Aimi Poppin’Party

Super Sparkling

Voice actresses forming a band and regularly performing live is unheard of. It’s astonishing.

You were born in Hyogo, correct?

Yes, Hyogo Prefecture. I was born in Hyogo Prefecture’s Kobe City, but I lived on the mountainous side, instead of by the harbor, so it was a really rural area. And I lived in a housing complex. I’m not the Hyogo Prefecture Kobe City’s princess like everyone imagines (laughs).

What are some of your oldest memories as a young girl? What kinds of things did you do for fun when you were little?

I didn’t do anything for fun as a kid at all, so much so that I don’t have any memories from back then other than being at home (laughs). Even if I were to go outside to play, there really wasn’t anything around, so the only thing to do outside would be to play guriko [TL note: guriko is a Japanese twist on rock paper scissors played on stairs] on the stairs. Things like that are just about the only things I remember doing playing outside. At home, Onii-chan [TL note: older brother] liked manga, so I would often read his.

Were they shounen manga?

Yes they were. From “Shounen Jump”. I read series like “Naruto” or “Death Note”. Also I have a little sister, so I also read magazines like “Ribon”, “Nakayoshi”, and “Ciao” with her. So yes, we read a lot of manga at home.

Since you didn’t go outside very often, what was it like hanging out with friends?

I’d hang out with my childhood friends from the neighborhood from time to time, but unfortunately I was really shy, so my friends didn’t actively invite me to hang out. It was kind of like I would wait for them to invite me to do something, but I wouldn’t step outside until they did so (laughs).

So this just turned into a really sad story (laughs).

Those are pretty much the only memories I have of my bright childhood (laughs). Truthfully I don’t remember much about what I did around that time……. My memories of my early childhood are a little weak. Out of all my grade school years, I only really remember high school. My memory of middle school and before that isn’t all that great (laughs). I think I’ve been given a pretty dull life (laughs). Not really gloomy, just dull. I really never had any hobbies or interests in anything. When I really think about it, I didn’t have much I could say with pride that “this is my hobby.”

What kind of a kid were you in elementary school?

When I was little I liked to sleep way too much. I loved going to bed (laughs). I’d always say I wanted to stay in bed and not go to school. I was that kind of kid.

Since you loved sleeping so much, would you say that in elementary and middle school you were always daydreaming?

You might be right, I was always spacing out (laughs). This isn’t to say I was never motivated to do anything, I just had no interest. Things like studying I did as much as anyone else. In elementary and middle school my grades were reasonably good. I liked studying, and I held off sleeping while in school (laughs).

Haven’t you ever wanted to be popular in your class, or stand out or anything?

I haven’t. But ever since I became aware of songs I’ve loved them, so I felt like it would be really nice if I could become a singer in the future.

Is there a singer you liked around that time?

I liked Aikawa Nanase-san. I wanted to become a rock singer like that. I’d mimic her for example when I sang at home, but I could never sense the mood so I’d sing really loudly and someone would get mad, yelling at me to shut up, and I’d feel down like it was all over for me (laughs). It was kinda like that.

Of course it comes back to being about your home (laughs). Was it more fun hanging out with your older brother than with your friends?

Hmm……. Being able to have proper conversations with my siblings was something I wasn’t able to do before high school. Everyone in my house was really shy huh (laughs). Even when it comes to our own siblings. We were that kind of household (laughs). Out of everyone in our household, it was my mother who spoke the most, or rather, she had the best communication skills. Well I mean, she’s the mom after all (laughs). But my mom did her best with work, and she was often away from home. There were lots of times where it was just us siblings in the house, but everyone was shy so it was kinda like, we didn’t really have much conversation. We spoke to each other the absolute minimum required amount. I was in charge of preparing food, so I would ask if they needed food today or not, or they would ask what food I was making today, but that was about it (laughs).

Doesn’t that seem like you’re on chef duty for a boarding house (laughs)?

No, we really didn’t have any interest in each other, so it was more like we wouldn’t step any further than was necessary.

So did you make food for the three of you every day since your parents left for work, Aimi-san? So your cooking skills are remarkable, right?

I wonder about that (laughs). But I think I can make food as well as anyone else can. If someone told me to make something, I’d be able to make it out of just the food I have at home. That’s probably thanks to my experience from that time (laughs).

That’s definitely something that only someone good at cooking would say. So are you saying that you made lots of different things for your siblings?

