[EN]Lisani Vol. 27.1 Interview with Kusuda Aina

Translated and Typeset by: @kuuxkat / QC by: ~mega @ #teamonibe



Sourced from: Nanmiyai / Original TL by: _星小光 here

Images from: @emitsunosaurus-rex



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Contents under the Cut!

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[Beginning only from 1 CD, being able to receive so many people’s support and love, I really feel very blessed]

I don’t feel that I am acting as Nozomi, but I feel that [Nozomi] - this person truly exists.





– It has been around half a year since [µ’s Final LoveLive! ~µ'sic Forever♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪♪~], What moments make you think about things relating to [LoveLive!] or µ’s?







Kussun: Half a year, huh…. It feels like It feels like it’s been a lot longer. Whenever I meet people at my new work places,, they’ll always tell me: [You performed in Tokyo Dome before, right? That’s amazing.], topics like that. So there are many opportunities for me to think about those memories. Whenever I think about my voice actress activities, as expected I felt that my first job is the recording of [Bokura no LIVE Kimi to no LIFE (僕らのLIVE 君とのLIFE lit. Our LIVE, Our LIFE with you)], to me it’s a very important starting point.







– At the beginning when you heard that you would be performing a LIVE at Tokyo Dome, what were your thoughts?





Kussun: [Tokyo Dome… that’s the place where they play baseball right?] I said at that time (laughs). Of course, as I did visit (Tokyo Dome) it before as part of the audience, so I felt that to be able to perform a LIVE at Tokyo Dome is an amazing thing. But, rather than ‘that’, the fact that it’s ‘Final’ really touched me more. Nevertheless, just like all the LIVEs before this, I still carried with me the same serious attitude to make the LIVE successful together with Nozomi and the other μ’s members.







– To be able to be at Tokyo Dome (Performing a Live), do you feel that it was a coincidence?





Kussun: That’s true… Of course, to be able to be at such a big stage with so many people together to hold a LIVE, I feel that it’s a very wonderful experience.







–During the dress rehearsals, what were your feelings like?





Kussun: When it’s all empty, the venue gives us the feel that it wasn’t that big… At the top of Tokyo Dome there was a large screen, so even during the daytime, it’s super bright and you can clearly see the audience~ But as the venue is in a circular shape, so I do feel that the rectangular shaped Saitama Super Arena feels further. And after hearing that the back of the stage would have audiences too, it means that from left to right we’ll be surrounded by fans, it really gives the feel that it’s a major event.







– When the LIVE was about to begin, what was the atmosphere like backstage?





Kussun: I guess it felt very busy? At that time, everyone has their own way of focusing their attention, we ate while being massaged and then went about our own way with our preparatory work. I kept thinking: [Ah~~ I’m so nervous], like that (laughs). And when everyone was sitting in a row doing their makeup, someone played songs and everyone sang together. These small things, it’s just like what we’ll normally do together.







– When it officially began, it feels like that you were a natural on stage.





Kussun: When I first started on stage, the faces of the audiences felt even clearer than any other time. As I could see smiles that were more radiant than anything else, so naturally I felt even happier. Before, I was so nervous that I could not even eat properly, but I was just so happy after appearing on stage, so five hours just passed by without me noticing.







– When an event like ‘that’ LIVE ended, what were your thoughts?





Kussun: Although I felt kind of relaxed after Day 2 ended, but actually when Day 1 ended, I had a terrible time. It might be because I had the thoughts of: [Tomorrow is the last!] and it might have made my entire body stiffen a little tightly? I suffered a sprain during the middle of the performance. And the day before, we had a dress rehearsal that lasted quite late, so I guess my body was extremely tired.

Although I felt very happy, but when I returned back stage it was like I had asthma, I couldn’t even walk properly… actually I was carried out.







– Eh!? But on stage, with your smiles and dance, we couldn’t tell at all…





Kussun: I guess it’s because while you’re on stage, I told myself that I have to gut it out? Although I keep on thinking: [It hurts!], but I felt that if I gave up now, I’ll regret it in the future. And that’s why, on Day 2 after feeling the full extent of everyone’s support, I feel relaxed after it had ended.







– At Day 2, when you left the stage, at that very instant, what were you thinking?





