmed.

Q&A: Komiya Arisa, voice of Kurosawa Dia

Question 01: Tell us what you really like about Kurosawa Dia!

Everything, of course. (laughs) To be specific, in her roles as the student council president and as Ruby’s older sister, she always feels that she has to be reliable. But when she tries too hard to no avail—that human side of her is cute.

In Season 2, Episode 4 of the anime, you can feel that charm of hers gripping your heart. She hides her own feelings so that she can watch over everyone, but her own feelings slowly reveal themselves. It’s wonderful that she was finally able to act freely after that.

Question 02: Personally, is there anything you want or something you want to do right now?

The other day, I put on socks with lamé [fabric with metallic fibers] in them, and I noticed that my favorite black sneakers have a hole in them. I didn’t notice until now, since I’ve only worn black socks! I really want to get new ones as soon as I can.

Also, I’ve been buying more groceries that require freezing, and since I’ve noticed my freezer is small, I want a big freezer.

Question 03: Are there any media, like books or games, that you’ve taken an interest in recently?

I’ve always been buying “Kuroshitsuji” and “Kinou nani Tabeta?”. Recently, other than books and manga, I’ve gotten into the “Boku no Hero Academia” anime—I’ve watched through Season 4 of the anime as well as the movie. I like the Big 3’s Amajiki Tamaki.

Question 04: When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Sailor Moon. When I was young, since the classical ballet tutu looked like Sailor Moon’s uniform, I apparently thought that I could become Sailor Moon if I learned classical ballet. Though I completely forgot about that thought. (laughs) In middle school, I wanted to become a pharmacist, and in high school, I wanted to become a dietitian.

Question 05: What do you do on your days off?

I roll around and nap on the sofa, staring at the ceiling with no thoughts, head empty. (laughs) If I have errands to run or outings planned, I go out. But I don’t want my skin to get tanned, and when I wonder what reason there is for leaving the house if I don’t have a purpose in mind, I find myself not wanting to go out. If possible, I like to just stay inside my home and not do anything.

Q&A: Suzuki Aina, voice of Ohara Mari

Question 01: Tell us what you really like about Ohara Mari!

She’s a very positive girl—she shines, she’s positive, and she’s fearless. But I particularly like how thoughtful she is towards her friends. Even though she never puts it into words, she loves Aqours so much that she’s always thinking about the other members even more than herself. It’s not often that someone can do as well as Mari in “conveying her love to everyone”.

Question 02: Personally, is there anything you want or something you want to do right now?

I want a Nintendo Switch Lite~! The Coral Pink one. I already have a Switch, but I want another one to carry around.

Besides that, right now, I want to do a concert as soon as possible! Even though concerts are tough, I want to find a way to carry my voice to our fans.

Question 03: Are there any media, like books or games, that you’ve taken an interest in recently?

I’ve been reading [the manga] “Houkago wa Kissaten de”—it’s a comfy romantic comedy, and I can’t help but grin when reading it. It really makes your heart skip a beat! (laughs) I’m also into the game “Identity V”. I mostly play the Violent Struggle game mode.

Question 04: When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

When I was around five or six years old, I would say I wanted to work at “a cake shop!” (laughs), but from late elementary school to middle school, my dream was to be a manga artist. I was pretty serious—one thing I did was taking a correspondence course on becoming a mangaka.

Question 05: What do you do on your days off?

Sleep, play games… to me, that’s the best way to spend my time. (laughs) I often don’t go out, but sometimes I go shopping with my younger sister.

#love live!#love live! sunshine!!#nanaka suwa #arisa komiya #aina suzuki

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