My repertoire is pretty small. I can only make things that a child would think to make.

Like stew or Salisbury steak?

That, and curry, stir fried vegetables, and ginger pork. I rotated between those orthodox foods.

Simple diner-esque meals are better than serving something outrageous wouldn’t you agree?

Wouldn’t you want a growing child to eat something that goes well with rice, me included. That’s why I only made one thing per meal.

I think that’s a little improper. A grade school student on chef duty…… or no, it’s not like that’s how it was like the whole time, right?

It was basically like that (laughs).

But weren’t you made to join any clubs or anything in elementary or middle school?

Yes, in middle school I joined the concert band. And for some reason I became the club president (laughs).

Wow, that’s amazing.

It was kinda like, “sure, that’s fine.” I looked like I had promise. That might be my special skill (laughs). But I had no idea what I should have been doing as club president, and I ended up relying on the vice president to manage the concert band (laughs). I’m very grateful to the vice president for working hard while I wasn’t around.

And would you take control as the club president when the concert band had a competition?

That’s how it was originally, but at that time our concert band club adviser changed, and so did the policies a little bit. We stopped giving our all to try and aim for gold in the competitions. On top of that, I unfortunately became the president, and the rest of the band got lax. And like that, my lax, head-in-the-clouds club life finished (laughs). Because I didn’t experience much I had to overcome or things I had to work hard for during grade school, it was really difficult when I was entering society (laughs). I didn’t learn about our vertically structured society in school, and I didn’t actively interact with people, so things like how to properly express my opinions, in other words, not just saying something but saying it in a way that doesn’t make others uncomfortable, I had to learn more from human relationships.

You learn things like that naturally through interacting with your friends or upperclassmen don’t you.

I’m sure that’s correct. Unfortunately I skipped over that important process.

Well that’s what school life was like. Hearing about the school life of a lot of people, they comparatively speak about it in a better light. When I hear your story, Aimi-san, I kind of, can only picture it as being lonely and isolated.

I mean I had friends but, how do I put this, it wasn’t like it was gloomy. It was dull. If I were to describe it with a color it would be grayish.

Aimi-san, it’s not as if you yourself were negative or pessimistic though right?

Ah, I was negative (laughs). It’s just, even though I was gloomy and horrible at communication, my good friends were cheerful. I wonder why. It’s probably because I looked cheerful at first glance, and I liked looking fashionable, so my friends were those kinds of people. Naturally I also joined that group of people, and we also spoke together. Thinking back on it now, I was bad at choosing my words, so I might have caused some harsh feelings. I’d like to tell those people, “thanks for being my friend”.

Then, like you were saying earlier, was it high school when you became who you are today? Did it feel like you started to come out of your shell when you started high school?

In high school I got a part time job. There, my life turned around, or rather, I learned how to communicate with the outside world, and I learned how to smile (laughs).

By the way, how did you choose the high school you went to? Was it your own choice?

For one, Onii-chan was going to that school, accessibility-wise it was good because I only had to take a single bus, and with my grades it seemed like I had a good chance of getting in, so that’s why I chose that school (laughs).

Did you get a job because you had something you wanted to buy something or you wanted some pocket change?

That’s right, my number one reason was that I wanted to be able to spend money freely. Though up until middle school, I got my and my siblings’ share of money for food from my mom. I would use that money to buy food for the three of us, and sometimes I’d buy a snack, things like that. Since I lived that kind of life, I didn’t have much luxury come my way. That’s why I got a job, to have a normal amount of luxury. I wanted enough money to be able to enjoy a normal amount luxury. And also, I lived in the countryside. It cost money to go anywhere. The train fare was really expensive, so even if I wanted to just hang out with friends it would cost money. Anything I did cost money.

My memories from when I was young aren’t gloomy, just dull. If I were to describe it with a color it would be grayish.

And if your job was in the city, they would cover your transportation expenses, killing two birds with one stone!

That’s right! I chose places that were close to my school, or in a city of my choice (laughs). My first job was at a restaurant near my school. I started working the job I got, but I thought I’d earn a little more, so on top of that I looked for one by the city. My next job was at a steak house. The owner would tell us to act like we were working in Disneyland, to live and breathe customer service, to do it with a smile, and to leave a good impression.

He wanted the service not like a shop in an amusement park, but like Disneyland?