Kussun: [I think I remembered hearing that Tokyo Dome could only be used till 21:00 hrs, do we have a problem with the timing?] I was coolly thinking about it at that time (laughs), and I also felt that [This past six years has been a blessing, huh?], there were lots of emotions and thoughts welling about. Of course I did think that [I don’t want to end just yet]. Although I won’t say that my memories keep spinning around like a rotating lamp, but I guess that was the feeling at that time.







– It feels like all the thoughts that you accumulated all this time has been awakened, huh?





Kussun: It was a very spacious stage right? But from all the stages so far, it gives the sensation of being closest to the audience. Sweeping over the audience one by one, it’s like I could see everyone’s faces, it makes me feel that I can remember every instant very clearly.







Upholding a “Being Ignorant means strength” mindset that surpassed all turmoil for the past six years.







– Do you remember the scene where you first met Nozomi?





Kussun: My first meeting with Nozomi was when a file with a concept art was sent to my home. My first impression of her was a very introverted and shy person. The feel of the kind of person that will hide behind someone’s back, I thought too that it could be someone like Hanayo-chan. But after the broadcast [Nice to meet you] and the performances in the TV Anime, my impression of her gradually changed too.







– No matter how you look at it, you’ll feel that Kusuda-san’s distance with Nozomi is very close, it feels like even in reality, the two of you are growing together.





Kussun: For me, I don’t feel that I am acting as Nozomi. Of course I am indeed casted in this role, but because [Nozomi], this individual really exists, so I’m not acting, and I’m not injecting life into her or anything, but I feel she is by my side… just like myself, and like a good friend, it feels that we have quite an unfathomable relationship, right (laughs)?







– Both Kusuda-san and Nozomi’s growth has a familiarity that gave everyone strong impressions of it after all.





Kussun: It’s true, as the Nozomi in the TV anime grew, I too had places where I grew too, but flipping it over, it is the same too… so it is a little different, it feels like she is a [comrade]?







– Do you yourself feel that the distance between you and Nozomi is getting closer and closer?





Kussun: Before I did feel that I didn’t understand Nozomi. When the first season of the TV Anime just began, I came in contact with the Toujou Nozomi before she became a member of μ’s, I discovered that side of her that I didn’t know before and it was very unexpected. At that time I was a little lost too. Before the first season of the TV Anime, there wasn’t much content written about Nozomi’s thoughts. Regardless of her background, what was the feelings she carried with her as she helped formed μ’s. Regarding those, at that time, I thought about it lots.







- After thinking about those for a while, do you feel that the distance did indeed shorten a little?





Kussun: As an example, I think that between friends, completely understanding each other is impossible. There’ll always be something that we don’t know. But those portions that you don’t know, will it be important than all the other things from before? After going through the TV Anime and multiple LIVE, I feel that my distance with her had shortened lots in one go, and as a result the special bond between us was formed.







– Do you remember the things that happen during the first ever recording?





Kussun: I remember it very clearly~ The one recording before me was Emitsun (Nitta Emi), as this is my first time recording, so they let me sit in. I thought in my heart: [So that’s how you do a recording huh?] and it was filled with a sense of freshness., but I also thought that the air-conditioning was being too effective and thought [it’s so cold!] like that, (laughs). As I’m someone whose hands would go cold when I am nervous, I remember at that time it was just so cold, so when I was singing my voice couldn’t be projected properly. So I couldn’t sing like what I imagined I would be able to, and I felt that the recording was very difficult, I was totally clueless too about the equipment in the recording room.







– The song that left an impression would be?





Kussun: All of them~ No matter which song I would remember it clearly, but if I have to choose, I guess it would be [Snow halation]. The memory of the first time recording it was that of a very bitter fight. In the SOLO version, they allowed me to record it again. As at the time it was just after 1st LIVE, so I was able to sing it out very naturally. During that time I felt my own growth. As this song was released again as part of the Album [Heart of Magic Garden2] and went through a new arrange by Itō Masumi Itō, we performed it again. So to me it’s a song that was recorded the most number of times, so I had a very strong impression of it.







– Do you have any thoughts about 1st LIVE?





Kussun: I guess the staff had it even tougher. To me it didn’t seem that bad, or perhaps it’s the first LIVE that we weren’t too worried about. In any case, at that time it was a case of getting done what we were told about beforehand. Thinking about it, at that time when I didn’t know much about the situation, became a very strong weapon for me. So as after I continued to gain experience, the pressure that I have to face got even stronger.







