dorple / posted on 19 June 2016

Continued from Part 1.

On a personal level, what μ’s songs do you have deep attachment to?

– Next, please tell us about the songs you have a deep personal attachment to, and the reasons for that.

Nanjou: For me, it has to be Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE, although it’s a tough choice against START:DASH!!. As my time spent with the members increases with the live performances adding up, the meaning of the lyrics to BoRaRaRa (“Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE”) gradually developed, there’s the feeling that it’s reached completion. When singing it now, despite there being all the more things about the members I never knew, it feels like how it’s been from the outset as we sang about all the members. By the time I realized, it’s become a very important song to me, and while there are plenty other songs which I am fond of, I’d say it has become a song which carries tremendous weight within myself. In the lyrics to the songs this time for the movie, the line “Kimi to boku no LIVE&LIFE” was also included –

Kusuda: Uhn. It’s like, you could say that the aspect of it being where we started out is very apparent.

Nanjou: Right, right. In the beginning, it really felt like tossing small stones at the surface of water, and the ripples steadily grew, it’s incredible how the meaning is so significant now. Personally, it’s a song I am deeply attached to.

Kusuda: That’s the same for me. Love Live! was my debut work, the recording of BoRaRaRa was the first thing I did right at the start, I still recall it clearly. We’ve been singing it [at live performances] since the 1st Live (19 February 2012, Yokohama BLITZ), just as Nan-chan said, I think it’s a song packed with various emotions.

Nitta: We said we wanted to make it the first item on the setlist for the 1st Live, right?

Kubo: Yes, and we did it once more at the very end too.

Iida: I reckon we already can dance BoRaRaRa with our eyes closed and not hit each other (laugh).

Nitta: (laugh) Shall we try it next time?

Tokui: A song Tokui is attached to, is definitely Natsuiro Egao de 1, 2, Jump! Singing it at AniSummer (Animelo Summer Live of 2012) left a very deep impression on me. There was a strong sense of wanting to let more people know about [Love Live!/μ’s]. It’s a song where we felt strongly: it would be nice if, from hearing us sing, many people would like us, would have us on their minds.

Uchida: During AniSummer, there was the “Everybody come here too!” at the start –

Kubo: We said that!

Uchida: Yes, “Here we go, AniSummer!” I can remember it so strongly, “Aah, that was great,” I thought.

Tokui: I’m crying~! … … Excuse me, please pass me a towel.

Uchida: (laugh) I like Susume→Tomorrow. When the TV anime began, it was the first song Honoka sang, I really like Honoka’s solo at the start.

Nitta: Thank you.

Uchida: The “I feel potential” part is so good.

Kusuda: Hearing that song will lift spirits!

Uchida: Uhn, it lifts spirits. In the beginning, there were occasions when we still didn’t know how Love Live! would turn out, either, but went at it earnestly. There were parts which hinged on our potential, and for the people who gave us their adoration, they too saw some sort of potential in us – ah~ I can’t with this talk anymore (laugh).

Mimori: (laugh) But that song probably takes first place for me as well. Like, “The TV anime is finally happening!” After all those years, we finally arrived at the production of the TV anime, at the ending of the first episode of season 1, where Honoka appeared like so – that was really unforgettable. My heart was racing.

Uchida: Even now, when I listen to that song, I’ll think, “Potential, huh?”

Pile: For me, I like Bokura wa Ima no Naka de a lot. In Love Live!, when all the lyrics are taken into consideration, I could say the present, as opposed to the past and the future, is the important thing. The third-years’ part also has the lyrics “It’s not only about having fun, we’ll be tested too,” everyone in their separate fields, doing all manner of their own things, were brought together, and the test is in the things they hadn’t done before. But I think, because everyone is strengthened themselves by coming together, they come to hope that μ’s is loved. So out of the many songs that have come under the spotlight, I like this very much.

Iida: In my case, it’s a super personal attachment, but it surely is Love wing bell. From the bottom of my heart, I can say a fleeting chance came to me in the form of episode 5 of season 2, together with Love wing bell. When struggling and going, “What do I do,” the song came to me, as I sang, the distance between myself and Rin-chan shrunk down, the connection was so strong, I have a remarkable impression of weeping as I listened to the scratch track.