Yes, that’s right. I learned a lot about customer service there. Always have a smile and leave a good impression. Do this with kids and regular customers, kinda like that. I think it’s because I did things like that that my communication skills became at least average.

About how many times a week did you work?

I’d work as much as I could. I’d go after school ended, and during the summer I think I went just about every day. I worked hard.

But with that work schedule didn’t you lose all your time to hang out?

That’s true (laughs). In the end, I wasn’t able to hang out very much (laughs). My friends from home worked at the steak house with me, so I had a lot of fun just doing that.

When you looked at society after your part time job, did you ever have conversations with your friends about what you were gonna do in the future after work?

Surprisingly, no. But everyone decided on a course in life before we all knew it. I let out a sigh, like, “Ah, everyone was thinking about it seriously after all!” In my case, I’ve always lived a frugal lifestyle, so I decided that I would save up a lot of money in the future. That’s why in order to do that I quietly thought to myself to become a singer.

Actually!?

Yes. I didn’t tell anyone else though. I decided on a course in life where my love for songs and my ideal future intersected. I started going to auditions starting my second year in high school.

So you started auditions huh. Where did you get information on these auditions?

I read things like the audition magazines, “De☆View” (publication suspended as of 2015) and “Gekkan Audition”.

Did you, for example, do things like go to karaoke to prepare for auditions rather than to have fun?

That’s right. Basically, I’d practice for auditions. For example, at that time I really liked Superfly-san, so I looked up to her and practiced how to project a thick, strong voice. However, looking back now I think I should have spent my time better. When I decided to go for this job, I should have done more research and had some voice training. Thinking about it now, I should have done a lot more.

Do you think you got off to a late start?

I do. But regretting the past doesn’t do anything for me (laughs).

When you started off in your second year of high school, did you do a lot of auditions?

I indiscriminately handed out my documents and entered in a lot of singing competitions. Around that time I started going to school less (laughs). That isn’t be something to laugh about, huh. What was I doing back then. When I was at home I would basically just sleep, but Onii-chan likes anime, so he had CDs and DVDs that I would watch. And I’d watch things like broadcast programs Onii-chan recorded.

What kind of anime were they?

“Toradora!” “Bokurano”, and “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”, to name a few. I also discovered “Macross F”, and listening to May’n left a deep impression on me. I became strongly aware of the anisong genre at that time too. I got my power from those songs, which was my motivation to aim for the anime industry.

I see the origin of how you got here today. What kinds of self appeal or special skills did you write down in your audition applications?

Perhaps, I love songs, I get power from anisongs, I want to become someone like that too. I think that’s what I wrote down.

So you went to singing auditions, but what pushed you into becoming a voice actress?

The thing that pushed me into this world was the “Milky Holmes” audition. In this audition you would be given a role if you passed. I didn’t pass, but someone from a recording company who just happened to be watching asked me if I wanted to make a debut. It was like a dream. Of course I said I would do it. In doing that I became affiliated with the company I work for today. It was a song debut, but the company was a voice acting company, so I was told to do my best to become become a voice actress in the future. That was what pushed me. Thinking about it now, It was obvious why I wasn’t able to pass the audition. It was an audition for a role in “Milky Holmes”, so the ones who passed were the ones who were ready to perform as voice actresses. My feelings of wanting to sing were strong, and I think that’s why it’s obvious that I didn’t pass.

So you like songs and anisongs, but what made you pursue voice acting?

I was notified that the “Milky Holmes” audition was for a voice actress unit, and I figured that a unit meant that I would be able to sing. They even sang during their investigations, so I took the audition with expectations that I would be able to sing the anisongs I loved in the future. It’s just, I didn’t have much knowledge on the voice acting industry……. You’d probably think, “You can’t audition just because you like anisongs!”……. Sorry…….. The present me knows no fear, in a good way, but back then I was just impolite. However since I’ve started voice acting, I’ve come to like the stage more and more. Since my debut I’ve come to like anime and games more and more, and I’ve come to take pride in this work. This is what I’ve now arrived at.

You’re quick to finish a story huh (laughs). When you debuted as the artist “Aimi” with your single, “Tenshi no Clover”, how did you feel?

Until the debut I felt like such a lucky girl that I’d float around with my head in the clouds. I was all giddy when the debut was decided too. I was able to become the singer I’ve been dreaming of, and on top of that I’d get to start by singing anisongs. I was so happy my heart would pound. However when I actually started to do recordings and events, I had reality thrust at me. First of all, I wasn’t good at recordings.