– So this means that as the event venue changes and it gets bigger, the pressure that you feel also increases proportionately, right?





Kussun: The LIVE at Pacifico Yokohama, I was especially nervous. When it came for us to go on stage, I was soo nervous that I almost cried out. I remember Mimorin telling me: [You can’t, okay, not now!] (laughs).







– So I heard that Kusuda-san was already crying at the start, but you cried at the end too right?





Kussun: Actually, at that time we already knew that the next LIVE would be held at Saitama Super Arena. So at that time I felt that, if Pacifico Yokohama’s LIVE was not a success, I won’t be able to stand up to the pressure at Saitama Super Arena. At the stage that we stood on during [Animelo Summer Live], only the nine of us would be holding LIVEs on two consecutive days, the uneasiness of whether we could do it and what not kept on growing bigger and bigger. I feel that is the time period when us members spoke to each other the most. It’s also at that time, it was an opportunity for us members to get closer to each other too.







– Following that is last year, a surge of activities that began since Summer.





Kussun: As to me [LoveLive!] is an existence that is natural, so although many people said to me: [It’s really amazing~], I have this feeling of: [Is that so?]. Perhaps as during [MUSIC STATION] or [Kōhaku Uta Gassen], we didn’t get to see how the reactions were like during the broadcast, and so it ended without us realizing the full depth of the situation, it is a pity. But after watching the program feed, I could only think in my heart: [So that’s what’s recorded huh?] - I had feelings like that (laughs).

I guess this is also the good side effect of being kept in the dark about the situation. If the same situation would happen again, I might be all nerves.



– So besides preparing for the LIVE, this large swathe of activities does let one being unable to get a firm grip of the situation right? (referring to the large amount of activities last year)





Kussun: That might just be the case. But, knowing that so many people recognized and likes [LoveLive!] This is something that makes me feel happy when I knew about this. .







Please gift some words to the comrades that walked with you all the way till here.





– We’ll ask again, after going through this past six years period, what are your feelings right now?



Kussun: How do I put it, I guess it’s an indescribable feeling. Such incidents you might only meet it once in a lifetime, no, if you are living a normal life you might never meet one right? It has been an unbelievable six years, if I start recollecting from the start, at that time there were definitely many different things happening, and at that time everything that I faced, I put my all to do it. So right now, looking back, to some degree I feel that [All of these, it is just a dream right?]. It really just went by in a flash. I want to say that nothing much had changed, but on the other hand actually these six years had brought many changes… in the end, what am I trying to say?? (laughs)

– It’s filled with many different kinds of feelings huh? (laughs)



Kussun: Even now just trying to remember the things that happen in the past six years, I still don’t think that this is real. I do feel that if I think about this after 10 years, 20 years, it’ll have a: [it’s really an exciting six years, huh?] - those kind of thoughts, right?







– The eight members that you have spent together in the past six years, what kind of existence are they to you, Kusuda-san?



Kussun: Mm… what kind of existence are they huh… I feel very happy to be able to see everyone performing actively on their own stage, I’ll think that I need to work harder too. They are good rivals, but are also companions, but aren’t friends though. Of course our relations aren’t bad (laughs). Bu rather than call us friends, rather, in this six year period, they are the teammates that have gone through the same activities I did. We are a group whose relations are very good, although we won’t want to play together every day, but we would often think of things about each other. From today onwards we’ll definitely have a camaraderie that would never be broken, that’s how it feels.

If I can say something to Nozomi now, it’ll be: [I hope you can be happy]





– To who you just said was a comrade, Nozomi. If you are able to say something to her, what would you want to say?



Kussun: That’s true, if I want to say something to her… I would want to ask her: [Is the ‘you’ now, smiling? Are you happy?] Although it’s not the same as asking just one sentence, but I feel that if she is happy now, that’ll be great. I guess that’s true, I guess what I want to say to her is: [I hope you can be happy].





– To be able to hear you say that, I think that Nozomi now would be thinking the same thing.



Kussun: Mm…. if that’s the case, I’ll be very happy (laughs).







– Finally, please say something to the fans too.



Kussun: Thank you everyone for always supporting us. This past six years, starting from one CD, to being able to be loved and supported by so many people, I am really blessed. This feeling, I won’t ever forget it. Thank you very much everyone.