Nanjou: Rippi’s told me all sorts of things, and I also was in a position where I put on a tuxedo for Rin-chan and escorted her from the side, as of recording, I was thinking, “I’ll sing for Rin-chan’s sake!” So even at the [5th] live, I wanted to let my strength accompany her –

Tokui: Uu~

Nanjou: Eh? (laugh)

Tokui: I strongly agree! I strongly agree.

Nanjou: (laugh) If Rin-chan could shine, it’d be fine if we didn’t appear onscreen at all.

Tokui: No, really. It really was like that.

Kusuda: Really, like, “It’s all right even if we get no lighting!” (laugh)

Tokui: But since I’ve not strongly wanted to let somebody in particular stand out like that before, I think it’s amazing.

Nanjou: Gee, it was really, “Good for you, Rin-chan!”

Kusuda: It was as though everyone gave Rin-chan a push on her back.

Tokui: Right, saying, “Everybody look! This is our Rin-chan.” (laugh)

Iida: (laugh) My chest feels awful! My chest feels awful hearing that.

Nanjou: Are you hungry? (laugh)

Iida: Wrong – was that the point! (laugh) I was very glad we got to sing [Love wing bell] at that timing, rather than during season 1 or the end of season 2.

Kubo: I thought about a lot too, and songs such as Donna Toki mo Zutto or SENTIMENTAL StepS came to mind. Somehow, I feel as if I could stay on at this time like this… … Ah, I’m crying too for some reason (laugh).

All: (laugh)

Kubo: These two [songs] really stood out, but after listening to everyone, I thought, of course whatever the song is, it will still be good. And if this time were to continue, while I’ll come to feel lonely too, in the end, I am grateful to them all… …

All: … …

Iida: Cut it out, come on! You can’t do that (laugh).

Tokui: O~i oi oi oi (laugh). (* note: likely in imitation of Umi’s sobbing noises in the movie, doing impressions of which caught on among the members.)

Kusuda: Why’s everyone crying (laugh).

Kubo: I think it’s good that I said, “Thank you,” through the song Nawatobi. There aren’t many opportunities to say thank you, so – it’s a song of mine, sorry (laugh).

Kusuda: Me too, I was thinking Moshimo kara Kitto firmly linked Nozomi’s feelings and mine – ah, sorry I’m talking about a different song from before.

Pile: It’s already like, we might not have a relationship because of stuff like, it’s not our own [solo] song, or it’s not a song we participated in. They are all good. Therefore it really is impossible to pick a number one.

Tokui: Iyaah, exactly.

Kubo: I can’t decideee.

Pile: There are over 100 songs after all.

Kusuda: How about Emitsun?

Nitta: I suppose KiRa-KiRa Sensation for me. It must be because it was us, having come all the way here as of BoRaRaRa, that we sang that song. Really, we stand where we are today because of everybody who was there for us, and the time which has passed up till now. Singing KiRa-KiRa live was especially impressive. I’m probably the only one who had a view of everyone’s forms at the time – it’s really a song that makes me feel, “If not for these members, I couldn’t have come alive as Honoka” – uu~

Kubo: This somehow already has become like us having a review meeting to reflect on doing something bad (laugh). Saying, “Excuse me for that time~”

Nitta: I’m sorry~

Kusuda: Looking at you all cry, that part in season 2 (episode 11) –

Mimori: Aah~

Kusuda: It’s coming back to me so much.

Tokui: I caaan’t with that.

Nitta: But you know, at the very end of season 2, writing “μ’s” with water on the rooftop on a sunny day, and it drying up, makes one think that μ’s – Love Live! – had meaning, for sure.

Tokui: Yes, that’s why it’s really “The present is the best”.

Uchida: Uhn, the best.

Mimori: (pointing at the snacks on the table) Uu~ … … I wanna eat the choco pie.

Kubo: Your tears were just from wanting to snack!? (laugh)

All: (laugh)