Because it was your first experience.

Yes. I’ve never viewed my songs as a product before, so I didn’t understand what the audience wanted or what kinds of songs I could sing. I was up for the challenge, but there weren’t any instructions. I couldn’t even match pitch, the bare minimum expected of a professional, and my vocalization was awful. That was the first time I thought, “Man, singing is hard!”

I indiscriminately handed out my documents. I love songs, I get power from anisongs, I want to become someone like that too. I think that’s what I wrote down.

Anisongs are hard after all.

No, it isn’t that anisongs are hard, but that there’s a huge hurdle to singing professionally. It’s made me notice just how lightly and simple-mindedly I’ve been doing things until now. There’s really a lot that you have to become able to do as a professional. Things like putting your feelings into the song while also keeping your pitch accurate, how you look visually, and understanding the work. I was, at that time, unable to do any one of those things I couldn’t do without. I was frustrated with myself for the gap between my ideals and reality. I was really overwhelmed.

So you’ve fought that struggle since the beginning?

I’d do events, but doing recordings was a really difficult step. On top of that, modern technology does a lot to fix your pitch and unevenness in your voice, so I couldn’t sing exactly like that. Every day was a struggle. I didn’t really think about it, but performing live and singing in karaoke are two completely different things. It was like that for a long time. I had a really hard time after my debut.

Were the expectations of the audience an extra source of pressure?

I was the one who was the hardest on myself. My ideals were too high. I’d think, “it should be like this”, or “I should at least be able to sing this”. I’m so hard on myself because the ideals I’ve painted and the current me are so far apart.

Is that when you started genuinely doing voice training?

Yes. By now I’ve been taught by three different trainers. However, the things they tell me are different. In the end, I can take hints from them, but the final answer has to come from me, or so I think. I think that can be said for all things.

So then, did your expectations and potential change accordingly for you 2nd single, “LIVE for LIFE ~okamitachi no yoru~”?

I’m not the type of person that improves remarkably quickly, so it was still a struggle. But I do think I was moving forward, if only little by little.

So even though you faced that harsh reality, you didn’t give up?

I had a hard time with singing since my debut, and it was a time when I was especially down in the dumps. What rescued me was voice acting work. The concept known as character songs is sung by the voice actress, but since character songs are a character’s song, the voice actress sings not as herself, but through the character’s filter. When singing solo there is only “Aimi”. It’s like I’m completely exposed, or rather, I have to present myself and set myself forward. The evaluation comes straight back to me, and I didn’t have the strength to accept it. But I was given the opportunity to sing character songs as a voice actress, and my complex about singing gradually lessened. I was really rescued by my job as a voice actress.

So you were able to reaffirm the enjoyment of singing through character songs?

Yes, I was. Because the knowledge and experiences I couldn’t produce myself, I could produce in a character song. It wasn’t just my own single head, but adding in the one of my character increased my knowledge and experiences. It’s like I was able to see the world of songs I didn’t know.

The way you use your voice is different for each character right?

That’s right. The way you use your voice really teaches you a lot. It’s very interesting how there are a lot of different approaches to vocalization. For character songs you sing while taking the character’s emotions into account, so it feels like you’re acting the whole time. In fact that doesn’t only go for character songs. Similarly in other songs, you have to put your emotions in to put the finishing touches on a single work. I figured character songs and regular songs aren’t all that different. Just like that, I noticed lots of things. And then even though I was having a hard time with songs, there were people who said they liked my songs. It was thanks to those people that I was able to get myself together do my best no matter when.

What is voice acting like in practice?

Well until it became my job, I never watched anime and thought of it as a performance. When I do so now, I notice everyone keeping in mind things like trivial emotions, their breathing, and nuances in their words. I watched it naturally, but I felt that in the first place, being able to be watched naturally was an amazing thing. At the same time, I wondered how much effort I’d need to put in to be like that myself.

Did you study up on voice acting too?

At the same time I became affiliated with this company, I was put into Dwango Creative School (currently SAY YOU LAB), a voice acting training school, for a year. My classmates and I took dubbing classes, vocalization and vocals classes, and dance classes together, to name a few. Just like when I took voice training, I’d get hints and my improvement depended on me.

The speed at which I grew as a person was incredibly slow. However I was growing the whole time, and I believe I’m certainly a better woman than I was in the past (laughs).

So did noticing the fact that your improvement depended on you mean that your motivation was blazing?

I think I was really motivated. My debut was decided, and also every day in my classes, I’d absorb every little thing before I went home. Then in the blink of an eye I received my first role, which was pretty dreadful. I didn’t want to cause trouble for them by being bad.

I believe that how much practical experience you have under your belt is what is important in a field-oriented company.

Yes, I think that’s a really good thing. But I was terribly awful. I understood that I wasn’t cut out for the job, and I felt really down. When I first started dubbing lines for (Tatsunagi) Suiko in the anime, “Cardfight!! Vanguard”, I was so bad I’d have to work later than everyone else. The other cast members were allowed to go home, and I was the only one left behind. I rerecorded lines over and over. And even still I wasn’t able to record something good, but I was told there was no choice but to release this to the world. When I watched it on air I thought, “what the hell is this!!” I’d planned to do my best. I’d planned to practice a lot. But no good comes from just “planning”. However, I decided I’d improve and show everyone. I still haven’t forgotten the frustration I felt back then.

I think you cried from your frustration back then. But when you did the some thing over and over, you probably had times when you stopped in your tracks for some time or you felt depressed.

That’s right. I think all of you who know me know this, but the speed at which I grew as a person was incredibly slow (laughs). I already fret over this enough that I think you all get it. However I was growing the whole time, and I believe I’m certainly a better woman than I was in the past (laughs).

Now you’re walking the path of a professional, and everyone knows that you’re a popular voice actress. As Toyama Kasumi from Poppin’ Party, you’re being supported by the world. You successfully perform real lives one after the other, and there are lots of people who enjoy watching you and your character. When you got the offer for the series, “BanG Dream!” in what way did you think you wanted to build this work up?

I definitely wanted it to have big contents. Voice actresses forming a band and regularly performing live is unheard of. It’s astonishing. The contents were left up to us, so I wholeheartedly wanted to do my best. I was completely filled with hope.

Did you run into conflict when you practically started?

It was full of problems, but fundamentally I think we were blessed. Especially with the fact that the BanG Dream! staff would often listen to the opinions of the cast members. At BanG Dream! the rehearsal studio itself was well prepared every week. Even the instruments were laid out by the staff. We each got our own lessons, Elements Garden would even listen to our songs. Since we were so blessed, we were constantly grateful. There were a lot of things we found difficult though, too. Even though we were a band, the members all worked for different companies, so there was a time when we couldn’t say the things we wanted to.

We heard from different source that the members were hesitant at first to take picture together.

That’s right. At first we didn’t know where to draw the line with each of us in different companies. Even still we had to present ourselves publicly as a single team. Also, we each had our lessons at a different pace. We couldn’t quite match each others step. Since I wasn’t used to it, it was difficult to remember the musical score. But I constantly felt hope and the future of the content. Itou Ayasa-chan and I both felt the joys and sorrows of it all soon after our debut, so when BanG Dream! began we went for it saying, “let’s do our best together”, ascertaining our feelings to each other.

With the story development and the amount of lives in BanG Dream! you don’t have much time to take it easy do you, Aimi-san?

That’s right, even though I’m the type to take it easy (laughs). But I feel like as the leader I’ve become able to do all sorts of things as of recent, finally (laughs). Up until now I’ve been in an underclassman position even in my company, so I’ve relied heavily on my seniors. If I only did things by my self I feel like things would have ended smoothly. But since I joined Popipa I’ve been the leader, and there are a lot of situations where I have to take the initiative. I can’t take it easy.

At your first Budokan live in 2017, you’d think about the overall performance, for example the members’ movements and the lighting, right, Aimi-san? At your second Budokan live in 2019, a video of interviews of the members played during the intermission. In it you talked about the frustration towards Roselia. Those contents felt like you were exposing that you were truly fighting a match, Aimi-san.

It feels like it wouldn’t be right to just try to keep up appearances anymore. If we did that, we’d inversely just get worn down, since it felt like everything was moving so suddenly. If we couldn’t figure out a way to make constantly working hard feel natural, we wouldn’t be able to do the best we can. That’s how I felt. And as a result, I arrived at the conclusion that way to do that was to expose myself (laughs). BanG Dream! is constantly giving us trials. That’s exactly why we are able to grow as people. BanG Dream! thrust before us the reason we exist in this day and age. I believe that in this day and age, if Aimi didn’t exist, if Nishimoto Rimi, Ohashi Ayaka, Itou Ayasa, and Otsuka Sae didn’t exist, everyone’s dream would be unattainable. We’re constantly searching for things like that that we can do. With BanG Dream! having other real bands come out, we’re stuck with another problem. Roselia-san and RAS-san (RAISE A SUILEN) can do stuff like this, but then what on earth is Popipa able to do? That’s the trial we’ve been given, and we think it’s expected of us that we’ll be constantly searching for an answer.

Having rivals is better for growth, don’t you think.

I truly believe that. Since voice actress bands rare enough, we thought that it would be enough just to work hard in that respect. However, it seems as if that wasn’t the case (laughs). That’s how we thought during February 2017’s “BanG Dream!3rd☆LIVE”, but that’s exactly why we could aim even higher. I think if it weren’t for the appearance of Roselia-san and RAS-san, Popipa might always be content with the position of a “voice actress band”.

Even now you do jobs as a voice actress, but right now Popipa is a band. Don’t both things increase the motivation for the other, and don’t you practice in the studio every week? Watching that, we feel like this band has a very human feel.

That’s true, we have a very human feel. As I thought there are gonna be things I have to speak frankly about. Because we’re a band. To go any higher, we can’t be a band that only comes together for lives. We have to be connected on an even deeper level and band together and work as one. Our relationship now is becoming like that of a family. While there are days when we laugh, there are also days when we don’t. But it’s a place we can definitely come home to. Popipa has become a place where everyone can be who they are. Don’t families help each other out unconditionally? Unrewarded love, I think that’s what we should strive for. Or rather, I feel like we’ve already started to become like that.

Don’t band activities just scream youth? Popipa demonstrated that you can be super sparkling, and I think they’re unrefined and really cool.

As of this interview, your two day live at the Metlife Dome is still ahead of you. How do you feel about it?

I want to watch it as a part of the audience (laughs). It’s definitely a live where you’d go home with a smile on your face. Our goal was to make a live where the audience would be glad they came, and we practiced new songs too, so we’d like it if you’d all listen. The possibilities in music are truly limitless. In the first place, aren’t there many things in BanG Dream! that defy common sense? Since I think this is gonna be the best live. Since this is a battle of the bands (two-man live with SILENT SIREN), I believe the possibilities of BanG Dream! rise even further. It would be great if you all feel that too. From the very beginning BanG Dream! has had it’s eyes set on the future.

The anime “BanG Dream!” is very human, isn’t it. It pulls you in every time you watch it.

Ah, yeah. Thank you very much (laughs). The bands other than Popipa have many members with mature personalities. It’s like even though there are those who are slightly off, all of the members accept and acknowledge each other. But Popipa is very human, they’re awkward, they can’t say their own feelings, they go around in circles. That’s why watching them is sometimes distressing. And also it takes a while for them to resolve their problems (laughs). But that’s precisely why they can be supported by the people in the other bands, and why we, too, want to cheer them on. I really think, “give it your all!” (laughs).

Does it feel like you’re taking back your dull elementary and middle school years?

That’s what it’s actually like. Don’t band activities just scream youth? I was also in a band during high school, but it wasn’t this emotionally clashing. Looking at Popipa I think, if I had the courage, maybe I could have been super sparkling [kirakira dokidoki] like this. Though awkward, Popipa does their best, and their feelings come through don’t they? Because I ran away from things like that. As a result, Popipa demonstrated that you can be super sparkling, and I think that’s really cool. They’re unrefined and really cool. The things I’ve learned from Kasumi are huge. Because she’s cheerful, naive, and makes friends with anyone and everyone. Borrowing Kasumi’s strength, even I was able to reach out and talk to the other cast members. I’m constantly getting power from Kasumi.

So then now, what kind of life do you think you’d like to lead from now on?

I’d like to continue solo work and voice acting, and I like making works. Making a single work together with someone gives me a moment that really warms my heart, and I feel alive in that moment, so I’d like to do something like that in the future. And it’s fun talking about live performances. I’d like to make something like the anime I got my power from in high school, that gave me the power to live on and be my driving force. I’m already different from who I was back when I just loafed around!

Translator’s afterword:

Hey guys, thanks for reading this interview of Aimi from ROCK AND READ girls. If you have any questions or need clarification or an explanation for anything, or even if you just love Aimi and learned something new and wanna talk about it, feel free to let me know by sending an email or discord message or however else you wanna contact me.